Northside senior softball player Aaliyah Hamilton puts in the work to become better

Aaliyah Hamilton is proud to proclaim she’s the first one to arrive to softball practice and the last to leave. But the Northside senior continues utilizing her work ethic away from the field as well.

“On the field, I am the first to arrive to practice and the last to leave, getting extra reps to improve my game,” said Hamilton, a senior shortstop for the Lady Bears. “When I make mistakes, I do my best not to let it show with my body language or weaken the energy of the team. Off the field, I encourage everyone to go to open practices. I keep my academics high and show up every day to school. I surround myself with good influences and make sure to talk to teammates daily.”

A four-year starter, Hamilton moved to shortstop prior to her senior season after having played left field and catcher. And as far as Hamilton handling the move to her new position, she underscored four basic fundamentals that has made her transition much easier.

“Versatility, leadership, knowledge of the game and grit,” she said. “At shortstop, you have to be quick to the ball while staying under control to make an accurate throw to your target. I possess versatility as I prepare for every situation before the ball is pitched, so I am not surprised and prepare my body to be ready for anything. This kind of works hand-in-hand with knowledge of the game as to knowing what runners are on base and where outs are most valuable. Leadership on the field, in the dugout and even during pregame is essential. I always hold teammates accountable where it is needed, I uplift those when they doubt their abilities, and I do my best to lead by example with no excuses.”

And the rest of the Lady Bears have followed Hamilton’s lead.

“From a team standpoint, our season began slow with a rocky start to conference,” Hamilton said. “Getting two back-to-back conference wins over Springdale and Rogers was huge for the team.”

In that Rogers game, Northside trailed 5-0 in the top of the first. But the Lady Bears rallied for an 11-10 win, with Hamilton hitting a two-RBI home run and also making several key defensive plays down the stretch.

Regardless of wins or even losses, Hamilton is enjoying playing softball for the Lady Bears. Hamilton has also played basketball for Northside, but softball remains her first love, a sport she picked up when she was four years old.

“There’s something about the high energy of the game – the adrenaline, competition and that feeling of making a big play when it’s needed – that keeps me coming back,” Hamilton said. “You work with everyone on the field to achieve something bigger on the other side; there’s nothing like celebrating those close, emotionally high games with teammates, building those forever bonds.”

Away from softball, Hamilton remains active, doing things like painting, organizing, reading and watching movies with her father. In the classroom, she has a cumulative grade-point average of 3.79. Keeping with Hamilton’s diligent approach, she took five Advanced Placement classes and passed four of those.

Hamilton plans to graduate with honors and go to college and study psychology and become a therapist, possibly even a forensic psychologist.

She wants to continue playing softball wherever she goes to college, but is still exploring her options. At the moment, Hamilton just wants to savor being on a softball field practically as much as possible.

“My goals for the rest of the season are to show up to compete every practice, game and rep; absorb all of the time I have on the field with my teammates, being present in the moment and leave it all out on the field,” she said. “As far as performance-wise, I want to keep my bat hot, and seamlessly play wherever the team needs me.”