RANDY LASTER STILL ATTENDS EVERY GAME. THAT IS THE WAY IT'S ALWAYS BEEN.
He is LaDereka Roach's biggest fan as he sits there to watch his granddaughter suit up for Nimitz High School. In fact, it was him that first got Roach into the sport after he played baseball in college.
"I spent a lot of time with him growing up," Roach, who started playing when she was six, said. "So, first thing he did was he got the tee, the bat and then we went to Wal-Mart and got a glove. That is where it started with us in the backyard. I started T-Ball then to Little League, then select and then high school."
Roach plays all over for Nimitz, ranging from centerfield, catcher to first base, making her super versatile to any coach.
Losing last season due to the pandemic hindered Roach's recruitment with high school and select softball coming to a halt. But she still has those college aspirations.
"Who wouldn't want to continue doing something they love collegiately?" Roach said. "I feel like if you have a passion for it, why not play as long as you can."
In middle school, Roach ran track for fun but her true passion is playing on the diamond.
The intensity, heart, and pace of the game is what she loves the most about softball, Roach said, and she wouldn't be anywhere today without her teammates.
"I love my team, I wouldn't be anything without them," Roach said. "Whether we have good days, bad days, wins, or losses, I feel like they are 110-percent behind me with everything I do and vice versa. I feel like no player is ever left behind."
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
