By Carolyn Litwin
The Two River Times is inviting senior spring athletes the chance to say goodbye to their team in their own voice. Carolyn Litwin played ice hockey and softball at Trinity Hall. Her message to fellow senior co-captains Jane Banahan and Bailey Powers, along with the rest of the team, is inspiring.
Encouraging. Trustworthy. Patient.
What do all of these words have in common? Well, one could say that all of these words describe the characteristics that are needed in a great teammate. While these qualities can be hard to find in most people, I am honored to say that the two other seniors with whom I played my four years of high school softball undeniably have all of these qualities and more. It seems like yesterday that all three of our freshman selves were walking onto that field playing our first year of a high school varsity sport. Flash forward four years later and now, instead of seeing freshmen, you’ll see three seniors walking away from not only a sport but a team that they’ve loved from the start. It’s crazy to think about how fast that time has flown by!
While our fourth year may have been cut short, our three full years of Trinity Hall softball have taught us lessons that I think we will carry with us for a lifetime. We learned how to win together, definitely lose together, and above all, we learned how to support each other at the plate, in the field, and at school. Throughout my years on this team, I have been able to watch both Jane and Bailey grow not only as great softball players but into the strong and determined young women that they both are today.
There is no doubt that they will be successful in college and will be able to accomplish anything that they set their minds to do. I know I can speak for all three of us when saying that it is with a heavy heart that we have to leave without playing another year, but I know that we have great hope for the young Monarchs that will step up to the plate after we leave. They will be a force to be reckoned with!
While COVID-19 may have taken away our senior season, it is impossible for it to take away the memories and the amazing friendships that we have made throughout the years. To the Trinity Hall softball team, we will miss you all so much but we will forever be a Monarch. We know you are going to carry this team so far and we are excited to come back and see how much you have all grown in this sport and as women. And finally, Jane and Bailey, while we might go far in distance when we leave for college, we will forever be teammates and friends no matter where we are.
The article originally appeared in the May 14 – 20, 2020 print edition of The Two River Times.
