Junior shortstop Kalie Zvonar is taking on a lot of responsibility on BNI’s varsity softball team this year. Working hard by handling a heavy academic schedule and rigorous softball training  has made Kalie, who has been playing since she was four, one of the key leaders on this year’s team.

After losing many of the old leadership rolls last year, Zvonar knew she had to step up.

“Being a leader on the varsity team is a huge responsibility, but I really like holding that role because we have a really good program with really good girls and they make it easy to be a good leader,” says Zvonar.

Not many people think of the shortstop as a leader, but this role is the glue that holds the fielders together.

“As a shortstop I really have to communicate with both the infield and the outfield because softball is a team sport and we all need to be on the same page,” she said.“The whole varsity team is really good at talking. We have a strong middle infield as well, so communicating with the rest of the team is never really an issue.”

Although there are many jobs she is expected to do when it comes to softball, she also is very focused on her academics.

“Being a student athlete is just hard in general but when I go home, I go straight to my homework,” said Zvonar, who sometimes has to multitask by eating dinner while doing her homework Although practices and meetings take up a lot of her time, she still manages to keep a GPA of 4.0.

Managing a sport and good grades gets rough at times, but Zvonar has many people behind her to help support when she feels it is simply too much to handle.

“My main supporters are my mom, dad, sister, and Jake [Fuerhmeyer]. They all really know what to say to me when I am having a bad day but they also know how to criticize me when I need help, which is all the time!”

Zvonar and her boyfriend Jake, who plays varsity baseball,  talk sports often and she credits Fuerhmeyer for giving her advice on her swing or fielding.

But she feels a special bond with her mom, who has been coaching her since she was in T-ball.

“She is the mom that you see at the field on the weekends hitting me ground balls while my sister stands on first base catching them for me.”

Zvonar also puts emphasis on her team being a family as a whole.

“Always being there to lift up each other is one thing that the softball team is really good at. I know if I am not having a good day–on or off the field–my teammates will always have my back.”