The bases were loaded, Muskogee trailed by a run and JaKeis Gandy walked to the plate with a chance to change the game. The junior sent the ball out for a grand slam, but she remembers her teammates’ reaction as clearly as the swing.

“I love playing softball,” Gandy said. “We were down by one, the bases were loaded and I was up to bat. I hit a grand slam. Those moments make me happy, and I love seeing my teammates happy.”

At Muskogee High School, Gandy plays third base, first base and center field. Each position asks something different, but all require her to reset quickly. That is why the best advice she has received stays with her: “Have a short memory so a past mistake does not ruin your next play.”

“Resilience has taught me how to bounce back and keep going,” she said. “Discipline and showing up consistently for practice create strong work habits and time management skills.”

Her mother has been a source of that discipline. She keeps pushing Gandy when the junior does not see in herself what her mother sees. Gandy admits she did not understand why that pressure came.

“I used to think my mom was always being mean, but now that I’m older, I understand why she was so tough on me,” Gandy said.

Gandy also admires teammate Ke’Lisha Smith for keeping the group energized. Smith knows the game and leads others even when she is working through disappointment of her own. That steadiness matters to Gandy because it keeps the team together.

Her sister, Jamiah Maxwell, and Gandy’s family, school coaches and travel ball coaches have reinforced the lesson through the work they have invested in her.

Gandy is grateful to each of them for playing a part in her softball success. Their support has helped her appreciate the moments worth keeping, including a grand slam and the smiles that followed it, while learning to release the ones that could hold her back.

The past play, good or bad, eventually ends. Gandy’s job is to be ready for the next one.