Although 13-year-old Maddie Smith currently resides in Oxnard, Santa Maria will always feel like home to her for many reasons. During winter and summer breaks, Maddie returns to visit friends and relatives.
The city has a special place in her heart not only because she grew up here, it’s also where she discovered her favorite sport—softball.
“Maddie started playing T-ball at the YMCA when she was only three,” Mona Smith, Maddie’s mother, told the Sun. “She started playing at Northside Little League when she turned 4, and joined Santa Maria Girls Softball a year after that.”
Maddie was 8 when her and her family relocated to Oxnard, but she stayed dedicated to the sport, Mona said. Maddie currently plays for the El Rio 12-and-under (12U) team, which is in the middle of its Allstar season.
Out of the 12 girls on the team, Maddie has the highest batting average. Her family has always been proud of her softball stats, but none more than her grandfather, Mike Smith, who coached Babe Ruth Little League in Santa Maria for many years. Anytime Maddie had a question about softball, her grandpa had the answer, Mona said.
“He was a walking sports almanac, and Maddie’s biggest supporter,” Mona said. “He tried to watch as many of her games as he could. But when he couldn’t make it, Maddie would call him on the phone as soon as it was over to tell him everything.”
Maddie was heartbroken when her grandpa passed away in February, only a few days before her 13th birthday.
“While visiting him at the cemetery, Maddie vowed to make him proud this summer,” Mona said. “And to say she has been on fire with her bat this summer is an understatement.”
This summer, Maddie and her team took home first place at the 12U Western District Championship for the first time in team history. The team ended up ranking fifth out of 36 12U teams in the state. The next stop for the team is Portland, Oreg., to compete in the Nationals which takes place July 31 through Aug. 6.
During the District Championship, Maddie noticed a white butterfly hovering around her throughout the game.
“She said it was Grandpa’s angel,” Mona said. “She shared that with her grandmother and it moved her to tears. She felt his spirit there too; this made the win such a sweet victory for Maddie.”
This article appears in Aug 3-10, 2017.