A legendary club coach once explained the difference between the toughness of baseball and softball players he managed.

"A baseball player will get an injury and be on the bench for a week," he stated. "A softball player will have the same injury and will be on the field playing that night."

That's one person's opinion, of course, but we do see from time to time amazing examples of softball players playing through pain so intense, we marvel at their unbelievable toughness.

This is one of them.

UNEXPECTED DETOUR

Last fall, junior pitcher and infielder Holly Phillips of Windsor Academy in Bibb County, Georgia was cruising along and having another outstanding season as she looked to take her Lady Knights to a third straight Class AA title.

Considered one of the top underclass players in the Peach State, Holly had earned All-Middle Georgia honors as a sophomore when she went 17-3 in the circle with a 1.31 ERA in the post-season. A force at the plate as well, she had hit .352 with six home runs and 29 RBI in 2015 and appeared to be well on our way to duplicating her success of the year before.

But on September 29, 2016 something went terribly wrong.

Holly had been having headaches since age 12 when she was diagnosed with Chiari malformations (CMs), a structural defect in the cerebellum, the part of the brain that controls balance.

In CMs, pressure is added to the cerebellum and the brain stem atop the spinal canal and this can cause everything from neck pain, balance problems, muscle weakness, numbness and even vision problems. The pressure on the tissues and nerves controlling motor skills can be made worse by straining and even simple things like coughing.

Holly puts it in layman's terms: "Chiari malformation is simply when your brain is too big for your skull. To take it to the next level, it is where your brain and skull are smashing together and forces itself down your spinal cord and causes the flow of fluid to stop or back up. In these cases, this fluid will have to make somewhere for it to go which, in my case, when the fluid was blocked it created a hole in my spinal cord which ended up being the reason I had paralysis on that day last September."

Holly played an entire high school game that she, to this day, doesn't remember anything about. She pitched well and even hit a double, but afterwards began having increasingly severe headache pain, dizziness and, most scary of all, temporary paralysis.

"I don't really remember that day," she says now. "The only thing I know is that was the worst headache I had had so far. My family told me I hit a double, but when I got to second base I spun around like a ballerina and they knew something was wrong."

A SCARY DIAGNOSIS

Holly was immediately taken to Scottish Rite Hospital in Atlanta where she stayed for four days and underwent a series of tests.

"In the hospital, I had a brain MRI and Dr. (William) Boydston ordered a full spinal MRI," Holly recalls. Two days later, October 6, I was in his office and for a neurosurgeon to call that quickly is kind of odd. He told me that I was going to need surgery and that I had a syrinx which is where the spinal fluid backs up into the spinal cord. That was part of the reason I had the paralysis."

Despite the stunning news, Holly still had one major thing on her mind.

"He asked me if I had any questions and I said, 'Can I play in the state playoffs?' and his exact words were, 'I'll let you play if you win state!' I said, 'Deal!'"

The Chiari Decompression surgery was scheduled for 15 days later, but the Class AA State Championship was just nine days away. The question was, would Holly be able to endure the pain and get through the softball playoffs?

This wasn't just a case of a minor headache, either.

"The day of the state championship, it was hard to warm up, it was hard to pitch, and I just wanted the pain to go away so I could finally play without pain," the athlete continues. "Between games any chance I got, any place I could find, I would just lay down. And after the first game everyone else was eating lunch and I would not eat--all I wanted to do was lay down to try to ease the pain. I do remember people would come up to me to make me laugh and say, 'You want me to kick you in the leg so it'll make your head feel better?'"

Even with the excruciating pain, Holly says she was able to enjoy the chance to play for a third straight state championship.

"At the end of the day, through all the pain, ring, or no ring, I was so happy and blessed not only to be able to walk at that point but to be able to play again. It was truly amazing."

THREE GAMES TO WIN IT ALL

Taking the field in all three games that day, Holly used her array of pitches--a fastball, change, curve, screw, drop and rise--to lead Windsor Academy to a pair of wins over Brentwood School at Valdosta Sate including the decisive victory in which she gave up just four hits while recording three strikeouts and walking none.

Holly also went 2-for-3 in the pivotal game after homering in the first Lady Knights' earlier win in which she gave up just four hits. Not only did she win a third state ring, she also would go on to repeat as an All-State and All-Region honoree.

So how in the world, it's reasonable to ask, was she able to endure the pain AND compete at a championship level? The athlete believes her fierce desire to power through the pain was inspired by a motto she adapted years ago.

"A couple of years ago I found the slogan, 'Kia Kaha' which means 'Forever Strong,' Holly begins. "Through this year, it has really come about in my life. After winning state, my first thought to myself was 'We made it!' I hate to say it, but when I was in the hospital and couldn't walk, my dad told me I was probably done for the season and I said 'No, I'm going to pitch in the state championship game. I don't care what it takes.''

"And when I got on the field, of course I was thinking about the pain because, yes, I felt it, but no I was not going to let it affect me. When I was on the field I wasn't 'the girl about to have brain surgery;' I was 'the girl that was pitching her way to her third state title.'"

SUCCESSFUL SURGERY

The nearly four-hour surgery she endured just days later was a success and alleviated the blockage of spinal fluid and wiped out the debilitating symptoms--especially the headaches. Still, Holly still faced months of recovery time, but her positive attitude and fierce work ethic helped her once again make it onto the field.

"The whole process was crazy, but I was honestly never really scared. I knew I had God by my side through every step no matter what I was going to face. The recovery took around three months, but by the end of the third month I was back at the gym slowly working my way up. I was going to the field to throw a little bit each day with my dad until I built my strength back up."

"Now I can practice and spend an hour and half to two hours at the gym. Just from joining the gym I can tell a difference since before my surgery. With all the training I'm doing in the gym and on the field, I'm making my way to being the best athlete I've ever been, and possibly can be, and I can't wait!"

Her Neurosurgeon, Dr. Boydston, gave her a release on January 12 to begin playing again, but Holly had already been doing light workouts and went full-speed once the official word was given.

"I worked really hard after my release to work my way back."

LOOKING AHEAD

Holly and her parents, Mike and Rachel, know she is behind in the recruiting process and that the junior will have to hit the camp tour hard this summer to attract the attention of college coaches. Still, if any university is looking for a talented, tough, hard-working, positive, state-winning champion, then Holly fits the description.

"What impresses me is Holly's overall attitude about her injury and her drive to be the best she can even when in unbelievable pain," says her club coach, Joe Wright of the East Cobb Bullets. "Holly winning a third state title when she could barely stand because of the pain is truly amazing."

One aspect, the club coach believes, that helped the Georgia pitcher power through the scary medical experience was her physical and mental toughness.

"Holly is one of the toughest and most determined players I have ever met," Wright continues. "She updated me weekly on her progress and never missed a practice. She even did flips every day even when she couldn't pitch! We started her off slowly, but she wanted to do more even when she was in pain and was determined not to let her injury take her out of the game."

Today, the surgery and the recovery process is behind her and Holly is just happy to be playing again. Her coach says he sees the same competitive athlete who has played on the biggest stages--from PGF Nationals two years ago to ASA Nationals last summer as well as major tournaments like Colorado Fireworks/Sparkler, Atlanta Legacy, Birmingham Thunderbolts 5 Star and Scenic City.

"From before and after the surgery, you can't really tell a difference with Holly because she is so tough and is always smiling."

APPRECIATION FOR SOFTBALL... AND LIFE

The athlete herself admits a silver lining from the experience has been her increased appreciation for the sport and life in general.

"I've always known that I've loved softball and I've always wanted to play the game the best I could," she explains, "but after I had the major episodes and brain surgery last fall it gave me a total different outlook, not only on softball, but on life."

"When I couldn't walk because of the paralysis, all I could think about was my cleats gliding against the dirt when I would stride from a pitch. I missed the little things so much, all the little aspects of the game. Now that I can play again, every single practice I think about how lucky and blessed I am just to be able to play this sport again."

"I truly believe everything happens for a reason and I believe that I was put through this journey because God knew that I could handle the challenge and to make me realize I may not have the best life, but I do have a great life and I am eternality grateful for what I do have. And I hope my story will help someone in the same position I was in to know they can make it through whatever they are going through."

She is excited about a bright future ahead.

"I finally know what it's like to play without being in pain," Holly concludes. "I'm working hard and practicing full-throttle to get back to being better than ever!"