Multitalented must be an adjective Heidi Lethcoe hears attributed to her quite often. Playing a varied mix of shortstop, second base, and catcher for the Orcutt All Stars, this 12-year-old doesn’t shy away from stretching her abilities to cover the whole field.
After all, softball is in her blood. “My dad coaches,” she said, and her father mentions that he’s been coaching for Orcutt Youth Softball for about ten years.
Since she’s been able to carry a bat, Heidi has been making tracks in the fine softball dirt. Her position as a batgirl for the many teams her father coached prepared her for the day that she would take the spotlight.
One of these days came four weeks ago when she hit her first home run in a tournament in Atascadero. She said that throwing and hitting are two of her biggest strengths.
“We took two weeks off after that,” she said.
It was a nice vacation from practicing for two hours, four days a week. Although, dedication isn’t something that Heidi is afraid of.
“Now we’re preparing for the tournament this weekend—the Star Spangled Banner tournament,” Heidi said.
With two more big games until the end of the season, playing local softball has become sweeter for Heidi as time goes on. Making new friends is one of the things she likes most about the sport.
“I meet girls from different schools and it’s fun,” she said.
Soon, Heidi will have a chance to meet lots of different people in a setting off the field: Lakeview Junior High School. Entering seventh grade is something she is looking forward to, and she thinks she’ll probably continue playing softball during school. But for Heidi, the enjoyment of the game is what matters most.
Before a big game, Heidi has a mindset that helps her relax and perform comfortably.
“I just pretend it’s a scrimmage and I do my best,” she said.
This article appears in Jul 3-10, 2008.