Player Profile: “Catch This” - Maisey Wood

photo by Cassidy Bailey

Varsity Softball player, Maisey Wood, was interviewed on Tuesday to dig a little deeper on her school-softball balance.
by Cassidy Bailey

Varsity Softball player, Maisey Wood, was interviewed on Tuesday to dig a little deeper on her school-softball balance.

Maisey Wood is 1st base on the Walnut Grove Softball team, along with a Junior at the high school. Being both a student and an athlete can be quite challenging; trying to balance both schoolwork and practices. “I make sure I prioritize time to do my school work,” Maisey said. Having time to do both can be beneficial especially when Junior year is one of the most challenging years of high school with college researching, jobs, driving, SAT, ACT, and so much more. Maisey Wood’s opinion on Junior year is straightforward “ I think it's pretty good”.  

Having both back to back Softball games with school projects and tests can be really stressful for a lot of people, especially if you don’t utilize your time correctly.
Maisey stated that the only time Softball affects her school performance is when she has to miss a class at the end of the day, but if she utilizes her time correctly “I feel like it doesn’t really affect it. I separate them and make sure I have time to do both”.

Being 1st base on any Softball team requires really good hand eye coordination along with 100% focus on the runner and the pitcher. If the pitcher throws the ball their way, they must catch it and tag out the runner before they steal the base or before they make it to second.  The WGHS Softball team has had a rocky start with wins and losses but Maisey says “ I think we’ve had our ups and downs but I think we are getting to the point where we need to be.” 

With after school games and practices the LadyWarriors strive to be better every time. Game days can be stressful for any team. People are unfocused and stressed for their upcoming game. When asked how Maisey handles her nerves she states “ Sometimes I can get a little distracted, but I try to stay focused”. Which is especially hard when you have school assignments or tests. 

Maisey Wood has to handle both and she is doing an amazing job at it, prioritizing her time to do both is an excellent strategy to have when you are a Student-Athlete. 

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