In My Own Words: Brooke Nelson
March 11, 2020 | Softball
Everyone grows up with a dream. For me, my dream was to play softball for the University of Washington. This University of Washington has been the backbone of my childhood growing up. I was (still am) in love with every aspect of the university and will forever be a Husky fan. It seemed like the TV always had a Husky game on, regardless of the sport, growing up.
At just six months old, I was strapped to my mom's chest in a Baby Bjorn and brought along to UW football games. I loved every single second of those games and still hold those memories near and dear to my heart. As a little girl, my two favorite parts of football games at the old stadium was when the giant Husky helmet on wheels would drive around the track after every Husky score and when Captain Husky would make his appearance. He was a few sections over from where we sat, so we were able to be right up next to the excitement. The feeling when the entire stadium spells out H-U-S-K-I-E-S with him in unison is indescribable.
Similar to many other little kids, sports of all sorts were my thing growing up. I attended softball, volleyball and some basketball camps at UW. Each time we took the one-hour drive north to campus, my dream grew stronger and stronger. UW evolved into my second home.
Growing up, I was the little girl that would show up early to games in order to watch warm-ups. I would wait as long as it took after games to get a picture and autograph with as many players as possible. From as early as I can remember I fell in love with the way Danielle Lawrie played and worked. Her competitive edge stood out to me. I remember coming to camps and during the pitching sessions being able to pick her brain and learn from her was one of the coolest experiences.
I was eight years old when UW Softball clinched its first national championship. I remember the moment perfectly. We were at a local softball field, practicing with our team, my parents were the coaches at the time. The sixth inning was just wrapping up when we finished practice. We only lived 15 minutes from the field, so we were trying to race home to watch the last bit on TV. We had the UW game on the radio, and when Danielle threw that last pitch we were just turning left to enter onto the highway. We were cheering and honking the horn out of excitement. Bystanders probably thought we were crazy but we were so excited to be listening to history unfold right in front of us. When we got home, we raced inside to turn on the TV. I remember watching the celebration unfold on our living room TV, telling myself I wanted to be just like them one day.
The Husky Football Stadium renovation in 2011 is when I started to hone in on my dream of playing softball for the University of Washington. Before the football game and every halftime, I would walk over to the northeast corner of the stadium and stand at the balcony that overlooks the softball stadium. I would sit there as long as time would allow me and just gaze at the softball field. To envision the possibility of someday wearing ‘Washington’ across my chest continued to fuel my fire of motivation.
That vision would be the driving force in every single aspect of my life. From that day on, nothing I have ever done has gone without a thought about my dream of playing softball for UW. That dream drove me to work harder in the classroom, on the field and in the weight room.
Now here I am, beginning my journey as a freshman here at the University of Washington, living out my dream. To this day, I still have to pinch myself at times to tell myself, “you’re here, you made it.” At UW we are surrounded by individuals who love us, push us, encourage us and support us in all aspects of life, and for that, I am eternally grateful.
I am so thankful to be part of a program that teaches you how to be a good person. How to be accountable and time manage. How to compete. How to be the best version of myself. I now get the opportunity to give back to the game that has given me so much. I am so thankful that I get to learn and grow while being surrounded by the absolute best people. A special thank you to Coach Tarr, Coach Glas, Coach JT and Coach Whit for believing in the girl from Bonney Lake. An extra special thank you to my family for always supporting me on this crazy journey of life. To the little girls dreaming up the biggest of dreams right now. Follow it, wherever it may take you.
