When Amanda Elert takes the field for the Carmel softball team, she does so with energy, enthusiasm and gratitude.
Elert, a junior, is one of the Corsairs’ best players. As the team’s catcher, she is vocal and assertive. The right-handed cleanup hitter possesses power and a high contact rate.
“As a hitter, she’s always putting the ball in play. She’s always talking to the girls about the game. It means a lot to have that confidence and leadership,” Carmel coach Jason Raymond said. “She was like that in 2013.”
That year, Elert played on varsity as a freshman. Her future appeared limitless.
But Elert injured her right knee playing for the Carmel girls basketball team in December of 2013. She tore her ACL and needed a hamstring graft to repair the ligament. She missed the rest of the basketball season and all of the 2014 softball season.
“When the [injury happened], I knew something was going to change,” Elert said.
Elert had to repurpose the enthusiasm with which she approached the sport. When she wasn’t at physical therapy sessions, she attended practices and games. She fielded ground balls and charted pitches.
With her body on the mend, her brain remained engaged.
“When the season started and I was sitting on the bench, I was thinking, ‘Wow, I wish I could help them out,’ ” Elert said. “Tracking pitches was the biggest thing. I got experience with what pitch work best in certain situations.”
Raymond added: “She was there a lot [in 2014]. She traveled a lot. I think being out and doing the [scoring] gave her that burning desire to be back on the field.”
By the summer of 2014, Elert was back playing with the travel team Lake County Freedom. Fall and winter strength and conditioning work has her catching with no limitations this spring. Elert’s contributions have been immediate.
Carmel was 7-1 after a 7-6 victory over Grayslake North on Saturday. In that game, Elert went 2-for-3 with a grand slam. Elert has three home runs for a team averaging 13.1 runs per game. Junior Claire Petrus, the team’s top pitcher, threw seven innings against Grayslake North while striking out eight.
Elert was a steady and forceful influence behind the plate, offering advice on pitch selection.
“We have complete trust in [Elert] and her ability to make adjustments and read hitters,” Raymond said.
Each time Elert carries a bat into the batter’s box or crouches behind the plate in full gear, she reveals how far she’s come. Elert has gained perspective on her injury, showing she’s comfortable with its occurrence and the lessons she learned.
“Missing a whole season fueled the fire even more. It made me that much more passionate about the game. It was a blessing in disguise,” Elert said. “When [softball] gets taken away from you, you [remember] how much it means to you.”
Kerr is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter: @prepspioneer
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