Although she can’t take the field as a player, Savannah Dickson is getting used to her new role as the softball manager.  During the 2017 season, she was in an accident on her way to an out of town tournament.  However, it hasn’t stopped her from being involved. With her years of experience and bond with the team, she is taking on more of a coaching role to the diamond in the 2017-2018 season.

“Her role now is to help with girls that are younger because she has been a freshman on varsity,” Head Coach Linda Graves said.  “She helps teach them and show them the ropes.”

Being on the sidelines, the senior is able to help the girls correct mistakes she can see, but they can’t. Her teammates feel she brings complete encouragement, insight, and leadership to her position in the dugout.

“She inspires me because she is still working to get where she was at,” senior Anissa Rojo said. “No matter what has gotten in her way, she is still trying to fight it the best she can.”

Even though she is a positive force in the dugout, she is missed by her teammates on the field.  Senior Jaida Vincent explained they had a secret hand-shake they would do, along with various plays between their positions. Dickson also misses taking the field.

“Unless you have been physically stopped from playing your sport, it’s hard to grasp just how much it affects you as a person,” she said. “It’s hard to handle sometimes.“

Through hard work and perseverance, she hopes to achieve her goals of walking normally again; along with building as much muscle back as possible. Her surgery in late February puts her in a cast which sets her back six to eight weeks, but she won’t let that stop her.

“Either you make the best with what you have, and you play with the cards you’re dealt or you succumb to weakness and failure and for me, that wasn’t an option, it shouldn’t be an option for anyone else either,” Dickson said.