Abby Drake
Staff Writer
Coryn Collins has been cursed with the nickname “Corn” her entire life. Although in most cases she hated this nickname, she discovered a new appreciation for the name during her senior year, when her teammates on the Coppell High School varsity softball team started calling her Captain Corn.
Collins has been involved in softball for over 13 years, and over time she has solidified herself as a solid first baseman. From age 5 to 10, she was a part of the Unicorns, a recreational team, then graduating into a select team called Rapid Fire.
During her freshman and sophomore years, Collins packed her schedule with softball by playing for both her select team and the CHS junior varsity team. Once she moved up to the varsity level her junior year, Collins decided there is not enough time for both teams and she choose to stay committed to the high school.
Collins’ first year on varsity was not as eventful as she had hoped. The team had 12 seniors, 10 of which went off to play college ball, so she did not get a lot of playing time.
This year, however, has been quite the opposite, and Collins, one of only two seniors on the team, has spent much more time on field. She also took on a leadership role and is captain, which is where the team adopted Captain Corn.
“It is good to be the captain,” Collins said. “I enjoy being able to teach everyone how varsity works and help the younger players.”
Although she has had to make time for all of her AP classes, National Honor Society and Hope for Africa, Collins commits six out of the seven days a week to her team. Whether it is practice everyday after school until 5:30 p.m., a game (typically held on Tuesdays and Fridays) or waking up early for Saturday morning practices, Collins has given much of her senior year to the sport she loves, and her dedication has been noticed by her teammates.
“Coryn was the one always making sure everyone was prepared, kept us up beat and always supporting,” junior and former teammate Ardelle Curran said.
While softball has been Collins’ main focus for over 13 years, she is ready to give it up and try new things. She will be attending Texas A&M University next fall and chose not to play.
“I am more academically driven than athletically, so I want to focus more on studies than playing softball,” Collins said.
Her passion and love for the sport is too strong to discard the game from her life entirely, however, as Collins plans to join an intramural or recreational league in the future.
As for this year, Collins has high hopes for her team, which is primarily made up of underclassmen and has started district at 3-3. With the high team chemistry between the players and Coach Krug, there is a lot of potential.
“People often underestimate us because we are such a young team, but we actually have a lot of talent and can go far,” Collins said.
This being her last year with Coppell, Collins finds it bittersweet, as she will miss her teammates and the program but is ready to move on. Even though most seniors adopt a lack of interest towards the end of the year, Collins keeps her passion and endurance alive.
“Working with Coryn is great; she is always a source of leadership and support, continually helps others to maintain focus, and is a catalyst in boosting momentum and energy on the field,” senior captain outfielder Morgan Stable said. “Coryn often has encouraging words that motivate the team as a whole to do their best.”
