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Last Monday, April 26, was National Kids and Pets Day and to celebrate the day, Extra Inning Softball asked players, family members and coaches to send in their favorite pics of players with their pets.
Based on voting by the softball community, we are happy to announce that Eleni Katsivalis a 2022 multi-position standout with the Firecrackers Brashear/Smith 18U club team out of Orange County (California) is this year’s winner!
Eleni told us that her dog, a cute Corgi named Hercules, joined her family when he was only 11 weeks old and is now a year and a half old. Because her family is Greek, they wanted to name him after a Greek God and so “Hercules was the unanimous decision!”
The human in the relationship hails from Yorba Linda, California, and has found a canine softball buddy in Hercules.
“Hercules loves anything outdoors and loves to come with my dad and me to the field when I practice,” says Eleni, “so he can run and shag balls in the outfield. He even loves to play with some whiffle balls and a softball in the house so I think there is definitely some softball love there!”
Eleni has played softball since she was five years old and travel ball since she was 10. She believes growing up at the fields watching her two older siblings, James (age 25) and Katherine (22), play ball contributed to her own success between the lines, along with the support of parents and grandparents.
“My dad, who works every day, will go practice with me no matter how late it is or how tired he is,” she explains. “My mom never misses a game and is my travel-buddy. My 87-year-old grandma lives with us and has been one of my biggest supporters since the beginning and my coaches, Mike Smith and Sean Brashear, continually encourage me to be the absolute best I can be.”
Softball legend Susie Parra, a three-time All-American pitcher and National Champion for the Arizona Wildcats in the 1990’s and the 1994 National Player of the Year, has also been a huge role model for Eleni, who started pitching lessons at age seven with Coach Susie and says she’s benefitted from working with the softball great on and off the field.
“Our relationship is awesome and, even if I don’t see her as much as I used to, I know I can text or call her for advice,” Eleni continues. “Besides being an amazing athlete, she is a good, humble person and I’m happy to have her in my life.”
The high school junior is looking to carve out her own legacy and, when asked what has been her favorite softball experience, she recounted a game during her freshman year in high school.
“During a tense rivalry game with Esperanza High (where my sister played), I hit a home run off the scoreboard in center at our field.”
Today, Eleni is making memories with one of the top 18U club teams in the nation and feels like her So Cal-based Firecrackers team is a second family.
“No matter how long we have been together or how far we live from each other,” the outfielder says, “we practice, play, work together and pull together to play at the highest level. I feel 100 percent that my teammates have my back and I have theirs.”
Eleni and her team are excited for the upcoming season, especially after not being able to play last summer because of the COVID pandemic. Earlier this year, the Firecrackers qualified for a Tier 1 berth to the Alliance Championship Series in Oklahoma City this July and says how much the travel ball team is looking forward to playing against other elite teams in the nation.
“We are excited to go back to Colorado for the Triple Crown 4th of July Fireworks and I know we will be ready.”
The team may be hitting the road to play in many of the most prestigious softball events across the country, but what helps Eleni get through all the grind of traveling to Nationals and other top tournaments is knowing that Hercules will be waiting by the door for when she does get home.
And will be wanting to shag as many balls in the outfield as his human buddy can stand to send his way!
— Bonnie Eads, Extra Inning Softball
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