College Bound

September 20, 2008

Taylor Petrick

Signed University of Texas at Tyler

Taylor Petrick of the Texas Fusion Gold has committed to play softball at UT Tyler. Taylor is one of if not the hardest working softball player on and off the field that I have ever seen. Back in 12U Taylor decided that she wanted to take her game to a new level and join our 91 Texas Elite team. Without even being on the team she came and practiced with us twice a week for the three weeks leading up to our team traveling to Moline IL for 12U Nationals. Those where some of the hottest and hardest practices that we had that year and Taylor had no previous experience of going through that type of practice but she hung in there and showed us so much heart that we added her to the team the following fall. Taylor is the living example of Attitude Hustle and Desire she has gone from a developmental player to one of our biggest leaders on and off the field. She has helped us qualify for ASA Nationals in 2005 2006 and an instrumental piece of the team that took 5th place at 14U ASA Nationals in 2006 and in helping us qualify for Gold Nationals in 2008. Taylor tore ligaments in her shoulder in a round robin in May of 2008 she never said anything to anyone about the pain that she played through all summer none of us even knew that she was injured. She later told me that there was no way that she was not going to help the team qualify and play at Gold Nationals. She had shoulder surgery and will not be able to play this fall I think this is yet another example of the Attitude Hustle and Desire that she lives and breaths. I was upset that she didnt tell anyone about her shoulder until after Nationals but at the same time I have a deep admiration for the level of desire to play the game the way that Taylor does.

Taylor is very excited and had many choices to make over the last year or so but in the end she absolutely fell in love with the UT Tyler program the facility the players and the coaching staff. They may not know it yet but the Patriots have just brought in one of the hardest working players in North Texas.

Congratulations Taylor we are very proud of you