Familiar territory

Sara Tate has found her niche once again.
An outfielder almost all of her playing career, the former Pine Prairie all-stater sacrificed her position her senior year to fill an ever important need at catcher for the Lady Panthers last season.
This past season, the talented first year star found herself in familiar territory once again, as she parlayed her opportunity to get back into the outfield into an award winning season at Baton Rouge Community College.
“I was so excited to be back into the outfield once again,” stated Tate. “I love to just move around instead of being confined to one area. I was able to get to play every position in the outfield. I hadn’t played in the outfield for two years, so it took some time to adjust. But, it felt like I was right back at home.”
Getting back into the groove of the outfield was not the only adjustment that Tate had to make. Having to make it on her own for the first time in her life was something that Tate had to come to grips with.
“I had a very hard time adjusting to being on my own,” said Tate. “It is a different environment because you don’t live with your parents anymore. Learning to manage my time and making sure to keep up my grades is a big responsibility, especially when you have to motivate yourself. One good thing is that my mom came down as much as she could and helped me with the transition. Thank God for her.”
Apparently Tate, the psychology major, adjusted pretty quickly as she finished her freshman year with a 3.8 overall GPA.
On the field, Tate ended her initial campaign with the Lady Bears, batting .300 for the season, which was the second leading average for the entire team. She also hit five doubles, three home runs and collected 10 RBI. Tate swiped eight bases on the year, which was tied for first among all players.
Those stats, her leadership ability and her performance in the classroom allowed Tate to earn two valuable team awards: Female Student Athlete of the Year and Coach’s Choice Award.
“When I first got here I was kind of scared because as an incoming freshman, I didn’t really know my place,” commented Tate. “So, I just went to practice and did not say much. I just did my thing. But, throughout the year, I think I started to become more of a leader. We all kind of fell into our own roles. I just made sure I stayed positive throughout the season.”
The only real disappointment of the entire year for Tate was the fact that the Lady Bears fell one game short of making it to the post-season. However, Tate is very optimistic about this coming year.
“We played a number of bigger schools and faced some really tough competition,” said Tate. “Even though we did not make it to the next level, it was still a great year. We have a lot of players coming back this next season, so I am really feeling good about the upcoming year.”
Baton Rouge Community College is only a two-year institute of high learning, which means that Tate will have to move on after this year. When asked if she wanted to continue her softball career if the opportunity arose, Tate was very forthcoming with her answer.
“One of my goals this year is to work towards getting an extra two years of playing softball,” stated Tate. “It would be great if I would get that opportunity, but getting my degree will always come first. My plan is to eventually get my masters and hopefully get a job doing social work.”
Even if she is unable to continue her career on the diamond, Tate is so grateful that she has gotten the chance to extend her career for two more years.
“I am so blessed to be able to play this game beyond my high school years,” commented Tate. “I really wish everybody could get the chance to play on the next level. I know not everyone has the opportunity to do that, so I don’t take it for granted at all. It has allowed me to meet 20 new people who are not only my team mates but are now my friends. Whether you like it or not they are now your people. You got to love them.”
One person who knew that Tate would be as successful as she has been so far on the collegiate level is former Pine Prairie head coach Carolyn Deville.
“After a little bit of coaching experience, it doesn’t take much to see which kids are for real,” said Deville. “Sara has been real from day one. You find out quickly what a quality young lady she is. She has had a ball and glove in her hand for a long time. She has truly dedicated herself to this sport and it has paid off for her. I was thrilled and excited for her to get to play on the next level. I am still proud to say that she was one on mine and I got to be a part of her life.”