By Jonathan Ferrell
Going 2 for 3 and hitting 2 home runs in the Colorado Showcase game isn’t something ordinary athletes can do often. There’s a reason Gianna McMahon can, though. McMahon started playing softball when she was young.
“I’ve been playing softball since I was 6 years old, so 10 years,” McMahon said. “I fell in love with it when my dad handed me a bat, a ball, and a tee, and everything else fell into place from there.”
Now she’s a star player for her travel team, the Empire State Huskies, as well as our very own White Plains High School Varsity softball team. McMahon got a head start, playing for JV as an 8th grader and for Varsity as a Freshman.
Similar to many athletes, while growing up McMahon played two sports: softball and basketball. She liked basketball more, but during the COVID-19 pandemic, she was only allowed to play softball. This restriction fed her love for the sport of softball. It became crystal clear that she wanted to fully commit to softball when she won Districts. During that game, it was pouring rain, and her team was down, but even through all the hardships, her team prevailed and won. McMahon loves the feeling of the adrenaline that comes to her when she is on the field. That moment at Districts changed her, and led to a commitment that would change her life.
This commitment wasn’t easy. To be great at the sport, there is a cost to pay. In McMahon’s case, it cost time, money, blood, sweat, and tears to be the talented player that she is today. Her dedication to the art is what propels her to be better than others. On top of that, she has confidence and a drive to win like no other. An athlete’s ability to strive for greatness is what separates her from others, and no one does it like Gianna does.
“I don’t really look up to anyone,” McMahon pointed out. “I look up to the person I know I can be.”
Her constant desire to always be better and play better is what makes her different from other softball players. For training, she goes to the gym 5-6 times a week. That’s on top of her normal practices for her team. For her nutrition, she makes sure to have a balanced diet, prioritizing proteins and vegetables. And while her sleep schedule may not be the best, she’s working on improving in that area. Through all this, she still has to balance rigorous schoolwork.
Her passion for softball has allowed her to meet and create new relationships with teammates. The bond among teammates—chemistry—directly affects performance and team success. It can make or break a team, either propelling a team up, or in some cases, breaking the team down. Everyone has experiences with bad teammates, but in her case, her teammates are as close as sisters.
Gianna McMahon’s passion for the sport is what separates her from all the other athletes she plays with and against. Outside of playing her sport, you can see her passion in everything she does. She puts in full effort with everything she does, whether it’s sports, school, or anything else. That’s what makes her the one, the only, Gianna McMahon.
Comments