Encouragement from my family to try sports is an early memory. My parents Yogi and Fran Rattay sacrificed and invested endless hours in me so that I could become the athlete I wanted to be. When I was in season for one sport I was playing club for another. Their support was constant and encouraging.

All my coaches played a role in who I've become as a person today, but Alicia Provost was a part of my athletic career in all my sports at one time. I remember one year she coached me in all three sports and taught me PE.

I learned how to transfer my attention to details as an athlete to becoming a better student academically. We can't lose sight of what it means to be part of a team within a community—and I'm not referring to a softball team or a basketball team. I mean the high school experience team that entails all extracurricular activities. It led me to incredible places all over the world, being able to interact with extraordinary people, and has opened the doors into my future for opportunities.

I think all Hall of Fame members used sports as a platform to succeed in life. They helped shape who we are, the friends we chose, and the decision to go to college. For many of us, including myself, sports led to career paths offering us the opportunity to give back and detach all the life lessons that we learned at such fragile times in our lives. I recognize that we come with our own unique high school experiences: different times, and different places.

I have a supportive husband that will help me support and encourage our two sons throughout their life the same as my family has for me.