Friday, March 29, 2024

Practice makes perfect

Inside one of the Goats hardest workers

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CHELAN - What were you doing around 6 a.m. this morning? 

While I’m sure the majority of you were probably sleeping, one girl that most likely wasn’t; Chelan senior Katie Gleasman. She was probably either training in the weight room or helping out her family on their farm. There is no rest for the wicked nor is there for Katie Gleasman, at least not when there are two more games against Cashmere left in her final high school regular season. 

This past year, Gleasman has been putting in the extra time early in the morning training for the softball season. She does this in her words to ‘repay herself because working hard makes her feel like a better person’ but that strong work ethic was something she picked up from her family. During the summer, Gleasman is often up by sunrise helping her parents on their farm. 

“We get up at six, sometimes five and pick cherries, move tractors or do other tasks our parents ask,” Gleasman said in reference to her and her siblings, Lexie and Lucas, although the latter is now playing football at Carrol College in Montana. “My parents taught me to work hard and that if I wanted to get something done I have to work for it, so that has helped me get up and do weights in the morning.” 

Gleasman said she started to train in the morning after noticing how much faster and stronger she was after the summer lift program last year. 

“So I kept going myself and it was my motivation during school, there was no reason for me to do it other than I wanted to get better,” Gleasman stated. 

Overall, it seems her hard work has paid off as Gleasman has been on an offensive tear this whole year. 

Of course, Gleasman will be the first to tell you that persevering through and managing her emotions during the game has been contributing factor as well.

“During my freshman year, if I made one error or turned the ball over in basketball I should shut down and I lost motivation. It was hard for me to realize to just let the pressure go but my coaches have helped me work on it through the years,” Gleasman admitted. “Some people don’t understand the way I come off, but I just am really competitive, so if I get excited or am yelling, I’m not mad, just fired up. I love getting competitive.”

Head coach Jeff Barker agreed with Gleasman in saying that “katie has done a much better job keeping her emotions in check. In the past, things that were beyond her control bothered her to the point that it affected the way she performed. But she has a strong personality and she is a very tough ball player. We have discussed body language over the years and just letting the game come to her and she has done a much better job at that this year. Her toughness and strong personality is what makes her a leader.” 

That competitive spirit was something Gleasman (a three sport athlete) picked up as a product of her athletic family. 

“I would like to be as strong as my brother, and I love to compete with my younger sister (Lexie) between who gets the hardest hit in volleyball, or most points in basketball or most hits in softball. So being in an athletic family, it has taught me there is always someone there for you, pushing you and leaning on you to be better.” 

And for the past six years, instead of swimming all day or enjoying time on Lake Chelan, Gleasman has been playing sometimes eight softball games a day with her travel team during tournaments and over 60 games total a year.

Gleasman has been rewarded with her hard work with a stellar year, highlighted by a homerun in her final hit at Mountain Goat Field and a scholarship offer to Centralia College in Olympia. 

Although Gleasman said she doesn’t like going far from home without her parents, after a visit in January where she got to practice with the team, she said is excited to go out on her own and be with a new coaching staff and new girls. 

As for this year, now that it is the final week of the season, Gleasman is starting to get a little sad knowing her high school athletic career is drawing to a close. 

When asked if she will shed a tear, Gleasman chuckled, looked out to the field and replied “god I hope not.” 

Her most memorable athletic achievement came last year when the Chelan basketball team beat Cashmere, and although their softball team isn’t as good, I’m sure a couple wins on Friday, May 5 against the Bulldogs to close out the regular season will rank up there as well. 

 

Zach Johnson can be reached at lcmeditor@gmail.com or (509) 682-2213

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