Motivation can be a big driving force behind an athlete’s will to be great. Having people in your life who are great have gone before you and laid a foundation for you can be immeasurable. Harli York has had a few of those in her life.
“I always play for God, my family, teammates, and coaches,” she said. “Softball runs very deep in my family. My papa coached softball for a long time and won 14 state championships. My mom played college softball at UCO and is my coach. And both of my aunts played at OU and are coaches. So always playing for them is a big-time motivator. Softball is a game of failure; I feel that it is going to help me succeed in life.”
York is a sophomore at Cushing High School. Along with softball, she also competes in cross country, basketball, and track. While she works hard to be at her best at each sport she plays, Harli also knows that she must excel in the classroom to be able to compete.
“It takes time outside of school to keep caught up on schoolwork,” she said. “I am a five-sport athlete, so at times it’s a lot to juggle. I just try to communicate with my teachers ahead of time.”
Throughout her life, there have been those who have made an impact on her, both as an athlete and as a person.
My role models are my parents,” she said. “My mom and dad show me how to handle adversity, and they have high expectations of me. They also work very hard and inspire me to be a great person every day. They are my biggest supporters in all that I do. Coach Vernon was an awesome teacher, and I loved being in her class. She had so much spunk to her. Coach V always had a smile on her face and made everyone’s day. She was also my middle school softball coach and is my high school track coach.”
When it comes to her opponents, York is always ready to play against whoever is on the schedule. But she does have one school that makes getting the win a little bit sweeter.
“My favorite opponent to beat would have to be Perkins,” she stated. “They have always been a huge rival for us in all sports, and we always try to compete our best against them.”
