Interview and Story by Emma Breer

It’s always bittersweet to say goodbye to travel ball at the end of your senior season. Yanina Sherwood, a pitcher from the ai Bandits Breer and a University of Nevada- Las Vegas (UNLV) commit, would very much agree. Over many years of building memories and developing as a softball player, lots can be said about the impact travel ball has had on her life.

Some of Sherwood’s favorite travel ball experiences didn’t relate to the game itself. “The team experience aspect of all those other events, they’re my favorite memories,” she said. Some of these reminiscences included things like team dinners or going out for ice cream. One of her favorite memories on the field happened two years ago in the Alliance Fastpitch Championship Series (AFCS). In her last game with that team, the class of 2022, they played a thirteen-inning softball game. “I pitched nine or eight of those innings in the last part of it…we ended up losing but just finishing off that way with the team was one of my favorite experiences.” Sherwood also said the 2024 AFCS is one of her favorite memories. The ai Bandits Breer 18U team made it to the Elite Eight in the Tier Two bracket, with Sherwood pitching a majority of the innings. With how deep into the week they made it, it was an experience she wouldn’t forget.

For most of Sherwood’s travel ball career, she had been surrounded by the same people, including teammates, some of whom she’d played with for at least five years. She is grateful to have been “surrounded by all these people that have the same work ethic and the same goals” to push her to not just become a better pitcher, but a better athlete. By practicing other aspects of the sport, like fielding and hitting, Sherwood has become a softball player, not just a pitcher. “Just surrounding (herself) with people that enjoy softball and wanna be there” has allowed her to build relationships with different people who influenced who she has become.

Ryan Breer, one of Sherwood’s catchers, has played with her since the two were twelve and she sees Sherwood as a great teammate and a great friend. “She’s one of those people you know will do anything and everything possible to help out her team.” She said. Breer hasn’t gotten to catch Sherwood a ton until this year outside of bullpens at practice, but she is one of her favorite pitchers to catch. “(We have) easy conversations…when something is wrong.” Breer said. “I could tell her a pitch was doing something and we could always think of ways to fix it.”

Sherwood had also grown up with the same coaches. Ever since she was twelve years old, she played for the Breer brothers, Joe and Chris Breer. Something Sherwood valued in the time she’s played for them is the trust she developed with them. “A trust to know I can mess around with them and they know who I am and they know how I play.” She said. “It creates that kind of relationship where I can trust them and I know they trust me.” Because of this, Sherwood not only feels like she can be herself, but she finds softball easy to play.

Chris Breer, one of her coaches, has enjoyed watching her grow into the “young lady she is now.” Breer has found it fulfilling to watch Sherwood grow up in her pitching, especially on the mental side. “She’s always had confidence,” He said, “the mental and emotional stability (she’s developed) has allowed Nina to be successful against the best hitters in the country.” Seeing the next phase of her life slowly approach, pitching at UNLV, Breer feels that she will thrive because of her strength of consistency. “Consistent is what she does to be able to get hitters out.” He said. He also believes that because of her understanding of “the grind” that comes along with this game mentally, she will be successful. “Weightlifting, her mechanics, the classroom,” Breer believes Sherwood understands how this all walks hand-in-hand when playing this game.

The excitement for the next phase is normal, but so is the sadness for what is left behind. “I think what I’ll miss the most about travel ball is the competitiveness and the amount of games that you play every single day,” Sherwood said. Something in travel ball she loved was the tense loser-out situation where you have to fight with everything you have after playing six, maybe seven straight days. These games require loads of mental toughness, one of her favorite parts of travel ball. Sherwood also said she’ll miss playing with the people she’s grown up with. Some of these girls she’s played with for five years and now they’re heading off in their separate directions, something she finds to be the most devastating thing to acknowledge. “Everything is gonna be new, my life has been the same for six years if you think about it,” Sherwood said.

This new chapter terrifies Sherwood a bit. However, she knows it’s bound to happen and that she will make new relationships. Though everything she remembers from travel ball, she will miss dramatically, what Sherwood knows is that as she goes on her upcoming endeavors, travel ball and the purple and orange of the ai Bandits Breer will still boil within her.