By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Despite battling throughout, Hayden's softball team suffered a pair of Centennial League losses to Class 6A state power Washburn Rural on Tuesday at Hayden.
Hayden senior pitching standout Alyssa Droge has battled through three knee injuries and a cancer fight to lead the Wildcat softball team this spring. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
But after everything Wildcat senior pitching standout Alyssa Droge has battled through, it's going to take a lot more than a couple of losses to wipe the smile off her face.
Droge's problems started back in her freshman year, beginning a series of three knee surgeries that disrupted her career.
"My first one was my freshman year in December (2019) playing basketball and my second one was in March or April of my sophomore year during softball,'' Droge said. "I think I got through about half the season. The third one happened the 3rd of July this past year in 2022 during summer ball and I just had it done real fast. The third one was a meniscus and slight ACL and the other two were ACLs.''
But as tough as the injuries were to battle through, Droge received her scariest news in August of 2021 when she was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
"I had six months of chemo,'' Droge said. "I went to Children's Mercy (in Kansas City, Mo.) for one week every month for six months.''
Droge finally got some good news in late '21 when she found out that her cancer was in remission.
"My last chemo was on Christmas Eve and I officially began remission Jan. 11 of 2022,'' she said.
Droge admitted that she got to the point of 'Why me?' during her numerous battles, but did her best to maintain a positive attitude.
"I was like, 'When is this going to end?' '' Droge said. "But you've just got to fight through it. You're only given what you can handle and only what the Lord knows you can get through.''
Droge credits an amazing support system for helping her get through everything that was thrown at her.
"It was incredible,'' she said. "From fundraisers to getting cards from people at school while I was in the hospital, it was insane everyone that reached out and hearing everyone every time I see them just saying they were praying for me just means so much.''
At this point Droge returns to the doctor for regular checkups as part of her maintenance program.
"My last appointment was in February,'' she said. "I was at every three months and now I cleared a year so I am at every six months.''
Droge said all of her injury/health fights have helped her appreciate all the good things in her life.
"Sometimes going through all of that you don't realize what you had until you don't have it anymore and you take for granted,'' Droge said. "You have to take everything as a gift, being out here and playing.''
Droge, who earned All-Centennial League honors as a junior despite all the distractions, is back to going full bore in softball while continuing to regain her strength. Droge played all 14 innings Tuesday against Washburn Rural, pitching a complete game in the opener and moving to left field for the nightcap.
"It's taken awhile, but I feel so much better than I did last season and just having the support of everyone on the team and amazing coaches really helps out, too,'' Droge said.
Hayden coach Cody Reynolds said that Droge is not only a leader on the field for the Wildcats, but also serves as a constant inspiration for the entire program.
"We've had a few instances where I have told the kids that, 'You can't complain because when you start complaining about life or you start complaining about practice or you start complaining about what's going on, there's a lot of people out there that are a lot less fortunate than us and have gone through some really terrible things,' '' Reynolds said. "So they're aint no complaining at our practice.
"I get goosebumps and it makes me emotional because I'm really close with (Alyssa) and I'm really close to her family and I can't say enough about how strong of a kid she is. It's unbelievable to see her out here and I can't say enough about her.''
Hayden senior Alyssa Droge is strongly considering a college softball career after fighting through numerous obtacles to star for Hayden. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Droge has not made a final decision but is strongly considering going on and playing softball in college.
"I'm thinking about it,'' she said. "I'm still finalizing a couple of things, so hopefully soon I'll be able to confirm.
"I've been thinking about it more recently. I really realized just coming back and being able to be out here again, I don't really want to stop. I'm having so much fun.''
