Athletes invest a lot of hard work and time so that they can be their best every time they step out on the field or court. They want to be their best because they know that their spot on the field is not guaranteed, especially if someone else is working harder.

Shelby Davis is a freshman at Calumet High School. As a dual sport athlete, she knows that it takes more than just practice.

“You have to be very dedicated to being your best,” she said. “There is always someone that is trying to take your spot so you have to keep getting those extra hours on the field and practicing.”

Davis plays both softball and basketball for the Chieftains. She says that she has been playing softball for as far back as she can remember, but she still loves it to this day.

“I’ve played softball my whole life,” Davis stated. “When I was little, I played t-ball and then I went on to machine pitch and I’ve been in love with the sport ever since. When I started playing kid pitch we needed a catcher so I tried it and I love the position so much. If I wasn’t catching I was playing shortstop.”

There are a number of people that Shelby looks up to, but she says that her biggest influence is a former collegiate softball player.

One of my biggest role models is Paige Halstead,” she stated. “I look up to her because she was the catcher for UCLA and now she is a softball coach and she shares her experiences as a D1 catcher. I also enjoy following her on social media because she always shares catching tips and her experiences at the D1 level.”

Calumet softball coach Karly Murray says that Shelby is a self-motivated and hard-working athlete that has earned all she has achieved.

“She is one of the hardest working, success-driven athletes that I know,” Murray said. “She is an excellent friend who is reliable both on and off the field, and a dedicated, passionate, goal-driven kid with a no one will outwork me attitude.”