Senior Splotlight - Taylor Emery

Determined and resilient, senior Taylor Emery looks forward to capping off her senior softball season in style. Despite pandemic obstacles, Emery stays optimistic as the season gets underway. Having played the game she loves for over a decade, Emery is not ready to hang up her cleats anytime soon. 

“I have been playing softball for about 11 years now,” she said. “Prior to me joining my first softball league, I actually played on a t-ball team where I was the only girl.”

Due to the pandemic, the team was not able to play their season last spring. The COVID-19 outbreak hit, and the season was cancelled only a day before the season was set to begin.

“I can still remember receiving the email from my coach saying the WIAA has decided to not have a season at all, and that was a very, very sad day for me and my team,” Emery said. “It was in those moments as COVID-19 became more daunting that reality set in, and I sort of lost all hope for my junior season.”

This year, however, the softball squad is more hungry than ever. After her sophomore season leaving a bad taste in her mouth and having no junior season at all, Emery is looking to end her high school career with a bang. 

“Each and every day, we come to practice with the mindset of going to state, and we won't accept anything less,” said Emery. “We have amazing talent on our team this year, from pitching to defense to an all-round power-hitting lineup.”

Emery has a great relationship with her teammates, which will be a crucial component of the squad’s success this year.

“Taylor brings so much to the team and is a huge leader,” senior teammate Taylor Allen said. “Her confidence radiates on everyone, and she always leaves everyone smiling and laughing.  My favorite memories are all the funny moments we have during practice and games to keep everything light. Taylor jokes around with everyone all the time, and it keeps everyone loose during stressful situations.”

Athletes compete because they love the sport they play, and that is no different for Emery, who has an inseparable bond with the game.

“There is so much that comes along with the sport from the crowd roaring when you make a diving catch, to the little chants we come up with in the dugout, to the virtual monkey pile on the pitcher’s mound when we win a neck and neck game,” she said. “But batting has always been my favorite thing to do because I like to be a threat at the plate. I have put so much work into my swing and into my power behind the ball that when you hear the crack of my bat in a game as the ball soars, all my hard work is paying off.”

Senior teammate Alyssa Ebel has seen Emery evolve over time into the athlete she is today.

“It is so cool to have seen Taylor grow over the years,” she said. “She is definitely a great asset to the team, and her outgoing attitude binds the team together.”

Even though there will be a softball season this spring, things are not fully back to normal. The team will have a shortened season with restrictions to keep the players and coaching staff safe.

“The pandemic has forced us to work around certain things,” Emery said. “We will be playing out of our conference this year against teams like Stevens Point and Bay Port so we will definitely have some good competition, but nothing we can't handle.”

Emery not only plays softball for West but has been playing travel ball for years. She has played for many clubs, including Panther Elite, Badger Blitz, and even rivals Oshkosh North before high school. This year, she is playing for Firepro in Stevens Point.

“High school softball is a very different environment from club. The main purpose of club is to get recruited to play in college. There is a whole different energy,” Emery said. “High school softball gives you a chance to show off but also try new things by moving around the field, but most importantly, high school softball is so incredibly fun. The relationship and bond we build as a team is unmatched, and we can rely on each other so much that we can just relax and have fun while we play.”

Emery and the rest of the squad hope to have a successful season this year, as they don’t want to see the seniors go out on a bad note.

“It's going to be so hard to walk away from the sport that has been such a big part of my life, but when I lace up my cleats for the last time for West, I am going to leave it all on the field,” Emery said. “I am going to miss the iconic game days filled with hype and all the laughs, I am going to miss getting down in dirty making all those diving catches, and most of all, I am going to miss my teams as they have become much more than just people I play with. They have become my family.” 

By Drew Lasky

Oshkosh West Index Volume 117 Issue VII

April 30th, 2021