Home Grown: Payton Jensen

What Do You Owe The Place That Built You? | Payton Jensen | Home Grown

Your home doesn’t disappear when you leave—it travels with you.

In this episode of Home Grown: Real Athletes. Real Stories. Big Dreams, we sit down with Payton Jensen, a Swansboro standout whose journey from local fields to Shenandoah University softball was built on travel ball, family, and the kind of mindset that holds up under pressure.

From early mornings and tournament weekends to long car rides that quietly build family bonds, Payton shares how travel ball shaped her confidence, discipline, and love for the game.

We dive into:
🥎 Growing up in Swansboro and finding softball through travel ball
🥎 Handling pressure without getting lost in stats
🥎 Training for game-speed moments and building softball IQ
🥎 Using speed with smart aggression on the bases
🥎 Becoming a reliable defender through footwork and awareness
🥎 Learning to lead and speak up as a teammate
🥎 Navigating recruiting and coaching changes
🥎 Why Shenandoah felt like the right fit

Payton’s story is about more than softball—it’s about identity, growth, and carrying your hometown with you wherever you go.

Her advice:
Slow down. Soak it in. Keep the fun alive.

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👉 Comment: What do you owe the place that built you?

#HomeGrown #PaytonJensen #Softball #SwansboroNC #CollegeSoftball #TravelBal

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Support for Homegrown is provided by Humphrey Heating and Air Condition, proudly serving Eastern North Carolina since 1967.

SPEAKER_00 0:10

They grew up on our fields, on our courts, in our towns. And now they've taken that hometown pride to the college stage. This is Homegrown. Real athletes, real stories, big dreams.

SPEAKER_02 0:36

Welcome to Homegrown, the show where we highlight hometown athletes who carry the spirit of their community wherever they go. These are players who grew up on our local fields and courts, who learn the value of hard work early, and who continue to represent whom as they compete at the next level. Today's guest is one of those athletes. She is a Swansboro pirate through and through, multi-sports competitor, a dynamic softball player, and a proven leader, and now a Hornet at Shannon University. Joining us today is Peyton Jason. Peyton, thanks for joining us today. Thank you. Awesome. Well, let's just get going. I know you're a part of a military family. I know your mom for have known your mom for many years. In fact, when you were little, you grew up right on the street from me about uh about a nine-iron uh uh uh across the street there, and then you guys moved. But um I think you were born here, right? Yes. So you were born here and you moved away when you were young, came back in elementary school, fifth grade or so. When you think about growing up in Swansboro when you returned, what does home mean to you now that the next chapter of your life has started in Shenandoah?

SPEAKER_03 1:49

Yeah, I mean, I've lived here for all but two years of my life. Yeah. So this really is my home. Like Anzo County has been my home, and I really just created all these memories here. I create all these friendships. I've I'm growing up here, and I think that's really what it means for a home to me.

SPEAKER_02 2:06

Yeah. That's awesome. You played about every sport growing up, right? Lacrosse, soccer, volleyball, tennis, softball. I think it was running in there, but I don't think run running is that a sport? I guess. Yeah, right. Yeah, so yeah. So you did start to realize softball wasn't just something you were playing, but it was something that that felt like home old were you, or about in what grade? Do you remember?

SPEAKER_03 2:31

Well, I don't really remember the grade, but when I started playing like T-ball, so I kind of like bought in after my brother, because he played big on he's a little bit older than I was, and I kind of just like did everything he had. I sort of just looked up to it. And so that's where I originally like tried out for softball and t-ball. And then we moved to California. And that's really when I started it more seriously, because I tried out for travel ball. And I was on a rec team, and then that's when they had like official tryouts here. And I was the only one within that like friend group from Rec Ball to actually make like a silver, it's called like a silver record. It had bold silver and bronze. A lot of the the levels, yeah. And I made the silver and I was really nervous, but I got to meet a whole bunch of like new different girls, and I they grew on me and they were like really fun. And we were called Bomb Squad, and we just had all these like chants and everything, and I think that was really like it was just so much fun. Let's see, I prayed so many memories, like getting Starbucks with my mom every morning, going listening to like Megan Trainer in the car, um, just going to tournaments. I think that was really when I realized that so I want to deal with it.

SPEAKER_02 3:43

It's a great uh off script. It's a great uh bonding experience. And you and your parent, whoever's taking a time, uh, really develop a relationship. I do that's something very similar with my son. He plays soccer, travel soccer. We traveled all over the felt like the world playing soccer. My daughter played travel volleyball, and my wife was going with her, uh, or vice versa sometimes. But you develop uh you develop that kind of fun thing. You hey, we're going to war air this weekend, and you take all and you learn to uh fast food and you learn to stay in hotel, stay in hotels and do fun stuff, right?

SPEAKER_03 4:16

Shake the lens.

SPEAKER_02 4:16

Yeah, that's exactly right. So your high school career was incredibly consistent and productive. Over 100 career hits, coastal 3A conference honors multiple times, offensive MVP awards, first team all-area senior, leading leading the conference in runs, RBIs, stolen bases, earning the Marine Corps Distinguished Athlete Award. When did it do that you were putting together or you had put together a special high school career?

SPEAKER_03 4:46

That's a really good question. I never really like realized that. I never really like look at my stats very like I never really look at them. I look at them at maybe like the beginning of the year to create goals, but during season I ever focus on them because I don't want to put like that intense pressure on myself.

SPEAKER_01 5:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 5:04

Um so just like hearing those all those accomplishments, I'm like, yeah, like I did that. That was crazy. And I think I realized that as I was starting, kind of like the recruitment process, and as I was getting recruited, like like wow, I've done so much work and I put in so much time to be at the level that I am. And I think that's when I start realizing, like, I've did I've done so much. I built so much and I'm so glad that I stuck with it.

SPEAKER_02 5:35

And you probably didn't realize it until most websites, collegiate websites, team websites, you have to put like your background from everything. And you started listening, you're like, hey, I've I've done a little bit right now.

SPEAKER_03 5:45

Yeah, when I was doing my bio, yeah. Oh wow.

SPEAKER_02 5:47

Yeah. See, because I've honestly, for you and most of the folks that I've talked to, that's what I've done. I've gone out and looked on, you know, on the team's websites and uh copied and pasted and then you know just kind of read the stuff. So um it takes, you know, when you do a lot of stuff, it takes a little while. So you played volleyball also in high school. Quite a good little volleyball player, Chris Miller was telling me. How to balance things too varsity sports shape as an athlete and as a person.

SPEAKER_03 6:12

I think volleyball is like a kind of off-season sport for me. And it was just a really fun extracurricular that I could do. I come in shape, coming condition. And I got to be with a whole different like type of girls. Like not a others, maybe one or two girls that played softball and volleyball. So I got to meet a whole new like group, and I think that really helped me include a person, learned different things about everybody. And I learned a lot about time management with schoolwork and everything. And I just learned a lot. Yeah, that's awesome for each sport.

SPEAKER_02 6:47

Which obviously carried over, has carried over into college because you're you've just finished your first first yeah, the fall semester, right? Time managers are going in there.

SPEAKER_03 6:56

Yeah. Yeah. I mean for me. The first fall season, it was pretty easy for me, honestly, because um I'm a business major, so like kind of have some slack, and all my other friends are like um bio and nursing majors, and they were like slammed with work. So we're all let's go to the library. I was like, okay, and they would be like just doing work.

SPEAKER_01 7:15

And I'm like, yeah, yeah. Definitely. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:20

Um softball can be a game of pressure, whether it's a tie game, a bigot bat, or a moment on defense. How did you learn to handle pressure as you moved from being an underclassman at Swansboro to later on being a team leader? How did you learn to handle that pressure?

SPEAKER_03 7:35

Well, yeah, the team is full of pressure, and I think just really practicing those different situations, like the make going into practice and saying, hey, we're gonna work on game situations, two outs, run around second. What are you gonna do? That's really like what you want to focus on. Like, what's your job? You also want to um know what other people other people, all your other teammates are doing, but really focus on what your job is, and that's gonna help like your IQ. And um I think that also goes with becoming that a classman because I want to make sure that if anybody doesn't know what they're doing during the situations, I want to speak up any local leader and say, Hey, this is what we're doing, we got it, get this out right here.

SPEAKER_02 8:21

So part of your evolution from being an underclassman to an upperclassman leader, you became more of a student of of the game. So it wasn't just going out and playing. Did you like, you know, you talked about situations that you put in? Did you go back and watch film of you maybe like you batting or fielding or anything like that?

SPEAKER_03 8:39

I did look at some of my videos just to see just a critique thing. Um, or is there any like big moments? Um I would have watched film, see what we could have done differently, or like didn't get that, you know, it out, whatever. Um I mean yeah, I yeah.

unknown 8:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:57

Your speed and bailing became a real weapon.

SPEAKER_02 9:01

In fact, and when you sent me some videos, I watched you hit the ball and I had to slow it down. You you were scooting around there. I think one ball you hit, you I think you end up with a triple. Uh but it it became a real weapon, the spell of your senior year. What goes through your mind when you're on the base and looking to put pressure on the defense? Because speed, you know, seed kills, right? Yeah. So so talk about that.

SPEAKER_03 9:24

Well, I actually am really nervous half the time because So it's a nervous speed energy.

SPEAKER_02 9:29

Because I don't hurry up and get back to the duck.

SPEAKER_03 9:30

My my like heart's pumping, or I'm just like, all right, let's get this going. Like I watch the catcher, and I try to like sit say, Hey, I got that.

SPEAKER_02 9:39

I'm like, she's okay, but I can get there, and there's some catchers where I'm just like, okay, like so if you're one of the ones that's on first base, and after the ball's stone, you kind of take a couple depths off the base. I'm kind of messing with the catcher, kind of baiting her to throw it down, or well, I'm not I don't try to smart.

SPEAKER_03 9:57

I try to be like a smart and try not to put myself on any subsequent, but if I see like the defense is like lacking, I'm gonna take advantage of it.

SPEAKER_02 10:03

Yeah, take advantage of that.

SPEAKER_03 10:04

I'd be more like smart out when it but I'm gonna go.

SPEAKER_02 10:07

Yeah, you're gonna go if you can. So defensively, you showed steady growth year after year. How important was becoming a reliable, trusted defender to your identity as a player?

SPEAKER_03 10:19

I just really wanted to be that reliable person to everybody, and I wanted them to know that they can count on me in any situation, even if it wasn't in defense, in life in general, and that really showed like who I am as a person, and I think that was really important for me to show. And again, being that upperclassman, I wanted to be that reliable leader, yeah, and I wanted to step up or the young adults that might not know what they're doing, and just help them learn to grow.

SPEAKER_02 10:49

You know, defense, when you watch softball, college softball or whatever, pitching is obviously what you see, and then you see uh offense, people hitting the ball. I think defense a lot of times gets underrated. It it it's kind of you don't notice it until it's not good, right? And there's error. So yeah, so I think uh I think becoming good defensively. Um when we were talking to Aiken Ayton Eckert earlier, um, I asked her Rapid Fire question uh about strikeout or fielding a weak ground ball. And she kind of laughed but said, Yeah, I'm not a very good fucker. So so anyway, uh uh So that's interesting. Sports World teams during your time known and close. No drama, just playing for each other. Now, I got that out of an article that Chris Miller wrote that somebody, either you or Peyton Eckert, kind of communicated because I worked on these things together. And girls, and that's drama, that's amazing. I just want to say that from the very beginning, because I had a daughter, obviously, like I said, but y'all just no drama, just playing for each other. What made the group so connected?

SPEAKER_03 11:55

I just think we all were very mature and we realized that everybody's gonna have opinions, and we just respect that. I think that was very big for us as girls, because yes, girls have a lot of drama, but we never really had drama, and I think that came with maturity and there's still responsibility, and if we had ever had like a situation and we didn't like Saudi, like if we had ever had a problem somebody, we would go up to them and have a one-on-one conversation. Grow past it, like saying that was the biggest part of why we were so connected on the field.

SPEAKER_02 12:33

That's great, that's great. Well, let's talk about your relationship with Aiden Eckert. Uh, you guys became friends, she was a uh a little bit older than you. Talk about that friendship and what it means to you and how playing together help you grow as a person or at player.

SPEAKER_03 12:48

Well, we met um at a travel ball, and we started growing a connection I feel outside of softball, which really helped create more of a bond between us. Um, as you know, we're called big P Little P. So we had we had stuff in common, and that was really what created our bond, and we knew we could rely on each other and we respected each other and we'd always just go to one another and just talk. Then the other person would just listen. And I think that was really the biggest thing to help us and learn and grow. And anytime we were around the software field, we always had fun. We cat on each other, we maybe had each other's back, and we never let any bad moments like hurt or affect us. Yeah, and I think that was really that's awesome.

SPEAKER_02 13:30

Yeah, that's awesome. So let's talk about your recess. It can be a stressful time. What ultimately made Shenandoah University feel like the right fit for you?

SPEAKER_03 13:40

Well, so I first uh realized what Shenandoah was when I was at a travel ball tournament and I met Coach Schaefer, who was the assistant coach, and he wasn't like any of the other college coaches who he was really like on the field, just hyping us up, just like, oh, roll me a ground ball, let me throw it. Like, it was just very fun. And you don't see that a lot when you're at tournaments. You see them kind of sit down, not even really interacting, and I that stood out. So I talked to him, and he was like, I was really interested in you. So I contacted the head coach and she was very impressed. And she had me out there for a camp. And so I got to see the campus. Camp was beautiful.

SPEAKER_02 14:21

Is it is it is it in the mountain?

SPEAKER_03 14:23

It's like right close to the mountains.

SPEAKER_02 14:24

Yeah, the western part of Virginia.

SPEAKER_03 14:26

It's so beautiful. Um, and that really stuck. And I had to talk with a lot of the girls on the team, and they were just saying how they're very family like oriented, and I really wanted something like that, especially because I was gonna be kind of far away. Yeah. So I needed that second family, and that really stuck to me. And I got to talk to her after, and she was like, I was really impressed with you. And after I got home, she called me and she was like giving me the offer. And I was like, But unfortunately, a couple months before we backtracked when I got that call, I was gonna go to Coach Stafa, but I actually heard that he got another job offer as a coaching plane. Yeah. I got he but I was really proud of him because that was his whole journey. Like so it wanted to go up. So very respectful about it. And then fast forward a couple months before we joined school on an email from our head coach and the new head coach. No, the old one.

SPEAKER_01 15:23

Oh okay.

SPEAKER_03 15:23

She was stepping down.

SPEAKER_01 15:24

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_03 15:25

I was very, very nervous and I was like, oh my gosh, what am I gonna do? And kind of just reached out to a bunch of people and was like, I don't know what to do. Is this murder? Like, I I just don't know what I'm gonna do. And a lot of people were very, very supportive. And they were like, I think you'll be okay. I think you can learn. And if you don't like it, there's always oh somewhere else. Yeah. But I really wanted to try, and they found a new head coach, Coach O, and she called all of us one on like one-on-one call, and that really helped like solidify that I am ready to go. And kind of um made me realize that everything is gonna be okay, she like reassured me, and we had a really great talk, and I'm glad we ain't because it the fall season was probably really good, like it was amazing.

SPEAKER_02 16:15

So that's that's great transition to the next question. So you're playing college softball, yeah, just finished your first semester, um, short, as I learned earlier, short fall season, four or five games or whatever, or three or four games.

SPEAKER_03 16:28

I have actually many because of the new change. So we actually had two scrimmages, but it was against the same.

SPEAKER_02 16:35

Okay. Okay. But gearing up for the spring, right? Yes. Awesome. So what parts of your high school game do you think will translate immediately into playing college software?

SPEAKER_03 16:48

I think my defense will translate immediately. And like you said earlier, defense kind of goes like a nuts.

SPEAKER_02 16:55

It it really does. Unless you don't do it, right?

SPEAKER_03 16:57

Yeah. But I think you really have to be smart and like you need to know the IQ of the game when you're on defense to really stand out. And I I think I have enough IQ to be that standout there, and I hope that defense will show because I've worked so much on my like footwork, my transitions, and when I went there for my fall season, that's like one of them things that was pointed out to me. Like, I have footwork and I have good transitions. Like, that's what my coach does. And I think that's really what's gonna make me stand.

SPEAKER_02 17:26

And I'm not it's shortstop? Yes. Okay, yeah, but I thought so in the video. Yeah, you've got a good base, a good foundation for the key better, right? So looking back on the sacrifices, the travel, the Dallas Rushers, Mama Dad's wallet. Uh what are you most proud of about your journey so far?

SPEAKER_03 17:45

I think I'm just proud of not giving up because a lot of people are very undecided and give up, but I I've grown a lot, and there were moments where I was like, I don't really want to do it. Like I'm tired, I don't want to go to tournaments, I want to go to practice, but I really stuck through it because I had so much support and it was very I'm very grateful for that. And I'm glad that I stuck with it because I love it right now. And I've I've I remember when I was like young and how fun it was.

SPEAKER_01 18:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 18:17

And gotta bring that fun back.

SPEAKER_02 18:19

As long as you have fun, keep playing, right? So if you go back and talk to your younger self now, if you go back and talk to that kid trying every sport and settling on softball and and moving that path, what would you go back and tell a younger Jensen?

SPEAKER_03 18:35

I would say to really enjoy like slow down and enjoy all the moments, all the car rides, the fights with your parents. Enjoy every single moment because it's really gonna fly by. And now that I'm here, I'm glad that I'm here, I'm like how like like all the memories, yes, they're amazing, but I wish I really took advantage of every single one. It was really in the moment everywhere.

SPEAKER_02 19:00

That's awesome. Again, what I got one more question before that, I got some rapid fire for you. So, first thing that comes comes to your mind, okay?

unknown 19:07

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 19:08

Favorite softball memory at Swansboro High School?

SPEAKER_03 19:12

Probably when actually not as long as a bit when we were traveling, we went to Washington and we down earlier back in season, but we were in a tough battle, and Ariana Hoffman's on the field. She was on first base, and I laid down a bit, and they tried to do something at second with her, missed the throw, and Ariana scored, and I got the third. So that was just a really hype moment for us, and it was actually a P birthday. Oh, that was her fun.

SPEAKER_02 19:40

So you sort of looked over and said, Happy birthdays. What's your walk-up song?

SPEAKER_03 19:44

So I've actually changed it a couple times, but my But tell me wait well.

SPEAKER_02 19:48

So I wanted to know the evolution here. What would what's the evolution? Tell me what your walk-up songs.

SPEAKER_03 19:52

So it has been from Rio Wings.

unknown 19:55

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 19:56

Because we like to do bird calls while we're at the field. Okay. Um, but with senior year it was solo factor.

SPEAKER_02 20:03

Okay. Yeah, I'm just saying, hey, uh, I I I have no idea who these groups are. I was be told a lot of football players that listen to Youngboy or something like that, when they get hyped up, have one guy who said he listens to Fantasia. Um, anyway. So I'm gonna say, okay, but I have no idea. Unless it's a country artist or someone from back in the 80s or 90s. Did know Metallica because I listen to Metallica.

SPEAKER_03 20:25

I have like a 2000s kind of I like those type of songs.

SPEAKER_01 20:30

Okay. Favorite place to eat when you come back home.

SPEAKER_03 20:34

When I come back home? Yeah. I would have said red lobster, but it closed.

SPEAKER_02 20:38

It closed, how that?

SPEAKER_03 20:39

I know.

SPEAKER_02 20:40

Another Chinese buffet or something up right now.

SPEAKER_03 20:42

I know.

SPEAKER_02 20:43

Best road trip snack.

SPEAKER_01 20:46

One should go to when you're riding the bus.

SPEAKER_03 20:52

Gummy bears.

SPEAKER_01 20:53

Gummy bears. One word teammates would use to describe you.

SPEAKER_03 21:01

I hope they say fun.

SPEAKER_01 21:03

Fun.

SPEAKER_03 21:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:04

Also rapid fire. You face Hayton Ecker ten times. How many times do you get a hit? How many hits do you get out of ten times?

SPEAKER_03 21:19

Uh hopefully four. Maybe five.

SPEAKER_02 21:22

I like it. I like it. I like it. Toughest opponent you face in high school. It could be a team or a pitcher. I don't know. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 21:31

Probably Rich Lesson.

SPEAKER_02 21:33

Okay. Yeah, they have some pretty good teams later. Pre-game routine or superstition? Baseball players, softball players are very superstitious. A lot of them are superstitious. Do you have anything that you're I don't really have anything? Okay. I mean, I kind of just listen to music and so so are you listening to your same stuff on your airpods?

SPEAKER_03 21:54

They just change every time. Okay. Oh, I gotta playlist and just rotate. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 21:58

Cobb softholes. Goal you're chasing as you enter your first season. First spring season.

SPEAKER_03 22:06

I hope that I can really stand out and make something for myself as a freshman. I think I really hope my defensive my defense is great. But I hope my offense is better. Like I really want to focus on the offenses here.

SPEAKER_01 22:22

Last question. When you hear phrase I'm groan, what does it mean to you?

SPEAKER_03 22:27

When I hear homegrown, I think about just everything I've built and learned here. And everything that I'm taking to like the next level. And just representing home here.

SPEAKER_02 22:40

That's awesome. That's awesome. Hayton just is journey. That's what homegrown is all about. Staying true to who she is, earning where she comes from, and carrying the pride into whatever is next. Swansboro, the community, helped shape her. Now he's taking that work ethic and toughness and heart to Shenandoah University. We'll be watching, and we'll be cheering every step of the way for you. And that's what being homegrown is all about. I'm Steve Goodson, and this has been Homegrown, Real Athletes, Real Stories, Big Dreams. No matter how far the game takes you, your roots always come with you. Great job, Peyton. Thank you for joining me. Support for Homegrown is provided by Humphrey Heating and Air Condition, proudly serving Eastern North Carolina since nineteen sixty-seven.