SARATOGA SPRINGS — While most people feel at home cooking in their kitchen or sitting on their couch, Haley Waghorn feels at home when she plays shortstop on her college softball team.
A graduate from Saratoga Springs City School District, Waghorn is now a freshman at Saint Michael’s College. An avid athlete, she played on her high school softball and field hockey team, but decided to focus solely on softball when she started in college.
“I absolutely love the school and softball is going great. I love the team, everyone is really supportive and it’s been an immediate family,” Waghorn said. “Honestly the people and the atmosphere and just walking around the campus I feel right at home and the coach was super nice, just like the previous coaches I’ve had.”
Waghorn said the biggest difference between high school and college is the atmosphere. She said she feels right at home when she walks around campus.
At Saint Michael’s she plans to pursue a biology major and a minor in chemistry.
“I was originally thinking to go into ophthalmology but that might change…” Waghorn said.
Ophthalmology is a branch of medicine and surgery that deals with diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders.
When Waghorn isn’t attending classes or doing homework, she practices five times a week with her softball team. She said the team is constantly working in the cage and in the indoor facility. She likes to play shortstop and third base.
“I’ve been playing shortstop for a while and I feel at home there. I play a little bit of third [base] too and those positions have been my home base. I think that just experience is what made me that player in those positions,” Waghorn said.
This past fall, Waghorn said the team played a few games and practiced outside. Now that softball is in season, the team has played a few games.
Waghorn said he biggest supporter is her dad, Brian Waghorn.
“He taught me so much. He’s been my coach for a while so I definitely have the sport connection with him. He teaches me a lot about the mental game as well.
