By Derrick Smith

Athletes invest a lot of time and effort into preparing for competition. They put in the physical work and they also work to get mentally prepared. Ariah Mitchell plays softball for Yukon High School and she knows what it takes for her to be successful.

“For me to be the player in my sport that I want to be, I have to be willing to adjust when I am faced with adversity,” she said. “I also believe you have to have a strong mindset.”

As a junior at Yukon, along with softball, Mitchell is also a part of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Throughout her life, Ariah has had some outstanding influences on her life. People that have had a positive impact on her, both as a person and an athlete. She say that there are a few people that have helped her get to where she is today.

“There are a few people that have helped shape my life in a big way,” she said. “My mom, is one of the strongest women I know and she always pushes me to be great. My dad instills the discipline and work ethic to be the best athlete I can be. My bonus dad Jason will always be my biggest cheerleader and he empowers me to be myself on and off the field. Another person that has impacted my life is coach Troxell. He always encouraged me to keep going even if I didn’t feel like it. He also coached my dad at the high school level.”

Ariah has worked hard to be successful but she says that she owes a lot to her teammates that she competes alongside.

“Our team is full of outstanding people,” she said. “Maddy Montgomery is probably the person that I battle with the most in practice. She is super aggressive and talented and it is always a good workout when I am by her. Also, because sometimes outfielders are not highlighted as they should be, I think that Presley Bryant is somewhat underrated. She is speedy and trustworthy in the outfield.”