Editor’s Note: With the coronavirus outbreak shutting down spring sports, The Republic is featuring senior athletes from Columbus East, Columbus North and Hauser whose final seasons were affected by the decision over the course of the spring.
Columbus East catcher Becca Carter was one of the key returnees to a softball team that had high hopes going into the 2020 campaign.
The senior put in a ton of work in the offseason and spent countless hours improving her game to get to the next level, but unfortunately for Carter and the rest of the seniors in the area, she will never see the final year play out due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Carter has been the Olympians’ staple at the catcher position the past three years. She says she honed her skills when she was in middle school with her predecessor in the backstop, former East catcher Elyse Babb, who just finished her college career at Butler.
Carter said Babb was a huge influence in her softball career as a catcher.
“She really helped getting me started with catching and helped develop me as a catcher. She taught me most of the skills I learned and helped push me along,” Carter said. “She’s honestly just such an inspiration to me as a catcher and as an athlete.”
Carter has also received the support of her parents, Paul and Kim.
It’s a big family commitment for a summer’s worth of travel softball. In some bigger tournaments, some teams could be at a ballpark from sunrise to sunset.
“My family has been there throughout the whole thing just pushing me as much as they can,” Carter said. “They’ve been my biggest supporters and had my back every step of the way.”
Carter is glad to see all of her hard work, dedication and passion to softball over the years pay off in a huge way in the near future.
Even though it’s the end of the road for her high school softball career, Carter plans to play collegiately at Mount St. Joseph in Cincinnati and major in business. She hopes to one day have her own business.
No one can deny that Carter’s work ethic will help her be a successful college player.
“Becca is certainly one of the hardest workers I have ever seen. She is willing to put in the time to get better, not only at hitting, but she’s spends a lot of time on her craft as a catcher,” East coach Rusty Brummett said. “Whenever a pitcher needs to get the extra time in, Becca will personally volunteer to stay and catch. She works so hard at her craft. I think her work ethic will be a huge piece of why she will be successful when she does go to college next year.”
