Mia Galella is a tremendous 5-foot-9 Class of 2025 power hitter from Dunmore, Penn. who is committed to Boston College after an impressive travel ball career with the Virginia Glory National – Willemssen 18U team.

The high school senior has been ranked in the Top 25 of the Line Drive HOT 100 player rankings but hit a major roadblock over the summer when she was diagnosed with a torn UCL (Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL) injury) on the inside of her right elbow.

On June 26, 2024, Mia had her surgery and detailed her recovery process in the first of a 3-part series to chronicle her experiences and share what she’s gone through—and is going through—to get back to a complete return on the field.

*** Click HERE to read Part I, her post-surgery report, from this summer.

Today’s blog is the second part of her One Day Forward journey.

Mia tells Line Drive Softball:

“I’m doing great and I’m almost at full recovery. I will be ready to go for my school ball season in the spring and my final summer with Coach Suzy (Willemssen) before I head off to play at Boston College next August.”

Here’s the latest from the standout first baseman…

*****

As I move into my final stages of my recovery program, it seems like it was so long ago that I had my UCL repaired by Dr. Christopher Ahmad, New York Yankee surgeon.

At the time, I had thought that it would be an eternity to get to this point in my rehab but because of the amazing support that has been provided to me by Dr. Ahmad and his medical team, I was able to stay disciplined and mentally focused with my workouts and I’m now stronger both physically and mentally than I was before my injury.

I set myself small goals which allowed me to continue my “One Day Forward” approach and achieve each goal to get me to where I am at today.

My hitting and throwing workouts, which Dr. Ahmad provided me, had to be followed precisely per his direction in regard to reps.

He said there will be days where I will feel like I can do more but I shouldn’t. There were days I felt fantastic, and I wrestled a little bit with wanting to do more but I knew I had the best doctor in the world caring for me and he always said, “You will be at 110 percent ready to play by Spring,” so I stuck exactly to his plan.

I put the extra time I had outside my throwing and hitting towards glove and foot work.

Each day my goal was to get a little quicker with my feet and transitioning from glove to throwing hand. The ability to lift heavy weights which I had before was returning faster than I thought it would, and I put extra time in with my running.

My goal was always to make the Cheetah Club at Athletic Republic which I achieved by running 18.1 mph. Now I’m stronger, quicker, and faster than I was before my injury!

Mindset is everything. I have proven to myself that if you want it, you need to work for it.

I have never been so excited to get back on the field with my high school teammates this Spring to finish out my high school career and play my final year with my sister, Jules, and play my final summer with my Virginia Glory team.

I am so thankful to have the best travel coaches any player could ever ask for in Coach Suzy Willemssen and Coach Kevin Bednoski. They are both true mentors for so many in the softball arena and I need to congratulate Coach Suzy again for being inducted into the 2025 NFCS Hall of Fame class.

Coach Suzy and Coach Kev are the best and have been so supportive of me during this adversity I was dealt.

Any player who is dealing with adversity, especially an injury that may result in missing a season, needs to know that all will be fine. The most important thing with recovery for any type of injury is your mindset.

Staying positive is your best medicine. It is certainly helpful to be surrounded by so many loving family members and coaches who I was so blessed to have, but you really need to stay strong and take a One Day Forward approach knowing that each day brings you since it’s one day closer to reaching your goals.

When National Signing Day came this year, I realized that all I had sacrificed and worked so hard for was so well worth it as I will have the privilege to play for Coach Amy Kvilhaug at Boston College while being able to obtain a top tier education.

There are many exciting things ahead and I can’t wait to step foot on campus with the rest of my 2025 recruiting class. They are all amazing athletes and people!

I will end with this… and this is something that I hope every young player understands:

Adversity is part of your growth as an individual, not just as a student-athlete. If you understand this, then you’ll realize that once you get to the other side of that adversity, you will be stronger and more powerful than you were ever before.

That’s your superpower: realizing it!

— Mia Galella/Class of 2025
Boston College signee