When Lindsey Nelson ties her cleats, slips her hand into a leather mitt and takes her position on the diamond – patience is her greatest ally.
A senior at Columbia Falls High School, Nelson grew up in Libby where she enrolled in Little League in the fourth grade.
“I grew up around it,” Nelson said. “Softball is big in Libby.”
“I enjoy playing sports,” she added. “And I just grew into softball.
At the end of her sophomore year, the Nelson family moved from Libby to Columbia Falls where the shy second base player had to adapt to a new school, meet new friends and acclimate herself to a new team.
“It was a hard move,” she said. “It was my biggest challenge.”
Nelson knows she has some things to work on. Habits like not standing up tall in the batters box, a wide stride or dropping wrists are all things she feels she has improved on. But bettering a technique takes patience.
That virtue has also taught her to lead by example: teaching the importance of team pride and urging fellow players to conduct themselves on the field with dignity.