The Reagan Softball team will host “Ashley Night” prior to their game against Johnson on Tuesday, April 11 to recognize their own #11 and only senior on the team, Ashley Swetonic. Game time is 5:30 at the NE Softball Complex.
Senior Ashley Swetonic finishes off her fourth and last softball season as Reagan’s varsity catcher. She explains how being a part of the team has sculpted her in many ways. From making new friends and memories to growing mentally and learning the battle of the sport. It all started from an influence.
“I grew up with my brothers playing baseball, so I made the choice to follow right behind them and find a new passion,” Swetonic said. From there, she was able to play a total of 10 years of softball, with four being at Reagan.
One major piece of advice that has always stuck with Swetonic was to be willing to put in the work to see results. “Because at the end of the day, you are not going to be given what you want, you have to work for it,” she said. “You have to mentally be willing to play and be able to learn, grow, and be coachable. If you see an opportunity to show your intentions and skills, go for it.” While hard work is important to Swetonic, she recognizes that there’s always more to learn. “It was definitely beneficial for me to receive the constructive criticism that I got,” she said. “You think you know it all, but we really don’t.”
This fall, Ashley will be attending the University of Central Florida and majoring in nursing. Although she has chosen to not play for the university, her love for the sport will always remain, and greater opportunities will be coming her way.
Article written by Sophomore Isla Caban and copy edited by Junior Shanthi Kapoor.