Get to know Bearden HS softball player, Knoxville area resident Abby Kelton
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — First baseman Abby Kelton has her eye on March. That鈥檚 when the Bearden High School Varsity Softball Team starts its season.
鈥淥ne of our biggest rivals is Farragut,鈥� the junior says. 鈥淎nother is Maryville. Right now we鈥檙e in conditioning practice. A TSSAA rule is that we鈥檙e not allowed to be on the field practicing in our position until February. But we go to our facility to condition, lift weights and run.
鈥淢y head coach is Kenneth Boles and I have four other coaches 鈥� Rusty Bruce, Hannah Bruce, Cheyenne Boles and Josie Huff. They have pushed me to be better over the past year than I was before.鈥�
Abby joined the team about two years ago. She had originally planned on going to West, but at the last minute changed to Bearden.
鈥淢y freshman year we had an amazing year. We had a varsity team only because we didn鈥檛 have enough to have two teams. The majority of the team was freshman. We had to show up and really prove ourselves. We just got thrown into it, but we took it and I think it鈥檚 made us better than we were before high school. The coaches ended up moving to Las Vegas.
鈥淢y sophomore year and this year we got some new coaches. The class under me started playing. It鈥檚 really been a change from being new and a freshman to being one of the oldest on the team and having to take charge and things like that.鈥�
Abby said she got into softball following the influence of two family members. The first was her dad, who had played baseball when he was younger.
鈥淲hen I was around 3 or 4, my parents, Chris and Amanda Kelton, gave me the chance to play a sport and I chose softball because, in addition to my dad, I had watched my older cousin, Janelle, play. I loved watching her play. I wanted to be just like her. My dad put me in T-ball and I did coach pitch until about 7 or 8 when I played softball. I remember when I first started playing softball I played shortstop and I pitched for a few years.
鈥淚 used to play travel softball. It was kind of a year-round thing. I played probably three out of four weekends of every month. It was a lot. I played from about when I was 11 to 15. I decided it was too much for me.
鈥淭he past three years it鈥檚 been pretty much first base. A lot of balls come toward you and hit the ground pretty hard. I鈥檝e had times when the girls in the infield have thrown balls and they鈥檝e landed on the ground right in front of my glove. I鈥檝e been hit pretty much everywhere. You have to block them up.鈥�
Abby says she would love to play in college.
鈥淚 would love to go to the University of Texas in Austin. I went and visited there this summer. I love it down there.
鈥淚鈥檓 very competitive. Softball is a way to, if I鈥檝e had a bad day, to go to practice or a game and play and have fun. I love all the girls I play with. We鈥檝e gotten really close over the years. I like the physical part of it. I like to go and work hard. Over time you can see your body change and see how much you鈥檝e improved.鈥�
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