LEONARDTOWN, Md. — Hard work and persistence are more than just words for a 16-year-old from the DMV -- they are her daily life mottos.
Ava Chadwick, a sophomore catcher for St. Mary's Ryken High School in Leonardtown, Maryland, was named as one of the top 18 softball players across the nation in the U-16 age group. This accolade is part of USA Softball's High Performance Program, where athletes can participate in regional events to compete for an invitation to the National Selection Event where top performers are named. And for her, she is one of five across her age group, 13-18, from the region.
Chadwick says the program is a way to be able to get into the national team, and her being named as a top U-16 performer means she is one of the top 18 players at the event, which are the top players in the country. It even means that if there is a team for her age group she could be selected for it.
"Going there I was very nervous because that was the first major event that I went to. I realized these are the best of the best players and I walked into that with a lot of confidence, but still a lot of nerves," Chadwick said as her voice elevated while telling the story. "Just saying I’m just going to perform my best and do what I do. I don’t care what those people think about me. I want to do what I think I can do and leave it all in God’s hands. And so I went out and did that. I caught really well. I hit really well."
And her efforts paid off as she says she was star-struck at the news of being a top performer. This moment was made possible through her constant practicing. Chadwick isn't just an honors student, but she is committed to her craft. The athlete not only plays for her school, but also for a travel team, Gold Coast Hurricanes, that's two hours away from her home. Not only games, but she practices are at Severn-Danza Park, and on those two-hour long car rides she is doing her school work and studying.
Ava Chadwick shines as she plays softball
In her personal time she continues that stride with a goal of hitting at least 80-100 balls a day in her batting cage, to help her perfect her swing and be able to lock in mentally. That's just some of the drills and workouts she does to help her condition to reach her goal and keep up with all the female athletes nationwide.
This has helped her reach a short term goal recently -- being able to hit 74 MPH exit velocity, and she also was able to hit a 71 MPH overhead velocity, which is her throwing it.
"You should have seen me in that barn. I was spinning in circles and screaming because I finally hit it and actually hit really well for my high school season and my travel season," she said as her voice rose in excitement. "I was hitting lead off for my travel team and I was hitting really well on that team. I was one of the best hitters and also hitting well during high school too. And this season coming in, hopefully I can be able to progress and do even better."
And when it comes to her ultimate goal she wants to reach, or a dream she plans to make reality, it is playing Division I softball, especially for Auburn University, a school she fell in love with on the first visit. And it's not just the school, but the people. The softball coach for the university, Coach Mickey Dean, was actually her high school coach's coach when she played at Radford University. The team also has two women from Maryland, which to Chadwick means a lot as she looks at the roster.
But where she is at right now, is a place in her life where she is working hard and blocking out distractions, keeping herself focused on her goals and not letting others bring her down. These are the values Chadwick says could help others hoping to see success in the things they love.
"You always have to locked in on your goals. Just keep driving toward, no matter how much those temptations get in the way, you work as hard as you can. This Is actually one of my favorite bible verses," she earnestly said. "It’s Colossians 3:23. It’s whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord. So I try to do that every single day and at that point, leave it in God’s hands."
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