While Shadow Ridge is one big family, within there are actual families like the Covington’s. The spectacular sister duo senior, Abby and freshman, Chloe are both members of Mustang Varsity Flag Football program and the Mustang Varsity Softball program. Both sisters are spectacular athletes who have had sports a part of their entire lives.
For Chloe, sports came from her family and coaches recommending her but turned into love and passion to play.
“My biggest sister Caitlin started our family off with softball and Abby and I were both born at the softball field so it stuck with us. For flag football my middle school coach wanted me to play super bad and I gave it a try and I loved it! so I took my sister out to practice with me and she wanted to try it for high school and it’s just another sport we look forward to now,” Chloe says.
Abby also picked up softball at quite the young age leading her to immense success on the field; flag football has also become a big part of her life though it is a fairly new addition to the athletic scene for her.
“I started playing softball when I was 3 so I have been playing for almost 15 years now and I have played varsity all four years of high school. I tried out for flag my junior year and made varsity and continued it through my senior year,” Abby says. “I started playing softball because my older sister played, but I grew my own love for it as I developed. I watched flag football games my entire sophomore year and thought it looked like a really fun environment so I decided to try it.”
While individually both Abby and Chloe are wildly impressive athletes, for them being able to play with each other means the world. On the flag football field, the Covington’s were able to win a flag football state championship together which came with tons of emotions.
Chloe says, “Winning the State Championship came with being able to see the pure joy and happiness on her [Abby’s] face and then realizing that was the last time we would ever be able to play together on the same football field just had a lot of emotions as in happy and sad going through our bodies.”
For Abby this same win reigns as one of her favorite memories with her little sister.
Abby says, “My favorite memory is of course being able to play with my sister but even more getting to win state with my sister.”
Both sisters are immensely grateful for the experience of getting to play together in high school even if it just is for one year.
“To me it means the world to play with my sister because it builds a stronger bond between us that I’ve been waiting for us to get,” Chloe says. “I love just always having that one person to always have on your side no matter what. There’s never a scary moment to me where I was like ‘oh no what if everyone hates me?’ Because no matter what I’m going to have that big sister to always be by my side whether I need a hug, or a punch, or if I need to cry on someone she’s always there.”
Abby, being a senior, is thankful to cherish the last moments she has with Chloe before continuing her softball career at UCCS this upcoming fall.
“It is so awesome, I love getting to play with my little sister and make the most of these small moments we get before I leave for college, ” Abby says. “It means everything to me, knowing that I will be hours away in just a few months makes me want to share these memories and cherish them forever.”
Not only is Abby’s transition to college prideful for her, Chloe also found pride and inspiration from her sister.
Chloe says, “Seeing the college my sister is going to which is UCCS and what level of softball she’s going to play at just makes me so happy to see her succeed and makes me even more happy to get to that level as well.”
Within the end of Abby’s high school sports career, having Chloe by her side proved the importance of family.
“My favorite memory has to be my senior night during flag season. I had never seen Chloe show so much emotion and it proved to me how much she really cared about me,” Abby shares.
With the dynamic duo of the Covington sisters coming to an end at Shadow Ridge, keep an eye out for the big things Chloe will continue here at Shadow the next few years, and the impressive college career Abby has ahead of her.
