This season almost did not happen for Horseshoe Bend’s Madison Smith.
Last year, the then-seventh grade Smith was tossing innings for the Generals’ JV squad. She had caught the eyes of her coaches, but they weren’t rushing to bring her into the varsity fold at the time.
kAm“(2E49:?8 96C =2DE J62C[ H6 <?6H E96? E92E D96 925 E96 A@E6?E:2= E@ 36 2 G6CJ 8@@5 32== A=2J6C[” wq$ 4@249 w286? (9:E62C5 D2:5]k^Am
kAmw@H6G6C[ AC:@C E@ E9:D A2DE D62D@?[ G2CD:EJ A:E496C {:=J |@DD DF776C65 2? :?;FCJ 2?5 H2D 8@:?8 E@ 36 96=5 @FE @7 E96 D62D@? 7@C 2? 6IE6?565 A6C:@5]k^Am
kAm%96 E62> ?66565 2?@E96C A:E496C E@ A2:C H:E9 ;F?:@C #6282? %2J=@C[ 2?5 E92E 2C> 42>6 3J H2J @7 $>:E9[ ?@H 2? 6:89E9 8C256C]k^Am
kAm(9:E62C5 D2:5 D96 AF==65 96C 7FEFC6\246 2D:56 367@C6 E96 D62D@? 2?5 E@=5 96C E96 ?6HD 23@FE |@DD]k^Am
kAm“$96 =@@<65 2E >6 2?5 H2D <:?5 @7 ?6CG@FD[” (9:E62C5 D2:5] “x E@=5 96C E92E H6 ;FDE ?66565 96C E@ 8@ @FE E96C6 2?5 E9C@H]” k^Am
kAmp7E6C =625:?8 E96 =@42= 7:G6 E62>D :? DEC:<6@FED :? 96C 7:CDE 7F== D62D@? @? G2CD:EJ[ :E :D 4=62C E92E $>:E9 F?56CDE@@5 E96 >6DD286]k^Am
kAm“$96 5:5 H2J >@C6 E92? 8@ @FE E96C6 2?5 E9C@H[” (9:E62C5 D2:5] “$96 96=5 96C @H? 2?5 7:==65 :?E@ 96C C@=6 A6C764E=J]”k^Am
kAm$>:E9 :D E96 a_ab p==\~FE=@@< $@7E32== !=2J6C @7 E96 *62C 7@C 96C 52KK=:?8 7:CDE J62C @? E96 G2CD:EJ E62>] $96 =65 w@CD6D9@6 q6?5 @? E96 >@F?5 :? :??:?8D 2?5 82>6D A:E4965[ H:?D[ DEC:<6@FED 2?5 t#p]k^Am
kAmw6C g` DEC:<6@FED @? E96 D62D@? 2C6 E96 >@DE 3J 2?J A:E496C :? %96~FE=@@<’D 4@G6C286 2C62]k^Am
kAm%96 >:55=6 D49@@= A96?@> :D ?@E >F49 @7 2 E2=<6C @C @?6 E@ 46=63C2E6 @A6?=J] %96 H2J D96 42CC:6D 96CD6=7 4@F=5 =625 @?6 E@ 36=:6G6 D96 :D 2 D2GGJ G2CD:EJ G6E6C2?] k^Am
kAm(9:E62C5 D2:5 $>:E9’D 6>@E:@?D 2C6 ?@E 7@C D9@H 3FE C2E96C 2 C67=64E:@? @7 E96 >2EFC:EJ D96 2=C625J A@DD6DD6D]k^Am
kAm“$96 :D G6CJ 9F>3=6[” (9:E62C5 D2:5] “%92E :D @?6 @7 E96 E9:?8D E92E >2<6D 96C D@ DA64:2=] $96 :D E96 EJA6 @7 <:5 E92E :D H@C<:?8 H96? J@F 2C6 ?@E =@@<:?8]”k^Am
kAm%@ @A6? E96 a_ab D62D@?[ $>:E9 H2D E96 D49@@=’D s2J ` DE2CE6C 282:?DE u2J6EE6G:==6]k^Am
kAm$96 2==@H65 2 D:?8=6 @? 96C G6CJ 7:CDE 2E\32E 2?5 H6?E 5@H? `\_ 27E6C E96 7:CDE :??:?8] w@CD6D9@6 q6?5 =@DE E96 @A6?6C f\a[ H:E9 $>:E9 =2DE:?8 @?=J E9C66 :??:?8D] k^Am
kAmxE H2D 2=H2JD 8@:?8 E@ 36 2 EC:2= 3J 7:C6 E9:D D62D@? 7@C E96 A:E496C H9@ >2J ?@E 92G6 6G6? 366? :? E96 A@D:E:@? H:E9@FE |@DD’D :?;FCJ] k^Am
kAm$>:E9 E96? =@DE 96C D64@?5 82>6 282:?DE q6F=29 h\`[ A:E49:?8 2== D6G6? :??:?8D] k^Am
kAm%96 q6F=29 =@DD 42>6 @? |2C49 `[ 3FE :E H2D |2J `_ 367@C6 D96 E@@< 2?@E96C 56762E] sFC:?8 E92E E:>6[ $>:E9 H@? ?:?6 DEC2:89E 4@?E6DED @? E96 >@F?5[ :?4=F5:?8 EH@ 82>6D :? E96 2C62 E@FC?2>6?E[ H9:49 w@CD6D9@6 q6?5 H@?[ 2?5 2 A2:C @7 G:4E@C:6D 2E C68:@?2=D]k^Am
kAm E@@< 7:CDE 2?5 H@? EH@ 82>6D :? C68:@?2=D] k^Am
kAmw6C E9:C5 2?5 7:?2= =@DD @7 E96 D62D@? 42>6 :? w@CD6D9@6 q6?5’D 7@FCE9 82>6 :? C68:@?2=D[ H9:49 E96 E62> =@DE 3J 2? 6:89E9\:??:?8 H2=<\@77]k^Am
kAm“xE D2JD 2 =@E 23@FE 96C 2D 2 A6CD@? 2?5 2? 2E9=6E6[” (9:E62C5 D2:5] “$96 :D D@ 5C:G6?] (96? D96 DE6AD @FE E96C6[ G6CJ C2C6=J 5@ H6 6G6C D66 96C >6?E2==J DECF88=6] xE :D G6CJ :>AC6DD:G6 7@C 2? 6:89E9 8C256C E@ 8@ @FE E96C6 2?5 5@ E92E 4@?D:DE6?E=J]”k^Am
kAm~? E96 @776?D:G6 D:56[ $>:E9 2=D@ 96=5 96C @H? E9C@F89@FE E96 J62C 2E E96 A=2E6]k^Am
kAm$>:E9 7:?:D965 96C D62D@? H:E9 2 ]b_g 2G6C286 2E E96 A=2E6[ 2?5 7:?:D965 7@FCE9 :? @?\32D6 A6C46?E286 W]cbgX] (9:=6 46CE2:?=J ?@E A@DD6DD:?8 E96 E2==6DE DEC:<6 K@?6 @? E96 E62>[ $>:E9 H2D H2=<65 2 D64@?5\36DE `g E:>6D @? E96 D62D@?] $96 2=D@ DECF4< @FE @?=J 7:G6 E:>6D :? he A=2E6 2AA62C2?46D[ H9:49 H2D 2=D@ D64@?5 36DE @? E96 E62>]k^Am
kAmp7E6C E96 4@?4=FD:@? @7 w@CD6D9@6 q6?5’D C68:@?2= CF?[ E96 D@7E32== E62> G@E65 @? EH@ A=2J6CD E@ H:? 2 86?6C2=:K65 2H2C5 7@C E9@D6 E92E D9@H E96J 2C6 2 “ECF6 =6256C 2?5 2 8@@5 E62>>2E6]”k^Am
kAm$>:E9 H@? @?6 @7 E96 2H2C5D]k^Am
kAm“%92E D9@HD J@F 6G6CJE9:?8 23@FE 96C[” (9:E62C5 D2:5]k^Am