Photos provided.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Tenth grader Julia Murdick reminds us that growth stems from the confidence within.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Tenth grader Julia Murdick reminds us that growth stems from the confidence within.
Murdick is Saratoga Central Catholic’s varsity shortstop of the softball team. She began playing when she was eight years old and wasn’t quite fond of the game at first.
“I had to learn to like it. I always thought that was just my brother’s thing and I wasn’t really good at it, at first.”
When she was ten years old, she made it onto a travel team; turns out, she was better than she gave herself credit for. This year she was named Saratoga Central Catholic’s Most Improved Player.
“I think my confidence improved most this year. I don’t know if I got that because of my skills, but I think I had a lot more confidence at bat and on the field.”
Though Murdick notices she’s more confident in herself, she is a dedicated athlete whose hard work certainly did not go unnoticed. Murdick spent her winters with personal batting coaches twice a week.
As Murdick grew on and off the field, she’s had the support of her family and her teammates.
“A lot of us encourage each other most of the time. We always keep each other’s heads up, and forget the errors, forget the last play and move on,” said Murdick.
Her mother is not only one of her biggest supporters, but she is the person who most inspires her (even more than her favorite athlete Derek Jeter).
“She’s always just been everything. She’s always supported me and been there for me through my whole career,” said Murdick. “She always drops me off and picks me up from all of my practices and games. She’s always cheering me on.”
With two more years at Saratoga Central Catholic, Murdick will continue to grow with her team.
