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Never Striking Out
By Brenda Hearn, as told to Sondria Hall
Hi! I’m Brenda Hearn. I am 17 years old and a huge softball fan! I can remember loving sports since I was five years old. Both my parents and brother had been involved with athletics growing up, so it was no surprise to me that I would follow in their footsteps. I began my athletic career by signing up to be a cheerleader for my brother’s youth football team. Soon after that, I joined basketball, volleyball, and t-ball teams. By the sixth grade, I had developed a true passion for a fourth game: softball. Throughout my high school years I continued to play softball, as well as volleyball and basketball, and attended various state championships for each. It seemed as though nothing could or ever would keep me from my place on the field and court. Yet during my senior year of high school, I found myself searching for that same confidence after being diagnosed with what seemed to be an insurmountable competitor: scleroderma. I realized all too soon that playing the game would require more from me than it ever had before. I needed to win at sports and beat scleroderma—all at the same time.
After my diagnosis, I considered giving up sports when I went to college and just sticking to academics. I decided after graduation that the summer of 2008 would be my last time on the field before heading to the University of New Mexico.
Although I had planned to give up on the game, the game wasn’t giving up on me. It turned out that a softball scout from Western Nebraska Community College (WNCC) was watching me play in Denver, Col. that summer and asked if I would consider playing for their team in the fall. When the WNCC softball scout asked me to play for their team, I felt a renewed sense of purpose and confidence. Even with scleroderma—I was still able play well and to win. I telephoned the scout later that summer and said I would attend WNCC that fall, to play for their softball team. The scout offered me a full scholarship to the college.
So far, I’ve already completed my first semester at WNCC and I’m feeling better than ever. I've met so many new friends on the softball team and my coach has been very attentive in making sure I am well taken care of. Turns out even with scleroderma, I’m still in the game—and I’m never striking out! |
