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I wrote this story for my News Reporting and Writing class at the Cronkite school. For the final project, students were assigned an Enterprise Story in which we had to find our own subjects for the story.

Profile on the Hackbarth Sisters

They entered the game together, and now they get to play one more year together. Twin sisters Maddi and Kindra Hackbarth’s senior softball season came to an unexpected end when the Pac-12 announced the remainder of the season would be canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak. The future of Maddi, the anchor to a Sun Devil defense, and Kindra, one of the nation’s premier hitters, took a drastic turn after the world of sports was put on pause. 

The coronavirus turned reality into a living nightmare for the Hackbarth sisters. “For this virus to take over and make everything so real, but also unknown, was a scary thing,” said Maddi.

Naturally, the first calls they made were to their biggest supporters—mom and dad. 

All these softball superstars could do was remain at home like everybody else because even though they were invincible on the field, they were no match for COVID-19. But reassuring news came just a few weeks later: the sisters would get an extra year of eligibility.

Quarantine for the Hackbarth sisters is similar to what many people are doing at home. They watch movies, take their dogs on a walk, and routinely make new TikToks (well, at least Kindra). One activity that may look different from other people in quarantine, is their body-weight workouts that their trainer had set for them. 

Though Maddi chuckled as she admitted, “We have a treadmill here. I haven’t hit that up yet, but you know, I’m working on it.” 

Though Maddi and Kindra are twins, their approach to life as well as softball is different. Maddi is the funny, talkative and protective twin. Kindra is the free-spirited, carefree twin. She likes to have a good time and could care less about what others think of her. 

But both Maddi and Kindra care immensely for the people in their circle and it’s evident on the field with their softball team. 

Both girls are leaders for Sun Devil softball; however, Maddi leads through her words and Kindra leads by action, according to the sisters. 

Though their journey is similar, Maddi and Kindra took, and continue to take, different paths to get there. The twins did not plan to play in college together. They made it clear to recruiters that because they had different dreams and aspirations, they were “not a package deal”. 

Their journey with softball began at the age of four, when they participated in tee-ball. Throughout their childhood it wasn’t always clear they’d become the softball superstars they are today. Like many of us, they experimented with other sports like soccer, basketball and even dance. But their reason to ultimately stick with softball was a logical one: because they were good at it. 

Growing up the girls played on a travel team, however when they were at the 12-and-under stage the sisters went separate ways. Kindra stated that she wasn’t good enough to make the team but as the protective sister that she is, Maddi, quickly stepped in and explained that Kindra was simply in a transition stage trying to decide whether to play the infield or the outfield as well as whether to hit right-handed or not. 

The twins even competed against each other on the field, which Kindra made clear was a horrific memory as Maddi’s team mercy-ruled Kindra’s team 16-0. 

Maddi, once again, displayed protectiveness over her sister as she said: “I was proud of her though because she was the only one who got on base on the team.” 

After the 12-and-under stage of softball, the girls were once again reunited and have stuck together ever since, from Fresno State as college freshmen to their last three years of collegiate softball at Arizona State. 

The NCAA officially announced on Monday, March 30 that the organization would grant spring sport athletes an extra year of eligibility. Head Coach Trisha Ford spoke on the return of the softball superstars: “When you’re thinking of our building blocks, obviously a huge part of our foundation both on and off the field, for me it means a lot.” 

With seven incoming freshmen and five possible seniors returning to the team next year, almost everything is up in the air relayed coach Trisha Ford. The biggest questions include who will get scholarships and if there are extra scholarships given out, where will the money be coming from? 

Maddi and Kindra described eligibility as a relief, but that there were obvious pros and cons that came with it. These issues can be dealt with in the upcoming weeks, but for now, the Hackbarth sisters are thankful to receive another chance at leaving their legacy behind at Farrington Stadium.

Kindra reflected on what softball has done for her saying, “It’s given me so much, has shown me so much and it’s helped me grow as a person.” 

Maddi also added to the importance of softball in their lives, “It’s something that you can’t learn in a classroom what it gives you. Softball teaches you time management, responsibility, leadership, how to work together.” 

Their words are a testament to the idea that softball is more than just clutch hits and huge strikeouts. 

As it turns out, this isn’t the end of the collegiate softball journey for Kindra and Maddi. The cancellation of the season was only a hold on their collegiate careers. 

So for the Hackbarth sisters it’s, wait till next year, softball.