“Just trying to keep the confidence, it can be nerve-wracking going into a new team anywhere, especially at the college level. Kind of just, you know, keeping the mindset that I’ve been playing my whole life. I know how to do it. I just need to have fun and enjoy it,” said Mya.
Division 3 commit, Mya McHugh, has been playing softball for fourteen years. Her first taste of softball was with Latrobe Parks and Recreation, where she played tee-ball. As the young athlete grew, so did her love for the sport; at age 8, Mya advanced to coach’s pitch and never looked back.
For the majority of Mya’s career, she played in an older age group with older girls because it allowed her to play with her sister, Macie McHugh. Macie, a 2024 Latrobe graduate, is only a year ahead of her younger sister in school. This has allowed the sisters to compete on the field together, in both travel ball and school ball, for the majority of their careers, which has made the two a tight-knit pair. “Macie is sort of my person. She’s like my safe space, and we’ve fortunately gotten along very well,” Mya said.
The challenge of facing older and more experienced competition is a daunting task for any athlete. However, Mya rose to this challenge with confidence, which, in part, was instilled in her by former travel ball coach Kevin Stevenson. The pitcher played for Coach Stevenson for almost four years with the Lady Canes, and the impression he left on her will last a lifetime.
“He was awesome. He was one of the best coaches I’ve ever had. He gave me the confidence that I needed to play with the older girls, and I still think about stuff he says to me or used to say to me when I was in the batter’s box when I’m hitting, even when he’s not there,” said Mya.
While the softball player will continue to reap the benefits from her experience with Coach Stevenson, not every head coach has the same impact on their players. Sometimes coaches, or even a whole team, aren’t the right fit for a player.
“It’s hard because you love the game, but other people make it hard to keep coming back,” Mya said.
The pitcher’s love for softball outlasted the lack of faith from these teams when Mya decided to begin her collegiate softball search. However, Mya also had to overcome doubt throughout her recruitment process. Contacting college coaches can be a slow and, sometimes, painful process. The athlete had to learn to be patient and trust in the process. “You know, you don’t always get the quick response you want, but you sort of just have to keep going, be persistent,” said Mya.
Mya’s past teammates aided the softball player throughout her recruitment process. Class of 2024 graduates and Latrobe softball alumnus all were recruited to continue their softball career at the next level; Corrine Wright at Gannon University, Kayla Williams at Slippery Rock University, and Macie McHugh at Saint Vincent University, respectively. Mya was able to turn to these girls for advice, which gave her hope that her goals were reachable and were going to happen. “Seeing that, you know, other people can do it and it can be done, cause sometimes in the recruiting process, I know it’s different for everybody, but it was difficult for me, sort of thinking that it’s never gonna happen, but seeing that older girls who I’ve played with, they can do it and it works out for them [was helpful],” Mya said.
On July 5, 2024, Mya committed to play softball at Saint Vincent College. The pitcher had the idea that she might continue her career at Saint Vincent, but other schools she looked at were La Roche University and Gannon University. Mya always knew she wanted to attend a local, small-scale school, and Saint Vincent met all her requirements. “It’s close to home. I’m sort of a homebody, so it just felt like home away from home already,” said Mya.
Another compelling element that drew Mya to Saint Vincent was one of the college’s current student-athletes, her sister Macie. The bond that the sisters share made Mya’s commitment that much easier. “I chose Saint Vincent because my older sister is there now, so knowing that she’s already there and we’ll be playing softball together again means a lot to me,” Mya said.
A lot of hard work has gotten Mya to this point in her softball career, but it isn’t merely skill that makes a great athlete. How a player conducts herself can play a big role in a collegiate coach’s decision to offer a player a roster spot. The pitcher has always been told the importance of an attitude and the impact an attitude can have on how people perceive you.
“I was always taught to be a coachable player, to respect your coaches and the older girls, and it’s mainly about your attitude. No one wants a player with a bad attitude,” said Mya.
