WASHINGTON (July 21, 2022) – Howard University junior public relations major, sports administration and sociology minor Jade Spurlock interviewed senior Maxie Harrington (Vacaville, Calif.) as she tells us about her experience on the softball team.
 
Q: First, tell us a little bit about yourself (Name? Major? Hometown? Etc.)
A: My name is Maxie Harrington and I am now a Howard University alumna. I majored in communications with a concentration in journalism and I minored in computer science. I am from Vacaville, California, and the only daughter of Nichelle and J. Paul Harrington.
 
Q: What position did you play?
A: I was a utility player that primarily played shortstop.
 
Q: When did you first become interested in softball?
A: When I was younger, my parents signed me up for multiple sports like tee ball, gymnastics, track, soccer, etc., but I started playing softball more seriously when I was eight years old.
 
My dad and uncles played baseball when they were younger, so the sport has always been around me. My parents and I realized the legitimate possibility of me playing in college when I was 12 or 13 years old.
 
Q: How has playing softball impacted your life?
A: For me, playing softball has allowed me to meet some fantastic people and go through challenges that have helped me grow into the person I am today. Going through adversity in a team setting or individually as a student-athlete has helped me learn lessons that will help me throughout the rest of my life. I am so thankful for that!
 
Q: How did you balance training, academics and social life?
A: Balance is always difficult to achieve and takes a lot of discipline but having my teammates by my side has helped me.
 
I use my planner and make to-do lists to keep track of all of my daily responsibilities and following those two things has made staying organized pretty simple.
 
Along with that, my teammates were a great tool. If you're as lucky as me, teammates are like built-in friends, study buddies and training partners, so when I've struggled in any of those areas, I could always refer to one of my teammates to either introduce me to new people, help me study or push me on the field.
 
Q: What made you want to play at Howard?
A: Truthfully, Howard was not on my radar until the coach at the time came and spoke to me at a tournament in Southern California. She began to tell me a little bit about the school and invited me for an unofficial visit in the fall. Once I researched the school more on my own, I realized Howard was an amazing institution and that's where I needed to attend.
 
I had also visited other colleges and was not necessarily moved while walking around their campuses, but when I visited Howard, it was the first place I truly saw the possibility of myself going there, being comfortable and thriving both academically and athletically.
 
Q: What will you miss most about playing at Howard?
A: I will miss my teammates because, throughout my four years of playing, I received the blessing of getting to know so many amazing women and was honored to consider many of them my sisters.
 
I'm an only child, so I typically keep to myself and on my own, but living with my teammates every single day has helped me to open up and grow as a person. We, of course, would get on each other's nerves (lol), but in the end, I love them all so much and am truly lucky to have had the experiences and bonds with them that we were able to create.
 
Q: Looking back, what is your fondest memory of playing this sport?
A: Similar to the last question, I would say the friendships with my teammates because I've met so many funny, talented and all-around amazing people over the years.
 
Now that I'm older and able to look at things in hindsight, it's been beautiful to watch myself grow as a person over the many years, both athletically and mentally.
 
Q: What were your preferred pre-game, locker room and post-game routines?
A: Music is the biggest one for me because I always blasted music through my headphones to get locked in before the game.
 
Toward the middle of my last season, I also made sure to dedicate some time to meditate and stretch on my own before games as well.
 
Q: Who was your go-to artist before a game?
A: The music seemed a bit random at times, but I needed a mixture of "vibes" to get ready like hardcore artists like Rico Nasty, Chief Keef, Tyler the Creator, etc. to get my blood pumping. Then, a bit of gospel-like Kirk Franklin, Tye Tribbett, and Fred Hammond to help me feel covered and protected. And in the mix of those, some comfort artists like Prince, Teena Marie, Sza, Kehlani, Frank Ocean, etc., just to make sure I was grooving and in a good place.
 
Q: Who is/was the most significant influence in your life (sports and non-sports related)?
A: I would say my parents, especially my dad in regard to sports. They both have always encouraged me to do what makes me happy and instilled in me that once I make a commitment to do something, I should always strive to do my absolute best.
 
My dad has always been there to push me athletically, even helping to act as an assistant coach on some of the teams I've played for. He has always told me, "Good is the enemy of great," meaning that I should never settle for just being good at something when I have the potential to be great. That idea influences almost everything that I participate in because I always have the potential to achieve greatness in anything if I am willing to put in the work to get there.
 
Q: What is one important lesson you've learned from your coach?
A: The one lesson my coach often preached was, "leaving a place better than you found it," which aligns with who I am as a person.
 
In the context of Howard Softball, she was speaking about the idea of making sure that you should always think of the legacy you want to leave and the space you want to create for those around you and come after you.
 
She would also always talk about what we do is bigger than just softball. With our position as young Black women student-athletes at Howard, we can inspire so many little Black girls who don't often see themselves represented on the softball diamond, let alone in many other spaces as well. It's always important to think of the bigger picture and realize that even if you feel your role may be small compared to someone else, you still can have an amazing impact on your environment or on the lives of the people around you.
 
Q: Using one word, how do you think your teammates would have described you?
A: Wise because multiple teammates have described me as this and I take it as the biggest compliment.
 
Q: What are your plans post-graduation?
A: Post-graduation, I plan to do whatever I want (lol). Of course, not in the irresponsible sense, but I am excited to explore various opportunities, work hard and find a career and environment that aligns with what speaks to my heart.
 
I currently have an internship with a startup company called Tury Health as a product manager and I am excited to continue to see how I develop my skills in product management.
 
Beyond that, I want to travel as much as possible and see more of this beautiful place we call Earth.
 
Q: If you could give a piece of advice to a fellow student-athlete or future Bison, what would it be?
A: My advice would be to prioritize the mental aspect of the game, but also your mental health period. I recommend getting to know yourself as a person be one of your top priorities because the closer you are to yourself, the better you will be able to perform athletically, but also just as a human.
 
It is great to grind and keep working through difficult times, but it's also crucial to take that time to check in with yourself and understand where you are mentally and emotionally. The better you are, the more present you will be able to be in your everyday life and your athletic endeavors. Presence is the key to better performance.
 
About Maxie:

• Personal
  • Hometown: Vacaville, California
  • Major: Media, Journalism, and Film
  • Concentration: Journalism
  • Minor: Computer Science
• Academic:
  • Cathy Hughes School of Communications Dean's List
  • Co-Creator of the HER film with Justin Morris
  • Assisted in creating a documentary for the DC Jazz festival with Justin Morris
  • Accepted into Lambda Pi Eta, a communications honor society
• Athletic:
  • Co-Captain of 2020-2021 Softball Season
  • MEAC Champion

 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.