May 13, 2013
STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford outfielder Cassandra Roulund talks about the Senior Day in this edition of her blog. The sophomore will be blogging all season long to give Cardinal fans a behind-the-scenes look at the team.
Good Day!
I hope that you are all having a good day!
This past weekend was our senior weekend. The weekend dedicated to celebrate, commemorate, and congratulate the class of 2013! Three cheers for Teagan Gerhart, Sarah Hassman, Jenna Rich, and Tegan Schmidt!
Part of the tradition of our senior weekend is to have a little BBQ afterwards with our parental units, teammates, alumni, staff and what not. The juniors usually say a few words about each senior - Corey and Miller did an excellent job of talking about how awesome each senior truly is.
Well, I think that our seniors are so great, that I wanted to take a little time to expand on what our wonderful juniors already shared about the class of 2013.
Sarah: (Sassy, Sassy Pants, Hass) Hass loves me so much that she stayed an extra year just to hang out - shout out to class of 2012 (Maya, JB, Ash)! Hass is probably the closest thing to an older sister that I have ever had... she's annoying, mean, and beats me up. TOTALLY KIDDING! (I mean, I usually deserve it). But, she actually is like an older sister. Whether she knows it or not, I look up to her in every aspect of life. I feel privileged when she shares stories with me, I cherish our heart-to-heart talks about softball and life, and one day, I hope to inspire someone like Hass inspires me. She really doesn't know how great she is. In softball, fences have never stopped her from catching a ball. In life, obstacles have never stopped her from pursuing her goal (with a smile on her face, might I add). If compassion, determination, and adventure had a human form, it would be Sarah Hassman. She is going to be that person with all those amazing stories of things you wish you did in your life. Hass is the best faux-sister a girl could ask for, I can only hope to be anything like the Sarah Hassman.
Jenna Rich: (Jiffer, JRich) Jenna Rich is the epitome of composure. She works incredibly hard and it is highlighted in her record-breaking softball career. It is highlighted in her stats and on the field through her abilities, but never through her ego. A bad day never elicits a bad attitude - if anything, a bad day motivates her to work harder and to cheer on her teammates even more. On the flipside, a good day never leads to a smug look or complacency. Heck, Jenna Rich has had a phenomenal career and NEVER will you hear her mention a word of her softball reputation to anyone. She is a rock. A lead-by-actions type of teammate. You can't help but want to be Jenna Rich. She might not know it, but her little compliments and words of encouragement are some of the things I treasure most. "Here we go Boo" "You and me" "Let's start it". She knows that the little things matter and that it's the little things, like fundamentals or a small bit of encouragement that make the big things happen. She is also absolutely hilarious. That's right, that's right. Jiffer has it all. The brains, the beauty, the softball skills, and the humor. She is the best Avatar that I have ever seen and her southern accent is spot on.
Tegan: (Schmidt, Schmittle) Tegan was one of the most intimidating people on the team, when I was a freshman. I honestly don't even remember exactly what happened, but I remember it was freshman year and I did something very freshman-like and probably forgot to pick up a mat or help out with the raking. Schmidt was very vocal and basically told me to start helping. I seriously thought she hated me so I went up and apologized after practice. She looked at me like I was insane and said she had no idea what I was talking about. That is basically Schmidt in a nutshell. She is vocal, strong, and stands up for what she believes in. She doesn't have a problem being straight-up with you, and that's what makes her so great. She cares so deeply for every one of her teammates and does everything in her power to make us feel special and included (as cliché as that sounds). She is creative and is constantly coming up with new `team' shirts we should get and is always inviting us over to hang out. She has a `so-what' attitude. SO WHAT we are down by three runs, we can come back. SO WHAT I lost my voice, I will still be the loudest one cheering for my team. SO WHAT I have had two knee surgeries, I will make the diving play to save a run from scoring. Even though Schmidt will be leaving next year, her SO WHAT mentality will stay with me forever.
Teagan: (Iced-Tea) I have had the great pleasure of knowing this superstar since I was merely a freshman in high school. I had little confidence in playing with people four years older than me and even less of a sense of direction of what I wanted to do with my future. I quickly met Teagan and she became something of a role model to me (not one that I thought I could easily imitate, but one that I could aspire to, at least, be a little bit like). She was strong, humble, driven, smart, and an amazing softball player. My thought process in high school: "Wow, if I can even be half as great as her, I will really go places". Not much has changed since then. If anything, she has magnified each of these qualities and since then, has grown up to be a phenomenal leader and friend. So, it basically boils down to this. My thought process now: "Wow, if I can even be half as great as her, I will really go places".
We love our seniors!
Last night was our senior's final selection show. For those of you that want the inside scoop of Stanford Softball Selection Show night, we basically all gather together in the locker room and eat a ton of pizza. (Teagan also brought cookies- yum)! We hoot and holler whenever Stanford is mentioned and we are all a bunch of bundles of nerves and excitement as we await to see where we will be travelling. If you haven't heard by now, we are travelling to... wait for it... NEBRASKA! Which is pretty awesome because it's a new and exciting place, and an excellent locale to win a Regional! Let's do this, Card.
Inspirational Quote of the Week: "I am a member of a team, and I rely on the team, I defer to it and sacrifice for it, because the team, not the individual, is the ultimate champion." - Mia Hamm (I have been using a lot of her quotes recently... but she's right.)
Standout Teammate of the Week: I'm going to give this one to the seniors. They all deserve this. We wouldn't have made it this far without them. Without Teagan in the circle, JRich up to bat, Schmidt and her confidence in her teammates, and Hass with her drive and passion... we would not be the Stanford Softball that you know today.
Eat, Sleep, Softball, Repeat (and school)
Boo
Past Blogs
Bring Out the Brooms
Find Your Inspiration
Rain Rain Go Away
Life without Softball
Oregon Trip Take Two
Our Time
Oregon Trip
Locker Room Frenzy
Photo Challenge
Staying in 'Tune'
Coaches and Support Staff
Opening Weekend
Rolling with Boo