Don’t let the fact that Alyssa Martinez is just 10 years old fool you—she takes her softball playing seriously.
“Well, I started playing when I was 5 or 6. I had tried soccer and it really wasn’t my thing,” Martinez said. “My parents saw a poster and decided to sign me up.”
Martinez currently plays for local club softball team, 805 Elite. Martinez occasionally plays second base. One of the things Martinez loves about playing the sport is all the friendships she has made and getting to travel for tournaments.
“My favorite memory was playing at second base and a really fast slapper came to bat,” Martinez said. “She hit a grounder to me and I was able to throw her out!”
But Martinez’s real passion lies in pitching. She said she remembers watching other girls pitch, and at age 7 decided she wanted to try it too. Her pitching career has been inspired by professional softball pitching greats like Monica Abbott, Jenny Finch, and Lisa Fernandez.
“I like that you can strike people out,” Martinez said. “I like the game itself because it puts pressure on you. It’s just you and the ball, it puts you on the spot.”
For Martinez, the hardest part of pitching is combining what you need to do with your legs and arms all together.
“My favorite pitch to throw is the changeup,” Martinez said. “I like the way it drops and catches girls off guard. They don’t see it coming.”
Coach John Martinez said that Alyssa’s pitching has come a long way since she was 7, and that’s because she has worked hard and practices consistently.
“We’ve noticed a big change in her mindset and level of effort she puts forth,” coach Martinez said. “It’s all starting to show in practices and games.”
In one of those games, Martinez shut down rival club team, Bownet for three innings.
Her goals for pitching include throwing a perfect game and eventually playing softball in college. For girls who may be afraid to come try softball, the 10-year-old pitcher had some wise advice:
“Don’t think about it, just do it! The pressure of playing is a privilege,” Martinez said. “Think of all the fun, pizza, and ice cream you will have after games.”
This article appears in Feb 16-23, 2017.