🥎 Dealing with the Uncontrollable: Sydnee Ramsey

Kansas softball’s 2020 season came to an abrupt end due to the COVID-19 outbreak, leaving an entire team of student-athletes in shock. In this latest series (Dealing with the Uncontrollable), we talk with some of the Jayhawks affected by this unforeseen action and how they have been handling the weeks following the decision.

Redshirt sophomore Sydnee Ramsey started all 26 games at shortstop for KU. She finished the season second on the team with five home runs and 21 RBI. Her .329 batting average was fourth overall on the Jayhawks roster.

Q. What went through your mind when you first saw that the season was canceled?

“When it was first canceled there was definitely a level of shock. It didn’t really sink in for me for at least a few weeks. The meeting we had where Coach (Jennifer) McFalls told us the season was over was just like a bad dream that didn’t seem real.”

Q. How has your daily routine changed? What are you doing with your time?

“I haven’t let my daily routine change that drastically. I have stayed in Lawrence and have been continuing to work out and do softball stuff so I don’t get too out of the loop. I think keeping busy is the most important thing because if we allow ourselves to sit around and mope we wouldn’t be in a good headspace.”

Q. What do you miss most during all of this?

“I miss all of the team just being together. I miss all the team dinners, the late-night bus rides and just nights in the hotel where you would just sit and talk to your roommate.”

Q. If you knew that the doubleheader against Arkansas was going to be the final game of the season would you have done anything differently?

“I think I would have just taken everything in a little bit better. I would’ve embraced every at-bat and not been upset by little things knowing those at-bats would be the last for a while. I also wouldn’t have let anyone sleep on that bus ride home. I would have forced them to play my games with me. They would have been mad at the time, but I’m sure they would be okay with it now.”

Q. How have your coaches, teammates and support staff helped you during this pandemic?

“My teammates have been amazing! All the ones who have stayed in Lawrence have had workouts together every day and movie nights almost every night. I feel like the good thing to come out of this is definitely how close I have gotten to my teammates and it has made me realize just how blessed I am to have made lifelong friends.”

Q. What has been your favorite tv series that you have binged that you would recommend for others to binge right now?

“I really enjoyed Tiger King.”

Q. Do you have any advice to any other student-athletes (current or future) when dealing with their mindset going forward?

“My advice is to embrace every moment. This has made me realize that we are so much bigger than the errors we make, or the strikeouts. In the moment they seem so big and like the end of the world, but overall we are so blessed to get to play this sport every day and make teammates that turn into family.”