Brooklyn Hurd has been putting up big numbers on the softball field and in the classroom. Hurd is hitting an outstanding .507 from the field with 11 RBIs and six stolen bases. To add to that impressive stat line, this outfielder stud has an accumulative GPA of 3.6 and is enrolled in some pretty tough courses.
“I am in honors geometry, but next year I will be taking AP US History, and I am taking a lot of medical classes. An education is very important to me, because I believe that you need to know history so you don’t repeat it, and I also believe that an education makes you better prepared for life, and whatever life throws at you,” according to Hurd.
From listening to Hurd’s responses and watching her demeanor on the softball field, it’s not easy to tell this your lady is just a 15 year old Sophomore. She is the type of person that will go the extra mile in anything she does, and she’ll do it with a smile on her face. “I have known Brooklyn since she was in 3rd or 4th grade and in the same class as my son, and playing in our ASA program. Away from the field, I always see her laughing and joking around with her friends. She is the type of person that will do anything she is asked as well. She was one of the first players that we have that would volunteer for any of the concessions stands we would work at, and one of the first that would volunteer on field clean up days,” according to Grants Pass’ head softball coach Donnie Bellum.
That will do anything attitude has translated to success for Brooklyn on the softball field as well. According to Bellum, “…between this year and Hurd’s freshman year (last year) she has caught, played third, played shortstop, played second, and has played every outfield position. She is an above average player at each one of those spots as well.”
As mention earlier Brooklyn is hitting an impressive .507 this season. Vellum credits this success to her hard work on the practice field, “She is having a successful year because of all of the extra work and preparation that she puts in during the offseason and during our practices.”
Hurd echoed this response with a very passionate and mature answer,
“I believe that I am batting so well because I put in a lot of work in hitting in the off season with my coach. My team has been pushing me everyday, and they have been encouraging me a lot. For me softball means sacrifice. What I mean by that, is that in order for me to be better than I was yesterday I will sometimes have to give up hanging out with friends and having fun in the summer. I have to give up a lot of time, but when I see the work I put in pay off, I can honestly tell you that there’s no better feeling. There’s this saying and it says, For me, softball isn’t just a game it’s a way of life. I feel that I have truly experienced this. Softball has taught me so much in life, and it has helped me grow as an individual and as a person. So yes softball to me means sacrifice, but in the end I can be proud of what I accomplished due to those sacrifices.”
Hurd’s Lady Cavers (14-6, 8-5 SWC) are currently in fourth place in the Southwest conference, however just a game back from second place Roseburg (12-7, 9-4) and holds the tiebreaker advantage, with a 2-1 season series edge. Coach Bellum believes this team will be playing in the post season at the end of the year,
“My goal for this team for the rest of the season is to come out everyday and give everything we have. We want to be playing better everyday as the season progresses, and hopefully by the time the playoffs start, we will be playing our best softball. Once we get into the playoffs, anything is possible.”
Brooklyn looks at this season in more of a bigger picture and has applied some wise wisdom from coach Bellum in her mindset towards this season, “One thing that coach Bellum told us that stuck with me was that if you invest a couple dollars into a bank and it crashes then you really wouldn’t care, but if you put your life savings into that bank and it crashes then it means a lot more to you. So, my goal or my hope for our team is that we try and be better than we were yesterday. I also hope that no matter what we leave it all on the field, and my main goal is for us is to grow as a team, and as a family.” Some pretty wise and thoughtful words from, just, a Sophomore in high school.
The lead off hitter has been playing softball since the age of ten and in the Grants Pass American Softball Association (ASA) softball system since then, leaving for a brief stint and returning last year (freshmen year). Hurd has some high hope for her softball career, but being the mature Sophomore that she is, understands that education comes first, “I think that it would be amazing to play college ball, but my main focus is to get into the NROTC program in college, and if I have the chance to play softball on top of that then I would definitely jump at that opportunity.”
On top of being a stud in the classroom and on the softball field, Hurd also plays volley and even wrestles for Grant Pass. If Brooklyn isn’t playing a sport for Grants Pass, you can catch her outside experiencing nature or helping out with children ant sport camps.
Stay tuned to TablerockSports.net each week to watch live coverage of Hurd and the Lady Cavers softball team. Also, be sure to follow our Athletes of the Week each week, right here at RogueValley Sports, official blog of Tablerock Sports.
