Broadway will continue play at Flo Valley
Ttate@yourjournal.com
After playing softball for numerous years with the Granite City Park District and four years at Granite City High, Gabby Broadway wasn't planning on giving up the sport."I love softball," Broadway said. "It's like my life."
Next year, the Granite City senior plans to continue her long softball career at St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley. She will join a Florissant Valley program that finished with a 10-23 record this spring.
"(Granite City graduate) Jessica Costillo played there and she told her coach about me and he asked (Granite City coach Doug) Duncan," Broadway said. "Then, he called me. Jessica Costillo is the reason I will be playing there."
Broadway also considered Greenville before she got a scholarship offer to play softball at Florissant Valley.
"I wanted to play softball and Greenville told me I could play since I was planning on Greenville all of the time," Broadway said. "The next day after the regional game (on May 21), the coach from Florissant Valley called me and he said there will be a scholarship offer. We needed players and needed infielders. He said come on up and meet me, so I cancelled my appointment with Greenville. I wasn't going to get any money from Greenville because they can't offer any athletic scholarships. He offered me a scholarship and I can get my basic studies out of the way. I'm excited now. I'm so happy that now I got this all figured out."
Broadway also plans to major in education at Florissant Valley. She wants to be a teacher when she graduates.
"I want to be an elementary teacher, like in second grade or kindergarten somewhere around there," Broadway said. "I was looking for a school with a good elementary teaching program. That's why Greenville was right there because Greenville is ranked really high in elementary teaching. But you have to go through the process of getting your basic studies out of the way and everything like that. When I'm an elementary teacher, I'm going to be a softball coach, too."
Broadway was one of three seniors on this year's Granite City softball team. She finished with four hits,
"I'm going to miss all of those softball girls," Broadway said. "Kate Meyer and I were partners all year this year."
Broadway will continue a softball career that began when she was 5. She was a member of numerous Granite City Park District championship teams.
"I love the feeling when you step on the dirt," Broadway said. "I love it whenever someone hits a ground ball at me. I love to throw the ball. I just like the feeling and I've been around it for so long. It doesn't feel right to not be playing. Now, I'm going to college and just be there and wanted to be doing something."
