Tragedy often has the ability to break a person or group. Countless stories exist of trials striking, causing those that it affects to go into a downward spiral towards defeat and despair. In the minds and souls of many, these heartbreaks can cause grief that makes situations and outcomes seem hopeless. However, that is not always the case.
At a corner table in a crowded Barefoot’s Joe, tears ran down the face of Haley Barnette, senior chemistry major and first baseman for the Union softball team.
“I still cry when I talk about it. It was hard and it is still is.” Barnette’s lip was quivering as she tried her best to hold back the tears escaping her eyes. Less than six months ago, assistant softball coach Rachel Glazebrook was found dead in her home. She was 27 years old. Even as she spoke about her experience, through the tears and heartache, Barnette was tough. There was no questioning that.
Tragedy has that ability as well: to make those it affects stronger and wiser. Misfortune can unexpectedly arrive and cause heartache and pain along its path while at the same time creating resiliency and strength for those around it. It isn’t uncommon for some of the wisest individuals to credit their wisdom from lessons they learned in times of darkness. The Union University softball team is no exception.
The team has experienced a lot of change this season. Not only have they had to learn to cope with and grieve the death of Glazebrook, but the Bulldogs also came under new leadership this season as Mackenzie Sher became the new head coach. With the end of the season quickly approaching, the girls are currently at 24-15. Last year ended with a record of 18-30. With all things considered, this turnaround is anything if not dramatic.
Sher moved to Union from an assistant coach position at Mississippi College. Walking into a new program with a challenging past and unforeseen tragedy, while all the while trying to get a new team to trust your leadership is no easy task. However, Sher’s confidence and hope are obvious and is as easily spotted as the cross necklace that hangs around her neck.
When I asked her how she leads a team through such a hard and confusing time, her answer was straightforward and without hesitation.
“Christ. It has always been Christ.”
In the wake of tragedy, Sher wanted her team to believe that their suffering and ache weren’t in vain. There was a purpose to the pruning, and while they may not know the reason behind it for a long time, or possibly ever, Sher wanted her team to trust God through the turmoil. And this has even interpreted some of the smaller things, such as winning and losing games.
“In anything that we do, Christ is who is in control of it. Softball is a small speck of what life is. It’s not all about going on the field and winning games. It’s okay to slow down and appreciate life and what God is doing in that.”
Paige Murray, the new assistant softball coach, was quickly accepted and loved by the hurting team. Her experience so far has been admiring how the girls have come together to work towards a more cohesive team dynamic and to support one another through painful times.
“As the season has gone, you can see how much the girls have bought into each other and how much they trust each other. They’ve started believing in themselves as much as we believe in them.”
This idea of cohesion and togetherness was a common theme among all the athletes and staff that I spoke to. It is evident that this year’s team has a strong chemistry and love for one another, and that translates on and off the field. While this may have existed before the trials that took place last semester, it is no doubt that supporting one another through that time enhanced the bond.
“It made us closer,” Barnette said through her tears. “It made us realize the bigger picture of it all…that we should go out every day and play our hardest because it could be our last. She didn’t know that it was her last day.”
Not only does this ring true in softball, but it also rings true in the greater picture of life itself. In our time, we don’t know when it will be our last day. Tomorrow isn’t promised. What the softball team has unintentionally taught us is that tragedies don’t have to be the end. If we take the time to grieve, to pray, to gather around friends and family, and to lean into Jesus when we are hurting, then we will learn meaningful things from our times of testing. This isn’t just mere wishful thinking, but a promise from Scripture (James 1:2-3).
“I want my player’s hearts to be changed,” Sher said. “If that means that we win a national championship, then that is what we do. If it means that it takes a long time to get to the conference tournament, then that is what it means. But if I am gone tomorrow, I would hope that somebody would be impacted by Christ, not necessarily by me.”
