It was pretty mentally devastating. Thomas took the injury as an opportunity. It was a chance for her to learn more about the game she had been playing her entire life. She developed a new outlook on the game, seeing it through her pitching coach's perspective, something she'd understand even more later in life.
The injury helped Thomas learn how to be a pitcher and not just a thrower. Thomas appeared in 44 games for the Tigers in , helping the Tigers to 53 wins, the most in program history. Thomas' success in the circle, including an incredible. In the next two seasons for Mizzou, the individual accolades kept coming for Thomas and the wins kept coming for the Tigers.
Thomas would go on to be a First Team All-American in both and , while also earning the pitcher of the year honors in both of those seasons, one in the Big 12 and one in the SEC after Mizzou's move to the conference. In Thomas had more wins and player of the week awards than anyone else in the SEC. However, despite all of the individual praise she garnered, Thomas is most proud of the legacy she and her teammates left behind as a team. When recalling her time at Mizzou, one moment stuck out to Thomas specifically.
Not because it was one of her numerous shutouts or a long-standing battle on the mound; it stood out because it was the moment she realized how far the program she and her teammates built had come. S oftball. When Chelsea Thomas glares toward the plate, ominously palming the sphere from 43 feet away, batters are lucky to register a glimpse of yellow and a leathery explosion as tardy aluminum slices through chalk dust.
Coaches, teammates and family describe her as kind, studious, polite, friendly, funny and sweet. Try to remember that as she heartlessly mows down SEC opponents in My senior season, we moved to the SEC. I threw almost every game up until this point in my career and something funky started happening with my arm. It was a really hard senior season for me in battling my injury, both physically and mentally. It ended up being a successful season, but we did not make it back to the WCWS that year.
I have a really cool fun fact though from having to red shirt and struggle through with the few injuries: I got to be chosen as the pitcher of the year in two different conferences Big XII and SEC. They picked me up knowing about my injury and I ended up throwing very limited innings my rookie season.
I went to a specialist as soon as my rookie season was finished and had TOS Surgery in September of , where they removed my first rib on my right side and released both right and left pec muscles. How did this opportunity come about? Like anyone who plays softball, the dream to play for Team USA. So, when I got the email to try out, it felt incredible. I ended up making the team and playing for that year and the following season When were you drafted to the NFP?
Was this before or after Team USA involvement? I was drafted during my senior season at Mizzou. I was then currently still part of Team USA. As soon as my college career ended, I was contacted by the USSSA Pride, who offered me a spot on the roster even though they knew of my injury.
They offered me a chance at playing professionally and gave me time to figure out my injury during my rookie season. At this time, softball was out of the Olympics and I had an injury that I was told could potentially be career ending. So, I made the best decision for myself at the time. I went through all the hard phone conversations with my USA head coach and administration and explained that I had to make the best decision for myself at that point in time for my career.
I am so happy that there were Team USA girls in the pro league this season. The gifts I was given from my parents. I get my hard work ethic from my dad and my perfectionist attitude from my mom. I was never coddled growing up as an athlete and I really think that made a huge difference in how I handled failure on and off the softball field. I was taught to see failure as a good thing, a challenge to get better every day, and my parents instilled this in me at a young age.
If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading. The Pride lost to the Dallas Charge Former Missouri softball player and Florida Pride pitcher Chelsea Thomas signs autographs Monday for fans after the game. Florida Pride lost to the Dallas Charge. Softballs with signatures lie on the ground Monday at University Field. Florida Pride softball players signed autographs for a younger travel team after their game with the Dallas Charge.
Chelsea Thomas travels around the country playing for Florida Pride, and the team is passing through Columbia this week. Fans packed into the stadium to watch the former Missouri star for the first time since she graduated in Thomas, a three-time first-team All-American now plays for Florida Pride, which is passing through Columbia this week.
Back on her home field, Thomas wore a white uniform with black and red accents. Not quite the black and gold from her Missouri days, but close. Being a professional athlete keeps Thomas traveling across the country. She said it's difficult for family and friends to see her play — but not Monday night. But the Pleasantville, Iowa, native's family cheered in the stands in the reserved section behind home plate. In addition to playing professional fast-pitch softball, Thomas serves as a pitching coach for Saint Louis University.
She also coaches younger girls, some of whom were at University Field on Monday awaiting autographs like many other fans after the game.
After undergoing surgeries on her ribs, neck and arm tendons in , Thomas is building her strength back up to where it was when she recorded the most wins and strikeouts 1, of any Tigers pitcher in program history.
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