FAIRVIEW, Ala. — Fairview senior softball player Kallie Trussell made many great memories during her Aggie years, both on and off the field. She felt blessed to be around so many great teammates and friends and she learned a lot from all of them.
“Some of my favorites would have to be my seventh-grade year, when we put a slip-and-slide in the outfield and just had fun, when we had pizza one day instead of practice just to connect with each other, and when we finished runner-up in county this season,” Trussell said. “It was amazing. This season was the best I’ve had in many years of playing. I connected with so many people, and there were people that pushed me to do better, right along with the coaches. It was great to be someone the younger girls looked up to.”
She added,
“I learned that even though things get hard, you know you’ll have teammates that will always be there for you. I learned that you always have to give 110% all the time, because you really have nothing to lose. The coaches will be hard on you and yell, but only because they love you and want you to do better. I also learned that softball families and friendships will last a lifetime. No one, other than another person that played softball or any sport, will ever understand what it’s like to be in the game. I’ve found those friends that will be with me for a lifetime.”
Kallie got to play under some great coaches and she soaked up as much as she could from each of them.
“It was an incredible experience. Coach Simmons, coach Rasco, coach Gardner, and coach Scott were incredible. They brought the team back together after falling in a slump for a few years. After taking a break from softball, I came back for my last year to play, because I knew coach Simmons would make a change, and he did. He showed us how to be a leader and how to play as a team. He used to always say, ‘It’s all mental. You got to know you are good. If there’s negativity, throw it out, because it’s a cancer to all of us’, and he was right. They were amazing, and I’m glad I got to experience what great coaching was. I could say so many great things about my coaches. They were all amazing.”
She added,
“I learned that if you quit anything, you will quit everything in life. If you are having a bad day at school or at home, leave it out, because it will bring everyone down, because the field is a safe place. I learned responsibility and how to be a better person. I learned that just because they yell at you, it doesn’t mean that they don’t like you. They want you to do better. I learned that they are people you can talk to, and they won’t judge you. I learned leadership, respect, and what a team looks like. I also learned that you have to push each other to do better.”
She will remember and miss so much about playing at Fairview but there is a lot she’ll miss from her time in the classroom as well.
“I’ll remember all the memories I made with the coaches and my teammates, and the bonds I made with them. I’m going to miss my friends that I’ve gotten closer to than others. We were all really close, but there’s just some that you connected with on a different level. I’m going to miss playing the game. I’m going to miss the parents, teachers, and the students that came to support us,” she said. “My favorite high school memories would have to be when I was with my friends, and homecoming week. It was always a blast during homecoming week. You get to see everyone dressed up and just having fun.”
Kallie added,
“The teachers made Fairview a special place. They are great at their jobs, and they listen to you when you need someone to talk to. Even if you don’t know that teacher very well, they will still ask you if you are okay, and if you ever need anything, they are always there. Dr. Whaley made it amazing for everyone too. He came out to almost all the sports games. He was a big supporter. He made everyone feel welcome and like they belonged. I will remember and miss the teachers, the students, and the friends I’ve made.”
She had a couple of role models that she looked up to, and she gave some advice to those students that will be starting high school in August.
“M’Kay Gidley was my role model, because she worked hard for what she wanted, and always gave 110% on the field. She never gave up. Another role model that I look up to is my mom. She pushed me to always try my hardest, and that anything is possible if you put your mind to it,” she said. “Don’t waste your time on caring what other people think about you. You live your life to the fullest. Also, cherish those moments of high school while you can, because it will be over before you know it. Keep yourself out of trouble. Stay away from drama.”
Kallie talked about her experience in the Key Club, being a role model for so many young people, and what she wants people to remember about her.
“It was great. Mrs. Lockhart was the one that ran the Key Club. She was the best. She’s such an amazing person to everyone. She does her job very well. She’s very understanding, and she came to all of our home games and was just a big supporter. I got the opportunity to serve and build character. I learned to lead and stand for what’s right through service and volunteerism,” she said. “It was very important and special to me knowing I was a role model to them. It’s a really good feeling having someone that wants to be like you, but in their own way. It was important that I made sure to always do the right thing, and help them make the best choices in life, and help them grow. On the field, it was like no other when being a role model for the younger girls.”
She added,
“I want people to remember how sweet I was, even to the rudest people. In high school, I learned that not all your friends are friends, and that people will stab you in the back, but you can’t let it bring you down. You just have to keep going, because you deserve better. I learned that not all people will like you, and that’s okay. I learned to mature up and be the bigger person when it comes to certain things. Also, there are still amazing people in this world, and there are so many people that care about you.”
She gave some advice to those people that want to be where she is now and shared a life-changing experience that she’s been working to turn into a positive.
“I would have to say do all the things you want to do. Life is too short. Always give your all, even when you don’t want to. Join the clubs you want to join,” she said. “My dad ended up getting Stage 3 cancer, and it put in a deep hole, even when I didn’t live with him. I didn’t talk to him that much, and I used to hold a grudge against him, and when we all found out that he had cancer, I realized that it’s time to stop holding grudges, and always appreciate what you have, because it can be gone in the blink of an eye. Appreciate the people you have around you before it’s too late. My mom works when the sun comes up and goes down to put a roof over my head and food on the table and gives me the opportunities she didn’t have growing up. I’m so thankful for her, and she really changed my perspective on life. I can’t really thank her enough. My parents are really what helped me get through everything.”
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