Zeeland East's Ella Hathaway is the exemplary teammate

ZEELAND — The life of a catcher can be a thankless one.

They get beaten, bruised and hide behind several layers of protective gear, with fans or teammates rarely getting a glimpse of their face when they're on the diamond. It doesn't have the glory that comes with being an ace pitcher or a hotshot shortstop. None of that matters for Ella Hathaway, though.

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The Zeeland East junior relishes her role behind the dish. She has the ability to play at the corner infield spots too, but the overwhelming majority of her action comes from right next to the batter.

While hidden away from the limelight, Hathaway is a tireless worker in the shadows. Ken Jipping, Zeeland East's head coach, eyes light up when talking about the dedication she brings to the field day in and day out.

"She is the workhorse of this team, is behind the plate nearly every day, takes a beating back there and comes back for more the next day," Jipping said. "If there's anybody that's got more work ethic than her, I'd like to see them."

That non-stop attitude doesn't just stop when she crosses the white lines and her day at the field is done. She brings that sort of never-ending drive to get better into every aspect of her life whether that's as an athlete, as a student, where she boasts a GPA near 4.0, or just as a young woman.

There's an aspect of competition to it, with Hathaway wanting to be the best at everything she does. After all, what high schooler doesn't?  But at the core of that mindset is something deeper and more meaningful than any potential accolades she can achieve.

"I think it kind of stems from my faith, I believe in giving everything your 100% and giving everything to the Lord," Hathaway said. "Everything is for Him so you should just work your hardest for Him, no matter what you're doing."

Her faith sparks her attitude, but that isn't the only reason why she's been such a major influence for the Chix this season. Hard work only goes so far when there's not natural talent behind it and Hathaway has tons of that too.

Her coaches say that watching her work each and every day you can see exactly how she's getting better. She was the everyday starter behind the dish a year ago during her first year of varsity softball, but she's taken it to a new level this season.

Nelson Gruppen, an assistant coach that works primarily with pitchers and catchers, said he's seen her blocking ability improve tremendously since last year. Her softball IQ has taken a big step up too after seeing a full season at the highest level in high school. Those two things have allowed the pitchers on the staff to have a lot more belief in themselves when they're in the circle.

They know that whatever pitch they're about to throw at the plate, their catcher will be ready to lay her body on the line to keep it in front of her.

"When Ella is back there and the way she's learned and grown throughout the year it just gives me so much confidence as a pitcher, knowing she has my back," said junior Katie Carlson. "If it's in the dirt, she's blocking it, if it's a pop up she's going to run to get that ball and it gives me a calming feeling overall because I trust her."

WIth about 95% of her duties and responsibilities coming as a backstop, she's the player Jipping and Gruppen trust to roll out behind the dish on virtually a daily basis. But with such a young team, seven of the 14 players are freshmen, she's not always going to be able to play her primary spot.

With no JV team, several of the players are still learning how to play softball at the varsity level. It's forced her out of her spot to allow Jipping to put everybody in the best possible position for the team a few times in the season. She's comfortable at first and third base in addition to her work as a catcher.

That's not where her versatility stops, though. The ability for her to play so many spots on the field is massive, especially with such a small team in the COVID age when several players could be held out even if they don't seem sick. Whether or not Hathaway has ever played the position Jipping asks her to play, she won't bat an eye. The junior will do whatever it takes for the team to get another tally mark in the win column.

"If somebody is sick, you need somebody to step in and play the position [the sick person normally would]," Hathaway said. "Everybody honestly on the team has that mentality, to go where you're needed and play it well and do your best, that mentality is so important."

Her on-field exploits are just half the reason why she's such a critical component to the Chix. When she's in the dugout cheering on her teammates, or teaching an underclassman something is where she makes probably the biggest impact on the team.

For Hathaway, helping the team get better for the future is the most important thing. She's fine toiling away behind the plate and in the dugout as long as the Chix are improving constantly, she doesn't need any thanks from the outside world.

That selfless attitude is what makes her one of the many critical pieces that make the Zeeland East softball team, which sits in second place in the OK Green, tick. No matter the ask, she's always there to drop and block or give a helping hand to her teammates.

"She is the epitome of a good teammate," Jipping said. "If you could have 25 of her, you would want all 25 of her in the dugout because of everything she brings to the team."

—Contact Assistant Sports Editor Will Kennedy at Will.Kennedy@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @ByWillKennedy and Facebook @Holland Sentinel Sports.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Ella Hathaway leading by example for resurgent Chix softball