CULLMAN, Ala. — In this interview, I talked to former Cullman softball standout Haley Shannon, and she had a lot of great memories to share from her years playing for the Bearcats. More than anything, she feels blessed to have played alongside some great teammates and learned so much from all of her coaches.
“I have a lot of special memories during my time at Cullman, but I would have to say my favorite would definitely have to be beating Hartselle in Regionals my junior year,” Shannon said. “Playing alongside my Cullman girls was very rewarding. They would do anything for me as I would for them. We have created such a strong bond that has only grown stronger with the help of coach Lawayne Morton. He has really built the program on ‘loving, serving, and caring’ for each other.”
She added,
“I have very special bonds with all of the coaches. Coach Morton has taught me how to show people unconditional love. He has and never will leave a huddle without telling us how much he cares for us. Coach Heath Hopper has taught me how to always want more. He always proved to me that I had more to give when I thought I was done. Coach Kevin Wilson has taught me how to keep things light. He has always kept a smile on my face, no matter what. Coach Tiffani Schwaiger has taught me to be confident. She has always been by my side and would give me pep talks when I needed them the most. Coach Chad Shannon has taught me how to have a good work ethic. He has seen my potential since I was little and has spent countless hours at the field and at home to help me achieve my goals. I’m very thankful for all of them.”
Haley was also blessed to play alongside some great seniors as well in Emma-Claire Wilson and Olivia Britton and learned some things from them. The younger players took away a lot from watching them play as well.
“Playing alongside Emma-Claire and Olivia was amazing. They both have very bright personalities, so they were always fun to be around. We would just go out and play with all of our hearts. I am so happy to have known them,” she said. “There are multiple lessons that they taught me. I knew they were committed into making me a better person and player, so I wanted to do the same for them. I knew they were consistent in the reps I took at home, so I wanted to do the same for them. The one thing I hope they learned from me is to be persistent and never give up. Every ball you touch, every base you steal, and every swing could be your last. I hope that I taught them to not take anything for granted and to leave everything out on the field.”
Haley was also in some great clubs as well and talked about that experience, plus her favorite high school memories.
“I was the FTA president. I was also in the National Honors Society, Spanish Club, and the Spanish National Honors Society. Being in those clubs at the high school really got me involved at school and has helped me pick a career path. I was so thankful to be around people that wanted to influence young children’s lives as much as I do in FTA,” she said. “My favorite high school memories were the senior breakfast, the pep rallies, being in Key Club, softball, and graduation.”
Haley received a pretty good bit of scholarships and talked about that experience, plus what made Cullman a special place to go to, and what she will miss the most.
“I received the Julia Tutwiler School of Education scholarship, the UWA Directors Academic Award, the UWA Leadership and softball scholarships. It was very rewarding, because it showed me that hard work pays off,” she said. “Both my grandmother and father went to Cullman, so it was special to see a little bit of what they experienced. I will miss the teachers the most. They have impacted me more than they will ever know.”
Haley gave some advice to the upcoming freshman. She also talked about her role models growing up, and the best advice that she was ever given.
“My biggest advice for students that will be starting high school in August is to stay involved at the school, if that’s a sport or a club. Just have fun,” she said. “My biggest role models during my time at Cullman were Mrs. Putman, Coach Pitzing, and Coach Cagle. The best advice someone has ever given me has probably been if you are going to do something, do it 100%.”
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