Wayne Christian softball player Ella Fox commits to North Carolina
GOLDSBORO, N.C. — Ella Fox is a 17-year-old Junior at Wayne Christian School. She started her freshman year here and was in Tennessee before that. Her mother is the Upper School Principal at WCS, and her father is the Athletic Director. Ella told me that having her dad as the athletic director is great because whenever she gets hungry, he has a special snack drawer in his desk for her! Sports are in Ella’s family. Her father played college basketball at Mountain State University in West Virginia and both her sisters play college softball. Her oldest sister Anna is a Senior at Michigan State University, and her middle sister Caroline is a sophomore at UNC. So, let’s just say sports are a family affair.
Ella started playing t-ball at 4 years old. Unlike her older sisters who tried a few different activities and other sports like dance and soccer, Ella knew from a very early age that Softball was her love. When she was 8 years old, she started playing travel softball and went to all the states surrounding Tennessee like Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. She even went as far as Colorado on the Georgia Impact Premier team. This summer, she will play in a tournament in California. When Ella was 10 years old, she decided that she wanted to play college softball.
Well, her vision, dedication, spirituality, and talent have made her goal a reality. On September 1st of 2022 Division 1A schools started to travel around and look for players for their respective sports. UNC came to see Ella at Wayne Christian. On December 13th they returned and made her an offer. On this day, she committed to becoming the next Lady Tarheel. In college, in addition to softball, she thinks she might want to major in Marketing or Public Relations. After speaking with her, I’d say that is right up her alley. She is outgoing, lovely, and you can just tell what a big heart and strong faith she has.
Below are some words straight from her that give you a glimpse into her softball life and her wonderful spirit.
“My personal goals within my sport are to play in a way that honors Christ, by playing with utmost effort and being a supportive teammate. I pray I am a blessing to my teammates, and our coaching staff. My goal for this season is to embrace the opportunity to win another state championship with my Wayne Christian teammates.
My biggest challenge in my sport is overcoming failure. Softball is a sport of failure because the majority of the time you are up to bat, you are going to get out. The way I try to manage this challenge is by trying to have a short memory and not dwell on the past.
The best advice I’ve ever been given is to live for Christ and not man. My dad often reminds me of this, and it reassures me that I am here to glorify God.
What I love about my sport is that I like many facets of the game. I like making plays in the field and swinging the bat. Playing the game brings me much joy.
I don’t really have a pregame ritual, but one thing I do before every game is make sure I am fully stretched and warm so that I feel prepared to play.
Outside of my sport I like to hang out with my friends and family. I have a large family so whenever we all have free time, we usually take it to spend quality time together.
Being a member of a team has taught me to focus on the good of the team. That is not just in a sport but in life. It means being selfless and supporting and encouraging those around you.
The best piece of advice I’ve received from a coach, or a mentor is to give your best effort and always have a good attitude. You can’t always control how well you perform, but you can control your response to adversity, how hard you play, and your behavior.
A mistake I made while competing was a time where I was facing an extraordinarily talented pitcher. I remember not being prepared mentally in a sense that I was thinking too much instead of just playing. Going up to the plate with that mentality, I did not get a single hit that game. Looking back on that game, the best way I overcame that mistake was by having confidence in my abilities and having a more relaxed state of mind.
I would like to say thank you to all my coaches growing up for inspiring my love for softball and teaching me how to become a better player and teammate. Slade Stewart of the Alabama Sparks Elite taught me and my sisters so much at an early age, and really nurtured my love of the game. I would also like to thank Brad Huss of Team North Carolina who was instrumental in my growth as a player the last few years and in the recruiting process. I also am looking forward to continuing to grow over the next two Summers under Coach Caymol and Coach Rood of the Georgia Impact Organization”. Ella Fox
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