Sonae Simmons is moving to Tampa to play college softball for Hillsborough Community College. And she’s moving with her own brand of self-confidence – always working to build it and make sure she’s mentally there for the game.
“Feel good, look good, play good,” she said.
The South Sumter graduate signed on this year, with a Raider career to back her.
Outfielder – center, shortstop, Sonae is ready for the next chapter.
She plans to study nursing and is the daughter of Minnie Daniels and Bookie Simmons. From Bushnell, she said she started playing ball when she was only four years old – T-ball on the county league.
“I just stuck with it. I love how it makes me feel when I don’t feel good. I’m free to be myself,” she said of softball.
Of past moments, Sonae said it would be “The regional game last year,” when she hit a homerun and won the game.
And that’s what she looks to in the future, she said the ultimate for her would be to his the “Most homeruns in the season.”
Sonae’s coaches were Brandie Parks and Cinto Arredondo and she credits them for their support.
Arredondo has been her hitting coach on all the teams she played on and is like family she said, noting she often stayed overnight at the family home with his daughter, and her teammate and friend, Princess.
Parks, her Raider coach, has been like a team mom to her, she said.
Of her strengths, she notes that tracking a ball is definitely one of them.
She’s practicing weekly – throwing, catching and hitting, and ready to begin the regimen from Hillsboro on Aug. 10.
Prior to games, she listens to music to prepare.
Off the field, she enjoys hanging out with friends and said she’ll also start working a job when she starts school this year.
Of teamwork, “It takes a team to win a game,” she said.
As for advice to younger players – “Don’t care about what anybody else thinks about you – bet on yourself, always bet on yourself.”
