Madysen Ryel played in her first t-ball game when she was five years old. At that moment a seed was planted and her love for the game of softball grew and she still loves and plays the game years later. Throughout her career, Ryel says that she has had a lot of people that have influenced her but there are two people that have always been there for her. “My parents have been the biggest influences in my life,” she said. “They’ve pushed and guided me to become the person and athlete I am today. They’ve helped me with countless hours of practice in the yard and I’m glad to have them as my number one fans.”

Madysen is a junior at Cherokee High School. She is a starting pitcher and utility player for the fastpitch and slow-pitch softball teams. She is also a member of the school’s basketball team. 

While her parents have been a huge help, Ryel says that to get where she is today has taken a lot of personal work and dedication. “It takes a lot of practice, hard work, and time put into improving myself,” she said. “My fear of failure and my want to constantly better myself has definitely made me a better athlete in every way.”

There are times as an athlete that things don’t go as planned. It could be a slump of some kind or in the case of Madysen, it was an injury. But she bounced back and was able to play with her teammates again. “I was injured my freshman year and was out the entire season,” she said. “The highlight moment of my career was walking back into that circle and being able to help my team. I will never take pitching or being anywhere on that field for granted.”

Along with her sports, Ryel is also a member of the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America organization, she serves as vice president of the junior class, and is also the Chapter Secretary for the Cherokee FFA.