Northwestern University Athletics
"A Dream Come True" - By Sydney Supple
6/1/2022 11:21:00 AM | Softball
I woke up in Oklahoma City to write this…... if that is not a dream come true I don't know what else is.
To even begin explaining why this moment is so special to me, I have to start by sharing with all of you the letter I wrote to Kate and Caryl about why I was committing to Northwestern. Mind you I have not looked back on this letter since November 15th, 2014 when I was in 8th grade. Looking back there was one particular part that stood out to me, "People have estimated that there are 1,025,109.8 number of English words in the English language, (how they have .8 of a word I have no clue). I can only think of one word to describe Northwestern. That word is home. Northwestern is the team I want to be a part of when we make it to Oklahoma City."
8th grader-me and so many of my teammates who committed around the same time of their lives have been holding onto this dream for YEARS. While I use the word dream, it is not in a fantasy way because every one of us picked this school because we believed to our core that we would make it to the Women's College World Series. Now, here we stand.
To make it to the Women's College World Series was not an easy task, in fact, it has actually been the most challenging journey I have ever been a part of. That journey started long before I was here because of the strong foundation that has been built for years by the amazing women who wore the uniform before us. Our team's journey has been in fruition since Rachel Lewis broke onto the national stage her freshman year, followed by a year later with our eight seniors being a dominant force their freshman year as well and leading the program to a Super Regional in 2019. All of those moments, games played, and lessons learned over the last five years by different players on our team are what allowed us to play with such poise in our Super Regionals at Arizona State this past weekend.
Let me say now that the series is over, that was one of the best–if not the very BEST–Super Regionals ever played in the sport of softball. Two out of three games went into extra innings, each team poured their heart and soul into every inning keeping each person in the stadium on the edge of their seat wondering what the outcome would be. On Friday evening, after 11 innings and nearly a four-hour game, we took home the first win to go up 1-0 in the series. On Saturday, with every punch ASU threw in scoring a run, we fought right back and responded with another punch to tie up the game in the seventh, with an opportunity to win the series. In both games the team walked away with a victory by a small margin and a loss by a small margin…they were that close.
Heading into game three we knew that the outcome was a chance to go to the Women's College World Series. Stepping onto the field we were determined to leave everything we had on the field for a chance to live out our dreams. From the first inning on we had runners in scoring position, but fell a hit short to bring the runs in. By the end of the third inning we were down 5-0. At this moment I am sure many people counted us out, but I could see the belief in the eyes of every one of my teammates that it didn't matter what the score was, we knew we were going to win this game. The bats came alive the very next inning putting up four runs and you could feel the momentum shift. As soon as it was on our side, we never gave it back, tying the game in the fifth, taking the lead in the sixth, and going up three heading into the bottom of the seventh. The heart and fight in our team shined through every one of us for all to see who was watching the game. What I love even more is the relationships and love for one another that were put on display during that game. How inspiring it was to see us choose ourselves against all odds.
With the final out watching as Hannah Cady caught the foul ball and sprinted into the arms of my team, I immediately saw the tears run down our faces of pure happiness. The dream and goal that we all held for years, sacrificing so many moments, dedicating our bodies and time to get this exact opportunity, was all a reality now. That moment I will forever hold close to my heart: when it hit us that we did it. We were one of eight teams left headed to Oklahoma City to live out our childhood dreams of playing for a National Championship on the game's greatest stage for a university and program we love so much. There is no greater honor and privilege than this.
It is important to recognize that this moment is possible because of all of you. To everyone who drove us to practices as a kid, gave up their weekends to watch us play, allowed us to dream this big, and made us believe it could become a reality. You are why we are standing here. We ALL made it to Oklahoma City, and I thank you for empowering us as women to play this game.
As the events have already started here in OKC, there are times I simply stop in my tracks and think to myself, "I made it." Seeing our uniforms stitched with the World Series logo was as surreal as it could get. With each experience moving forward from practicing at the Hall Of Fame Stadium today, to playing a game in front of a sold-out crowd of over 15,000 people and millions watching it on their television, I only hope for one thing. To soak in each moment like the blessing it is, and show the world who Northwestern softball is.
To my teammates, coaches, fans, and everyone alongside this journey thank you for making this 13-year-old girl's biggest dream come true.
See you in OKLAHOMA CITY!!
Sincerely,
Sydney Supple #26
