By Derrick Smith

Throughout the career of an athlete, there are various people that have an influence and help shape who they become. These people that influence the athletes do not have to be athletes themselves, but they can be anyone that the athlete chooses to look up to. Abby Bates says that she has had a few people that have impacted her life.
“Two of my biggest influences have been coaches,” she said. “Coaches Terry Gilbert and Kriston Shumaker have played a big role in my life and helped shape me into the athlete that I am today. Also, my family because they are always in my corner and I have always looked up to them.”

Bates is a senior at Navajo High School, where she is a multisport athlete. She plays catcher for the fastpitch softball team, outfield for the slowpitch softball team, and on the basketball court, she is an outside shooter. She says that she has played both sports for as long as she can remember.
There has been a lot of growth as an athlete for Abby over the years. She says that in order to be your best, you have to give it your best.
“In order to be successful, you have to always give it one hundred and ten percent,” she said. “Along with giving it the effort, you also have to be willing to do the extra work in order to continually improve.”
While she has made a lot of memories over the years playing both sports, Bates says that there is one team accomplishment that stands out as her favorite memory.
“The highlight moment of my career happened back in 2019,” Abby said. “We made it to the state tournament and won it all. It felt great to enjoy that moment with all my teammates and see all of our hard work pay off.”
Bates’ hard work has also paid off in the form of awards and honors in both of the sports she plays.
“I’ve won multiple All-Conference titles in both sports,” she said. “I’ve won a National Championship with the OK Bulldogs Softball. I’ve been an All-Star and All American in the Triple Crown ShowCase in Colorado with Oklahoma Blaze Softball.”