JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas — Tech. Sgt. Schameka White upholds a family tradition in softball. Her grandmother, mother and aunts played, and her dad played baseball.
White, a first baseman, played on the last 10 All-Air Force women’s softball teams. The 2017 team won the Armed Forces Tournament Sept. 19-23 at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston.
After that tournament, she was selected for the Armed Forces Team, which finished second in the 2017 U.S.A. Softball Women’s Open National Championship Sept. 29-Oct. 1 in Oklahoma City after playing together for only one week.
White is originally from Montgomery, Alabama, and is the noncommissioned officer in charge of squadron aviation management on Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina. She said this was her last time to play for the Air Force or Armed Forces teams.
“I want the younger generation to come in and keep it going,” she said in an interview after the Armed Forces championship.
Why compete in softball?
All I have known is softball all my life. My grandmother, my mother and all my aunts have all played it, and my father played baseball for a period of time, so I am the one who still carries the torch. Coming from a rough background, softball was my comfort, my go-to, so, when all else fails in my eyes, softball is my comfort.
What's your experience in softball prior to the Air Force?
Before the Air Force, I played overseas in Pacwide, which takes place in Seoul, South Korea, every year, thanks to Larry Occomy. I always played softball with local teams, and I have some pretty positive coaches who have guided me as well, including Arthur "AJ" Mack. I started when I was 7 years old.
Since competing in softball for the Air Force, what have you gained from an athletic, military and personal perspective?
I always look to see who I can learn from, as you know each person is taught differently, and there is always a different perspective in the process of the game. To me, it’s strategic, so I try to understand the strategic part of the sport as well as military and my personal life.
What are you bringing back to your duty station by competing in softball?
Once you have gained a different perspective and you have learned (for me, this year I learned the strategic aspect) of things, then you bring back the bigger picture, or you get to see the bigger picture. Your mind opens to see different avenues that it didn’t see before.
How is competing in softball building your readiness and resiliency with your fellow Wingmen, your duty station and the Air Force as a whole?
Competing in softball builds readiness because you work together as a team to accomplish the goal. We played each service — Army, Marines, Navy — and we do the same with our mission, working with each service. When I was picked for the Armed Forces team, we got the best from each service, and we only had a week to put it together. The program really helped bridge a gap to understanding what these guys actually do and how they think and maneuver. It’s amazing to see everyone step outside her box to work together.
For more information on the Air Force Sports program, click here.
Editor’s note: Athlete in Focus is a monthly series spotlighting U.S. Air Force athletes.