Softball Superstar

Softball Superstar 7th grader Jama Noonan joins

Falcons varsity team Alyson Downard

“We knew that she would be a huge part of our future,” Coach Craig said.

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

Getting a hit, Jama Noonan (‘25) up to bat in a scrimmage against Luisville High School on Feb. 27. Photo by Alyson Downard

to win in the last inning,” she said. “My parents were out of town watching it on Facebook Live. It was the championship game, and we won the tournament.” Jama has worked very hard to get where she is with the help of her family, friends, teammates, and coaches. Now being on the varsity team, her new coaches and new teammates will help push her to be even better than she is now. “I am getting better at maintaining composure in tough situations, especially now playing at the varsity level,” Jama said. Even her coaches have confidence in her that will help her strive to be better. “We knew that she would be a huge part of our future,” Coach Craig said. “We try and make this year as positive as possible so that her confidence is still strong at the end of the season and she will come back next year stronger.”

NAFO varsity softball team huddles together with not much time left in the game. Photo by Alyson Downard

“I am getting better at maintaining composure in tough situations, especially now playing at the varsity level.”

TEENAGE ADDICTION

Teenagers are struggling with addiction because of the new vaping law passed in December stating every nicotine product purchase will be rased to 21.

2,602 people have been hospitalized from vaping as of January 2020, according to the Center for Disease Control.

Vaping causes nausea, eye irritation, high blood pressure, seizure, coma, cancer & even death.

The government needs to make a non- nicotine vape to help teens get over their adddiction legally.

IF YOU'RE SUFFERING FROM ADDICTION call SAMHSA

1 -800-662-HELP(4367)

by Jenna Wisvari