Starting as the catcher for the Bulldogs varsity softball team, sophomore Ava-Grace Pogue has had an impressive history of being a leader both on and off the field. Discovering her talent of being able to throw a good ball, she’s been consistently playing softball for 11 years.
Many high schoolers often play sports for frivolous reasons, but Pogue’s dedication goes far beyond the superficial. “Softball to a lot of people is just a sport, but to me it’s more. It’s not just a game. It’s a place where I can express who I am as a person. I can be an athlete. I can be a leader. And I can be a positive role model. It is somewhere where a lot of personality traits come together in one place,” Pogue shared.
For many student athletes, the pressure can be crippling. The advantage of having and knowing the love and care everyone around you has for you can help alleviate some of it. For Pogue, the intensive support she gets particularly makes it easier.
“Having to separate who I am as a person and who I am on the softball field, being able to be on the softball field, be aggressive, confident and then being able to come home to a support system. That is something that I think a lot of people take for advantage but not everybody has.”
Continually, faith also plays a crucial role in Pogue’s life, especially when the pressure mounts behind the plate. “But before every game, I always take time [to] say a quick prayer,” Pogue commented.
As an athlete, there are countless sacrifices that must be made for the team, but being with people you work well with makes it less difficult. “High school ball is very much not about your own personal stats. Being a leader, even if you go one for four and you get one RBI, you just got the one run for your team, [and] that’s a success. If you think about it in perspective, being with a group of girls, instead of being anywhere else is not really much of a sacrifice. Again, this year we have such an amazing core group of people that are just genuinely fun to be around. It has made it very easy for me to just want to be there,” Pogue explained.
Following in her father’s footsteps, who played ball in college, Pogue plans to continue playing softball in college while studying kinesiology. “In 20 years, I will be 36-37,” Pogue said. “Ideally, I would like to have a family; family is super important to me. I want to have kids. I want to be married and then involved in the game a little bit. To be involved with athletes, whether in the weight room or on the field.”
Ultimately, Pogue loves to spend time with friends and family. Although she sometimes finds herself among athletes, she gravitates toward non-athletes too. She likes to paint to spend time with her grandfather. She is family-oriented and grateful for the sacrifices of both her parents to help her with her goals.
Ava-Grace Pogue’s journey is a testament to dedication, leadership and the importance of a strong support system, both in sports and in life. “I’m a leader, I’m a role model and I like to have fun!” Pogue said.
