Sports

MEET CORNELIA CONNELLY’S AMANDA MILKOVITS

Softball student - athlete standout

By Jenelyn Russo     5/3/2015

Playing sports wasn’t something that Amanda Milkovits set out to do. Motivated by her parents’ suggestion, Milkovits found herself on the softball diamond, and it didn’t take long for the Cornelia Connelly High School junior to take to the sport.

“I started playing softball when I was eight years old…even though I didn’t really want to,” says Milkovits. “I just fell in love with the sport.”

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Milkovits’ parents have continued to support her play, and their dedication has been a huge motivator for the 17-year-old. Though Milkovits was not always a starter, their commitment to helping their daughter grow in the sport has helped her see marked improvement when it comes to overcoming the game’s challenges.

“My parents always supported me and they took me to lessons…so I was able to improve,” says Milkovits. “My dad has really helped inspire me to love softball.”

Milkovits is drawn to the equal parts of team play and individual effort found in the game. As both a pitcher and shortstop for Connelly, she enjoys the control and command on the field that both of those positions require.

“I like how that even though [softball] is a team sport, you do individual things that you have to do yourself,” says Milkovits.

Her ability to play both of these critical positions has been a tremendous help to the Koalas and to Connelly’s varsity softball head coach, Jason Manley.

“Amanda has been a breath of fresh air and a huge part of our success her first two seasons here,” says Manley. “Having the ability to put Amanda at shortstop when she’s not pitching has made us even stronger. She always keeps the team’s spirit light with her attitude on the field and is quick to encourage her teammates when things are not going their way.”

That encouragement Milkovits shows her teammates comes from one of the many life lessons she has taken from the game.

“I’ve learned that you can’t rely on everyone to do everything right,” says Milkovits. “You have to accept that when someone makes a mistake, you can get over it and you can always do better the next time.”

A multi-sport athlete who also plays soccer for Connelly, Milkovits takes pride in representing her school through athletics and hopes to continue to play in some way at the collegiate level. She’s looking forward to studying dermatology and has her eye on a couple of schools, including the University of Chicago, Harvey Mudd College and the University of California, Berkeley.

When it comes to athletics and academics, Milkovits depends on her faith to guide her path.

“My faith has helped me trust in other people, because I know that God has a plan,” says Milkovits. “All we have to do…is do the best with what God has given us.”