By Emory Kouplen

Cache High School’s Maddie Tate is a beast on the softball field. She is a first basemen senior who has been playing her sport for six years. She had no particular reason to originally get involved in softball, but she can now not imagine life without it. “ I honestly joined softball for no reason other than to play a sport. I didn’t grow up watching it or playing it, but I can truly say that it was one the best decisions I’ve
ever made. The relationships I’ve built from this sport will always impact my life, and I’ll always be thankful
to my younger self for picking softball.” To those considering softball like she once was, Maddie offers some encouragement: “Take the risks. You won’t get anywhere if you’re too busy thinking about the “what ifs”.

The only way to achieve something is to try it.” Maddie enjoys softball because of the true joy that it has brought her. “ I enjoy the positivity and love that my sport brings,” she shares, “Cheering and encouraging my teammates is always rewarding in and of itself, and my teammates are just amazing to be around in general. They are where I find the most joy.” Being involved in her sport for so long while also being an upperclassman, Tate is a leader, and she strives to be a constant encouragement toward those around her. “I try to lead my team with positivity. I am not the most outspoken person, but my teammates know that I am someone they can always lean on and trust. I am always going to try and lift them up in any way
I can.”

Softball is a sport that promotes learning and growth. In her six years participating in her sport, Maddie has learned many valuable lessons that she will apply on and off the field. The most important lesson she
has taken away is recognizing that “ mistakes and failure are going to happen. It’s the way that you react that decides the kind of player you’re willing to be.”