Athlete of the Issue: Bailey Hayes

Athlete of the Issue: Bailey Hayes

By Livvy Espinola Posted December 17, 2021

Bailey Hays enjoys outdoor activities such as fishing and hunting and she wants to continue in a wildlife-based career. As Athlete of the Issue, she also plays softball and golf but they are different sports but also complement each other.

“They’re [Softball and Golf] completely opposite sports, but golf definitely helps with my softball a lot, because, in fact, that as an individual it does help your mindset a lot. When you mess up in golf you have no one to blame but yourself, and when you’re playing a team sport it’s really easy to blame the failure on everyone else. So it kind of goes hand-in-hand so once you mess up in softball, golf just reminds me of, oh that was my bad I’ll do better next time.”

Before golf, Hayes’s first sport was soccer but according to her, she wasn’t that good.

“My parents kind of forced me to play golf but over the years I put in a lot of work and I grew into liking it,” said Hayes.
She moved from Las Vegas five years ago where softball was more of a commitment. Softball is her favorite sport and she played since she was 8 years old.

“I’ve been playing for a long time it’s a family sport, It’s just meant a lot for me it’s helped me develop through the years,” said left fielder, Hayes.

Hayes is glad that she got to play golf with her sister this year but she thinks it’s more of a family thing in the future.

Bailey Hayes gets ready to tee off during the home tournament her senior year./ Maddi McClure • The Brand
Bailey Hayes gets ready to tee off during the home tournament her senior year./ Maddi McClure • The Brand

“I see golf being a fun thing to do like doing it with my dad or my sister but not as a professional thing, doing it for fun like with friends it just seems something I would enjoy more,” said Hayes.

Since Hayes has been playing sports she has gained a lot of knowledge and experience.

“Don’t let people get to you, there are always people that are either better than you, smarter than you,” said Hayes. “There are also going to be people who aren’t as smart, or don’t work as hard and those people are going to see you and want to hurt you, they’re going to be the ones who bring you down so they can get above you. Just don’t let it get to you. Always be the hardest worker. Always put in the most effort, have the most fun. Always carry a smile everywhere.”