Essay On Kayleen Shaefer As A Role Model

A Genuine Inspiration My sports hero is Kayleen Shafer, the starting catcher for the Oregon State University softball team. Kayleen is nineteen years old and has been playing softball since she was seven. Kayleen inspires me because she excels in her academics, always has a positive attitude, demonstrates excellent leadership skills, and performs at an extremely high level on the softball field. Kayleen’s kindness and softball excellence make me strive to be a better player and person on and off the field. Kayleen has loved softball ever since her mother motivated her to play the sport as a child. During her first year playing, Kayleen realized that she wanted to have a more important role on the field. Becoming a catcher increased her responsibility to her team and forced her to find her inner strength. Kayleen’s leadership skills are evident if you ever watch her play a game. She has an empowering voice, but she says it took her until her high school years to find out that she had the strength inside her the whole time.

Kayleen went through a tough time when she was twelve years old and had difficulty throwing the larger softball. Her catching coach at the time, Stacey Farnworth, talked her out of quitting softball by building her confidence. Another catcher, Jen Schroeder, who played for UCLA, is one of Kayleen’s biggest role models. Kayleen says that she learned most of her leadership skills from Jen. Before Kayleen went to college, she coached with Jen at a catcher’s clinic where Jen told her to speak up on the field if she wanted to be recruited. Kayleen looks up to Jen for her knowledge behind the plate, but moreso because Jen exudes confidence both on the softball field and in