When you know what you want, no matter the situation, half the battle is already behind you. The only thing that lies ahead is making your goals and dreams come true. For Tess Robinson, the accolades are of the quality of an entire team of stars. But for the Coffee High School pitcher and shortstop, the awards take a backseat to the hard work that was required to make any of her accomplishments possible.
“I believe my time at Coffee High School has taught me that good things come to the students that work hard and earn what they want,” Robinson says. “I also believe that the Coffee community will remember that I am a leader, and I set my goals high with plans on achieving them.”
A four-year starter for the Trojans, Robinson began playing softball in recreational leagues at the age of 8. Her father, Ralph, wanted her to be ready for anything, so he actually taught her to play every position on the field (with the exception of catcher). According to her father, familiarity with multiple positions would lead to more opportunities to succeed in the future.
“Tess is, and has always been, in the pursuit of excellence,” Mr. Robinson says. “Her mindset from day one has always been that she is in competition with herself. She wants to be the absolute best ‘Tess’ she can be.”
And, as the awards show, the “best Tess” is one that is a tremendous force on the softball field. In her first three years as a member of the Trojans, she has been named Varsity Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, while also taking home First-Team All-Region honors and recognition as a Scholar Athlete and for Honor Academic Achievement.
Aside from Trojan softball, Robinson also competes with the East Cobb Bullets, widely considered to be one of the elite traveling softball teams in the state of Georgia. Last summer, the Bullets competed in a The Sparklers tournament in Boulder, Colorado. It was here that her future began to take even more shape.
“This is where (Austin Peay University’s) Coach Shane Showalter saw me play,” she says. “He got in contact with my head coach for the Bullets about coming for an unofficial visit. He gave my dad, my sister, and I a tour of the campus, and ultimately I verbally committed to go there.”
While Tess is extremely proud of her accomplishments, she is more proud of the sacrifices that went into making her dreams a reality. For most of her life, her father raised her and her older sister, Tori (who currently attends Northwest Florida State College) on his own.
“My father taught us to strive forward and to never give up,” she says. “He not only said things, he showed us with his actions. I am so happy to say that my father was married in December of 2014. With all of the time, effort, and sacrifices that he has made for my sister and me, he has now been blessed with the most wonderful wife and mother that anyone can ask for. Our family has come full circle.”
In the fall of 2016, Austin Peay (Clarksville, Tenn.) will be welcoming Tess Robinson to their campus. A lover of science (especially chemistry), Robinson has already carved what will be her path to a degree in pharmacy.
“I want to provide Austin Peay with my athletic talents, but more so, my mindset of winning, having a great attitude, and being academically successful,” she says. “The school fits me, and it will allow me to have the opportunity to obtain a successful future in life.”
South Georgia / October 2015
Tess Robinson
Coffee High School
Douglas, Ga.
Hard Work, Dedication, Commitment, Perseverance:
Tess Robinson is Ready for the Next Level
By James Washington
Photography by Micki K Photography
