Sophomore Ava Ferrara is a dedicated student athlete who has been playing for the Shadow Ridge Softball Team since her freshman year. Bringing seven years of dedication to the field, Ferrara brings a level of skill and dedication that is remarkable. Her love for the game started when she was at a young age, showing a natural talent for the game.
As a kid getting into softball, she didn’t have any interest in softball at all. But now, Ferrara has no regret joining the team, as it has brought her many opportunities. Ferrara’s position in softball is 3rd baseman, with her position requiring strong communication and quick reflexes.
“At first I did not like it so much,” Ferrara assures, “but getting older, it has brought me much more joy and so many friends and now mostly I love it.”
Her dad, who used to play baseball, inspired her to start playing softball. He has taught Ferrara to always be confident in her performance and to never back down or give up. Ferrara couldn’t have done it with her dad’s leadership and guidance.
“My dad inspired me to play softball because he played baseball and that was my main inspiration,” Ferrara states.
However, Ferrara has her struggles with being a student athlete. Balancing her time with both sports and school is difficult at times for her. Her approach of focusing on sports and academics is putting her school work as her main priority.
“I balance both sports and school by focusing on school because I am a student athlete,” Ferrara states. “During after school hours is when I mainly lock in and focus on softball.”
On and off the field, Ferrara assures her teammates to always be supportive and to not have anybody feel gloomy. Ferrara and her teammates keep a positive attitude during practices and games, creating a strong family-like bond between each other.
Teammate of Ferrara, sophomore Brooklyn Rayne Romero says, “Ava is definitely an upfront type of girl, she won’t be rude about it but she will definitely tell you what’s on her mind, she loves to talk. She definitely makes sure everyone is doing their part on the team and she makes sure everyone knows that we are all working together on the field. As a teammate I would rate her a 9 out of 10 because she always has a positive attitude and an interesting sense of humor.”
From travelling out of state for a tournament or team bonding before a game, softball has brought Ferrara many opportunities for her future.
“The opportunities softball has brought me is traveling and seeing other states and as well as going against different levels.
Looking ahead, Ferrara is excited for her future, as she plans to play softball for the rest of high school and to get a scholarship from sports. Academically, Ferrara plans to go to Michigan State University and become a veterinarian.
