Sarasota Athlete of the Week: Allie Leichter

Allie Leichter, 14, is a freshman at Riverview High and plays catcher in Miss Sarasota Softball. She plans on trying out for the Rams softball team in the spring. 

How long have you been playing softball?

I played T-ball starting when I was 5 and played baseball after that. I switched to softball two springs ago. 

What is your best skill on the field?

Probably communication. Not a lot of girls are good at that, so I can help them with it. As a catcher, you have to make sure everyone is paying attention. 

What is your favorite baseball-softball memory?

When I was 9 and I played baseball, during a playoff game, there were two outs and my team was losing. The bases were loaded. I had one of these old wood bats. I got a double and the end of my bat broke, but we won the game. 

What is the appeal of softball to you?

Not a lot of girls play softball, especially catcher. I want to go to college and try something different. To try and go where I want to (the University of Southern California), I wanted to stand out and be different. 

What goals do you have for yourself or your team?

I hope everyone learns to talk better. Some people try to express things in ways that other people might not understand. I want everyone to work together as a team. That's the main point of fall ball, to get better as a team. 

What is your favorite food?

Chicken nuggets. No dipping sauces, not even ketchup. 

What is your favorite TV show or movie?

I would say my favorite movie is "Fight Club" and my favorite TV show is "Modern Family." Those are very different from each other, but both are good. 

What is your favorite subject in school?

I'm in honors astronomy right now. It's hard, we use a college textbook. We get to go to the planetarium (at the South Florida Museum) though, and that's a lot of fun. 

What hobbies do you have?

I edit movies on the side. I'm starting to do this thing with my friend (Michael Hariss) where he films things and I edit them. It's what both of us want to do (in the future). 

What is the best piece of advice you have received?

Kanye West once said, "Nothing in life is promised except death." You have to work for everything else, everything good. 

Finish this sentence: "Allie Leichter is ... " 

... Determined. If I want to do something, I do it, no matter the cost. I don't care how painful it is, I just get there.