Show Me the Ozarks August 2022

Back to School - Cover Story SMTO

POWER . . . [ Chasing The Dream ] G R L G

Olivia Emery

Meet the Neosho freshman who was born to pitch

Age: 14 Grade: 9th Grade School: Neosho High School O livia Emery is 14 years old, but she has an internal drive and motivation that would put most adults to shame. The young softball player commands the mound as a master right-handed pitcher. She works on pitching every single day, and if she’s not throwing, she’s working on strength training and conditioning. Her mother, Jamie Emery, noticed her determination at a very young age. “Olivia started asking to pitch as soon as she was introduced to travel softball at eight years old,” she said. “I told her she had to pitch every day for six months before I would pay for lessons for her. I didn’t think she would do it – but she did!” Olivia started taking pitching lessons once a week in Galena, Kansas. Her mom offered her her next challenge. “I told her she had to throw 60% accuracy strikes before she could pitch in a game,” Jamie recalled. “She did that, too.”

Photos by Mandy Edmonson

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