President Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.” This saying couldn’t be truer for McAlester Softball’s Madison Ayers. 

“She’s one of those that’s real quiet,” says head coach Kelleya Cox. “She just really tries to prove herself on and off the field.”

Only a sophomore, Ayers is a major contributor to her team. She is a jack-of-all-trades player that splits time between the outfield and infield but says her favorite position is third base, a position she shares with one of her favorite players, former Oklahoma Sooner Sydney Romero.

“I started playing softball when I was around four or five,” recalls Ayers. “My parents had me play Tee-ball, and I just fell in love with it.”

She puts an emphasis on wanting to be a hard worker, and hard work has helped earn her the role she has on her team today.

“She does everything you ask without complaint and even goes beyond that,” says Cox. “This summer, she played in the Babe Ruth Little League World Series and got her running and other workouts done way before she had to.” 

Before the season began, she made it a mission to become a better baserunner and hitter, but also to be the best teammate she can be.

“I want to help others,” said Ayers. “My favorite memories on this team have been our teambuilders, where we work together and bond. I make it a goal to be a better teammate every day.”

Graduation may be a couple years away for the talented tenth grader, but she already has an idea of what her future might look like. She wants to go to the University of Oklahoma and study physical therapy, and with the lessons she has learned from softball over the years, she knows what it takes to achieve her goals.

“This sport has taught me that if you want something you have to work for it; it’s not given to you,” said Ayers. “Don’t let anyone get in your way and stop you. If you say you can, you can.”