MOBILE, Ala. – For many around the country and the world, the past couple of months have presented some very uncertain times as they deal with the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. For one former University of South Alabama softball player, these uncertain times have led her to feel certain that she is in the right place at the right time.

Morgan Lutticken is currently nearing the end of her instruction to be a firefighter/paramedic with the Mobile Fire Department as she is a trainee at the Mobile Fire Academy, along with 15 other individuals preparing to join the front lines.

Lutticken, who was a three-year member of the Jaguar program, decided this past fall that it was time for her to step away from the game and concentrate on the next phase of her life. The decision didn't come easy for the Poway, Calif., native though, and didn't immediately feel like it was the right one.

"It was easily the hardest decision of my entire life," Lutticken noted about walking away from softball. "It was harder than choosing to move across the country for school. I never felt like I identified myself as a softball player only, but not having that team around me constantly was an adjustment. We used to all wake up and work out together. While the new opportunity was really exciting, I never wanted to leave the team."

After finishing with the paramedic portion of her degree earlier in the fall semester, Lutticken's plan had been to start off with a local private ambulance company. That's when she was approached by a recruiter with the Mobile Fire Department who presented her with an opportunity to join them. Her best friend from paramedic school had also been offered the same opportunity and decided to take advantage of it. That, coupled with the fact that she knew that she eventually wanted to become a firefighter down the line, led Lutticken to sign up.

Now a member of a new team, there have been aspects from her playing career that she has been able to draw from to aide her in her new role.

"It is actually very similar, and by that I mean a lot of college athletes and military do extremely well in the academy," Lutticken said. "It's both mentally and physically taxing in that you're working long hours in the sun, and you're learning a chapter in a classroom, and then testing on it the next day.

"A lot of the workout routines from softball have also been incorporated in the firefighting academy program but on a different level. Firefighting has the element of doing these exercises in full gear, so it's performing while wearing 85 to 90 pounds of equipment. You have a similar structure with captains and chiefs being like coaches and athletic directors."

Lutticken, who already holds her paramedic license, will be able to forgo Emergency Management Training (EMT) school, and is planning on graduating the program in August. However with the ever-changing landscape of this pandemic, Lutticken and her classmates have been told that they could be moved up into active duty before then. With the uncertainty of when that time may come, Lutticken she has been preparing.

"Our paramedic class has been told that we could learn at any time that we will be going into the field," Lutticken said. "We've been reading about the protocols for COVID-19. I'm receiving the updates of the protocol changes, using the correct PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) and how to do exposure forms. We've been working on airway management in the field for cardiac arrest whether or not the patients show symptoms for COVID-19."

Lutticken has not only been brushing up on the new policies and procedures, but also communicating with her soon-to-be coworkers already in the field facing the challenges that come along with providing emergency aide to people during this pandemic.

"I've been in close contact with about 15 people out in the field right now," Lutticken stated. "They've been keeping me up to date on current procedures. Two days ago, we had different protocols than we have right now because we continue to learn so much more about the situation."

Being ready at a moment's notice is a role that Lutticken is familiar with as she spent the majority of her playing career at South as a pinch-hitter, where she had to be ready to come off the bench and inserted into the game at any time.

"With softball, I had a pretty good idea of the game and how it was played; I knew situationally when I may hear my name," Lutticken noted. "Pinch-hitting is one of the more difficult jobs, because of the situations you get placed in. The team needs a great at-bat whether it is bunting, getting a hit or drawing a walk. When that is your role, you just need to keep a clear head and just remember what your objective is."

While not an active member of the team, Lutticken wasn't far from the program this spring as she remained roommates with Jaguar senior MC Nichols and sophomore Caroline Nichols. While Caroline is currently back home in Hoover, MC has remained in Mobile and been a big supporter of what her friend is doing.

"I've just been letting her know that I'm here for her and that if she needs anything to just let me know." MC Nichols said. "She has definitely helped me in my preparation and informs me of any new news that she finds out. She also tells me information on the actual virus itself. Overall, I'm incredibly thankful to have such a brave roommate and proud of all the hard work she puts in to protect and serve our community."

Timing has also played a role in placing Lutticken in the right position as the start of her journey on this new path nearly eight months ago was delayed a bit after straining her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her first class at the academy. Lutticken had an MRI on the injured knee, but doctors couldn't tell whether or not there was a complete tear.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a lot of uncertainty, but at least to Lutticken it has confirmed that she's right where she should be doing what she is meant to do.

"I had a lot of self-doubt when I first decided to start the program and wondered if I made the right choice," Lutticken said. "I started with the new class in March and then the pandemic started really gearing up here in the United States. There was talk of postponing the class, and this entire time I am watching the team travel and play. My roommates would be away on road trips, so I would come home to an empty house knowing I should be with them cheering them on.

"Then the NCAA started cancelling events, and it dawned on me that this situation was getting bigger. The realization was that had I not left the game and gone through my struggles, I wouldn't be prepared for future events and I wouldn't have been prepared for this job as a first responder. There was a lot of second guessing, but once everything got shut down with COVID-19, it solidified the fact that I made the right decision."

Whenever that call does come for Lutticken — whether it's tomorrow or in August — she is certain that she will be ready for the moment.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/WeAreSouth_JAGS. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

Join the Bullpen Club, the softball specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund.  Members have access to purchase parking passes and receive Jaguar Softball gear.  All donations to the Bullpen Club go directly to support the South Alabama softball program.  For more information on how you can join visit:  jaguarathleticfund.com/bullpenclub.

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