A complete player: KCU's Pavey overcomes challenges on and off softball field in inspiring story of determination

Jul. 22—It was a day that Cory Gardner will never forget.

The young coach had just started a new softball program at Cincinnati Christian University a couple seasons before he and his assistant arrived at a team camp in Brandenburg, Kentucky in 2018.

He was looking for players to take his program to the next level. Gardner had his eye on a pitcher and catcher combo. Gardner went to observe this duo and his assistant coach ventured to the other fields at the complex to watch other players.

They had just parted ways when Gardner's phone started ringing.

"Within five minutes of her going over there, my phone lit up, and it was her," Gardner said. "She said, 'Coach, you have to come over to this field and see this girl.'" I said, 'You've only been there a few minutes. Watch her a bit more. You can't tell me in five minutes that you've found this gem.' She replied, 'I don't how to describe what I'm seeing, but you need to get over here.'"

Gardner relented and walked over to the next field to find his assistant. They both witnessed 50-plus kids on the diamond that day, but one clearly stood out. She was winning every drill, had the quickest transfer time during throw-and-relay work and was outworking and outhustling every other girl.

"There was no question about her attitude or effort," Gardner said. "You can't hide effort. She was winning every competition. Whether it was who could throw the farthest or the fastest home-to-home baserunning times, you could tell that she was extremely competitive and that was her comfort zone. She was not going to back down."

The performance alone left the duo impressed, especially after they noticed there was something missing.

She only had one arm.

Katelyn Pavey loved the game of softball ever since she picked up a bat to play T-ball at 3 years old and she has excelled in the sport through her high school and college career.

Pavey's left arm did not fully form due to a congenital condition at birth. On the softball field, Pavey must adapt her playing style because she can only field and bat with her right arm.

The upcoming redshirt senior at Kentucky Christian University does not see it as a disability, but an opportunity. Pavey has embraced her situation and wants to motivate others with her show of strength, unabashed will and outlook on life.

"When I was younger, I was told that God does not make mistakes," Pavey said. "God made you this way for a reason. He gave me these talents and abilities for a reason. It didn't really hit me until after high school. Softball is a platform to glorify Him. It's also a platform to inspire other people and other kids. If they think they can't do it, I'm a living, walking testimony. If I can do it, you can do it."

Faith and Family

Pavey's first softball coach was her father, Eric. They started working on her hand-eye coordination at an early age in their backyard.

The first thing her father did was buy her a Velcro grove from Walmart that allowed Pavey to work on her timing and glove transfer.

"When I was young, I had trouble figuring it out," Pavey said. "I would throw my glove on the ground, step on it, pick up the ball and then throw it. Obviously, that's too slow to play in any competitive league. ... Now, I have my glove in my right hand, catch the ball, slip it off to my left arm, and then get the ball out.

"It was my dad who introduced me to the sport, along with my grandfather, David," she continued. "It grew from there."

Every daily task became difficult. Pavey found the adjustment period frustrating at times. She leans on her faith and the support of her family to persevere.

Pavel said her dad would never let her say the words, "I can't."

"Everything I did growing up was challenging," Pavey said. "Even tying my shoes. I had to learn how to adapt and learn how to do things my own way. My dad will let me fail quite often and I would fail all the time. But there was always a moment that I realized that I could overcome the adversity."

During Pavey's college recruitment, Eric had one important question for Gardner. He already knew that his daughter could handle playing at the next level, but wanted to know if a future coach would have the same level of commitment.

"When I recruited her, one of the first questions her father asked was, have you coached a girl with one arm and how would you coach a player with one arm?" Gardner said. "I said, 'No, I never had, and truth be told' — and I think this is what sparked her interest in playing for me — 'I understand that there might be ways we have to do things differently, but she will be treated like everybody else on the team.' ... I don't pay any attention to the fact that she has one arm."

Pavey was a four-year starter, an all-conference performer and team captain for her final three seasons at Lanesville High School in southern Indiana, just 16 miles from Louisville.

Her dad and grandfather became Pavey's coaches once more for her junior and senior year of high school. They both were on the field when she hit her first home run in one of her last high school games.

"Having my grandfather and my dad there in that moment was so special to me," Pavey said. "I always enjoy having my grandpa at first base. He would always be there when I got on base. Having my dad there pushing me and believing in me, it meant a lot. It still does to this day."

'Just Want to Prove Them Wrong'

Pavey faced plenty of obstacles and opposition on the softball field and would never back down. Players would disrespect her. Parents would question her place on Little League and travel ball rosters.

It was difficult for Pavey to comprehend because she was a main contributor to the team, and most times, she was in the starting lineup.

One incident never left Pavey's thoughts and has been a motivating factor during her playing days.

"I was playing 10U travel softball and my coach called my parents and me up to her house," Pavey said. "She said, 'I must ask you to leave my team.' I was starting in the outfield! Another parent was coming up to her and said she was upset because I was playing over her daughter. I don't like drama on my teams.

"Jesus always said turn the other cheek," she continued. "It always stuck with me. I just used that as fuel to get better. I just want to prove them wrong. I can play and compete with other players."

The recruiting process didn't get much easier. Coaches were impressed with her ability but couldn't get past the fact that she played with one arm. Pavey said she questioned whether her softball career would continue after high school.

"There would always be a 'but' involved," Pavey said. "Coaches saw my talent and saw that I could play, but they didn't want to take a chance on me. It was really tough. I kept putting myself out there. It started to get late in the process. I felt like I'm never going to get recruited. Then I met coach Gardner and the first thing he said was, 'I don't care if we have one arm or even no arms. I could play ball.'"

Gardner could see Pavey's love for the game and the impact she could make on his program on that day at the Elite camp. Six years later, the duo is still together at KCU.

"She doesn't want to be treated any differently than anybody else," Gardner said. "She wants to earn her way on the team and into the starting lineup. She has done that. The competitor in her doesn't allow her to fail. She will do something until she perfects it or beats somebody out for that position."

Facing More Adversity

At the final scrimmage before she would play her first college game at Cincinnati Christian University, Pavey hit a grounder to the opposing shortstop.

Pavey never took a play off, even during a practice game, and sprinted towards first base. She took one last stride, but when her foot hit the bag, her knee exploded.

She tore her ACL and meniscus. Pavey had to redshirt her freshman year and prolong the start of her college career.

"I was always strong in my faith," Pavey said. "That first year was tough. I started questioning God. Why did bad things happen to good people? I was in a real bad depression that first year. I didn't want to get out of my room. I didn't want to do anything else. I just loved softball so much. It took me awhile to realize softball isn't everything. I put my faith in God."

Pavey learned that her recovery time would be nine months, but she was back on the field in four and a half.

She played her sophomore year. Pavey tried other positions but eventually returned to the outfield.

Disaster struck again before the next season started. Gardner and his players received word that Cincinnati Christian was shutting down. Pavey only had two months to find another place to play. Gardner was out of a job.

Pavey moved on to Midway College, located just northwest of Lexington. She played 20 games for the Eagles before the COVID-19 pandemic closed the door on the 2020 season.

Gardner had returned to his hometown of Morehead. The Rowan County alum applied for the open coaching position at KCU and took over the softball program from Dave Miller.

Pavey didn't waste any time reaching out to her former coach when she learned about his new gig. Pavey dropped everything at Midway to be reunited with her former coach again.

"If there was ever a player I wanted to coach again, it was Katelyn," Gardner said. "By the grace of God, the day the KCU put out a press release, I got an email from Katelyn. We went through the appropriate communication lines. Two days later, she was a Knight. It's a testimony to the bond we built. Relationships go a really long way in college athletics."

Knight and Day

Pavey hoped she would return to a Christian university after CCU. She will begin her sixth and final college softball season this fall at KCU.

The Knights finished 18-20 last year in Gardner's second season. Pavey has slowly progressed up the lineup during her time in Grayson.

She's now firmly cemented in the leadoff position and plays center field. Pavey led the Knights with a .360 batting average and scored the most runs on the team during her junior year (29).

Pavey started as a switch hitter but found that she swings the bat more effectively from the left side of the plate.

"When I was hitting from the right side, I would drop my bat a lot," Pavey said. "I held it with my back hand and the bat head would drop. I was under the ball and popping it up. I swing from the left side and from that angle, I was a lot stronger. ... I can slap it to get on base, but I can also hit for power. It's a tool I can use, depending on where the defense is playing me."

At 23 years old, Pavey has become the leader on the team, according to Gardner. KCU athletic director David Manning said Pavey's presence exceeds far beyond campus.

"I've coached there at East Carter for quite a while," Manning said. "When I mention Katelyn, those girls (on the softball team) and my daughter, Audrey, they are like, 'She's amazing.' We have a lot of middle school girls on the team, and they know her. She has a bigger impact on the younger ladies than she realizes."

Pavey has used her extended playing career to expand her horizons in the classroom. She has already earned a business degree with an emphasis in sports management and will soon receive a master's degree in Christian leadership.

"KCU has been great," Pavey said. "It reminds me so much of CCU. It has the same values. It's the reason I wanted to go to a small Christian university. It's small enough to where you can know everybody. You feel like a family and worship with like-minded people. Coach Gardner is making it his program. Everybody has the same mindset and have the same willingness to go out and play for each other."

Lights, Camera, Action

Pavey's small-school experience and inspiring story will make it to the big screen late this year. Producer and director Tyler Sansom just wrapped filming on the movie "I Can" late this summer in Pavey's hometown.

It's expected to have a limited release at the theaters and then be available on various streaming services.

Actress Danner Brown will play Pavey in the movie, but Pavey will have a role in the film as Brown's stunt double. The real-life player will handle the softball duties viewers will see in the film.

Pavey didn't want to make the movie at first. She came to realize that it's another outlet to tell her message of courage and determination.

"I told the producer, who is also my pastor, I don't want to draw attention on myself," Pavey said. "I didn't feel I had a story to tell. But if I can inspire one person or help one person find and follow Jesus, then I'm doing something to help kids in the same situations. It's uplifting to know that I'm using my gifts for a purpose."

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msparks@dailyindependent.com