Leaving the home plate
Senior Madeline Brooks commits to Central Baptist College
From the tender age of six, the entirety of her life has been devoted to one thing: softball. What began as an experiment has become the center of her world, the foundation of her life and the pathway to a collegiate education. She looks back fondly on the multitude of injuries she’s endured and the long, scorching summer afternoons sitting on the bench. All hardships aside, she smiles because she’s finally made it.
Senior Madeline Brooks has committed to Central Baptist College where she will continue her pursuit of softball. Madeline, who has played for 12 years, never intended for the sport to become an essential component in her life. Originally joining as an alternative to her short-lived experience with gymnastics, Madeline was enrolled into softball by her mother, Diana Brooks. Diana, who also played the game in her youth, recalls Madeline’s early experiences with softball.
“She was originally in gymnastics and [later the coaches] put her on the competitive team,” Diana said. “They said ‘To get to the next level, she has to do this, this and this,’ which meant I’d have to pull her from school and she’d have to start doing school with gymnastics. I was like ‘You know what? That’s a lot. I need her to be a full-on kid.’ And I told her, ‘We have other options, [but] you have to remain active. Do you want to try softball?’ and she was like ‘Yeah.’”
Though Madeline’s success in softball would eventually prove to be an asset, the demanding regime of the sport required her to adopt time management early on. As a student-athlete throughout middle school and high school, she’s learned to prioritize academics amid the fast-paced lifestyle that accompanies the sports world.
“I always have to get my work done when I absolutely can because I know I fall victim to procrastination, which is stupid considering [the fact that] I’m aware I have practice before/after school or a tournament on the weekends,” Madeline said. “I also try [to] schedule my hitting lessons [and] workouts on days I don’t have major assignments due, so I don’t give myself excuses as to why I did a poor job on something.”
With age, she’s become accustomed to the downfalls that often go hand in hand with being a student-athlete. From finding the right coaches to managing life following a severe head injury, Madeline has learned the overarching importance of self-care.
“Softball has always and will always be a demanding sport, [but] you just have to work around it and make sure you’re still taking care of yourself along the way,” Madeline said. “I can always take a long day of stress out on the field, but at the end of the day, if I need to cry, laugh or just rest, I go do so.”
Madeline’s time in softball, both in and out of school, has not been deprived of leadership experiences. Her rise to captaincy came as no surprise to assistant softball coach Mallory Rossmann, who has always taken notice of her distinguishing qualities.
“Madeline’s all-inclusive heart and mentality set her apart from most athletes and students her age,” Mallory said. “Her maturity and outlook on life set an example for others. Athletes flock to her. Each of her teammates she has something in common with, yet she also is able to hold them accountable. [It’s] a tough thing to do as a young athlete.”
Though she’s learned plenty throughout her years of softball, the concept Madeline has come to value above all others is patience. As she nears the end of her high school career, she holds the lesson close to heart.
“Although I’m a relatively impatient person, softball really drills into you that everything happens for a reason,” Madeline said. “You don’t just play softball for over 10 years, practice 10 hours weekly, travel from state to state summer after summer and stay up until 12 a.m. playing games just to wake up at 5 a.m. the next day because there’s going to be a reward. You do it because you [accept] there’s most likely not a reward, but it’s OK because the hard work will someday pay off.”
Diana, though emotional about her daughter’s upcoming departure, looks forward to seeing Madeline take on a new era in her life. With time, she’s begun to notice the similarities between her and Madeline.
“While I’ll always need her and want her here, she’s a lot like me,” Diana said. “She doesn’t want to stay put, she doesn’t want to stay grounded. She wants to fly. And I’m like ‘Go. Go explore that world.’ I’m excited to see where this journey takes her. I know that I still get to be a part of it, just more on the sidelines [now].”
