Troy University Athletics
Softball Thanks All That Made Trip Possible
3/17/2010 3:32:00 PM | Softball
With their recent trip to Hawaii in the rear view mirror, the Troy Trojans softball team has a message to all of its fans and everyone that made the trip possible. There is also a message from one member of every class.
Troy University softball would like to thank the countless individuals that helped make our recent spring break trip to Hawaii possible. We give many thanks to our Trojan Warriors, supporters, additional donors, parents and fans for their financial and moral support that helped make this unforgettable trip possible. We also offer our heart felt thanks to our athletic administration, particularly Steve Dennis, and the nation's best chancellor, Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr., for their endless support and for their assistance in providing us with this experience.
We also wish to say that we are disappointed with our win/loss performance, but feel we learned and grew both as a team and as individual players and people. Our coaches and players also know the areas that we need to focus on in future preparations as we strive to properly represent our university in Sun Belt Conference play and beyond.
Please know that this trip is one that we will remember for the rest of our lives - Pearl Harbor, hiking Diamond Head to see the sunrise, touring "paradise", team luau and more memories than can be described here. Once again, many heart felt thanks to all who helped make this experience possible, Troy University softball is truly blessed.
Seniors
Kala Moore and Rocky Paige
Verbena, Ala. - Middletown, Del.Our first morning in Hawaii involved climbing up Diamond Head, one of the most famous volcanic craters in the world. At 5:45 in the morning we left for Diamond Head and hiked up the 760 foot crater.
This was a great team experience. The hike up the crater took about 40 minutes; however, the view from the top was well worth the work. It was a cloudy that morning, so we did not get to really experience the sunrise but, seeing the ocean and all of Oahu was extremely breathtaking.
Everyone felt a sense of accomplishment after completing the hike and it started the day off on a productive note. All of the experiences we have from Hawaii will never be forgotten, especially the early morning hike of Diamond Head.
We would all like to thank everyone who made this trip possible!!
Ashlyn Williams
Junior - Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Aloha! Greetings from the beautiful state of Hawaii. The team and I had so much fun and a very relaxing time, however many lessons were learned. To begin, by simply stepping off the plane and taking in the beautiful scenery and salt air, a sense of calmness comes over you.
Throughout our seasons we always have appreciation for our bus drivers. Even though they just drive us to and from events and have no real knowledge of the sport we play, they often share many of their life lessons along the way. From at a glance, the Hawaiian people comes across with a welcoming smile and an aloha greeting 
which means hello, good bye and love. They also treat everyone they come across as family by these simple gestures. This leads me to introduce you to "Cousin" Dwight, our main mode of transportation around the island who also brought with him very laid back island wisdom.
If anything can be taken from this trip, it would be the mind set and beliefs of some of the local Hawaiians we were in contact with. When we asked Cousin Dwight in the morning how he was, he always replied, "Blessed, I am always blessed." His simple pep talk before one of our games, a tough loss, was simple and to the point. "Go play and play with heart! If you don't play with heart you get hurt."
You never really understand how a single quote or gesture can have an impact on your life, and as I leave Hawaii, I will always remember Cousin Dwight and his simple laid back wisdom. Mahalo Cousin Dwight and the wisdom you have shared with us.
Hayden Gann
Sophomore - Hoover, Alabama
Our second day in Hawaii took us to the famous Pearl Harbor. This was one of the places I was most looking forward to going. So much of our nation's history is based in Pearl Harbor, and the impact of its bombing has been a key factor in shaping America into what it is today.
The harbor was a lot smaller than I expected, and the sights of attack could not be missed. After arriving everyone received a ticket of entry to the tour of the U.S.S. Arizona. On every ticket was a story of an individual involved in the Pearl Harbor attack. A wave of somberness swept over me as we passed around tickets to read the various stories of America's heroes and heroines. One of my teammates had a nurse from Montgomery on her ticket, and that is when the experience connected with home.
After waiting a few minutes we got on the boat for a quick ride out to the U.S.S. Arizona memorial. The memorial is 184 feet long and crosses over the Arizona's midsection. Parts of the ship still remain above water, while others are underwater and can be seen by looking over the side of the memorial.
Walking on the memorial was like hovering over an underwater cemetery. A marble walled chapel at the far
end of the memorial was the sight of over 1,100 sailors names engraved into the wall as the fallen soldiers of the bombing.
There are no words to describe the feeling of being in this room. I had chill bumps everywhere and tears in my eyes. I have never felt more proud to be an American. It was a uniting experience for all who went, especially the Troy University softball team and its staff.
The overall emotion I am taking back from Hawaii is a feeling of unity. The united feeling of being an American, and the feeling of unity between my team and myself as we grew from all of the experiences we encountered while on this trip of a lifetime.
Thank you to all who made it possible and thanks for all of your continued support!
Sally Ward
Freshman - Sydney, Australia
The last ten days have been the hardest, most challenging and enjoyable experience, all in one.
The most challenging aspect was remembering it wasn't just about getting a chance to enjoy Hawaii and its magnificent tourist attractions, but also that it was a 'business trip' as coach referred to it as.
In 10 days we played 11 games starting our campaign at Mississippi State at the Bulldog Classic, just dropping the championship game in the final stages. Ready to build on this performance we then left to begin our travels across the Pacific Ocean in HAWAII.
In terms of softball, Hawaii was a chance for us to play some quality west coast teams and to try to increase our national rankings. We dropped games to Hawaii and DePaul and at times scratching our heads wondering what went wrong and other times coming away disappointed not to have a win on the board especially after a few decent performances.
We battled the hot humid conditions that we hadn't yet faced this spring, but all in all we came away a better team then we arrived and now know the areas we have to focus on at training to help us progress during our conference games that are now upon us.
To me Hawaii wasn't just about the softball but a chance to see my family. I know that I can speak on behalf of the Australians in saying that this was probably why we were so excited to go to Hawaii. Just knowing that we would get a chance to see our families that we hadn't seen since arriving here in Troy. Together our parents and our team got to see some sights that I'm sure I will never get the chance to see again in my lifetime.
These included hiking up Diamond Head at the crack of dawn to see the first sign of light and the beautiful views it brought with it of the Southern Hawaiian beaches- it was totally worth waking up ridiculously. The tour of 
the Hawaiian North Shore- in my opinion the best part of the trip, which included a trip to the DOLE pineapple plantation, several beaches including the notorious PIPELINE and SUNSET beaches. It was so crazy being at one of these beaches and coming across a sea turtle swimming along beside us, I went out of my way to pat the turtle. Little did I know this was in fact against the law and worth a hefty fine as one of the locals pointed out - lucky for me I didn't get fined.
We also participated in a Luau (a Hawaiian feast and entertainment) where some of the girls participated in learning the local dance. However the biggest cheer of the night was when the trooper, Coach Hokanson took one for the team and got up on stage dressed in the native female outfit, which included a coconut top and a Hawaiian skirt and won the dance off.
I guess this is where I should thank all those individuals involved in making this trip happen, whom without I would have never been able to experience such an enjoyable trip. Once again thank you for all that made this trip happen.
