Mackenzie Ross is a talented incoming junior at Crosby (Texas) High and a member of the Texas Bombers Gold 16U team coached by Dale Serie.

An outstanding shortstop, she’s had an explosive year both in the prep ranks where she batted .533 with 48 hits in 27 games for the Cougars and had 10 home runs with 31 runs driven in, and with the Bombers in club play, where Mackenzie hit .410 with eight home runs and drove in 30 RBIs with a 1.214 OPS.

And in the field, she’s been pretty solid, too, as shown by her recording 108 putouts with just three errors.

Last summer, Line Drive Softball ranked her as a 2027 HOT 100 player and her resume continues to grow on the field with her earning Texas High School All-State honors in the Spring and being named to this summer’s Colorado Sparkler All-Tournament Team and also to the USA HPP Top Performer program.

Not surprising, “Mac” is getting a lot of attention from schools in conferences like the SEC, Big 12 and ACC as September 1st will begin what should be a busy month for her as it’s the kickoff of the recruiting period when college coaches can contact her directly.

In this first-person blog, Mackenzie shares her feelings on how playing softball has made her a better person and the lessons she’s learned to succeed on and off the playing field…

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For most people, softball may just be a sport— something they just do in high school, or a way to stay active, but for me, it’s more than just a game and something greater than I could have ever imagined.

I never knew at four-years-old when I started tee-ball that softball was going to be my biggest teacher throughout life and help shape me into who I am today.

One of the greatest life lessons softball has taught me is how to deal with failure.

Even the best hitters in the game fail seven out of 10 times. You could be at the highest of highs one day and the lowest of lows the next. This game definitely has its way of humbling you really quickly!

As a player in life, it teaches you to brush it off, pick yourself back up, learn from your mistakes, and get back after it. Everyone will fail but what defines you is how you respond.

One of the most important things in this game is teamwork.

Every player has their role and, while individual talent matters, of course, if you don’t have teamwork, communication and can’t support one another then it’s almost impossible to win on the field and in life.

While the physical part of the game may be very essential, the mental side is far more important to me.

Between balancing training, practices, games, traveling, school and other commitments we make as athletes, we must learn how to deal with pressure and how to push through mentally.

There are the pressures to perform—from coaches to recruiting—and you have to learn quickly how to adapt and overcome it all.

Learning to mentally prepare and deal with the pressures of the game will help the pressures of life seem so much smaller and you will be able to face those challenges with confidence.

Throughout it all, softball has taught me how to be “me.”

It has helped me find that if you prepare for anything in every way you know how, then your confidence will go through the roof and your performance will be at a much higher level.

Though the goal is to always win—win or lose, you are more at peace because you were prepared.

What you gain from this sport goes far beyond stats and scholarship offers. It’s about the relationships and friendships you build, the discipline it demands, the accountability, and the growth from it.

It’s about finding your voice and being yourself, developing confidence, and learning how to handle life’s curveballs and hitting them out of the park.

— Mackenzie Ross/Crosby, Texas