Get to know Culpeper softball player Kylee Quinn
CULPEPER, Va. — The game of softball was invented almost by accident at the Farragut Boat Club in Chicago, IL. The first softball was an old boxing glove using the strings to tie it into a ball shape. The first softball bat was a broom stick.
As the game caught on and spread across the country – mostly from fire department to fire department – it had many names. Among them were indoor baseball, indoor-outdoor, kitten ball, playground ball, pumpkin ball, mush ball, and many others. In 1926, a YMCA official in Denver coined the name softball. By 1930, that was the generally accepted name of the sport.
Over the years, softball has become much more than a playground or recreation center sport. The skill and athleticism of serious softball athletes nowadays is unquestionable. A prime example in our own community is Culpeper High School senior Kylee Quinn (17), a two-sport athlete who has signed an offer of a joint softball (60%) and academic (35%) scholarship to attend Hampton University – her dream school since she was 12 years old. She hit a home run during a game that the former Hampton softball coach was watching. “After the game, the coach chased me down. Asked me to think about playing for Hampton when the time came.”
Kylee’s other sport is track, which she initially took up to help her stay in shape for softball but which she has grown to appreciate and enjoy on its own merits. Admittedly not a distance runner, she participates in the 55-meter sprint, the 4X200 meter relay, and throws the shotput.
Kylee’s athlete success has not been without its challenges and pain. She tore the anterior cruciate ligaments in both knees in a one-year period, November 2020 and November 2021. Each time she endured ACL reconstruction surgery and recovery. She goes to the gym several times per week. She loves leg workouts, including squats. But she has to be careful with her knees, which are already showing signs of arthritis. As also does a lot of work on her upper body, especially her shoulders and biceps.
Asked about her pre-game routine she said, “Before games I usually have to hit off the tee an excessive number of times before I feel ready. I also make sure I do several long throws. Finally, I take everything I will need out of my bag so that I’m ready. There’s also a big mental aspect such as being present in the moment; slowing down and not overthinking.”
Kylee clearly loves softball as a sport, and she has already achieved one of her biggest goals of becoming a Division One athlete. But when asked what she loves most about it she said, “What I love most is the relationships I have been able to develop with my teammates and coaches.” Like many top athletes, Kylee also talked about life lessons. She told me, “I have learned to take things slow. My brain moves faster than my body can match, so to be at my best I have to take a deep breath and be in the moment.” She continued, “I’ve also learned that everything can’t be perfect. Always do you best, but also remember to enjoy the moment.” Her next goal is to be a starting player during her freshman season at Hampton.
There’s more to life than sports. Kylee’s favorite subject is English. “100 percent English,” she insisted. She loves to read, and she loves to write, whether it is writing notes or writing essays. At Hampton she wants to major in Journalism and Media Communications. Eventually she wants to become an ESPN sports caster. “I’m not shy at all. I’m very talkative, and I don’t mind speaking in front of people. For example, I was a speaker during Black History Month. I’m a talker.”
Mentoring younger athletes is a big part of who Kylee Quinn is and who she hopes to become. Here message to them is, “Take your time. Live in the moment. Always try your best, because if you try your best you can always be proud. Work your hardest, because you never know who is working harder than you.”
Asked if she had a message for fellow residents of Culpeper, Kylee said, “The community is even closer knit and more supportive than I imagined. On my signing day with Hampton University, so many people reached out to congratulate me. I’m thankful for every opportunity all the support I have received. Culpeper is a great community.”
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