As a little girl, it was always a dream to grow up and play softball in college. Senior Kourtney Kidd announced her commitment to play softball at the University of Lynchburg on August 5th of this year. The University of Lynchburg has a Division 3 softball program that features an awarded roster with numerous all-state and all-district honors players.
“I like that it’s a small school,” Kidd said. ‘When I went over there, I saw that the team got along very well.”
Kidd has played under head softball coach Susan Sharpe for all four of her high school seasons. Last year, she earned the right to be one of the three captains on the softball team as a junior, which is a special honor.
“I love Kourtney,” Sharpe said. “She’s extremely dependable. She works hard, just like everything any coach would want. She’s going to get it done, even if it is something she is not used to doing good.”
Alyssa Hopkins, another senior on the softball team, is also committed to play softball in college. She will attend George Mason University next year. Kidd and Hopkins have shared the field together for years and have one final season together.
“We were the only two freshmen to be on varsity, so we kind of grew up playing the game together through middle school,” Hopkins said. “It’s kind of cool to go through all of the highs and lows that we have, just being able to grow and see each other at our worst and best is good.”
A big part of softball is the bond that teams can create and the trust they have for each other.
Part of Kidd’s love for the game comes from some of the experiences from her teammates and being able to meet new people.
“I love playing softball because of the teammates that it’s given me,” Kidd said. “We just all get along and we vibe together.”
A coach’s passion for success doesn’t end at the high school level. Sharpe offers advice to prepare Kidd for the next level and succeed past high school.
“Stay organized, keep a calendar and just keep working hard,” Sharpe said.
Staying focused in high school is very important, but it is even more important to maintain that focus in college. College is going to introduce a new team dynamic and new academic challenges which could be difficult for a freshman to navigate.
“To prepare for this next transition, I just need to stay on task more, keep practicing, and make sure my education runs smoothly,” Kidd said.
Kidd has a lasting impact on the softball team and makes sure her teammates are in the best position to improve.
“Kourtney is a great leader when it comes to stepping up in the field and always being vocal when things get quiet,” Hopkins said. “She’s always a positive outlet and is always someone we can rely on when we need things done in a timely fashion.”
