Holcomb's 'Magnificent Three' back on the field coaching inaugural softball camp

HOLCOMB – Holcomb multi-sport standout triad Hannah Burk, Bailey Cupples and Macy Houart returned to their home softball field this week to coach kids aged five to eighteen in the inaugural M3 Softball Camp.

M3, for the uninitiated, refers to the “Magnificent Three,” a title given to Burk, Cupples and Houart in jest during their early high school days. They embraced their new moniker and it stuck, and it now lives on in many ways including the name of the trio's group chat and now their first-ever softball camp.

“We've always been a trio, running around together and in sports,” Burk said. “Even in volleyball and basketball, we've always worked so well together. You can see the other down the floor and not even have to look; they just know what's coming. We just read each other so well.”

Hannah Burk teaches proper hitting form during the M3 Softball Camp on Thursday.Christian Johnson, Delta Dunklin Democrat

Having all graduated from Holcomb in 2021, each of them have continued their softball journeys in college, with Burk and Cupples competing together at Crowley's Ridge College and Houart taking the field for Mineral Area College.

Houart now has two seasons of college softball under her belt, but Burk and Cupples both took a “gap year” at another school without playing softball before eventually returning to the game.

Burk said she was “humbled” after returning to the field after spending a year at Arkansas State not playing, now competing with and against girls who never stopped, but together she and Cupples put in the effort to get back where they needed to be.

“I knew that I needed to work harder than everybody else to be able to compete how I was and be better than I was,” Burk said. “I didn't realize how much I was missing and how much softball meant to me, so I had to miss it to realize that I needed to be back there.”

Cupples was set on attending Three Rivers, thinking her playing career was over, but she eventually had the same realization as Burk. She agreed that it was a struggle getting back into it, but now she hopes to play for as long as she can.

Bailey Cupples leads a base running drill during the M3 Softball Camp on Thursday.Christian Johnson, Delta Dunklin Democrat

All three, having attended similar camps growing up, have drawn from their collective experiences to turn M3 into the camp they wished they had growing up.

“We would do camps, and we knew what we liked and didn't like about them,” Cupples said. “We knew what we'd want to do differently, and a lot of these girls are Holcomb girls and we want to give back to them. We've always been around them, so I'm glad we got to get it started this year.”

Houart, a sophomore outfielder at Mineral Area College, said that being back together for the camp feels like the group never missed a beat being apart, but it wasn't easy first playing on an entirely new team.

“It was different,” Houart said, “and it was hard adjusting to not playing with them after being together for our whole lives. The first season I had [in college], it was fun, but we didn't have a winning season. We went from winning in high school to not winning much, but it taught me a lot.”

She explained that it was an “eye-opening experience” competing against other athletes at the college level, all of whom were similarly recruited for good reason. That, in essence, is part of what she wants to prepare the young camp attendees for down the road.

Macy Houart leads a bunting practice during the M3 Softball Camp on Thursday.Christian Johnson, Delta Dunklin Democrat

She said that in the camp's first year, their students learned quickly in both age groups, and next year she would like to continue to build off of the skills they gained this year and in their future softball seasons.

Houart is now in nursing school at Arkansas Northeastern College in Blytheville, Ar., and she plans on working in pediatrics after graduating to continue helping children.

Burk is pursuing an education degree with plans to teach physical education and coach, maybe even as an assistant under Matt Casper back at Holcomb. Similarly, Cupples is pursuing an elementary education degree.

Both agree that they want to return to teach at a small school like Holcomb where they can be more hands-on with their students and be role models to generations of kids.

“We want to thank everyone who came out, for the kids who all worked hard and everyone who helped us out,” Cupples said. “Thanks to Coach Casper for allowing us to do this and helping with the field and giving us feedback on our drills.”

“We really appreciate the parents trusting us with their kids to help them get better,” Burk echoed. “We're really hoping to keep it going next year as long as we can, and as long as people still want to come back.”