Faces off the Field: Maddie Woodul, senior outfielder, Round Rock

All about Maddie

Did you play other sports growing up?

My first sport was soccer, and I actually played select soccer and select softball at the same time. But that was really hard on my body, so I chose softball. This year one of my friends suggested I try cross-country. I've always liked to run, even though I wasn't very good. I made varsity, and we went to state and placed 10th. And I ran with pneumonia.

You ran with pneumonia?

I had no idea at the time. A week later I couldn't breathe, and I finally went to a doctor. They said I had walking pneumonia for two weeks. That made sense because my state race was so bad.

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What do you plan to do after you graduate?

I recently got accepted into UT-Austin to major in environmental science. My goal is to use my degree to collect data which will assist in the development of technology to mitigate environment issues, such as global climate change.

What do you plan to do in the summer?

I'm going to Romania on a mission with my church. That's going to be my first time in Europe. We're going to stay at a Romanian refugee camp for children and have a Bible school to educate them about Christ.

Tell me something about you that most people don't know.

I can actually sew and make my own clothes. I love being creative, and fashion is a good way to express yourself. My grandma lives down the road from me, and it's something that's been part of life. It gives me time to spend with her.

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What has been your favorite vacation?

My favorite family vacation was going to Costa Rica in 2016. We got to tour the rainforest and see all kinds of natural wildlife. We actually stayed in a tree house in the middle of the jungle, and there were toucans that would wake us up in the morning.

The life of a high school softball player

What has been your favorite softball memory in high school?

In my sophomore season two years ago, we played (San Antonio) East Central in the second round of the playoffs. We were down eight runs after the first inning, and we came back to win. We got a big Gatorade cooler of water and dumped it on coach (Jennifer) Painter's head. I thought she was going to be so mad, but she was really happy.

How do you prepare yourself mentally to train every day at 6:45 in the morning?

My teammates, especially the seniors, had been doing that for all four years. I said I'm going to show up for them the way they're showing up for me. The alarm would go off, and I'd feel like I don't want to go to practice. Once I eat something and listen to some happy music, I say I've got this.

Have you learned any lessons playing softball that you apply to daily life?

Softball reminds me that not everything is perfect and mistakes are going to happen. It's a game of failure. You have to learn how to cope with mistakes and learn how to be positive under tough circumstances. You and I both know that life is nowhere close to perfect.

Dream dinner

If you could have dinner with four people in the history of the world, whom would you choose?

First off, Cleopatra. Then Jesus, Abraham Lincoln and George Washington.

Cleopatra?

In her time, it was unusual to be a female in power. I like the way she ruled Egypt and kept it in peace during her time. She was a powerful woman who knew what she wanted and knew how to get there.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Faces off the Field: Maddie Woodul, senior outfielder, Round Rock