SPORTS
Softball Superstar
J
7th grader Jama Noonan joins Falcons varsity team Alyson Downard
lete. She also played basketball for the FMMS ust two years ago she was at Fort Mill Elseventh grade team that won the seventh grade ementary School, and now she is with the NFHS Varsity team, yet she still deals with Championship.” Along with Jama’s hearing loss helping her all the pressure thrown at her. concentrate while pitching, she has the time Jamison Noonan, or as her teammates call her and encouragement that her family gives her. Jama Noonan, is a seventh grader who made “We spend hours on end driving her to differthe starting pitcher on the softball Varsity team ent practices, games, and other softball event,” before the season had to be canceled due to the Jama’s mom said. “Her father spends countless COVID-19 virus. She started playing softball hours on the field coaching and at home pracwhen she was eight and has worked very hard ticing with Jamison.” to get to where she is Her parents also now. helped encourage her to Softball, like any oth“We knew that she would be start in the first place. er sport, has its difficula huge part of our future,” “After Jamison’s first softties. “The most challengball practice, she came ing part is the pressure Coach Craig said. home, and never wanted involved with being such to play again,” Jama’s an integral part of the mom said. “We encourteam, especially at the aged her to continue for the rest of the season, varsity level,” Jama said. “It is sometimes difshe loved it. Since then, she has continued to ficult to keep my composure when I feel like I develop as a softball player.” am under performing.” She didn’t start pitching right away. “I startShe’s not alone, there is another middle ed playing rec ball.” Jama Noonan said. “Then school champion on the varsity field. “It also my coaches -including my dad- started a Fort helps that we have an 8th grader on varsity that Mill travel team, I started pitching when I was can show her the ropes and is close to her in ten, and as a pitcher, I enjoy being constantly age.” Coach Craig Brown said. Jama has some of her own ways that help her involved in the game. I enjoy the camaraderie of being part of the team.” deal with the pressure. “Jamison is hearing imWhile she played rec on the team Orange paired, she has around an 85 precent loss,” MeCrush she was able to get close with her teamgan Noonan, Jama’s mom said. “She has been mates. “She’s super nice and was always a great all her life, but she wears hearing aids and can read lips. I think this makes her more adaptable pitcher,” former teammate Lauren Downard said. “She pitched us into the championship to tougher situations and can tune out a lot of twice.” things out on the mound.” In the four years Jama has been playing softHer challenges with hearing don’t impact ball, she’s had many exciting games, but one in her athleticism. “Being hearing impaired particular stands out. “The most exciting was a doesn’t affect her athletic ability at all,” Coach travel game against Havoc, when we came back Craig said. “She is in fact a really good ath-
Spring 2020
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