Sis Bates describes her “Remember To Have Fun” mantra

Former Washington Huskies Sis Bates detailed her “Remember to have fun” mantra to Softball America.

Before Sis Bates steps on the field, the three-time Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and two-time First Team All-American looks down her cleats, which have a message on them, which reads, “Remember to have fun.”

The always passionate Bates wears a big smile on her face, whether it be as an assistant coach on Heather Tarr’s staff at Washington, or during her time on the field with Team USA and Athletes Unlimited. However, Bates described some of her struggles to Sydney Supple, and Softball America that always reminded her to hold on to the joy of softball.

“I think back to a time in high school and a time in college where I went through some pretty rough times and [softball] wasn’t joyful for me anymore,” Bates said. “In high school, I went through a period where I wanted to quit after I committed to UW. I remember crying to my dad in the Georgia airport…and he told me, ‘I’m not going to let you quit now but at the end of the season it’s still this we can talk about it.'”

“At the end of the year I told him I never want to get to this point again and I remember going back home and doing all the little things that made the game joyful for me. I was playing wall ball with my brother and I played wiffle ball with all the boys in town, and the joy came back to me and I never want to lose it. It’s something that speaks to me and I hope it speaks to a lot of other little girls out there.”

With all the accolades that followed once she got to Montlake and into her professional career, she seems to have found a way to hold on to that joy every day.