Sophomore Brooke Scheibe has been a force to be reckoned with this season, however, it hasn’t been an easy road to get here for the sophomore from Sayville, New York.
Scheibe has been playing softball ever since she could remember, but once she reached high school, she made it her goal to play college ball. She always loved being on a team and competing towards the same goal and knew she didn’t want to stop that just yet.
She entered her first semester at Cortland in 2021 as a history and social studies education major, with the hopes of teaching at a high school in the future. Scheibe was also coming into Cortland with a spot on the softball team.
An unfortunate ankle injury steered her a little off course during her first semester. Although she was still able to play, she was not able to perform at her best.
“It was frustrating not being able to perform to the best of my ability, but our trainer Lacy helped me a lot through the process,” said Scheibe. “My injury was hard to work through, but it made me appreciate being an athlete at Cortland because the help I received allowed me to play through my freshman season before being able to go home and get surgery before my sophomore season.”
In the summer before her sophomore year Scheibe underwent surgery and physical therapy to get her ankle back to full strength. Her ankle went back to 100% after working hard off the field, and once she got clear she focused back on her softball skills to get ready for pre-season in the fall. This hard work gained her a starting spot in right field and batting in the middle of the line-up for the Red Dragons.
Softball has taught Scheibe to not be affected by every little thing. She has entered a bit of a slump but seems to be on an upward trend as of the last three games. She knows softball is a game of patience, and sometimes you are going to fail.
“It has helped me learn how to quickly work past a mistake. You have to learn from it, and move on,” she said. “In the game if you continuously hold on to what you did wrong you are not going to be successful, and the mistake that occurred is going to affect other aspects of your game.”
Having a short memory on the field has been key for Scheibe. Playing a sport at any level can cause nerves. Even the best players get nerves before games and that is no different for her. She has learned how to take those nerves and redirect them.
“There are still situations I feel myself getting nervous. Even though I have been playing for most of my life, in high stress situations I still find myself with nerves,” said Scheibe. “Over the years I have learned how to better handle those nerves with things such as breathing and learning to embrace the moment you are in.”
With still two more years of eligibility, Scheibe is looking forward to making her mark on the Red Dragons softball team no matter what gets thrown her way.