Ava Petillo ’21
Photo courtesy of Grace Smith ’19
The Girls’ Athlete of the Month for May is Grace Smith ‘19. Smith is a senior on EA’s softball team. She has been playing softball for EA since her freshman year and has been the captain for the past two seasons. Smith is the team’s first baseman, however, she has been playing several positions throughout the season. Her versatility was noted on by teammate Riley Hurda ‘21. Hurda states “Grace is so versatile. She plays everywhere on the field, mostly first base, but she sometimes is thrown in at third and she does a great job of adjusting and bringing everyone together on the field.” Hurda continues by adding, “Grace has been a key player on varsity for all four years of her high school career.”
Smith’s knowledge of the game was noted on by several teammates, including Caroline Vander ‘20. Vander states “Grace is super vocal on and off the field. When she is off the field, she is always cheering very loudly and when she is on the field, she tells us where to go with the ball. But, I think that more than the fact that she is very athletic and good at what she does, Grace deserves to be athlete of the month because she really embodies the spirit of sportsmanship of being a team player and leader.”
Smith’s teammates all talked about how Smith works hard to build a strong bond between each player on the team. “My biggest thing is cheering. I chose the team motto, ‘all for one, one for all’, because I think it is so important to support each other. I hope that is something everyone on the team can take away from me”, says Smith. Smith reflects on her four years of EA softball, saying that she took important lessons away from both the coaches and players. “During freshman year,” Smith reflects, “my coaches taught me to be mentally tough because I was always so down on myself. Coach Edwards taught me how to really have fun when I’m playing. There is so much more to softball other than the games.”
Co-captain, Kaila Lingo ‘19, when asked why Smith deserves to be athlete of the month, immediately says, “Grace has been a two year captain of the softball team and she has led us and has been the forefront of our success for two years, She has been a key varsity player since freshman year and is a central part of our team.” Lingo continues saying Smith, “is always doing what is best for the team. She wants to continue to have a good, strong team while also being connected as players, which is what the program is known for.”
Smith’s goal is to help her team be the best they can, however, she achieves this by motivating her teammates and having fun with them. She says that “we have so much fun when we are playing for ourselves, taking one game at a time. I am really proud of everyone because they are all doing their best every single day, especially in practice people work so hard.” It is clear that Smith has a strong bond with her team, she states, “I’ve learned so much from playing with such talented players, both upperclassmen and underclassmen have taught me so much.”
However humble Smith may be, her teammates have no trouble expressing how crucial she is to the team. Coach Edwards adds “looking at their season, I couldn’t be more proud of their work and dedication, their team unity and chemistry, and the way they have stuck through it with each other.” She continues by saying, “If we didn’t have Grace, we would have a missing piece to our team.”
Smith’s contribution to the team is best summarized by Belle Volatile ‘20, who remarks that “Grace is a really good captain, but she is also just a really good friend, which I think is one of the main reasons why our team is so close.”