The Shoemaker Bugle

By Denisse Sanchez

Our Eagle Athlete Spotlight is on Zoey Williams, an 18-year old senior at John Glenn High School who is in the unique position of being a girl on the boys’ baseball team. 

Her thought process behind joining baseball is that she’s setting a good example for girls. She believes that women and girls can do as much equal hard work as men and boys.

Zoey was interested in playing baseball because she wanted to try something different. Growing up she played Little League baseball until she was 10 years old, and then she transferred to softball. In addition to baseball and softball, she also plays volleyball.

Transferring from Artesia to Glenn, it was time to meet Zoey and learn more about her, so I conducted an interview with her in early May, and this is what she had to say:

Question: What was your thought process when considering baseball at Glenn? Did the fact that the sport is led by men affect your decision at all? Does it make a difference for you?

Zoey: My thought process for considering baseball at Glenn was how I would be treated coming onto the team by the other players and parents. But I kept telling myself at the end of the day I’m setting an example that women can do as much equal hard work as men. The fact that the sport is all men didn’t change my decision on still joining. Being the only female on varsity baseball for Glenn has been different for me because I have to work ten times harder than the rest of my teammates–the throw is longer compared to playing softball and the uniforms are bigger than usual so I have to get special uniforms (laughing), but everything else isn’t really different only because I’m treated equally like how the boys who are my teammates get treated.

Question: What made you want to join baseball instead of softball?

Zoey: I chose to do baseball over softball because I wanted to try something new for my senior year and show others to not be afraid to join something they want to do. But I was on the softball team and ended up leaving the team to join baseball full time with the boys.

Question: What position do you play?

Zoey: I play anywhere in the infield except for pitcher, but my main position is catcher. When I’m not catching, shortstop is my secondary position.

Question: How have the games been going so far?

Zoey: I thought the games were really good, in my opinion, being that I started both games as catcher.

Question: As a kid did you ever play sports? Did you play Little League or softball?

Zoey: As a kid I played T-ball and Little League baseball until I was 10, which then I transferred to softball for 12u all the way up to now which will be 18u going into college level playing for a college. Growing up since I was a kid I also raced dirt bikes and quads (4-wheelers) and I played volleyball which I still do and enjoy very much.

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