I am very aware of influence I have on the lives of younger girls that come to watch me plat at the high school. They tell me they want to be just like me. I feel it is very important to give back to your community because I didn't get this far on my own. I had lots of help. I give free pitching and hitting lessons to elementary age girls to help develop there skills, develop the program at our school and instill the love for softball in these future ball players of tomorrow. In addition, I am very active in my youth group at church with lawn care services, seasonal decorating and singing events for the elderly and shut-ins.

Drugs have become an enormous problem at my school. No longer is it just a select few kids that you know are doing it. It is ramped. Friends I have known my whole life are caught up in this web of destruction, destroying their lives and the lives of their families’. I stand up against this issue and voice my concern, trying to let them see there is a better way. If I can persuade just one of them to stop I will feel I have won this battle.

In my mind, an athlete is like a car. The car doesn’t work right if it doesn’t have the right fuel or if it’s not oiled correctly. The same holds true for an athlete’s body. Not eating right or drinking plenty of fluids will cause you not to be able to perform at your best. I have learned what, how and when to eat on or before a big game. I’ve learned that you have to hydrate early and often in this East Tennessee humidity. In addition, I maintain my workouts year round in pursuit of my healthy athletic performance.