After four years with the Rochelle Township High School softball program, senior Molly Irving will prepare to begin her academic studies at Kishwaukee College as she works to pursue a career in special education, which has been her dream for as long as she could remember.

Irving had been slated to be one of Rochelle’s top returning seniors this spring, but the Lady Hubs unfortunately lost their season to the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout her four years with the program, Irving said her favorite memories were the talks she had with her coaches, something she called her “Molly chats,” after each practice to see where she could improve.

“I wanted to be 100 percent focused since it was my last year playing softball, and I wanted to be a positive influence for the underclassmen,” Irving said. “We were having a really good time together, which made it a huge bummer when COVID-19 broke out and cut our season short… The RTHS softball program taught me that communication is key. If you can’t communicate with others on or off the field, it’s going to be difficult to get to where you want to be.”

Irving spent her first season with the freshman team before playing for the fresh-soph team as a sophomore and then moving up to the varsity team her junior season. Her interest in the sport began when she started playing T-ball with other boys and girls at 5 years old. She continued to play until she was old enough for softball and has played ever since.

“I’m not sure why I started playing, but I knew I loved the sport from day one,” Irving said. “I always enjoyed playing with my friends, and whether we won or lost, the fact we had the opportunity to play together was something that meant a lot to me.”