Call it a lesson learned

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Published on Wednesday, 06 June 2012 10:43

Former Hammon softball player will apply high school experiences to life, collegiate softball career

Tyler Palmateer
Daily Elk Citian 

Small towns seem to always foster a sense of community.  They are tight-knit, friendly, and possess a fierce work ethic. 

They also love their sports.

Hammon, which according to the 2010 United States census had a population of 568, certainly fits that mold, and its love for all things sports has subsequently resulted in much success in its athletic program. Saydi Dowd is a 2012 Hammon High School graduate and begins a collegiate softball career at Southern Nazarene University this fall. As a former Lady Warrior third-baseman and basketball player, she always understood the bar is set a little higher in the town, nestled about 15 miles north of Elk City off Highway 34. 

“Being from Hammon, sports is a really big deal,” Dowd said. “They want you to excel at everything, but when it comes down to it, you have a lot of expectations to make it to state.” 

THE ‘HAMMON EXPERIENCE’
Most kids grow up dreaming of a chance to play basketball in “The Big House” at the Oklahoma City Fairgrounds, or at Hall of Fame Stadium, where the Women’s College World Series is so often played. They would give a right arm to play in a state championship atmosphere. 

Dowd has taken part in nine state tournaments as a member of the Hammon basketball and softball teams. When Hammon lost a heartbreaking game to Lomega in the Class A state basketball finals this year, Dowd said she finally realized how blessed she was to play in such environments. 

“I used to think if we didn’t make it to state or didn’t win at state, then it was the end of the world. It took losing in basketball this year for me to realize that we’re lucky. A lot of people don’t make it and we’ve been here over and over and over again.

“Maybe its just me growing up, but we’re blessed beyond belief.” 

SPEECH! SPEECH! SPEECH!
In her senior campaign as a third-baseman for the HHS slow-pitch squad, Dowd hit .481 at the plate with 19 RBIs, nine doubles, one triple, and a home run. She also accrued a. 81 fielding percentage, during a year Hammon suffered many rainouts to start the season. 

Dowd also missed a handful of games competing in speech contests across the state. She speaks eloquently and confidently, even in passing conversation, and said the skill is important to her. 

“Speech meant a lot to me obviously, because I missed a lot of slow-pitch games to go to competitions. It’s a big part of my life,” Dowd said. “I love getting up in front of people and telling a story. You never know if it might help them.” 

For the complete feature on Dowd, pick up a copy of the Wednesday, June 6 edition of the Daily Elk Citian.