Northwestern University Athletics
"How We Treat the Game" - By Sydney Supple
3/24/2022 10:20:00 AM | Softball
"Be bold and be badass women," was the message delivered to our team when the game was tied with Missouri 5-5.
Playing in a packed SEC stadium with the crowd roaring was an experience our team needed being on a big stage. The funny thing about it, even though the crowd was bigger and louder, the game did not feel different. No matter the stadium or environment we play in, we are so dialed into each other and the game that nothing else matters.
Hearing Kate say that line to our team in that moment when the game was on the line, was about so much more than just being ballplayers. It was about being women who went after what they wanted, fearlessly. I truly believe that is what separates our program from other schools. We are taught how to attack life and carry ourselves as strong independent women first, and then how to have your glove angle on a short hop and when to release your barrel while hitting. (Yes Caryl, I listen).
As we close the chapter on the non-conference part of our schedule and host our first Big Ten matchup this weekend, people are starting to pay attention and analyze what makes us a strong team. While you can touch on all of the physical attributes we have, I believe our strength lies deeper in our internal game. During our long eight-hour road trip back to campus last Sunday night, Kate described three points perfectly about what made our team so special:
- The way we treat the game.
- The way we treat each other.
- The selfless attitude we are all carrying.
When it comes to how we treat the game, our team does not cut corners. If you were to sit in on a practice, you would constantly hear the phrase "this is what the game is asking of us today," whether that be by watching extra film, traveling in the middle of finals week, or any other task that the game asks of us to work a little harder for, because that is what the game deserves. We pride ourselves on being the most physical team in the weight room, the ones who religiously seek out ways to not stay comfortable at practice, and who challenge ourselves every day academically. All of that grit and resilience that is obtained through those moments, is what allows us to outlast a team in extra innings because we have prepared our bodies and minds.
The way we treat each other is in the most genuine way possible because we are putting each other before ourselves. We are not questioning when it is my turn, but instead celebrating whose person's turn it is at the moment. That is a quality that truly can not be taught. It is a quality that can be worked for and it is a commitment that we get to make day after day. By us choosing that selflessness so far, it has allowed us to have so much joy around the game and with one another.
Now, it is officially a HOME weekend at the J and we hope to see as many of you there as possible!! We could not be on this journey without our Cats fans, thank you for everything you do.
Sincerely,
Sydney #26
