Inside Pitch: Central Michigan Freshman Catcher Mak Penning… Despite Two Shoulder Surgeries, She’s “Fired Up” to Get Back on the Field

Two years ago, we told the story of Makaela “Mak” Penning, a talented Class of 2022 catcher from Indiana who suffered a severe concussion when a foul tip hit her facemask with full impact

It was so powerfully devastating that it forced her to miss not just 10 weeks of travel ball play, but also two months of school

Click HERE to read the full story.

Mak returned to the playing fields and ultimately impressed scouts and coaches so much she began to be recruited and ultimately selected the Chippewas of Central Michigan, which compete in the DI Mid-American Conference.

But, just shortly before starting her senior year in the Fall of 2021, the talented backstop suffered the first of two shoulder injuries that would require surgery and test her patience and resolve to rehab and return to the game.

How has she done?

Thanks to a “huge support structure” including family, friends and coaches, she’s learned a valuable life lesson when she explains:

“We should never submit to the idea of quitting.  The fight is just part of the process and we/I just need to trust the process.”

Here’s what that “fight” and “trust” entails in Mak’s own words…

*****

Two years ago, when I wrote the original article about my concussion, I felt like I was better physically but still didn’t know what my future held for softball or in general.

It is interesting how time can change your perspective on things but still doesn’t answer all the questions we have.  This is very true for me and how I have been able to move forward in life after having such a serious injury.

The past couple of years has really changed how we all live our lives and go about many things that we previously took for granted.  In general, much of this is due to COVID and all the impacts it has caused.

For student-athletes, like myself, the impacts were crazy!

We had to navigate interactions with prospective colleges and coaching staffs from afar as most, if not all, in person interaction was cancelled in favor of safety.

I had the added impact of knowing, at some point, I would need to share a potential game changer with college coaches. I quickly realized that this was part of my new norm in that I needed to be honest about my concussion with coaches and with myself.

Part of that meant taking any and all needed precautions to stay safe.

The other aspect was listening to my body and doing what was necessary to maintain my health.  I did a lot of reading and research about concussions, and it gave me added knowledge to be successful returning to the field.

I went into my junior year in high school eager to work harder than ever to get back on the field.  I spent hours in workouts, lessons and weightlifting while maintaining good grades and having all the fun a high school junior should.  A big part of that fun was getting the call I had been hoping for years for.

Coach McCall Salmon, the softball head coach at Central Michigan, called me and offered me the opportunity to take my skills north (from Indiana to Michigan) to play softball.  I was beyond elated to receive a call from the top choice on my list and even more excited to accept!

Heading into the spring I felt better physically and mentally than I ever had.  We ended our high school season as Sectional winners, losing to the eventual Indiana State champs.  I felt fantastic, finishing the season among the team leaders in home runs and RBI supported by a .521 batting average.

I took this momentum into summer travel ball.  I joined the 18U Ohio Lady Lasers – Gambone team and continued to work hard and earn every opportunity that I could.

Towards the end of the summer schedule, I again found myself among the team leaders in statistical categories including batting over .700 playing in a tournament in Columbus, Ohio.

However, it was in the second-to-last tournament of the summer session that my plans were once again derailed due to injury.

While sliding into second on an off-the-wall double, I injured my shoulder.  I found out that I had a tear in my right shoulder—my throwing shoulder.  This meant surgery to repair the labrum and reattach the bicep to the bone… and it also meant a significant recovery time.

To say that I was frustrated would be a monumental understatement but, having worked through the concussion protocol, I knew some of what I needed to do.

Surgery was scheduled and completed as I started my senior year.  I set my mind to working hard at physical therapy and workouts but also maintaining a positive outlook and exercising patience. My family was there to aid me and support me through each step.

One of those steps was calling Coach McCall at Central Michigan and explaining my setback.  She told me something that has stuck with me:

“Don’t focus on the negative but see the positive in this.”

The positive was that my shoulder was fixable and that I had a huge support structure which included CMU in addition to my family and friends.

I worked hard and was cleared to start easing back into playing just in time for my senior season at Avon High School.  My high school coach, Coach Jennifer Jones, had been through a similar surgery during her playing days at Butler University and was a great help to me.

Our team was really gelling and we felt certain we would be able to make another post-season run when lightning struck again.

We were playing in a game that would later decide the conference champion and I threw down to second to nab a stealing runner.  When I did, my shoulder popped out of socket and I felt excruciating pain in my shoulder.

I called time, went out to the circle and my teammate popped it back into socket.  I continued to catch, but a few plays later I tried lunging for a foul ball and the pain became more than I could bear.  I felt that I would be doing more harm to my team than good if I continued to play.

A couple days later I found out that the same shoulder was torn again, and I would need another surgery to repair it.  I mentioned that I was frustrated prior to the last surgery but that was small compared to the depression I felt facing an even longer recovery the second time around.

Shortly after graduation, I went in for surgery on my shoulder to repair and hopefully prevent any further damage.  The surgery was ruled a success and I was back on the road to recovery.  I can testify that the road is not always easy, in fact it is filled with speed bumps and potholes!

What I have found out in the past four months since my most recent surgery is that the struggle is real.

I am currently enrolled at Central Michigan University and a full-fledged member of the Chippewa Softball Team.   I do the things I can and work on preparing for the next steps in recovery.  I am still a couple months away from picking up a ball and attempting my first throw.

I know there will be struggles along the way as I work my way back onto the field.  There have been many times where I wanted to throw in the towel.  I haven’t because I am blessed.  Yes, even through these injuries and setbacks, I can honestly say that I am blessed.

I am blessed because of family: my biological family, my parents, siblings, aunts and uncles, grandparents and more have all supported and encouraged me.  My friend family has also been there for me when I really needed that little pick-me-up.

Sometimes that word “family” is used too loosely but in my case, it carries so much more meaning.  I couldn’t be where I am without the help and support of all my family every step of the way.  My family will always be there for me, and I have come to love and appreciate this more than ever.

Now I also have the blessing of an additional family here at college.  Coach Salmon, Coach Brittini Merchant, Coach Sara Driesenga and all the players have enveloped all of us freshman in love and support.

I know that this is one more reason I can have confidence in taking the field, having overcome these obstacles. So many people have faith in me to be able to complete this comeback.  Their faith in me will continue to support and propel me.

There is a quote that I recently read that sums it up very well:

“Tough times build tough people.”

This is very true if we allow it to happen.  Just because it doesn’t go our way doesn’t mean we should walk away.  We should never submit to the idea of quitting.  The fight is just part of the process and we/I just need to trust the process.

As we say here at Central Michigan: “Fire Up!”

— Mak Penning, Central Michigan freshman