A Tigerette Senior's Season that Never Was

By Chris Tramel

The DeKalb County High School Tigerettes softball team's season had barely began when Covid-19 concerns halted all school sports, as well as school itself, for the 2020 school year. Weeks of practice and preparation were all for nothing as the spring sports seasons were postponed, then cancelled.

Perhaps the most affected by the cancelled season were the high school seniors. Working their way up the totem pole, as they say, through their freshmen, sophomore, and junior years, the senior season is supposed to be their time to shine. The senior season for any ball player is an occasion for them to celebrate their achievements through their high school years. For many, the 2020 school year has robbed them of that.

But for one Tigerette senior, the end of her high school career doesn't mean the end of her days on the ball field. And for her, there are lessons learned during the season that never was.

Tigerettes Head Coach Danny Fish has high praise for outfielder Megan Walker, saying it has been a pleasure to coach such a ballplayer. "Megan has been a great player to coach and an even better individual to be around for the past four years."

Coach Fish said that Walker has always been able to face challenges. "We have been through a lot together since she first started playing for me and she has always rose to the occasion. She will do great things in life and I can't wait to see what they are."

When asked about what she has missed this season, Walker said it was the camaraderie with her fellow players and coaches. "When you play on a team, you really start to become a family. Getting to know all the people I've played with is probably my favorite part of playing sports."

While Walker did finish her senior year as a basketball player, she said there is still something missing from her softball career. Walker said that mother nature delivered the first blow to the season, canceling practices and games. "We played one tournament," Walker said. "We were supposed to play a couple of games, but they all got rained out. Then we played a tournament in Cookeville and played three games." She said after that the coronavirus fears put a halt to the school year.

"This was our senior season," Walker continued. "We missed a lot of stuff, like Senior Night and stuff like that. That's kind of something you look forward to your whole high school career, and we never got that."

While the sports season is gone with the wind, Walker said she is looking forward to some planned closure for her 2020 school year. "Of course they have a date scheduled for prom and graduation for the middle of June. It will be a little different that it was supposed to be, but we'll still get one."

Walker said that while her high school playing days are over, she is not done with sports yet. "I'll be playing softball at Trevecca in Nashville. My sports career isn't over yet. I'm going to go as long as I can."  

One thing Walker said she has learned from the chaos of the 2020 season is to enjoy what you have. She has a message to her fellow players and future players. "I just want to thank everyone and tell them to always play your hardest, because you never know when it's going to be the end."