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Brookfield senior will play softball for Akron
Drapola earned 4 letters as a senior
By Tom Williams
BROOKFIELD
Bailey Drapola needed a break from softball to realize how much it’s her favorite sport.
Two summers ago, Drapola did not play travel softball, thinking basketball offered the best opportunity for playing in college.
“I thought that was what I wanted to play in college,” Drapola said. “I was kind of burned out because I had played softball since I was 7.”
She changed her mind after her junior softball season.
“I truly love softball,” Drapola said. “I missed it a lot.
“Going back to it was a blessing,” she said, adding, “I truly needed time away from the sport to appreciate it.
“Every game, I appreciate the sport so much more.”
Softball was one of four varsity sports that The Vindicator’s Female Athlete of the Year competed in since last August. The others are basketball, volleyball and track and field.
In August, Drapola will begin studying nursing at the University of Akron where she will continue her softball career.
Nursing runs in the family. Her mother, Kristin, is a nurse, and her sister Kenzie is studying nursing at Youngstown State University.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity,” said Drapola, noting that the Akron coaches still wanted the Warriors’ shortstop despite her mini-break. “It’s such a great feeling — I am so excited to play.”
Drapola graduated from Brookfield on May 26 with 15 varsity letters. She played volleyball, basketball and softball for four years and competed in track and field for three.
In basketball, Drapola was picked as the Associated Press Northeast Inland Player of the Year in Division IV. She averaged 20.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.7 steals and earned first team all-Ohio honors.
After her softball season ended on May 15 with a 3-2 loss to Mathews in the Div. district semifinals, Drapola concentrated on long jump and qualified for state.
“It was a great feeling — I was so excited because I had never been to state for a sport,” she said. “It was amazing to see so much talent. It was a fun experience.”
It was a nice finish after a rough start to the spring season. Her final basketball game was the Div. IV district semifinal loss to Western Reserve, 48-37, on Feb. 27 at Mineral Ridge High School.
Late in that game, Drapola hit the court hard, landing on her back.
“I got a rebound and when I came down I landed flat on my back,” Drapola said. “I strained a lot of muscles so I couldn’t bend over. I had a hard time even stretching.”
Somehow, she finished the game. Then she need a month of physical therapy, causing her to miss five softball games and three track meets.
“I had never had a [serious] injury so that taught me a lot,” Drapola said.
As a sophomore and junior, Drapola also ran the 200 and on the 4x200 and 4x400 relays. Because of the injury, she gave up the 200 and one of the relays because her conditioning was not where she felt it needed to be.
Her one regret in basketball is she never competed against Ursuline’s Dayshanette Harris (University of Pittsburgh) in a real game. They played for opposing teams at the Frank Bubba Classic at Warren Harding High School in late March.
“I really love the way she plays basketball,” Drapola said.
Drapola is friends with Champion ace Allison Smith, an Ohio State University commit.
She was recovering when Brookfield and Champion played their regular-season games.
“I was sad that I didn’t get to face her,” Drapola said. “I love [playing] competitive teams, I love players who really play with heart and passion.
“That just makes me better.”
John Klein, her geometry and pre-calculus teacher, has been a big influence on her.
“He always called me soft,” Drapola said with a laugh. “He taught me perseverance and to [see] challenges [as opportunities] to learn from, to grow from.
“I didn’t have good study habits” Drapola said. “He made me learn to ask questions and want to know more. I’m really thankful for him for teaching me that challenges are made to shape you.”
After stressing over four sports the past three years, Drapola calls it a relief she’s only focused on one.
“I always loved the challenge of other sports, that’s why I picked up track because I knew it would keep me in shape,” she said. “I likes that it was just me, more pressure on myself to do better.
“I never really wanted to take off a sport, I was always taught to stay busy and I think that has prepared me for college because I’m going to be so busy balancing my academics and a sport.”