CFNN Reporter Brianna Keen
CFNN’s own Allie Elizabeth Dawson has made her verbal commitment to play Division I softball at Elon University! This is a very well deserved milestone in her athletic career, as she has worked tirelessly since she was young to play collegiate softball.
Even at age three when she began playing “rugrats,” or tee ball, she knew that softball was the sport she was meant to play. The older Dawson got, the more her passion for softball grew. She played many other sports, including soccer, basketball, gymnastics, dance, tennis, and track, but none of them held a candle to the game she loved most.
She began playing travel ball on a team called the Warriors when she was only eight years old. Playing travel helped Dawson to hone in her skills and taught her to push herself farther than she thought possible. Travel ball is severely demanding, between time sacrifices, money, and traveling.
However, Dawson and her family were up for the challenge. It is impossible to accurately describe the depth of gratitude that Dawson feels for her family and friends who supported her passion all these years. Her father, Brian Dawson, spent countless hours pitching to her and making her do hitting drills in their backyard. The tough love he bestowed upon Allie made her the fierce player she is today.
She credits much of her grit and determination to her dad and his consistent showing up for her. Allie also holds much reverence and love for her mom, Sarah Dawson. She is, as Allie calls it, her personal chauffeur. Mrs. Dawson has spent hundreds or even thousands of hours driving Allie to her games, practices, and tournaments.
More than that though, Mrs. Dawson has been there to support Allie on the good and the bad days. Dawson would still be a great softball player skill wise if she did not have the support team she does, however it is by that support team that she can play softball at a higher level.
What that really means is this: softball requires a lot of skill, yes; however, it is mostly a mental game. A player is only as good as her mentality. If a player has a bad attitude and is constantly getting upset when plays in the field or at bat don’t go her way, she will not reach their highest potential. Dawson is more than thankful to her parents and her friends for showing up, since by doing so they have become the safety net and safe place that she needs.
There are not only people earthside who are on her team rooting her on. Her biggest cheerleader, even now, is in heaven. Allie’s Nana, Wanda Jo Benson, was her loudest supporter on and off the field. Dawson recounts how Nana’s joy was always contagious, and that that joy was able to pick her back up in times of strife. Very rarely do we meet, or are related to, a person so full of life and love for the people around them that it consumes you. However, Allie Dawson was one of those rare cases by having and loving her Nana.
Dawson has played varsity softball at Cape Fear for all four years. She has played middle infield -and excelled at it- the past three years, but will be at shortstop this upcoming 2025 season. Dawson also had a great record at bat, so she is just the best of both worlds. Last year, she was awarded offensive player of the year and was named a first team all United 8 Conference player. To add to the list of accolades, Dawson was also on all-state, all-conference, and all-region during her sophomore and junior years.
We are beyond proud of our own Allie Dawson, and she will be a force to be reckoned with at Elon University! If you want to see greatness, come on out this spring to watch her play her final high school season; we have a feeling this will be the best one yet!
CFNN Editor Abel S-J
Cape Fear News Network 
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