By Payton Moody
Christie Hudson, our Mom of the Month spotlight at Ponca City High School, is dedicated to supporting the Lady Cats softball team. Christie’s unwavering commitment to the softball program and her genuine love for the game have made her an invaluable asset to the team and a true inspiration to her daughter, Ashley, and her teammates.
As a “softball mom,” Christie finds immense joy in witnessing her daughter, Ashley, enjoy playing the game and creating unforgettable memories with her teammates. “Getting to watch my daughter, Ashley, enjoy playing the game and having the best time making memories with her teammates; that’s my reward,” Hudson said.
Her involvement in the softball program began with Ponca City’s PC Kids Inc., where she has been actively engaged for the past six years. Watching her daughter and many of her teammates grow up in the league, Hudson decided to step up and take on the role of a coach when her daughter’s team needed one.
“Ashley had recently come off from being gone for a year because of an accident and had one season back when her team needed a coach,” Hudson said. “I’d never coached before, but I decided to dive in and give it a try.”
For Hudson, being an involved parent means being there for Ashley through thick and thin. “It means I am there for Ashley, the good times and bad,” she said. “No matter what, I’m there, and she knows it.”
As for her contributions to the softball program, Hudson humbly credits her time and dedication. Despite working full-time and being a single mom to two daughters, she willingly devotes her free time to support and enhance the softball experience for her daughter and her teammates.
Hudson acknowledges the support of other parents along the way, but she reserves special appreciation for another mom, Kelly Filtz, who has always been there to help and provide invaluable support and advice.
Ponca City Softball Head Coach, Jeneva Nelson, admires Hudson for her extraordinary dedication. “Christie is one of the moms that goes above and beyond for the girls and the program,” Nelson said. “She helps us run our little kids camp, has organized us getting fields to practice while ours is under construction, and is there for rides, moral support, or anything else that is needed.”
