Ella R.

Player Highlight
Ella Ruckdaschel
Team: The Camo Chameleons (8U)
Coach: Brian Zeglen
Why I love softball: Because I get to hit, run, catch and field…
lots of different things!
Favorite Animal: Tigers and cats
Favorite unhealthy snack: Sour Patch Skittles
Favorite healthy snack: Oranges
Favorite subject in school: Art
Favorite hobby: Playing with my sister and my brother
What I want to do when I grow up: A scientist, chemist or a
rocket scientist
If I had one super power, what would it be: To fly!
What does Coach Brian say about Ella?
Ella (or as we call her, “Ella-Gator”) is the kind of player
every coach would love to coach. She works hard to get
better in practice, she gives 100% in games, she is always
focused, and she always knows the right thing to do as a
fielder, a batter, and a baserunner. Most importantly, she
treats everyone on her team and on the other team with
friendship and respect.
I am lucky to have her on my team for the third time this
Spring. One of the best things about coaching is seeing a
player’s confidence grow as she gets more comfortable in
her skills and knowledge of the game. It has been great to
see Ella’s progression from being reluctant and quiet to
being confident and talkative in barely over a year’s time.
In Spring 2015, she was a brand new player just learning
the game, a typical “newbie”…by the end of her first
season she was getting some hits off “coach pitch.”
In Fall 2015, she was a key player who made some great
defensive plays and clobbered the ball when she got to hit
off “coach pitch” but was reluctant to swing when hitting
against the girls pitching. Now, with the Camo
Chameleons, Ella is one of the leaders on our team,
asking to play tough
positions like catcher
and first base, and
hitting like crazy. In our 2nd game of the
Spring season, she got
her first hit off “live pitch”
…it started a 2-run rally,
and I’ll never forget the
smile on her face that
said “Now I KNOW I can
do this!” In the next
game against San
Marcos, she was the
only hitter on our team
to make contact in two
innings of batting
against a very strong
pitcher. Ella-Gator
hasn’t slowed down
since.