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Southmoore’s Addison Willis – Character Counts Presented by Oklahoma Educators Credit Union

As a catcher and infielder with a 3.5 GPA, Southmoore junior Addison Willis is a standout student athlete. Sabercats head slowpitch coach Jason Lingo has taken notice.

“Addison is a great example of what a student athlete should strive to be,” said Coach Lingo. “She is an extremely hard worker both on the field and in classroom. She is also very active in leadership and mentoring roles in our school and in the community as well. She is a member of the LINK CREW at Southmoore, which is a mentoring group that helps freshman get acclimated and be successful in high school. She also helps mentor and coach young softball teams in Moore.”

Willis began playing softball at the age of four and continued on to follow her family legacy.

“What made me want to do so was my family has a long baseball history and playing at high levels so I wanted to be just like them and compete at a high level,” she said.

Willis enjoys the level of competition she faces while competing for Southmoore.

“Not only being able to play with but also against some of the best players is a great experience,” she said. “There’s multiple girls who play the same position but if you focus and work hard you’ll stand out to the coaches and many others as well. I also love the friendships that are made playing for my high school.”

These friendships she’s made are important in and out of softball.

“My teammates mean the world to me,” she said. “They’re all very encouraging but also push me to be the absolute best I can be, not only on the softball field but in the classroom as well.”

Willis always strives to have good character in athletics, which includes a few aspects she includes in her everyday life.

“Having good character to me means having a good work ethic and being respectful,” she said. “I implement hard work in softball by not only practicing with my team but also practicing on my own. I go to hitting lessons every week, I practice with my school team everyday, and I practice with my travel softball team several times a week. I respect my coaches and try to do everything they ask of me and try to keep everyone on the path they want us to be focused on. I also respect my teammates very much and I try to encourage them as much as they encourage me.”

Willis says that while the Sabercats may have been underestimated this year, they have had a fantastic season.

“This slowpitch season has been incredible,” she said. “My team and I have really worked hard to be able to compete at a high level and a lot of people underestimated us but we have opened everyone’s eyes.”

Willis has plans for her future, and those don’t seem to be changing any time soon.

“My dream since I was a little girl was to play softball in college, and that dream has never changed; I am still very dedicated to play at the next level, so my plan after high school is to further my education by going to a good college, playing softball and becoming a physical therapist,” she said.

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