Wingspan: When and why did you start playing softball?
Bond: “I have always played softball for my whole life, but it was not always at this level of competitiveness. I started when I was a toddler playing t-ball and then started playing recreational softball when I was little while also being a competitive gymnast. Once I retired from gymnastics I then joined a club softball team in eighth grade.”
Wingspan: How has softball impacted your life?
Bond: “Softball has impacted my life in many ways. It has taught me valuable life lessons, skills, and has introduced me to some of the people I call my best friends. Liberty softball is a great example of that because those girls are like a second family to me and I am so grateful to be able to consider them as that.”
Wingspan: Who is your biggest inspiration?
Bond: “My biggest inspiration is my teammates on my high school team. Throughout the years on this softball team, there have been many challenges faced. It has always been a mental struggle for me to keep going because there are many times when I do not love this sport at all, but the reason I show up to practice and try my hardest is not for myself but it is for my teammates because I know that they need me as much as I need them and it’s my way of showing how much I love, care, and respect them.”
Wingspan: How do you reflect and improve after a bad game?
Bond: “Sports are very hard mentally, especially in softball because it is a game of failure. After a bad game, it is very hard for me to get out of my head. Oftentimes I reflect and beat myself up over past mistakes and in order to get over this I usually need the help of my mother’s calming words. Sometimes after games my teammates and I go to get dinner and if I did not play to the potential I expected myself to, they are quick to cheer me up and clear my head.”
Wingspan: What are your goals for this season?
Bond: “My goal for this season is to just enjoy it because it’s my last year. In past years I have taken this sport way too seriously and have ruined the fun for myself and others so this year I just want to let go, have fun, and enjoy what time I have left with my teammates and coaches.”
Wingspan: How has the team been preparing for this season?
Bond: “The team has been working very hard in the off season, especially in the weight room. There were many things that were not in our favor such as getting moved to fourth period boys athletics, and our field being torn up by raccoons. But even though we faced these challenges Coach Thayer has done a great job improvising as she can and trying to prepare us as much as possible.”
Wingspan: Do you plan to continue your softball career after high school?
Bond: “I am excited to announce that after high school I plan to become a NARP [non-athletic regular person] for the first time in my life. Though softball has had a huge impact on who I am today I do not wish to have it in my future beyond high school. Knowing myself and what I have faced in this sport and past sports, I do not have the love required to play at the next level and feel that I would be healthier mentally ending my career after high school.”
