When Maddie Homer was a sophomore, she secured the last out in one of her first slow-pitch softball games back after a six-year hiatus. 

Homer, a junior, had struggled at the beginning of the season as she relearned the sport.

“A lot of balls were going out to me, and I wasn’t catching any of them. During that time, I hadn’t made too many good plays,” Homer said. 

Homer was losing motivation until there were two outs in the final inning of a game and a fly ball headed toward her. 

“The ball came over, I held out my glove at the last second and caught it really close to the grass line,” Homer said. “It was really unexpected. No one really thought I was going to catch it.”

Homer developed a positive outlook in that moment. It was a big confidence booster for her and a turning point in her decision to keep pursuing slow-pitch softball. 

“I felt really encouraged to keep going afterwards. The best part was that my teammates really supported and congratulated me,” she said.

That eventually led to playing second base and right field on the GBWAA softball team. So far, the season has gotten off to a good start. 

“Our hitting and fielding has improved since the fall season,” Homer said. 

Homer had tried many different sports throughout her life, including cheerleading, basketball, and volleyball. She started getting into sports when she was 7 years old, playing in the GBWAA. Softball stuck with Homer the most because of her own interest and her family’s connection to the sport. 

“I played it for the longest, and I understood it the most. My parents also know a lot about it, so it made the most sense to me,” Homer said. 

A few years later, she was pressured to start fast-pitch softball but shortly quit after. 

“I really did not understand it as much. It’s really different because the balls are a lot harder to hit, and I didn’t feel like I was meant for it,” Homer said. 

After years away from softball, Homer decided during her sophomore year that she wanted to start a sport and make new friends. Softball was the clear choice after she remembered her love for the sport in her younger years.

Starting off, she was intimidated by the expectations she had to meet. 

“I was scared at first. I didn’t have the throw or hit that I used to, and slow-pitch is only varsity. I had to work with my coach a lot to improve,” Homer said. 

When she started getting more comfortable with the sport later in the season, Homer worked with her coach to switch from right field to second. 

“My coach letting me play second really motivated me to play as hard as I could. I made all the catches, I caught all the ground balls, and made all the throws,” Homer said. “After that, she let me play second regularly.”

A big part of the softball team’s success comes from their ability to work together, she said. 

“There’s a lot of teamwork involved. We all have good communication, especially after we make good plays, and we all celebrate each other,” Homer said. 

Junior Annie Martire agreed with Homer and has seen a noticeable change in the team. 

“Everybody is really supportive of each other. Especially since Maddie’s joined, she’s brought up the energy a lot,” Martire said, “You can tell she’s really dedicated as well.” 

In addition to playing softball, Homer is one of the leaders of the Cardz for Kidz student club.

Junior Hannah Dayoub works with Homer almost every day, as they are the president and vice president of the club, respectively. Dayoub commends Homer’s efforts in making the club work. 

“You can tell when she commits to something that she will put her all into it and do everything she can,” Dayoub said.  

Homer is dedicated to the mission of the club, in which students make cards that are sent to hospitals.

“I help with organizing meeting themes and try my best to switch it up from time to time. It’s a super important club because we help out those experiencing hard times,” Homer said.