FEBRUARY 2020
KATE TRUDGEN
We like to call her Hermosa Kate! Meet Kate, 13-year-old shortstop and center-fielder, travel ball player, all-around great gal AND the Bellalete Player of the Month for February!
Kate is an Athlete, yes with a capitol A!
She plays soccer, basketball and does Jr Guards just to stay in shape for softball! 💪🏻which is her true love sport.
Kate is a smart player, she knows the game well and she likes to be helpful. Kate knows (and we see it in her) that being an athlete, and a teammate is more than just being physically skilled, it's being willing to work together, and be there 100% for everyone on the team.
January 2020
AUDREY
IN. THE. ZONE. 🙌🏼
That is the best way to describe January 2020 Bellalete's Player of the Month, Audrey!
We landed on Audrey's Instagram page about a year ago @audrey26_9yrs and have watched her show up and do the work consistently every single day.
Audrey has an awesome set-up in her garage and her mom and dad said that she is always ready to head out there to work on some short-hops (one of her favorites) or hit some balls.
Audrey gets up early, before school, to work in some strength training and she practices her sliding in the hallway of her home...all of that is not including the time she puts in with her travel ball team on the field.
This 9-year-old is one of the hardest working players we know and when she is ready to get to work she is all business.
december 2019
AYANNA GAMBLE
1) a college player
2) a catcher!
💥Meet Ayanna Gamble, 19-year-old college student at Long Beach City College!
An offensive powerhouse and a defensive beast (in her coach's words).This fall season she racked up 7 home runs in 10 games, and had about an 80% throw out rate! No steals on her watch.
More importantly, says Coach Martinez, is that she is first on the field, last to leave. She works hard without complaining or attitude, and she turns her sometimes shy and quiet demeanor into warrior-leadership mode once she dons her gear.
We spoke with Ayanna and she passed on a few tips to inspire younger players who want to be a strong catcher and continue to dominate their position, "work hard every day, condition your legs, you gotta be mentally TOUGH, you gotta be a LEADER, you gotta be LOUD, and you gotta LOVE what you do." Thats telling it straight and simple.
November 2019
MACEY KIM
⭐️Macey is an athlete with mental toughness.
She has been described as hard-working and cerebral.
Macey herself said that her biggest challenge is working through the mental aspect of the game, she also said that just happens to be her favorite part of softball!
Macey was one of the first players to work with Savana on pitching. Macey said, "She started coaching me in my 2nd year of 8U and has helped me become the pitcher I am today."🥎👊🏼One thing that we noticed about Macey is her ability to show up and give 100% regardless of what the day was like. A good day or a bad day she is ready to work relentlessly hard with an awesome attitude.
She can extend that mental focus to moments during a game too. Macey said, "If I throw a bad pitch I take a second to think about what I did wrong (physically) but when it is time for the next pitch I try not to think about anything at all, I just feel."
October
SERENA HOPKINS
Serena is a catcher and outfielder for West High and also plays for SoCal Athletics, 18U travel ball team.⠀
This young woman is a beast, balancing two teams, school work, extracurricular activities like ASB, and putting in extra strength work on the side. 🙌
When Bellalete went to interview her, she talked a LOT about teamwork, camaraderie and the support she has had from her coaches. Serena is one of the most POSITIVE players we have met. She is loaded with great advice and you can tell that she has put thought into how she conducts herself and how she wants to move forward in the world of softball and beyond. We are looking forward to telling you more about this confident, mindful, hardworking and inspiring young woman.
SEPTEMBER
SISTERS, MAHA & JORDRY
Softball sisters...Jordy & Maha! 🙌🏾
Why two? The sister bond is universal & the softball bond is undeniable, put them together and you have a recipe for a lifetime of success. We know this is going to inspire you to find your own softball sister, related or not, to support each other in your softball journey.
Jordy is 13, she is currently in transition mode, about to try out for her high school team and is practicing with a travel ball team in hopes of securing a permanent position. She has been playing since she was 8 and is a pitcher & a center fielder.
Speedy is her middle name! She is quiet and focused, sometimes goofy and funny. Jordy is an awesome big sister to Maha!
Maha is 9, and has been playing softball since she was 5! Her big sister is the sole reason she started playing softball, she would go to games and watch her play and pitch and decided she wanted to play too. Maha is sassy, bubbly, energetic and this young lady loves to chat! She loves talking about softball and going through pitches with Jordy.
AUGUST
MADDIE
We have had our eye on Maddie for almost a year now, and have watched her, work hard, be passed over at All-stars and travel ball tryouts, work even harder everydayand commit herself to tryout again at the next one. This determination and can’t-get-me-down attitude is why she has been selected to be our August POTM. Maddie is now 10 years old and has great coaches who have allowed her to try different positions (she loves being catcher). Keep scrolling to read what her mom has to say about Maddie’s softball journey so far.
❤️
“She had tried many sports (soccer, dance, gymnastics, cheer) but has fallen in love with softball. She looks at tryouts as opportunities to find out weaknesses that she can work on. At the beginning of the season she was unable to hit or throw very well, but with strong coaches and supportive teammates she has improved greatly. She is coachable and puts forth tremendous effort.
She isn't looking to be better than everyone else. She wants to be better than herself last season.”
July
SAM FISCHER
Professional softball player for Scrapyard Fastpitch. Sam caught our attention with her hardcore work ethic, her steady athletic skills that get the job done and her never-ending sense of humor. We reached out to Sam to ask her about her softball life and she had so much to say, we will let you peek in, first hand, in Sam’s words.
👇🏻
From Sam: "This has been a crazy journey and I sometimes can’t believe I’m where I am in my life. Softball has been the LOVE of my life for as long as I can remember and everything I’ve ever done is to make sure I can play for as long as possible. I love getting out on the field and doing anything that has to do with the game. I’ve never shied away from EXTRA PRACTICE and I’ve never felt burnt out from playing too much. If I could, I’d play every single day. My DAD (Rick) and I have been out to the field on every major holiday because I always wanted to work hard and get better at this sport. The main goal I have for myself is to play the game with PASSION and at 100% every time I step on the field. I want to be remembered as someone who went out and had FUN and loved the game as much as possible."
Passion, effort, consistency and a commitment to making it fun. We would say that's a great recipe for success.
June
TAYLOR PEACOCK
Taylor is a softball pitcher and first baseman. She plays for her local middle school team and is also on a 12u all star team. Taylor was one of 360 softball players from around the country who was selected to play at the USA Softball All-American Tournament at Hall of Fame Stadium. Taylor is determined, strong, and kind. Taylors Mom, Brandy played softball and now coaches Taylor!
MAY
KAMAILE HO
Kamaile has been a part of Bellalete since day one and she represents all that Bellalete stands for. Her work ethic is STRONG, which leads her to her talent and accomplishments on the field. As a pitcher she hits her spots, she gets in the zone and doesn’t let what others think phase her, she takes it one pitch at a time and one game at a time. Kamaile is focused on her DREAMS! - she is not afraid to set a big dream; she wants to pitch for the University of Texas! -She is a dedicated student in the classroom and a talented dancer! Her multi-discipline training adds to her athleticism, focus and ability to stay loose. Kamaile is a light hearted and supportive teammate and a dedicated SOFTBALL PLAYER!
APRIL
KAIA GLICKMAN
Kaia Glickman, has been playing softball since she was 6. She is now 15 and plays for her high school, Campbell Hall Vikings and for Firecrackers Travel Ball. Kaia gives a lot of credit to her teammates over the years for their friendships and support both on and off the field. She has played with many of them, including TJ and Litto, from the beginning and they have all followed each other through the progression of rec ball, high school, and travel, staying together on the same teams! A fun side fact: Wilshire Softball was the first rec league to order custom all-stars pants...in PURPLE!