Sand Springs’ Bailey Copeland

By Bryce McKinnis

Sports are an engine for life lessons, and perhaps no other is more crucial for young athletes to understand than patience while enduring injury.

“My biggest challenge has been breaking my wrist and the recovery process after surgery,” said Bailey Copeland, a Sand Springs High School junior softball player. “I’ve overcome it by praying about a quick recovery and being with my girls every chance I got.”

Copeland comes from an athletic lineage. Her father was a star athlete. Her brothers, Kyler and Aiden, both played baseball with her brother playing at Southeastern Oklahoma State. It was a friend, Kylie King, whose father recruited her to begin her softball career.

“My best friend’s dad had started a team, and my brother had been playing baseball, and I was super interested,” Copeland said.

During the process of her recovery, she’s leaned on the same people who have been there her entire career, like King, who has remained a teammate at Sand Springs and travel ball, and her family.

“My mom is my biggest supporter in life and sports,” Copeland said. “She always pushed me to be my best, especially coming off an injury. She is helping me to get back. I’ve learned that it’s OK to have a break from something, and that patience is key.”

Also a standout student, the Sandites’ star outfielder and second basewoman is a member of Sand Springs’ National Honor Society.

“Academics are key, because in order to be a good softball athlete, grades need to back you up,” Copeland said.

As she concludes the recovery process and patiently waits for her opportunity to step back onto the diamond, Copeland is ready to be a leader in any capacity available to her. After that, she will be continuing her pursuit of a college scholarship.

“I want to go D1 for softball and be a nurse after college,” Copeland said.