Mia Galella is one of the top club softball players in the country and was ranked in the Top 25 of our final 2025 Line Drive Hot 100 rankings.

A Boston College signee, she was also selected as a high school All-American last year for her jaw-dropping season at Holy Cross (Dunmore, Penn.) High team when she batted .480 with .708 on-base percentage in part because of 42 walks… most of them intentional!

When opposing pitchers did decide to pitch the first baseman, she made them pay with 10 home runs and also showcased her athleticism by stealing 33 bases.

But it hasn’t all been easy and this year saw Mia face the biggest challenge in her softball career—she suffered a torn UCLA (Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL) injury) on the inside of her right elbow.

In a three-part exclusive series for Line Drive Softball, Mia has detailed her surgery and subsequent recovery.  Here are the first two articles in recapping her journey to get back onto the fields:

• Operation “One Day Forward” (Part I): 2025 Boston College Commit Mia Galella Recaps Her Torn UCL Surgery on Wednesday (June 28, 2024)
• Operation “One Day Forward” (Part II): The Light at The End of The Tunnel for BC-Bound Mia Galella

In this third installment of the series, Mia covers what she’s learned from the recovery process and what advice she’d impart to younger players who may face comparable challenges in their softball careers…

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The main purpose of me documenting my recovery journey back from my UCL injury was to show younger players that when adversity comes, it is never the end unless you choose for it to be the end.

I have learned so much about not only this injury but listening to your body which is something that all players should do. I remember always saying “no days off.”

Well, that certainly is something that I learned about.

Resting your body and your mind allows you to recharge and perform at your highest potential which is one of the many things I learned from Dr. Christopher Ahmad, the New York Yankee surgeon who did my UCL repair.

I implemented a “rest” day into my weekly routine which was Sundays. This allowed me the recharge needed both mentally and physically.

I noticed this approach also accelerated my recovery since I was at 100 percent without fatigue. I followed every protocol from Dr. Ahmad and now I am throwing like I never had an injury.

I have found my hitting to be more explosive, increasing my acceleration rate. The small things that I didn’t pay much attention to before but began to during this off-season, has allowed me to be stronger and faster than I was prior to my injury.

I was lifting almost a total of 1,000 pounds between the three lifts—bench press, deadlift, and squat—before my injury but, after having to change my workouts due to my injury, I am now more explosive than before… and I owe all of that to my trainer David Johns at Athletic Republic.

As I mentioned in my Part II article:

“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.”

Your mindset starts with discipline.

It is all about what you are willing to accept from yourself. My dad showed me quotes from his favorite football coach of all time Nick Saban, former Alabama Head Coach:

“Discipline isn’t punishment. It is a choice. A choice to be consistent, to put the work in and to demand more from yourself.”

I “chose” to follow Coach Saban’s words of wisdom and I have found myself being more
disciplined with everything I do, especially my academics, workouts and nutrition.

Now my senior high school softball season is beginning in a couple weeks and I believe it will be one to remember.

We stand a great chance of winning Districts and making a run for the State Title. We have a lot of starters returning and my younger sister Jules is one of them.

Since this will be the last time I ever play with her on the same team, I know it will be very emotional when it is over so I know we will both take in every single moment that we are together this season.

Then I will be off to play my final travel season with Coach Suzy Willemson’s Virginia Glory team before heading off to Boston College in August.

Lastly, I am so thankful to God since it is my faith in Him, the reason how I reached
where I am at today: “MY DESTINATION!”

–Mia Galella/Class of 2025
Boston College signee