Colby Beré ’18 will be finishing her 4th year as a part of Andover Softball this season.
Since joining Andover Varsity Softball her Junior year, Co-Captain and second basewoman Colby Beré ’18 has led the team to a 2018 second place Big East tournament placement and numerous victories along the way, a result of her intense dedication and spirited nature.
While Beré first picked up the sport in first grade, she did not begin competing on a high level until later on in middle school.
“I started playing softball in my town in first grade, but didn’t play super competitively until I was 12,” Beré wrote in an email to The Phillipian.
According to Beré, her favorite part of the sport is the energy of the team.
“The thing I enjoy the most about the sport is the energy that the team gets when we are winning or have a good inning,” Beré wrote.
Beré added, “I love that the team is so close. All of the girls I consider to be my really close friends and it’s awesome that we get to come together everyday and do something together that we enjoy doing.”
Bridget Santos ’21 and Jess Blumenthal ’19 lauded Beré’s skill as a player and leader on the diamond.
“Colby is a very proactive and quick player, she is always on top of things, knowing how many outs there are and what the correct plays are to make. She is great offensively and defensively…[Beré] is a leader on the field by setting an example by making great plays, and by starting us off offensively, as she is at the beginning of the lineup,” said Santos.
Blumenthal said, “Colby is an amazing leader on the field. She keeps her composure under pressure, helping the team remain calm and focused. Off the field, Colby has always been my friend. As a team, we know she’s here to support us.”
Blumenthal continued, “I love having Colby as a captain because she really cares about the team. She wants us to be successful but she also wants us to be happy. She’s super supportive and friendly. Colby not only is an incredible softball player but also a great leader.”
Beré’s diverse set of skills has played a key role in helping Andover achieve success this season, according to Santos.
“Colby being captain has helped us this season because of her presence on the field, she has made some amazing plays along with many great hits,” said Santos.
According to Santos, Beré serves as role model for the team, inspiring her teammates to continue to work hard and improve everyday in practice through her own determination and unrelenting work ethic.
“Colby is a role model because of her hard work; during practice she will keep working on a drill or skill until she has done it right,” said Santos.
Beré advises aspiring softball players to continue to focus on their work ethic and to remain confident that hard work does pay off.
“I would probably say the piece of advice I would give would be to work hard at it if you really love it –– softball takes a lot of time and practice and only you can put the effort in,” Beré wrote.
After four years on the team, Beré will miss her teammates and the bonds she has formed with them above all other aspects of the sport.
“The thing I will miss most is definitely my teammates [from] all four years –– the girls and the team as a whole have made my time here really special,” Beré wrote.
