By Blake Chadwick
A lot of catchers know that they have a huge job to do, and for Andover Central senior Ellie Kucera her job is no different.
Kucera has been playing softball since second grade and competitively when she got older. The senior knows what it takes to play at a high level and holds herself to a certain standard that she obtains for herself, but also for her father, head coach Anthony Kucera.
“We have a good dynamic,” Coach Kucera said. “Earlier in her high school career she dealt with others thinking she only played because I was a coach on the team and at that point, I was only an assistant coach but she had to work harder than others to prove she belonged on the field.”
The Andover Central senior knew that she had a lot to prove and made sure that she honed her skills and met the standard all the time.
“Our former head coach had the rule that I was not allowed to get after her for mistakes,” Coach Kucera said. “I held her to a higher standard than the other players so I would be harder on her. Now as a senior, she has battled through those trials and earned the respect of her peers. It has been a growing process for the both of us and outside of practice and games we try to keep our relationship father/daughter instead of coach/ player.”
The Jaguars are coming off of a 16-12 season and Kucera will be looking to build off of an all-league honorable mention season.
“My personal goals are to become a more accurate hitter, a quicker pop time, and to grow as a player overall,” Kucera said. “My team goals are to win state and to become a well-oiled machine and to grow closer with the girls on the team as well.”
