Junior Addison Haverfield has played girls’ softball for many years. She began with playing tee ball at the young age of three and hasn’t slowed down since. Haverfield has been playing on the GFHS girls’ softball team since her freshman year, and describes it as “a second home.” Addy’s primary position is shortstop, but she has occasionally played catcher. Her main job when playing shortstop is to be a cutoff for all outfield throws to 3rd base, and to also be the cutoff for home from leftfield and centerfield. Addison says her absolute favorite part of playing softball is challenging others and being competitive. She says she loves stealing bases, getting big hits, making plays, but she mostly loves playing the sport she loves with her best friends. Haverfield says the GFHS softball team isn’t just a team, they are family. According to Haverfield, the connection the girls on the team have and the immense support from their coaches is unmatchable to any other team and is what makes our Granite Falls team truly special. “It’s a sisterhood a lot of people wish they had,” she says

Addison says her parents are the main reason she began playing, but she herself is the reason she continued. Haverfield continued to play because she found love and passion for softball from a young age. “It was a happy place for me and as my skills evolved, so did my love for the game.” Over COVID she had begun playing for her first travel team and says that’s when the sport really started to become a daily part of her life. Throughout the pandemic, she realized that softball was what she wanted to do with her life for as long as she possibly could. Addison began to challenge herself to reach out to new people and learn new things from others, and without this she would never have become the player she is today. This sport was able to teach Addy the importance of putting in valuable time and effort. “…I can’t win all the time, but I’m still improving…” she notes.

To Addy, softball is a lesson. She says this sport contributes to her life as not only a physical lesson, but a mental one as well. Softball has taught her to work tirelessly toward a winning goal and mindset. “I have seen softball as a way to improve my life and skills on and off the field.” Haverfield says that playing a game of failure your whole life makes you grow to have a good mindset, and to never give up. Her message to those who are looking into playing softball is: “It’s hard. The fundamentals and skills don’t come overnight. It took me about three years to have a solid swing and defensive game. It takes countless days of work. If you don’t put in the efforts year round you won’t improve for your upcoming season. It’s a game of failure and it will beat you down like it did to me, but once you find that inner fire and determination, you will thrive and succeed. Softball isn’t all physical, it’s mental too. Stay in the right headspace and don’t dwell on mistakes. Shake it off and keep going.”