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Rob Weil, who is one of the top high school and club softball coaches in the nation, is not one for hyperbole, so when the Los Alamitos High and Firecrackers coach tells you a player is special … she is special.
“Ali is one of the top three most talented kids I’ve coached in 30 years,” Weil said of Los Alamitos/So Cal Athletics-Richardson infielder Aliya Belarde. “She is a leader. She also is a player that you can count on in any crucial situation. What she means to the team? She’s our leader and she’s our spark plug. She is one of the kids that kids look up to and they get motivated by her, by her work ethic and her ability to play the game.”
Belarde, a former hula dancer who was named after R&B icon Aaliyah, has put up stats against the best competition at the high school level and the toughest teams on the club circuit. Her efforts helped the So Cal A’s finish tied for third at the PGF 18U Premier Nationals this past summer.
“Ali as a teammate is great,” said Taylor Holcroft, who plays with Belarde on the So Cal A’s. “She works extremely hard at softball. In doing so, her team follows her lead. As a player, she can play every position on the field and does it all at the plate … slap, bunt and hits away. Great athlete and a competitor.”
Go inside the “Extra Inning Spotlight” to learn more about one of the top 2020 prospects in the nation…
