[Softball] Softball Alumni Spotlight: Samantha Queen
Martin Methodist College will celebrate its inaugural Alumni Weekend Oct. 27-29 in Pulaski. The following is the final installment in a series of Softball spotlight articles ahead of this special weekend.
For more information on Alumni Weekend 2017, please visit www.wearemartinmethodist.org.
Samantha Queen wasn't supposed to play softball ever again. A softball player since age six, she was diagnosed at age nine with scoliosis, the curvature of the spine.
From nine to 16, Queen battled scoliosis with a back brace. Through travel ball to playing at Ezell Harding High School, she consistently wore her brace to try to stop the curvature from worsening. At 16, doctors decided that surgery was the last option. The fall before her junior year of high school, an eight hour surgery resulted in a spinal fusion in which two rods and 19 screws were placed in her back.
"I wasn't even worried about the high risks of surgery, like being paralyzed or not waking up," Queen remembers. "My biggest fear at that age was that I would not be able to play softball anymore."
Recovery from surgery took six months, which included extensive physical therapy and relearning to play softball without bending her back. By spring, she was back on the diamond. By 2008, she had graduated and began as a freshman softball player at Martin Methodist College.
"Coach Paul changed my life, and helped mold me into who I am today," Queen has remarked. "One of my favorite memories was the first time I put on that Martin uniform. I felt so accomplished. After my surgery, not many people believed I would continue playing softball, better yet go to college and play for four years. Coach Paul believed in me as a player and pushed me to be better. She never gave up on me even when I wanted to give up on myself. Everything I learned from her I have brought with me into the real world."
By junior year, she had emerged as a starter, and even changed her major to psychology from nursing so that she could continue her softball success. By the end of her career, she had compiled 177 hits, including 29 doubles, three triples, 11 homeruns, and 118 RBIs. Her .291 career average was highlighted by a .340 batting average as a junior, and a .615 average at her senior conference tournament. At Martin Methodist, Sam was a part of the 2009 TranSouth Conference Championship, and a trip to the NAIA Softball National Tournament where she helped the RedHawks advance to the Elite Eight.
"Sam is the epitome of perserverance," head coach Brandie Paul said. "She came to Martin to play for two years, and her dedication to the program led her to change her major just to continue her softball career. And, then, she went back and completed nursing anyway. There has never been anything that would hold Sam back. I couldn't be more grateful for the person she is, and what she means to this program."
After graduating with honors from Martin Methodist, Queen eventually followed her career dream, and obtained a BSN. She now works as an RN at Williamson Medical Center in Franklin, Tennessee, where she is charge nurse on a very busy joint certified orthopedic floor.
"I love sharing my background with my patients, because playing at Martin is something I am very proud of," Queen explains.
Queen is a staple at MMC softball's alumni events, and is excited to return for this year's event, and it is evident in her remarks. "I love coming back to play for alumni. I still feel that sense of pride when I step on that field, and I hope that is something I never lose."