Rock Island Softball has been around since the 1980s, and they have had an array of great players throughout these past fifty years, but in the past three, they have had four exceptional players. A’rion Lonergan, Grace Vidmar, Jozie Kerr, and Maddison Carroll have all played on the Varsity Team their entire high school career.
These girls have been playing since a very young age- the youngest being four years old. “I started playing softball when I was four years old, and it started as something my mom just wanted me to try. Quite honestly, I didn’t fall in love with it at first, but after trying out for my first travel team, and playing more competitive softball, I realized how fun it was to have an outlet where I could be as driven and aggressive as I wanted to be with no judgment. Growing into the game and growing as a player helped me fall in love with the game more, and helped me enjoy playing the sport,” stated Lonergan. Starting with this sport as a kid, and sticking with it throughout their whole lives definitely played out in the long run of things.
Even though they have played for so long, there is still a lot of extra work that needs to be put in. Vidmar explains her techniques on how she maintains the way she plays, stating, “I put a lot of work in on my own time with my father alongside to help and critique me anytime needed. I work a lot on hitting, and it’s one of the hardest things to do in softball. I try to maintain it anytime I can, going out back in the yard, and hitting when it’s nice, working hard at practices or trying to rent a place to hit.” By continuously putting in hard work, they keep their momentum and love for the game alive. Out of roughly 115 high school career games, Kerr’s favorite memory comes from, “Ooooo that’s hard! No game really sticks out to me, but if I had to choose, I think it would be against Moline at home last year because we won, but, I also had a good game myself, and it was nice to get that win back after falling to them at Moline earlier in the year.”
Being on the same team for three years, these girls have had multiple different experiences with coaches and players. “I love this team. Each year, I just get closer and closer with the girls, and with the coaches, as well. There is nothing that compares playing with these girls,” explains Carroll. The team lost many seniors in the past two years, along with losing their head coach. So, the previously mentioned four girls have had to adapt to multiple different environments and have done so well, they have continued to prove their talent and that they can keep up with any team and any coach.
