VYPE: Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you got started in softball?
Ariana Munoz: I started playing softball when I was three years old. My older sister is a year older than me; her team never had enough players so I would have to step up and play at a younger age. It made me get into softball a lot more, which led me to today. A softball player on her last years of high school.
VYPE: What is your specific role on the team, and how do you prepare for it?
AM: My specific role on the team is being a leader. As a senior, it’s my job to help the underclassmen with drills or other things that they don’t understand.
VYPE: What has been the most challenging moment in your softball career so far, and how did you overcome it?
AM: My most challenging moment so far, I would say was my freshman year when we played at ECU for bidistricts. It was really challenging because this game determined if we were going to go to regionals or not. Being a freshman and pitching was a lot of pressure, but I had my team that was with me every step of the way and told me ‘I got it’ and ‘breathe.’
VYPE: What inspired you to play softball, and who are your biggest influences?
AM: My older sister inspired me to play softball because of the passion she had for the game. I would say my sister is my biggest influence when it comes to softball. Even though she quit, she still loves the game, and she makes sure that I do, too.
VYPE: Who do you look up to as a role model, both on and off the field?
AM: I would say my role model is my mom. My mom makes me a better person and a better player. On the field, she has never missed a game and is always supporting me from the bleachers. Off the field, for giving me encouragement to never give up after all the mistakes I might have made in the game. Behind all the softball, she is an amazing mom and I hope to be half the woman she is.
VYPE: Looking back, what are you most proud of in your softball career at Ada High School?
AM: I’m most proud of having an amazing coach that supported me since my eighth-grade year when I first moved to Ada. Coach Jeremy Strong has been an amazing coach to me and I’m very thankful for him and for him pushing me to be better. I’m proud that no matter what, he never gave up on any of us, even at times he probably should’ve. I’m very proud to have such a great coach.
VYPE: What are your plans after graduating from high school? Are you considering playing softball in college?
AM: I plan to go play college ball while pursuing a degree either in the medical field or in criminology.
