Softball
Favorite athlete: Cole Hamels
Favorite team: Phillies
Favorite memory competing in sports: Beating Pennridge this season.
Most embarrassing/funniest thing that has happened while competing in sports: One time during a scrimmage with my travel team, I tripped running down the first base line in my all black uniform and got up looking like a skunk...and I was out at first, of course.
Music on iPod: Tons of country music.
Future plans: Attend Shippensburg University majoring in pre-law where I will continue to play softball.
Words to live by: "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." (Phillipians 4:6-7)
One goal before turning 30: Married, with a kid and my law degree.
One thing people don't know about me: I can't go a day without at least one cup of coffee.
By GORDON GLANTZ
When Quakertown’s Maddie Mulhall was a sophomore, head coach Rich Scott made a bold statement by naming her team captain.
The last two years, the statement was even more definitive, as Scott didn’t have to make a formal announcement.
It was known she was the team leader, so why even stand on ceremony?
“I went out for all the (pregame) captains’ meetings,” said Mulhall, the effervescent fan of country music.
And when she came back, she huddled the team together and led them in the same cheer.
It went like this:
Mulhall: “Ladies, what do we get to do today?”
Team: “Play softball.”
Sounded simple enough, but the season was a true roller-coaster ride for the Panthers, a young team that lost some heartbreakers after a 4-0 start.
But the team had Mulhall -- a 5-foot-3-inch power-hitter, who can purportedly do as many pushups as some football players -- to keep the squad grounded.
“You have to remember that it’s just a game,” said the Univest Featured Female Athlete of the Week. “I just had to remind them, ‘hey, you’re not out there alone. You’re going to wake up again and play tomorrow.’”
Mulhall, whose non-stop softball slate has her playing for the Bethlehem-based Outlaws before and after the school season, added that she is reminded of this herself when working with young girls as a coach at a faith-based summer camp.
“I love it,” she said. “It’s so great to see a little girl who never played the game before, to see that smile on her face after she catches the ball for the first time.
“This game is a game of failure. I fail a lot. We all do. It’s a wake-up call. It’s just a game.”
Just Maddie
When it comes to leadership, she says it comes almost as naturally as breathing, as she is merely parlaying the skills her parents, Tim and Darla, instilled in a strict Christian household.
“My parents always told me to lead until you are told to follow,” she explained. “I have always been a leader.”
And while she is the first to admit that she is hoarse by the end of most softball-field days, leading by example is what sets her apart.
“I’m always the first onto the field,” said Mulhall. “I feel like I have to be a role model. It’s tough at our age, so you have to try to be that light.”
And keep it real.
“I’m just Maddie,” she said.
Scott said Mulhall proved this with her actions, not just her words, in two instances this season.
She had played mostly shortstop for Quakertown, but he asked her to fill a void at the hot corner. Some fourth-year seniors would balk, or at least have to swallow their pride, but Mulhall reacted in typical fashion.
“She is just the type of player who says, ‘Coach, where do you need me?’” he said. “If I needed her to pitch, she would have pitched.”
The next came after that aforementioned 4-0 started when, in a game against Pennridge, she suffered her second career concussion in a collision at the plate when trying to score from first on a double.
At the time, she was off to a torrid start and the young team was falling in line behind her.
Even though the concussion was not as severe as the first, strict protocol was followed and she sat out the mandatory two weeks.
“I know that impacted her,” said Scott. “But she came to every practice. I know some kids wouldn’t do that, but she knew her role as a leader. She wanted to be there.”
She longed to be on the field, and she beat herself up a bit for getting injured in what she felt was a poor decision.
“I was more frustrated, because it was my fault,” she said. “I had a better option, and I made a wrong move. I was on first, there was a double. The girl made a great throw. I was caught between third and home. It was an ‘A League of Their Own’ moment, so I went in head-first into the catcher’s knee. Right away, I heard that ringing noise.”
She finished the game, saying there was “no way” she was coming out of the rivalry game, but the familiar symptoms returned and the diagnosis was confirmed.
“I didn’t feel bad until the next day,” she said. “Oh, my gosh … it was the most frustrating feeling in the world. There is nothing worse than being on the bench when it’s your fault.”
As it was, the young Panthers began to backslide without their leader, adding to the frustration.
“You play nine at a time, and one player does not make a difference,” she said. “But I was on a hot streak. Who knows how much one big hit could’ve changed a game? You always think, ‘What could I have done?’”
A Funny Story
Mulhall classifies her decision to continue her softball career at Shippensburg University as a “funny story.”
It seemed set in stone that she would attend a Baptist school down South, and she and her parents immediately made a list of seven schools that fit the criteria.
“I always had it beat in my head to play in college,” said Mulhall, who added that the two finalists were Union University in Tennessee and North Greenville University in South Carolina. “That’s just the way it is when you play travel and are as committed as I was since sixth grade.”
But at the Division II level, it is a question of money, and the schools proved too expensive.
Enter Plan B.
Mulhall sat down with her parents again, this time making a list of Division II schools closer to home that had a solid softball program while also a sound pre-law curriculum.
“I have always been an independent person,” she said. “I never anticipated staying close to home. I didn’t want to go to a ‘party school.’ I made a list and started crossing some off.”
Shippensburg remained, and she e-mailed coach Bob Brookens to gauge interest.
Although late in the process, she was the eighth of the eight freshmen the PSAC powerhouse recruited after finishing second in the league and regionals at 37-15. She will go there to compete for a job as a middle infielder.
“I’m really excited,” she said. “I feel in love with the school, and with (Brookens). “
While she will have to turn heads as a freshman in an established program, she is up for the challenge.
“I’m going to work hard for it,” she said. “I want to earn my spot there.”
Another funny story, born of the first, was that Mulhall’s mother asked her about time management as a student-athlete.
“I told her that I’m actually over-prepared in that way,” said Mulhall, explaining that she is “never home” now, between travel softball , FCA and four AP-level courses.
“I know how to time-manage. I have a great group of friends that I am still able to make time for, too. I already know how it goes together. (My mom) said, ‘you’re right, you’ll be fine in that way.’”
Deep Impact
Mulhall credits her infectious outlook to her strong faith, which includes being deeply involved in the Southern Baptist Church and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA).
A singer, who surprised her mother by singing the national anthem before an heartbreaking loss to Hatboro-Horsham on Senior Night, Mullhall recently sang and spoke at a the regional FCA banquet.
Her speech, she explained, was what being part of FCA has meant.
“It has had one of the biggest impacts on my life,” she said. “It has been about finding a way to find God in my sport. It has made me a selfless player. It has taught me good sportsmanship. I have met so many great, amazing people.
“The network I have right now is huge.”
That network played a key role when deciding on Shippensburg, as she made one phone call and connected with several FCA members either at or coming into the school.
Reflections
With this chapter of her career wrapping up, Mulhall reflects on those who made it possible.
As is the case with many outstanding young people, it begins at home.
“My parents,” she said, unequivocally. “They have always been the people who have pushed me to make my game better. Without them, who knows where I’d be right now?”
Aside from her high school and travel coaches, she spoke about this year’s team and the unforgettable bond they formed.
“We have grown as a family,” she said. “In past years, there has been a lot of drama. This year, we had a great group of girls who wanted to play for each other and work hard.
“The Suburban One League is one of the hardest conferences to play in on the East coast. It’s been tough, but I would much rather be playing these types of teams in close games than blowing other teams out. You have to learn the game. You have to learn to have character.”
It has been more rewarding for Mulhall because many members of this year’s sophomore nucleus were players she has helped mentor from a young age.
She foresees a bright future.
“Once these sophomores hit senior year, they are going to be phenomenal,” she said. “All they need is more experience.”
And when that time comes, and they are asked about how they turned the corner, it is a safe bet that Mulhall’s name will surface as a guiding light.
“I would hope so,” she said.
Scott has no reservations.
“I know they will,” he said. “She will be a successful person in life. I’m looking forward to watching her play in college. I’m excited for her. I’m going to miss her, we all are, but it’s all part of growing up and moving on.”
