I grew up in a city known world wide for the oldest horse racing track in the United States. All athletics in the area are taken seriously. People grow up here with a competitive edge.

When I was four, my parents enrolled me in a recreational soccer league. When the coach asked for a volunteer to be goalie, I would raise my hand and go into the net. I would not stay between the pipes for long though. As my mother recalls, "We would look over and there would be Morgan, behind the goal, picking daisies." ... Soccer was not for me, we found that out early.

Soccer was out, up next? Baseball.

I played t-ball from ages five to seven before switching to softball, and from there it was history. I played recreational softball until I was in seventh grade and started travel softball when I was 12. That's when my skills really developed.

The road was not always an easy one. I was cut in seventh grade from the modified softball team, which was a huge blow to my self confidence. That was not going to stop me though. That summer I worked harder than ever, making myself a better athlete, both physically and emotionally. Unlike some of my other peers who did not return the following spring to tryout, I did, and in the eighth grade, I made it! Upon entering high school I made Junior Varsity as a freshman, then I played at the Varsity level for the next three years.

I played locally until I was 14 when I joined an elite travel team, Warning Track Heat. In 2010 we traveled down to nationals in York, PA. After a hot and sweaty week we hoisted a trophy high. We were National Champions! After that season I knew I could be successful in this sport. I continued to play at an elite travel level making several state and national championship appearances until I was 19.

Thanks to the travel team, Capital District Crossfire, that I was fortunate to be a part of, I had the option to take my softball career to the next level. I had more options open up to me than I ever thought possible. Of course every softball player dreams of playing at a large D1 school, but my options came from much smaller schools. With a handful of D3 offers and a few sprinkles of D2 schools, I could not believe it ... I had options!

Putting academics first, I committed to SUNY Oswego. I could not wait to get on campus and to get into my first softball season as an NCAA athlete! That feeling continued throughout most of the summer. I received the summer workout packet from the coach. I was training harder than I ever had before.

I can not remember the exact moment I changed my mind about my path at Oswego, but not a single day goes by where I regret it. I moved into my dorm without my softball bag; which was practically attached to me, and I was okay with it. To my total surprise my parents were also okay with my decision. College was a new adventure and they wanted me to enjoy it. I was hesitant to tell them my final decision on playing in college because they are my biggest cheerleaders, the ones who carted me hundreds of miles to tournaments and countless practices. I wanted to make them proud. But I needed to make myself happy.

When I did not go to the meeting to hand in my paperwork, and emailed the coach with my decision not to play, it felt like a weight was lifted off of my shoulders.

I had dedicated 16 years of my life to a sport, and decided not to play in college. It is true when people say, when one door closes, another door opens, because now I am onto the next adventure!