Greenbrier East junior Taylor Boswell has been through a whirlwind of emotions over the last couple of years.
Last summer, in June of 2022, Boswell’s mother passed away after a long battle with an illness, and her family’s life was turned upside down. However, as an outsider watching from a distance, the whole family was an inspiration to many, as they set an example of how to deal with tragic heartbreak and keep moving forward in a positive direction one step at a time.
Boswell was close with her mother, and some days refused to leave her side while she was in the hospital, so for Boswell, her inspiration for softball comes as no surprise to anyone.
“Ever since my mom passed away, softball has been my outlet. She was my number one fan and supporter. My inspiration is to be the best that I can be to make my mom proud, and my team proud. My motivation is to be the best I can be for my teammates,” Boswell said.
With the sport being her getaway, Boswell knows that could very easily be taken away, so she shares great gratitude in the softball program.
“It’s an honor to be a Lady Spartan,” Boswell stated.
“We are truly blessed to have a softball program the way we do,” she added.
Boswell is not just playing softball, however. She is excelling and playing at an extremely high level. At the time of this writing, she is tied for the team lead in batting average at .486, tied for the hits lead with 18, has a team-best five doubles, has a homerun and leads the squad by a wide margin in RBIs with 18.
She came on strong at the end of last season when she homered against Beckley in the sectional tournament and that success has carried over to this year. But to the shortstop, it is just working on the craft that helps her.
“I stay consistent with my batting practice on a daily basis. It takes a lot of hard work and determination,” she said.
The Lady Spartan coaches have also been successful the last several years, and Boswell has taken a lot of their advice to heart each season.
“My coaches have impacted my career so far by teaching us that it’s ‘we-softball’ and not ‘me-softball,’ and that we are a family,” Boswell explained.
One coach on the staff is especially close with Boswell: her father, Joey. Joey and his oldest daughter, and Taylor’s sister, Madison, recently won first place on America’s Funniest Home Videos, and while parent coaches sometimes could cause a conflict of interest, Boswell said that with her dad, it is the complete opposite effect because of his love for the game and his dedication to the girls.
“My father has coached me since I was five. He has taught me and pushed me to understand life is about giving it my all each and every day, and to win. Also, to focus on being the best I can be,” Boswell said.
“His joining the Lady Spartans softball coaching staff, I think, has impacted a lot of the girls and he has coached many girls in the community in the past and made a huge impact. He always makes sure each kid is taken care of, and the love he has for softball is amazing,” she added.
Still, with all the accolades that have come and will come her way — like a player-of-the-week honor she received in week two — and with her father in the dugout beside her each and every game, Boswell’s main focus is on her team and making history at the school.
“I want to continue to be the best I can be for our team. My team goal is to win a sectional championship and regional championship for the first time in Greenbrier East softball history,” she concluded with a smile.
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