No pain, no gain for NP grad Farrar
LOWER GWYNEDD — Stephanie Farrar’s career on the softball diamond for Gwynedd Mercy College has been such that when she hit .318 as a sophomore two years ago it looked like something was amiss.
After all, when looking at her three-year career, that 2012 season sticks out like a sore thumb when compared to the eye-opening .420 she hit as a freshman and .398 she posted last year.
Well, that figurative sore thumb was actually a torn tendon in her left wrist. Farrar still started each of the Griffins’ 36 games that year and hit well over .300 despite playing the entire season with an injury that likely would have shelved a lesser player for a lengthy stretch.
But that pretty much defines Farrar and how she goes about athletics and life in general. The two-sport star — she also plays volleyball — only knows one speed and it has nothing to do with being a spectator.
“I have a high pain tolerance, so nothing really fazes me,” said
Farrar, who played three seasons as a middle hitter for the Griffins. “The tendon was fully torn my sophomore year and I realized I needed surgery. It was definitely tough playing with my wrist like that.”
Farrar missed her junior volleyball season after opting to have surgery. The injury dates to when she broke and dislocated her wrist as a junior year at North Penn. The wrist never re-set properly and ensuing wear and tear from athletics exacerbated the situation.
She came back with a vengeance on the softball field last spring. In a Colonial States Athletic Conference tournament season-ending loss to Keystone, Farrar went 0-for-4 and saw her average slip below .400 to .398. She came that close to compiling a second .400 campaign. Any questions about her wrist were answered.
“I was over .400 and I dropped back under,” said Farrar, laughing at the recollection of a tough afternoon for team and individual. “Hitting .400 absolutely means something to me. Hitting has always been my strong suit. Last season since I was not able to pitch I knew I had to help out in other ways and was really focused on my hitting.”
The surgery prevented the lefty from taking the mound, which she did 19 times her first two seasons when she was not playing first base. Farrar, a two-time first-team All-CSAC selection who moved to center field last year, probably would have continued to pitch even if it might have meant her wrist all but falling off.
“Sometimes it goes beyond it, but if she could physically play she will be in the field,” said coach Ron Smull, who is in his seventh season at Gwynedd Mercy. “There was a time last year when she was starting to feel a little groin pull and it was a pretty tense between us as to whether she was coming out of the game or not. She definitely wants to be on the field every play.”
Fighting through physical pain is child’s play for Farrar when compared to losing her only sibling. D.J. was an exceptional young athlete who lost his battle to cancer at age 13 in 2003. It was his drive and determination to battle through treatments and excel in the athletic arena against all odds that inspires Farrar to this day.
“I think my pain tolerance is so high because of him,” she said. “I think I was able to push through all my injuries because he was going through chemotherapy, radiation and everything else and he would still be on the soccer field in between (treatments). He also wrestled and he would be ill in the morning and later he would go out and win his match. It certainly made me a stronger person.”
Farrar also wears D.J.’s No. 9 on the softball field.
“Sometimes if I am disappointed in how I am doing I will glance down at the No. 9 on my uniform and that kind of gets my attention,” she said. “I like to carry the positive attitude he always had.”
As a student teacher Farrar’s positive attitude no doubt gets the attention of a classroom full of youngsters. Her responsibilities have grown to the point she now has classes entirely to herself.
“It’s stressful, but it keeps me busy,” said Farrar, a Dallas Cowboys fan who also enjoys hunting deer and fishing.
Her demeanor cannot help but rub off on elementary and special education students that she is responsible for.
“She is always upbeat and positive and lives every day to its fullest and never takes anything for granted,” said Smull. “On and off the field Stephanie is very focused with both her academics and her athletics. She works just as hard in the classroom as she does on the field and I am sure that carries into her everyday life.”
Farrar, who is a fan of softball icons Jennie Finch and Crystl Bustos growing up, certainly will not take any success the Griffins are expected to achieve this season for granted. Last year’s CSAC tournament appearance was the program’s first since 2008 and a 20-16 record was a breath of fresh air after a few years when the losses piled up.
“The team is so different than my freshman year and I think it is because of the atmosphere,” she said. “We do a lot of team bonding and building activities and we all found something within ourselves to turn things around last year. We have pretty much the same group this year and we are still on a high. I really think we can win the (CSAC) championship.”
Farrar’s taking the field in 2014 will be delayed. While her teammates opened the season this past Monday at a tournament in South Carolina, Farrar was busy teaching. Rest assured she will be there for her teammates when the team returns to Gwynedd Valley for a March 15 doubleheader against Widener.