Senior Spotlight: Tabitha Garcia

Name: Tabitha Garcia
School: Los Fresnos
Sport: Softball

When did you start playing softball?
I started playing softball at 4 when Los Fresnos Little League started its first softball teams.

What position do you play?
Throughout the years I have played multiple positions like pitcher and catcher, but most recently in high school I play first base.

What do you like most about softball?
I love the countless opportunities it has given me. The opportunity to create lifelong friends, to grow as a person and to be able to help my team get a win on the field.

What’s the best game you’ve ever played? Why?
Maybe not my best game, but for sure the most special. At our Los Fresnos Tournament I had a few hits that hit the fence and were inches from being a home run. Finally, in the last game against Rio Hondo, I hit one over the fence and it was special to me because it was my first varsity home run.

Talk a little about your high school softball career.
I barely became a varsity player my junior year and didn’t get much playing time, so I would consider this year my best, although it was cut short.

Do you compete in other sports besides softball?
No.

If you could only play one sport which would it be?
I played and tried out for multiple sports in middle school and really enjoyed them, but I would always go back to softball.

How was your season going before this unexpected break occurred?
Our season was going really good. We had a strong lineup and everyone was producing in their at-bats. It is a completely different team from last year, but we have all bonded really well. We are ready for district to start and hopefully we will be able to resume our season.

What’s your favorite food?
Hot wings for sure.

What’s your favorite animal?
A butterfly.

Have you signed with any universities or are any universities looking at you?
I don’t plan on playing college ball, so this season I was really looking forward to cherishing my last games. It really stinks that our season is being cut short.

Do you plan on going to college?
Yes, I am going to attend the University of Texas at Austin.

What do you want to major in?

• I plan to major in exercise science (pre-med).

What would you like to do in the future?

• After I receive my bachelor’s, I hope to go to medical school and receive a DPT (doctor of physical therapy) to become a physical therapist.

Talk a little bit about what it’s been like having to endure this break.

• It is weird for sure. We aren’t going to school, we aren’t playing or practicing, we aren’t hanging out with our friends… It is an odd situation.

What are you doing to stay busy?

• I made a routine to make sure I have a productive day from doing homework, working out and keeping up with my friends.

Do you think the season will be allowed to eventually proceed?

• The COVID-19 situation isn’t looking good so far, but I have hope that everything will be fine soon and we will be able to get back into our season as soon as possible.

IF the entire season is forced to be cancelled, how would that make you feel?

• If the season is cancelled as a whole, I’d be sad. I am not planning on playing college ball, so this year was my last year ever playing and I really wanted to savor that, and those last games.

What has been the most challenging part of dealing with the break away from normalcy for you?

• I really miss playing with my teammates, hanging out with my friends and going to school. I never thought I would be missing school so much and I didn’t realize how much I took for advantage of being able to go.

Have you learned anything from having to deal with this unprecedented experience?

• Yes, for sure. I learned that at any second our everyday life could be stripped from us. It doesn’t matter who we are, everyone is experiencing this panic. I realize that I should’ve enjoyed the little moments a little more, especially being my senior year and not take anything for granted.