This summer is going to be bittersweet for softball player Madison Dunlavy and her dad, Zach. For the past 14 years, these two have been spending every summer on the field. However, since Madison just graduated from Davis County High School in Iowa, this is her last season playing for her softball team, the Mustangs. It also means that this is her last summer being coached by her father, which is going to mean a tough goodbye for both of them.
“I’ve been coaching Madison since T-ball, which would be probably about 4 years old,” said Zach, according to KCCI.
As Madison gears up to attend Northwest Missouri State in the fall, both father and daughter are hoping that their last season of softball won’t come to an early close during the playoffs. The high-school grad has yet to decide if she’ll continue playing the sport in college without her dad.
“I don’t know, obviously, any other way of softball,” said Madison. “He’s always been my coach, and it’s definitely been a huge part of our relationship.”
No matter what the future holds, Madison said that she’ll cherish the time she’s been able to spend with her father thanks to their shared interest in the sport.
“It does mean the world to me,” she said.
Zach agreed that the game has strengthened their connection over the years, adding, “We’ve had some of our best moments out on the softball field.” As for how he’ll handle the loss once his daughter strikes out on her own, he admitted that he’s been trying his best not to think about it. He believes that, when he walks off the field with her for the last time, “that’ll be hard.”
“We put in the time,” Zach continued. “She’s put in so much work and I couldn’t be more proud of her.”
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