Feb. 7, 2006

During the 2006 Southern Miss Lady Eagle Softball season, senior second baseman Charity Butler will sit down with Southern Miss Media Relations intern Mallory Haynes to discuss the ins and outs of Lady Eagle Softball.

Diary Entry #1: February 6, 2006

Practices have been going well. We've been working hard and the practices have been really intense, which are going to make our players better. It's been really awesome; the whole atmosphere is different than it's ever been. So, I'm excited. I think we're all excited the closer it gets to the first game in Hawaii (Thursday Feb. 9), which is going to be fun. I'm pumped up and ready to play.

For the Hawaii Paradise Classic (Feb. 9-12), we are going to a luau on Wednesday night with all of our friends and family that are coming. And we're going to Pearl Harbor that morning. We are going to practice that day, so we are actually going to play softball. After the luau, it's game time and we're focused and there to play ball. Hawaii will be great, but it will be even better to go and win the tournament. That's what we're looking forward to. To win in Hawaii would be amazing.

I think it's going to be a great season. I've never felt so prepared and so confident in my team and myself. I feel like we're ready, and that we've worked really hard. We're really meshing and gelling as a team. So I think it's going to be great.

And of course, the obstacle course. We began in the offseason with an obstacle course that tested our mental and physical ability. Everybody that's heard about it thinks it's kind of crazy. It really has made us stronger both physically and emotionally. Mentally, it's made a huge difference. It was created to simulate the obstacles that we'll be facing this season. And there will be plenty more obstacles to overcome. It's not going to be a cake-walk this year, but we'll be ready for whatever it brings.

I'm excited to be a senior. It's nice to be sort of established and to be comfortable to an extent, though I'm not excited about it being my last year to play. However I am excited about graduating and seeing the real world and where God leads me in it.