TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Having a veteran leader is an intangible you either have or you don't. The Godby softball team has Jamia Gardner, a four year Varsity letter winner, and that veteran leader others wish they had too.
"I started when I was very young. I didn't play t-ball, but I started our with slow pitch and went right into fast pitch," said Gardner of her favorite sport.
It's been full steam ahead ever since.
"She's always been around the game, and she's been growing exponentially," said Godby head softball coach Ian Houston.
Growth that's helped Godby. Gardner pitches, catches, plays shortstop, and leads the Cougars at the plate.
"She's a senior, so she shows leadership for her fellow teammates," said Houston. "She is the one that's a spokesperson for the team."
"Attitude plays a big thing when you're trying to be a softball player and that's what makes you a ball player is your attitude and how you keep pushing even in the tough times," added Gardner. "I try to find myself trying to be on my best."
On the field, and in the classroom. As a dual enrolled student, Gardner has a 3.84 GPA.
"You can achieve so much more being a student athlete," said Houston. "If you can focus in the classroom, you can focus out here."
"It's just the drive that keeps me going," said Gardner. "I want to stay in the game, so I have to keep moving."
A drive that she hopes fuels her teammates for years to come. Gardner said she does want to play softball at the next level, where she wants to study criminology with the goal of one day going into forensics.
