They got rained out in California during a spring break tournament of her sophomore year and had to stay in a less-than-average Airbnb, but at least they could visit Disneyland until midnight.

They cried before and after last year’s Senior Night game, while wearing the “ugliest uniforms ever” that last year’s seniors picked out.

Those are senior Eleanor Simpson’s favorite memories with the La Salle softball program.

Throughout her time on the team, what has stood out to Simpson the most is the impactful role each year’s seniors had in shaping the team community and environment. Now in her last season, she hopes to carry that legacy forward for her underclassmen teammates.

“We had such a positive experience with the seniors last year,” she said. “We want to rekindle that for everyone who are the underclassmen now.”

As one of five members on the team soon to graduate, Simpson is now the third athlete of 2026 to be highlighted in The Falconer’s Next Level Seniors series, profiling seniors who have signed to play at the collegiate level. Simpson has committed to playing Division I softball at Santa Clara University (SCU) and plans to major in public health.

Simpson initially began playing softball 10 years ago at the encouragement of her mother and said she’s been able to persist through its many challenges because of her influence.

“Having a chance to hear from her about how lucky I am really made an impact on me, made me want to take advantage of the chances that I do have,” she said. “All of the adversity that I had to face over my years playing the sport, nothing can compare to the other things that people are going through.”

At a young age, Simpson tried out a variety of sports — swimming, soccer, basketball, gymnastics — before eventually landing on softball as the one for her.

“There’s definitely a different culture and team environment around softball that I mesh with,” she said.

For her, it was the communal aspect of the sport — and its spirited nature — that she found most compelling.

Since she was a sophomore, Simpson has balanced being on a travel team and playing for La Salle. This year, she’s a part of a local organization, the Northwest Bullets, while she previously played for Sorcerer Softball, based in northern California.

A key difference she explained between La Salle and the travel team is the stakes, while the former is centered more around the fun and what they can get out of it in the limited time they have, the latter focuses largely on progressing to the next level.

“The culture is different just with the goals people have set for themselves,” she said. “Everybody’s pushing each other. It’s definitely a more competitive environment.”

Having started her athletic career early, Simpson described the strain softball had, not on just her relationships, but herself.

“It took a toll on me a bit; I was very apprehensive to pull back from anything and put all my energy into softball,” she said. “It was very stressful for me, but I realized I couldn’t be like one foot in either door, and then I was able to really get into it once I was able to dedicate myself.”

Once she reached that level of commitment, she viewed the strain differently.

“I knew that’s what I wanted to do, and I put so much time into it,” she said. “I was like, this is a huge aspect of who I am. I can’t just drop it because I’m stressed out right now.”

Part of the reward for Simpson is having the chance to see her hard work and dedication directly pay off in games.

“I love the numbers game,” she said. “Getting to see my own stats and visually see all the hard work I put in.”

Simpson put up a .638 batting average in her junior year, with 26 RBIs, 30 hits and four home runs over 15 games.

Softball has gradually strengthened the confidence she has in her skills over time, Simpson said, shaping her once quiet personality into a more self-assured athlete.

“It was a mentality that grew over time with me as I grew in the sport,” she said.

This confidence, Simpson added, is essential for a better performance among any athlete; however, it comes with its obstacles, such as the negative responses she’s occasionally received for being confident.

In many cases, she attributed the issue to stereotypes regarding women’s athletics, saying how female athletes often have to try harder and succeed more than men before they are allowed to exude the same level of self-confidence.

Regardless, Simpson said she tries to remain determined in the face of adversity.

“You have to stay confident and stay up on yourself, and adopt this persona of ‘this is what I’m passionate about. This is who I am. This is where I gear my efforts,’” she said.

As a result of her endeavors, Simpson has had the opportunity to play softball beyond La Salle.

A critical turning point for Simpson’s softball career was at the beginning of junior year when she started to receive offers from colleges, such as Idaho State University and Portland State University.

“It was finally clicking,” she said. “I was like, ‘oh, all the hard work I’ve been putting in is being recognized.’”

In December, SCU saw her play at an exposure tournament with her former travel team, and after a successful experience at the university’s camp that followed, her travel team’s head coach, Paulie Gabales, coordinated a phone call with the head coach of SCU.

The decision to go to SCU was solidified soon after. Simpson had always wanted to go somewhere warmer, but not too far from home, and she would have more playtime compared to what other schools offered her.

She also cited her appreciation for the welcoming environment that surrounded her at the camp, both from incoming freshmen in her class and the current softball players and coaches.

Simpson is looking forward to the next step of her athletic and academic career, but said that as a “homebody” it will be hard without the nightly debriefs at home or setting up badminton to play in the backyard.

“I love my family, so it’s hard to be separated from them,” she said. “But I’m really excited for the freedoms that college is going to offer.”