GAMES
RANKINGS
Aldine Softball Head Coach Leigha Doyle
ALL IN: Doyle has Aldine Softball trending
“After graduating from college, I knew that softball was going to be a part of my life,” Doyle said. “Giving back to the game, which gave so much to me, is everything. I can honestly say that I love what I do.”
Doyle starred at Atascocita High School before beginning her collegiate career at Galveston College. She then transferred to Southern Arkansas University, where she started two seasons at shortstop and earned NFCA Division II Scholar Athlete All-American honors.
After college, Doyle kicked off her coaching journey as an assistant at C.E. King High School, eventually landing her first head coaching job at Aldine.
“I just love the atmosphere at Aldine High,” she said. “I love the administration, but mostly I love working with my girls. They’re so fun and coachable. They have a great bond, which is something I really try to promote. We all have the same mindset—to play hard, turn some heads, and win games.”
2024-25 Aldine High School SoftballBradley C. Collier (VYPE)
As a softball lifer, Doyle has shaped her coaching style by drawing from her own experiences as a player.
“I’ve had some great coaches—and some bad ones,” she laughed. “Honestly, you learn the most from the bad ones, by figuring out how not to run a program.
“My coach, Corey Lyon at Southern Arkansas, has been a huge mentor for me. I know if I ever have a question, he’ll always pickup the phone. He really gave me the confidence to step into this profession.”
For Doyle, her biggest lesson as a young coach comes down to one word: trust.
“Building relationships and trust with your players is what I believe in,” she said. “If that’s established, your program will be in a good place. Good or bad, you have to be honest with your players. If that bond is there, they’ll run through a wall for you—and they know I’ll go to the mat for them, too.”
Wise beyond her years, Doyle is helping turn Aldine Softball into something special.
Baytown Sterling's Kendell Wilcox & Simyah Smith
DOUBLE TROUBLE: College-commits Wilcox, Smith enter final year as faces of Sterling Softball
“I’ve just always been in softball for as long as I can remember,” Wilcox said. “The social aspect of it all has really resonated with me, since I get to play all over the country with my club team. The impact that has on you is irreplaceable.”
Sterling's Kendell WilcoxJamey Wright (VYPE)
Smith’s journey to softball took a slightly different path.
“I actually started off in baseball before making the switch over to softball,” she said. “Eventually, I got onto the same team that Kendell did, and we’ve been together for most of our lives.”
That long-standing chemistry has carried over to the field at Sterling, where Wilcox and Smith play off each other’s strengths.
“Since we’ve played together for so long, we can stay in tune just by giving a look,” Wilcox said. “At this point, we can read each other on the field, and I feel that gives us a subtle connection.”
Smith echoed that sentiment, emphasizing their leadership role on the team.
Sterling's Simyah SmithJamey Wright (VYPE)
“We’ve known each other for so long, so it’s really about posing that demeanor to the other girls,” she said. “I also go by this Bible verse—Ecclesiastes 4:9-10: ‘Two people are better than one. For if one person falls, the other can reach out and help.’ I feel that sums us up best.”
As much as they’ve grown together at Sterling, Wilcox and Smith are also preparing for the next step.
Both have signed to play at the collegiate level—Wilcox with Kansas Wesleyan University and Smith with the University of St. Thomas in Houston.
“Playing in college has always been a dream of mine,” Wilcox said. “It’s so exciting to think about how things will be next year and what it could potentially bring for me. I was initially drawn to Kansas Wesleyan because it offered the ability to study nursing while getting to play the sport that I love.”
Smith had similar priorities when choosing her college.
“Just like Kendell, I’m also intending to become a nurse,” she said. “We both had opportunities to go D1, but we put an emphasis on our future, in addition to our playing careers, which is why I chose St. Thomas.”
Before they move on to the next level, their focus remains on helping Sterling make a push for the postseason.
The stars of 2024-25 Baytown Sterling SoftballJamey Wright (VYPE)
“We’re a very young team, so there’s a lot of bonding that comes with that in order to get from the 5-hole to the 4-hole,” Wilcox said.
Smith added that this year’s squad has embraced a key mindset.
“A word that we came up with this year is ‘diligence,’” she said. “We need to be willing to work hard and show up if we’re going to pursue our goal of surprising people.”
With their leadership, experience, and determination, Wilcox and Smith are hoping to leave a lasting impact on the program before they take the next step in their careers.