For the past year, junior Avery Malicki has been a member of the girls softball team for Antioch Community High School. With the early exposure to the sport, playing travel softball prepared Malicki for her career as a Sequoit. The success Malicki has had as an athlete did not just come to her naturally, it came from the 13 years of being involved with the sport.

“I got involved with travel softball when I was four years old,” Malicki said. “My whole family was into sports and my older brother started playing football, so my dad encouraged me into softball, which I wasn’t really excited for, but it eventually grew on me around the time I was eight years old.”

Softball is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of nine players who take turns batting and fielding. The Antioch softball team has had much success in the past and continues to uphold that tradition. Last year, Malicki’s nine home runs and grand slam were major advantages for the team over their competition. For travel, she plays catcher or third base, but for the Sequoits, she is a designated hitter. Since she is so consistent in her batting she often only bats to help the team travel the bases and become victorious over their competitors. This has helped the Sequoits capture two IHSA Regional titles these past two years.

“She is such a strong hitter when it comes to games, I honestly don’t know how she does it,” teammate Abby Pyburn said. “Then when she takes the field, at least in travel, her arm as a catcher is unbelievable. I’ve never seen a girl throw as fast or strong as Avery.”

In Malicki’s opinion, high school softball is completely different than travel softball, but in a positive way. In travel, there is an abundance of talent at every tournament one may compete at during the season. Oftentimes, the competitive edge doesn’t allow for chemistry to rise within the team because of the focus of having to compete every weekend for weeks on end. In high school, there is a family connection that often allows for some teams to be successful and that is how Malicki feels towards Antioch softball.

“My favorite part about Antioch softball is the girls on the team. I love being around them everyday because we are all like a bunch of sisters,” Malicki said. “They’re all so funny and when it comes time to compete, we all have such good chemistry that we play as one unit and sometimes come out on top over our competition.”

According to Malicki, when it comes time to compete, there is a switch in her personality. Oftentimes, athletes can be a completely different person outside of their sport. One can be a confident person on the field, but could seem like the shy kid in school. For Malicki, that switch in her personality can be described as competitive and a perfectionist.

“Avery is probably the biggest perfectionist I have ever met in my life,” Pyburn said. “She let’s the little things bother her when she makes a mistake and will then try and fix that until it is down perfectly. Even when it seems perfect to everyone else, she still feels like she’s not doing something the right way.”

Malicki is also hopeful about competing in college athletics. Like some high school athletes, determination and hard work are part of an everyday routine working towards her dream of competing in college. For Malicki, her dream consists of competing at the Division I level in either the BIG10 or the SEC conference. Being involved in travel softball, Malicki has been able to expose herself and show off her talents in college showcases, which has worked in her favor.

“I have gotten a couple emails from small Division I schools but mostly Division II,” Malicki said. “My dream is to play for the Gators at University of Florida, but that is a dream that may not come true so I like to have an open mind [about] what school I would like to attend as an athlete as well as a student.”

Malicki has not only just been involved with softball, she has made it a priority in her everyday life. This has not only resulted in her success, but also her enjoyment with the sport after competing for so many years. The drive, determination and passion are tools that can help her as she prepares for the upcoming season in the spring.