Madison Hugo ’25, co-captain of Girls Softball, has led the team by connecting with all teammates, and fostering an inclusive environment for her community.
Hugo emphasized her journey to softball as a young child, following the footsteps of a friend who had played alongside her.
“I started playing softball in second grade because my best friend played softball and her dad was the coach. I started playing basically because I wanted to spend more time with her,” said Hugo.
Gabriella Potter ’27 emphasized Hugo’s tendency to connect those around her and willingness to critique her her teammates.
“Her leadership is really good. She does a really good job of connecting us and highlighting the things that we’ve done well. [She] also speaks upon the things we’ve done that we should work on and we can continue to work on. She acknowledges and congratulates those who have succeeded and supports those who feel like they’re struggling. She’s very much a person who leads by example. I really respect that,” said Potter.
According to Sydney Moore ’28, Hugo has an infectious energy that spreads to each teammate during both practices and games.
“If someone strikes out she’ll encourage them [and say], ‘Hey, you’ll get it next time.’ If we’re losing a game she’ll encourage us to keep going. She just always has such great energy and she is always looking on the positive side of things, even in the dugout. She’s such an approachable person that if you ever need help with something, you can always go up and ask her about it,” said Moore.
Hugo highlighted the leadership that she strives for on and off the field. As a senior, she understands the pressure that a varsity sport can evoke and she always looks to support her teammates.
“Making sure everyone feels included and supported is one of my priorities. We have a relatively large team as far as softball goes, so not everyone is playing all the time. Just making sure everyone feels like their efforts and contributions are important is something that I am conscious of,” said Hugo.
Hugo hopes that all teammates understand team values as she works to lay them out for others, especially younger players who are new to the Andover team.
“Me and my co-captain have made it a priority to sort out the team norms and values that we have for the team that are in accordance with the ideals of Andover as a whole. Generally just trying to be very direct about what type of team we want to be socially is something that we try to do for the younger players. Then communicating with them a lot and trying to help them when they need help on and off the softball field,” said Hugo.
Hugo does not plan to continue softball after Andover.
