Unsung Hero: Softball's Tori Kennedy Is an Active Leader

For the Cinnaminson High School varsity softball team, the team captain isn’t always on the field. But make no mistake, she is always there.

Senior Tori Kennedy, 18, is the captain of the softball team this year. Head coach Shelly Garbe explained that even though Kennedy doesn’t receive as much playing time as some of the other girls, there are good reasons why she leads the team.

“She is a senior captain who works hard each day,” Garbe said. “She is coachable and hardworking and puts the team’s needs ahead of her own.”

Kennedy described herself as more of a gentle leader than anything else.

“I think that it is important to work with people and not just boss them around or yell at them,” Kennedy said. “People will only respect you if you give them a reason to. I never discourage my teammates in any way, and I always try to be optimistic.”

Kennedy always tries to take an active role in her position as team captain, whether she’s in the lineup or not.

“If I am not playing, I am never just sitting there doing nothing,” Kennedy said. “I always like to be doing something. I am always up and cheering for everyone who goes to bat and I watch whatever is going on in the field. “

Kennedy also is usually the first to volunteer to be the first base coach if one is needed. When her teammates get a hit, she is right there to give them a high five. If they don’t get on base, she is the first one to tell them that they’ll get one next time.

“People always get discouraged if they make a mistake or strike out, so I just try and keep it positive,” Kennedy said.

As a senior, this is Kennedy’s last season as a Cinnaminson Pirate softball player. She expressed shock at how quickly time has flown by.

“I really just can’t believe that it’s almost the end of my senior year,” Kennedy said. “I am really going to miss playing softball with all of these people. I know that I just plan on making the most out of the rest of the season. I think that the rest of the season is going to go really well, and I am looking forward to it.

Kennedy plans to attend either Fordham or Drexel University, where she would major in biology, while taking some pre-med coursework. She is keeping the thought of continuing to play softball on an intramural of club team in the back of her mind.

Kennedy hopes that some of the things she instilled in the team stay there in the years to come, even if she isn’t there.

“I just hope that they remember to keep having fun and trying their best, as cliché as that might sound,” Kennedy said. “There is so much talent on the team and they are really great players and great teammates, so I hope that they remember that as long as they continue playing.”