Inside Pitch: 2024 Extra Elite 100 Outfielder Raegan Wall Shares Her Thoughts on Mental Health

It’s been a terrible last few months in college sports with four athletes known to have lost their lives to suicide.

The latest was just last week when a Southern University cheerleader posted on Instagram that she would be ending her life shortly before she was found unresponsive last Thursday.

As noted in a Yahoo article:

“In her final post on Instagram, (Arlana) Millar wrote about her mental health struggles and history of suicidal thoughts. She wrote about her sufferings in this past year alone with Covid-19, tearing her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and failing school.”

There is no doubt that there is increasing “concern about the mounting pressure on student athletes in the United States” and emotional and mental health is being watched ever more closely.

Recently, we were made aware of a social media post by softball standout Raegan Wall, a sophomore outfielder from Hazel Green, Alabama, who shared her thoughts on mental health with some positive suggestions and, with her permission, are running below her post with minor edits to fit our Extra Inning Softball format.

By way of background, Raegan was honored last August as the #76 ranked player in the 2024 Extra Elite 100 after helping her Hazel Green High team win the Alabama 6A State championship as a freshman in the spring of 2021.

This year, she’s had a tremendous sophomore campaign for the Lady Trojans including setting her school’s single season steals record of 26 more than a month ago (she currently is 31-for-31 and could increase that mark as Hazel Green’s record is 33-10-2 heading into Regionals tomorrow).

As of today, Raegan has a .520 batting average with a .550 on-base percentage and has scored 50 runs. She only has nine strikeouts in 140 at-bats and is on track to break a couple more school records even though she missed four games with a minor injury.

Raegan played soccer until she was 10 when, according to her mother, Brittany Wall:

“Her father begged her to try a fall season of softball and that was the end of soccer! She eats, sleeps and breathes softball and, if she’s not practicing with her high school team, she’s in a lesson somewhere. She also helps her dad with his 12U team where if she’s not helping, she’s watching softball!”

Justin Kaplan, the head coach of the Birmingham Thunderbolts 06 travel ball team, picked up the speedy outfielder last Fall and comments:

“Raegan is one of the hardest working kids I have ever coached and is an incredible teammate. She works relentlessly and has grown leaps and bounds as a player over the last couple of years. Raegan is developing into one of the premier outfielders in her class and, off the field, she works hard in school and is a great friend and teammate.”

Here are Raegan’s thoughts on mental health and how we can all help each other…

*****

May is Mental Health Awareness Month although, certainly, mental health should be considered every single day of the year.

Mental health is just as important as the physical health of our bodies, especially for us athletes and influences so much: how we act, how we speak, how we look and the way we think about ourselves.

Mental health can be affected by anything and—although it’s not worried about as much as it should be—all it takes is encouraging words from a loved one or even someone you don’t know to lift your spirits.

It’s okay to be upset and it’s okay to not be happy, but what is NOT okay is to not have someone to talk to about your feelings.

There is no shame in seeking help… IT DOES NOT MAKE YOU WEAK TO TALK ABOUT THE WAY YOU FEEL!

Many people, especially athletes, deal with this all-year round and there are so many areas of life that can get someone down such as:

• thinking you have to be perfect at your sport
• … or be perfect in the classroom
• practicing outside of practice
• getting home late from a big game and having to study for a big test the next day
• college and recruiting
• dealing with people who openly show how much they dislike you
• struggling with making sure all of your teammates like you
• TIME MANAGEMENT!

All of these can affect a person so much more than he or she knows.

Good examples of this are two of my high school softball teammates. Mackenzie Bowling (#5) and Haley McDaniel (#17).

Mackenzie hits right behind me in the Hazel Green High lineup and I can’t explain how many times this season I’ve gone up to her, or she’s gone up to me, and said, “Tell me I got this. Encourage me!”

Not once have we failed to have each other’s back in the mental aspect of this game.

Haley is a senior, my throwing partner, and my best friend. Every time I come back to the dugout, she’s always the first to high-five me and tell me: “Good job!” She is always cheering for me the loudest in the dugout and I’m always cheering the loudest for her.

These two girls just offering words of encouragement play a big role in my game. This is all it takes for me: one high-five, one “Nobody better!” or one “You’ve got this, we believe in you, believe in yourself!”

Always be a person that someone can talk to about their feelings. It may not seem like a big deal, but it can change someone’s life completely.

Raegan Wall
Hazel Green (Alabama) High
Class of 2024