LAFAYETTE — Behind the fielder’s mask, Julianne Tipton is fighting a battle far bigger than softball.
Every game, the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns softball pitcher ties a green ribbon in the back of her hair. It’s a symbol of mental health awareness and a reminder of her daily fight with anxiety and depression.
“I’m glad that I’m here and I’m glad that I get to be here and watch this game and play this game and have this still be a part of who I am every day,” Tipton said.
For Tipton, the pressure tied to softball began at a young age. What started as competition eventually became emotionally overwhelming.
“When I was 13, we knew that there was a difference,” Tipton said. “The sport was serious to a lot of people, but it was different for me. I’d play a bad game at 10 years old and not be able to sleep.”
Tipton said the emotional burden didn’t just affect her on the field. It also impacted her family, especially her mother.
“That was hard for my family,” Tipton said. “It was hard for my mom. I knew it was always something that I was talented at and had this gift that God had given me to be able to play. But I couldn’t handle having a bad game or having a good game and then not getting a great outcome.”
The green ribbon she wears now represents more than awareness. It represents control over a struggle that once controlled her.
“I wear it because I struggle with this every day,” Tipton said. “When I get up in the morning, I struggle with this. Every time that I step on the field, it’s something that I have to kind of talk myself out of letting be a struggle.”
After spending her freshman season at Arizona State Sun Devils softball, Tipton transferred to Louisiana, where she says she rediscovered her love for the game and began reshaping her perspective beyond softball.
“This is my ribbon that I get to tie and say this doesn’t run my life,” Tipton said.
Now, Tipton hopes her openness encourages other athletes facing similar battles to speak up and understand they are not alone.
“It’s what you do, not who you are,” Tipton said. “Other women do so much more outside of this. We bring so much more to the table than being good at throwing a ball in your hand. I do hope that other women see it and think, ‘I’m not alone in that struggle.’”
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