Charley Hampton-From Silo High School to Seminole State College Softball Team
What began as playing catch with an older sister turned into a college career playing softball. Charley Hampton cannotremember a time she didn’t play with her sister. A 2023 graduate of Silo High School, Charley is now playing softball for Seminole State College.
“My favorite part so far about playing softball at the collegiate level is the new and bigger atmosphere of the softball world,” she says.
The transition from high school sports to a college team can be challenging. Charley praises her SHS coach for preparing her for collegiate ball. “My high school coach really made the transition easy by being hard on us girls and teaching discipline.
“For me there really are a lot of similarities (between high school and college softball). My first year of college was quite similar to high school because my high school teams were pushed so hard for us to be the best. We practiced long and hard every day. College is the same way,” says Charley.
Valuable lessons come from playing softball. “Adversity can come in different forms, but there’s always different solutions,” she said.
She says her favorite part of being on a team is the support from and for others. Charley cannot pick one person from her team who leaves the biggest impression because so many have made a positive impact on her.
When asked who inspires her Charley says herself because she wants to win. She comes from a family with a strong competitive drive. The best advice ever received came from her dad. “He would always remind me to quit thinking so much and to just step on the field knowing I’m the best,” she said.
Charley has experienced success in her athletic career. She says her biggest athletic achievement was winning the state softball tournament in high school twice. She also played high school basketball where her team made the state tournament every season. By playing in college, she continues to experience the excitement and competition she loves most.
