2014 was an incredibly bittersweet year for Nebraska freshman outfielder/utility player Peyton Glatter.

She shined on the softball field with an on-base percentage over .500 in club and high school ball where she helped her Millard South team win a state championship.

Peyton also realized a dream by accepting an offer to play softball for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, meaning she would follow in the footsteps of her mother, Nicki, who also played college ball.

But all of the teenager’s success in softball was overshadowed by the sickness of her mother who was diagnosed with cancer the year before. As 2014 proceeded, Nicki Glatter grew weaker and last December lost her fight with the illness, leaving behind her husband Ryan and three beautiful daughters.

Over the next few weeks Peyton will be honored as a member of the 2018 Hot 100, but we thought you might appreciate what it took to get there and the memories she has of her mother who she checked in with nightly during her club travels last summer and fall when on the road.

Recently, we introduced you to Peyton, the softball player… below, you’ll read about Peyton, the loving daughter of Nicki Glatter.

Here, in Peyton’s words, is a tribute to her mother…

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My mom Nicki was one of the toughest, most hard-working persons I will ever meet and I was very fortunate to have had her for 15 years of my life.

In January of 2013, we found out she had cancer. It was very hard to take in the news, but I knew she was going to put up a good fight for her daughters, Hallie (18), Dylan (5) and me.

When she was sick it didn’t matter what she was feeling—my mom made the best of her time with us.

She definitely fought her hardest, but lost her fight on December 9th, 2014, just a little over three months ago.

It broke my heart but I knew she was going to be in a better place.  I learned so much from her on and off the field in the time she was here.

Of course she was always telling me stories of when she played softball at Midland Lutheran University and of when she was a kid growing up in Osceola, Neb.

She broke a ton of hitting records in college the four years she was there. Mom was a very good catcher, too, and she really wanted me to play that position, but after trying that out for about a month it just was not for me!

A really big thing that she taught me was respect and loyalty.  I started to realize that this is a big thing for me while playing sports and in life in general. Whether it is respecting your coach, a teacher, the opposing team’s pitcher—no matter what it is, always respect them.

My mom was also a very hard worker and I picked up on that as I got older.

I watched how hard she worked at her job as she was communicating with her co-workers up until the day she passed.  Her last year of work, she finished first in sales for her company and did most of it from a hospital bed.

All of the hard work I saw her do is the reason why I work so hard in softball today.

Mom could only make a few of the softball camps and tournaments I played in the last couple years when the recruiting process started.  Dad and I were gone a lot, chasing my dream of continuing the sport that I love.

Mom not being there was a sacrifice.  She was just so encouraging, giving me a hug and sending me on my way.  Dad took me to Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Creighton, Nebraska-Omaha, Wichita State and Tulsa.

We went to all these places really wishing and hoping Mom could have been there with us.  I was used to us all being together, but had to adapt to the change.

At the end of each day I would talk with Mom letting her know how I did and if there were any coaches talking to me.  Each call was a learning experience and getting advice from her was great.  When she spoke I listened close.  There was always something to take out of our conversations that would help me.

A touching time for me was a trip to Kansas City in June of 2013 for a tournament with college coaches in attendance.  We were supposed to be one of the top teams in the tournament.

My mom was actually in a hospital bed and was not able to move for 104 hours as one of her radiation treatments called for this.  The team all knew this, they knew how I felt, and it went through the team.

It’s like from the movie Coach Carter: “One person struggles, we all struggle.  One person triumphs, we all triumph.” Our teams were built like family.  We finished near the bottom of the tournament that year.

The next season we played in the same tournament knowing what we all had gone through the year before.  Mom still not being able to make the trip as she could just not travel that easily anymore.  I handled myself much better and my team played really well going 10-0 winning the tournament.

While at yet another camp in late June of 2014, the Nebraska coaches texted my Dad asking if I would play for them.  I called Mom shortly after that and we cried tears of absolute joy for the time and effort that it took to get to that point.

Never once did my Mom detour me from chasing my dream.  No matter how she felt, she would step up like nothing was wrong with her.  Her toughness spoke volumes and it will forever be hard for me to repay that.

I spoke to Nebraska Head Coach Rhonda Revelle that evening to line up an unofficial visit.  On August 5, 2014, I got the chance to have my Mom there by my side throughout the campus visit as I made my commitment to be a Husker.

I owe my mom for allowing me the chance to do all of the traveling it took to get to that point.

If I could pass on one thing to all players in any sport it would be that, when a game or practice is over, you should tell your parents and coaches “thank you” and give them a hug for getting you to practice, supporting you when times are good or bad, and helping you along the way.

I’m just happy to know that as I put in a lot of time away from home last summer, I was also able to see my Mom being very proud of me.  It was fitting that she was able to see me achieve one of my goals while she was here with us.

I love you MOM!

— Peyton