Northwestern University Athletics
"Do it For You" - By Sydney Supple
4/27/2022 9:29:00 AM | Softball
The beauty of our game is it never knows who is supposed to win. Each day you have to show up, play the game, and tell it who is supposed to win. This week and weekend was a fight every inning and it took some serious work but was filled with so much excitement and joy.
Saturday evening well past 9 p.m. in extra innings versus Indiana I remember looking at Morgan Newport walking off the base with one of the biggest smiles and saying, "this is so much fun." It was one of those games where both teams were pouring their hearts on the field, fans were going back and forth cheering, and each pitch felt even more important than the next. That game was probably one of the proudest moments I have felt this season, to be a part of this team. The reason why is that although watching our team hit home run after home run and run-ruling teams is incredible, the feeling of seeing my teammates saying, "I got you" and then picking one person up after another in their play is even better. Seeing the belief written across each one of my teammates' faces that we were going to come back and win this game for us.
As a team, we have a lot of abbreviations and sayings that we keep close to us as little messages to say to one another when someone may need encouragement, a laugh, or a little bit of love. One saying we have repeated ever since Southern Illinois is, "DIFY" which stands for "do it for you". It is truly one of the most empowering messages you can hear as a player from your teammate–that they are saying step on the field and don't play for anything else but yourself. The freedom we give each other in those moments is to be undeniably ourselves. Our team is not perfect, our play is not perfect, what makes it special and strong is we embrace that it is "our journey" and we are going to make it the best it can be and be proud of that.
Another aspect of our team that I admire is the strength within our team that anyone can step up at any time. We are more than one through nine, we are top to bottom strong where any person on our roster can step up at any time. The genuine joy you see on our team's faces regardless of who it is, do well. This weekend, Hannah Cady and Nikki Cuchran were two of many who stepped up and became huge momentum starters in our lineup by doing damage with their bats.
Not one, but TWO triples now on the weekend for Nikki Cuchran! ????
— Northwestern Softball (@NUSBcats) April 24, 2022
T7 | NU 10, IU 3 pic.twitter.com/3bFIuQbeyh
First pitch of the AB and @hannah_cady sends it a LONG ways away! ???? pic.twitter.com/MnvItywgJi
— Northwestern Softball (@NUSBcats) April 24, 2022
After an entire week on the road, I know I speak for my entire team with how excited we are to be back on The J all weekend long against Iowa. I want to personally invite every person who reads this to come out for our last home weekend series and celebrate our nine graduates who have made an everlasting impact on our program!
Lastly, I was about to publish this article when I heard about the heartbreaking news of the passing of JMU softball player, Lauren Bernett. Our softball world is a small one and the pain is being felt by everyone for this loss. To the entire JMU program, my heart and prayers are with you. To everyone reading this, please know how loved and cared for you are by me.
Sincerely,
Sydney #26
