About a year and a half ago, I got hurt. Bad. It wasn't a broken wrist, back injury, or ruptured spleen this time; I got a concussion. I didn't really worry so much at the time; I've always been the type of athlete to give everything I have, and more, even if it meant playing through pain. I never thought of a concussion as a big deal; I had been conditioned, I suppose unknowingly by seeing numerous concussions occur in the NFL, that getting your bell rung just meant your head hurt for a day or two and you got back out there the next. My symptoms, however, lingered for six months, affecting many areas of my life. At the time, I never imagined anything positive coming out of something that had stolen so much from me.
I began going to physical therapy, and after mentioning that I play softball and love the game of baseball, my physical therapist told me that her daughter, Kelly Nash, was going to be co-hosting a show on MLB Network once the regular season began. Obviously, I thought that was a dream job. Whenever I was at physical therapy, "The Rundown" was playing on the TV and Kelly was reporting on the day's latest news. Her mom had always said that it would be great for us to meet each other, but it never occurred to me that that day would actually come.
We talked about elevator rides with Zack Greinke, Pedro Martinez's very long middle finger, and Ken Rosenthal's tweet notifications--because are you really a true baseball fan if you don't get all of Kenny's tweets sent right to your phone? While baseball is usually the main topic of conversation, we've also talked about school, saving lions and tigers, the good and bad of social media, the upcoming movie, "Concussion," and so much more. It feels as if we've been longtime friends, and now we are just picking up, over a cup of coffee, right where we left off. Kelly has been so down-to-earth and is one of the kindest people I have ever met.
There's something Kelly said to me that I'll never forget. The first time we met she told me, "You're going to make it one day, I believe in you." That sentence sat in my head, replaying itself the entire drive home. In that moment, my dream began to feel the slightest bit tangible. There is no better gift that hearing someone who you look up to tell you that they believe you're going to do great things. For that, I am forever grateful.
To Kelly: You are opening doors and paving the way for young women who aspire to have long-lasting, respectful careers in baseball. You are proving that there is a place for women in the male-dominated world of sports. A bond has been forged that I will cherish for a lifetime. Thank you.
