- Details
- By Chickasaw Nation Media
At only 17 years old, Timber Hensley is gaining traction as a strong female athlete in Oklahoma. A Chickasaw citizen and incoming senior at Silo High School, Hensley has six softball state title championships under her belt. Hensley already has collegiate softball teams scouting her and has verbally committed to playing for the University of Tennessee upon high school graduation.
Hensley played softball at Caddo High School where she and her team won five state championships. In the middle of her junior year, she transferred to Silo High School. With the Silo Lady Rebels, Hensley played shortstop during the winning game against Dale in the Oklahoma Class 4A Slow Pitch Softball State Championship, gaining her sixth title win.
Hensley said she recalled the game as being stressful. Dale was a talented, high-ranked team.
“Going into that game we were pretty nervous,” Hensley said. “We were tied 4-4. In the sixth inning, we finally run-ruled them. It was probably my favorite state championship game.”
Being with a new team, Hensley said she was thankful she played a significant role in their championship game, fielding balls and catching pop flies between the second and third bases.
“I love middle infield because there’s a lot of action there,” Hensley said. “Rolling up double plays – it’s just fun.”
Hensley said her true passion for the game really takes shape on the pitcher’s mound.
“I love pitching, because I feel like I have control of the game,” Hensley said. “I like that idea of being able to have impact in every aspect of the game.”
At only 7 years old, after only a few years in T-ball and coach pitch division, Hensley began her first pitching lessons.
“I started pitching lessons with a guy named Jim Shipp,” she said. “He really got me to fall in love with the position.”
Pitching demands attention, Hensley said. The position holds power. Often the pitcher has the ability to sway a win by striking out their opponents.
Hensley attributes her success in the sport to years of practice and love for the game.
“When I was 8 years old, I started playing travel ball,” she said. “At 10, I knew I wanted to get more serious, so I started going to more competitive tournaments and ended up here.”
Hensley said she looks forward to her final year of high school softball and hopes to take her team to state and win even more championships.
“I want to leave high school with eight state championship wins,” she said.
Representatives for the University of Tennessee softball team started scouting Hensley last September after watching her play in multiple competitive tournaments. By November, she was invited to visit the university and learn more about the team.
“I fell in love with the campus,” she said. “The coaching staff and the atmosphere were incredible. The team was amazing. I knew it was the place I was meant to play.”
Hensley said she hopes her story encourages other First American youths in sports to practice daily and pursue their dreams.
“Hard work and dedication will prove itself,” Hensley said. “You and your coaches will see the progress, and that will get you where you need to be.”
More Stories Like This
First American Art Highlighted at Artesian Arts FestivalNew Book Features Professional Runner Jordan Marie Brings Three White Horses Whetstone,
Navajo Technical University Rodeo Team Competes at 2025 College National Finals Rodeo
Restoring the Voice of a Leader: Sitting Bull's Songs Reclaimed
New Exhibition of Contemporary Northwest Coast Indigenous Art Opens at the American Museum of Natural History
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher