Softball Star Kendall Reid may go unnoticed in most public settings, but on the softball field she is the most recognizable figure in Florida. Standing six feet three inches, it’s impossible to miss Reid at 3rd base. Yet the Mandarin senior is not just known for her stature, she’s even more recognizable for her play on the field. She has 43 career home runs (School Record), 14 home runs & 48 RBI this year (area best), and is batting over .500 for the season. On top of all her personal accolades this year, her team won the softball district championship, and has advanced to the State regional semifinals.
With the amount of success that Kendall has achieved on the field, one would naturally assume that she exudes a bit of swagger off the field. However this is far from the case. When asked to describe what makes her so good at softball she responded with a smile saying “I’m really not that good”.
A humble response molded no doubt from her humble beginnings. As the youngest of four siblings and the only girl, Kendall competed against her older brothers constantly. Her father reminisced of several times in which she beat her brothers in something competitive. ” Kendall is a natural learner” he said, “she strives to be the best of the best in everything”. At five years old Kendall played Rec ball at the Mandarin Sports Association. Her natural ability found her quickly moving on to travel ball at the age of eight due to her power and speed. Travel ball is where she credits playing against the “best of the best” as an important phase in her personal development as a softball player. She would eventually move on to middle school softball at Mandarin Middle.
“Travel ball is just tournaments, however middle school ball ended with a championship, so I was excited to play for a championship as a team”.
Her 9th grade varsity softball team would make the final four, giving Kendall an early but brief taste of major success at the next level. After mellowing out the next two years, Reid and her Mustang teammates have a tremendous opportunity to go even further than the final four this year. Mandarin plays Hagerty, the USA Today #4 ranked team in the nation today at 7pm in Ovideo Florida. But Reid is ready for the challenge, and knows that being a captain for the first time means some added responsibility. ” I don’t let it get to my head, I try to lead by example on the field”- Reid. Ironically, Kendall will be playing her next playoff game near the school that she will attend for college (University of Central Florida). The Knights will have an up close and personal view of one of their incoming freshman in Reid. They are sure to see a player that continues to improve with every game. A star escalating to the top.
