The Bullpen that Broke Me - and Built Me

 My last pitch wasn’t thrown on a field. It was thrown in a bullpen, with my dad quietly watching, both of us knowing… this was it.

I haven’t watched these videos since the spring of 2019.

This was the last bullpen I ever threw. I didn’t know it would be at the time—or maybe I did. Deep down, I think I knew.

I was a junior. I was in pain. My body wasn’t the same. My love for the game was buried under physical exhaustion, emotional burnout, and years of silently pushing through. I didn’t tell anyone, but I knew.

Parents weren’t allowed in the bullpen at the college level, but my dad just knew. We locked eyes. He walked over anyway. He filmed my last few pitches. Just me and him—like we were back in the backyard again. That moment? I felt free. I felt like me again.

I didn’t get in the game. I never played again.

And on that silent bus ride home, I opened my phone and created a blog. I called it DR3 Pitching. No one knew. But I knew. That was the moment something shifted. My purpose began to take root.

DR3 was born not in a highlight reel—but in heartbreak. It was born when I felt lost. And now? It exists to serve girls and families walking through those same crossroads I once stood. 

But let me be very clear—

This isn’t about giving up when things get hard.

I fought. I fought hard. I pushed through injury, burnout, pressure, and pain. I would never not fight for this game. But I had reached the very edge of my career, and I knew it. This moment wasn’t me quitting—it was me evolving.

If you’re younger and struggling right now, know this: you have no idea what’s coming next. And that’s okay. Your 20s are hard. Your early 30s? Still hard. Life doesn’t come with a manual or timeline. You’re not supposed to have it all figured out.

But what you can do is listen to your body. Honor your gut. And trust that sometimes what feels like the end… is actually just the beginning.

Because that bullpen broke me—but it also built me.

And if you’re in your own “bullpen moment” right now…

Know that you are not alone. And your story?

It’s just getting started.