Libertyville’s Maddy Kleemann recalls thinking she’d be a pitcher when she started playing softball.
Now a senior, Kleemann just laughs at the idea.
“Yeah, I definitely am not a pitcher,” she said.
Kleemann, who had been urged by her father, Mike, to try softball, shifted to catcher and was hooked.
“I really found my love for catching and being that person that people can look up to and to direct on the field,” she said. “I’ve been catching ever since.”
Kleemann has been thriving too. Last season, the St. Ambrose commit batted .389 with an .889 OPS and 22 RBIs for the Wildcats, and the coaches trusted her to handle pitch-calling.
“I love calling pitches,” she said. “I like being able to say, ‘This is totally gonna work,’ or ‘This is the one right here.’ That’s probably my favorite part of the game — besides throwing people out.”
Mastering another part of the mental game, Kleemann has learned to stay focused on the task at hand.
“She’s allowing things that don’t go well to just roll off her back and keep going forward,” Libertyville coach Darwin Townsend said. “Before, I think she felt like she was letting the team down. But things aren’t always going to go your way. You have to just keep grinding.
“And that’s what she’s become. She’s become a grinder. She’s not worrying about anything bad that happened. She continues to grind forward, and that reflects on the rest of the team.”
Indeed, teammates follow Kleemann, who has grown into one of the Wildcats’ leaders. Inspired by other sports at the school, she worked with her coaches to launch a buddy system that pairs an upperclassman with a younger player for bonding activities, support and more.
“Sometimes, we get into the situation where we’re in practice together, but we don’t really know each other well enough,” Kleemann said. “So I thought, ‘OK, maybe if we try something like putting our varsity girls with our JV girls, doing little fun activities after practices or lunches together, that would be a good way to bring our program together.’”
That effort is already making an impact on Kleemann’s younger teammates.
“Maddy’s positive energy radiates to everyone she surrounds herself with,” Libertyville sophomore pitcher/first baseman Mckenna Weaver said. “As a teammate, it’s her goal to make others feel included and excited to play.
“As I work on being a great teammate and leader, I’ll always look to Maddy.”
Kleemann keeps the big picture in mind.
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“You want to leave a mark when you’re leaving Libertyville High School,” she said. “We want to be one of those teams where people say, ‘Oh, Libertyville is coming. They get along so well. They’re a team. They’re a big family.’”
All the while, Kleemann has leaned on her support system, which includes her father.
“My dad is my best friend,” she said. “He’s the person I always look to when I’m on the field. If I’m struggling, I’ll look at him. He’ll be like, ‘Hey, it’s OK. You got it.’ He’s always in my corner, always cheering me on no matter what. He’s like that little angel on my shoulder.”
Even Kleemann’s coaches notice that too.
“He’s a high school coach’s dream parent,” Townsend said. “He’s a phenomenal guy and does a great job being supportive of everyone.”
Starting next season, Kleemann’s family will need to travel a bit farther to see her games.
“I’m so blessed that I get the opportunity to play at the next level,” she said. “Not many high school students get to go to the next level and play any sport. Softball has given me so much, so I’m so excited to be able to play more and then eventually give back to the game.”
Sam Brief is a freelance reporter.