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Bison senior finding more ways to help others
McCOOK, Neb. — The hip surgery was nagging and hitting slump building even when pitchers tossed Kennedy Walter an occasional “bone.”
“I had a really big slump. I couldn’t really hit the ball,” she recalled Wednesday morning. “It was tough.”
Of course, hits really meant little compared to her Bison freshman year when dad Brad Walter suddenly passed away.
Was now the time to push others away and avoid teammates?
Just the opposite.
“I bounced back literally because of all the supportive friends I had,” she recalled. “I remember them showing up at my house, making sure we were okay. That meant a lot.”
So much has changed during from being a Bison freshman to senior...or perhaps not.
Because as Kennedy signed to play softball for Doane University on Wednesday, friends from all Bison sports were there to stand behind her along with the Walter family.
“They’re a very supportive group no matter what. Basketball, track and I can’t remember a time this last softball year that I wasn’t having fun,” she proclaimed after the signing.
Kennedy could be seen just about everywhere on a softball diamond during Bison back-to-back subdistrict championship seasons.
McCook c0ach Jason Cochran certainly agreed while attending Wednesday’s signing ceremony.
“She played second base as well as anyone if the not the best we (McCook High) ever had,” he said. “Being able to cover the ground with her speed and athleticism, it was liking have a short outfielder. She gave us a tremendous amount of options (for playing defense).”
“And in college, once they get nine months to be hitting, Kennedy is really going to flourish,” Cochran added.
Kennedy also starts on the Bison basketball team before being a speedy ingredient in McCook’s spring track and field team.
Yet following Class B state at Omaha Burke Stadium, Kennedy will turn all her sports focus into the Doane Tigers softball program.
They play in the always tough Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) were a few usually become NAIA Top 25 teams.
Doane fields both varsity and JV squads — so McCook’s wisest softball leaders know Kennedy could make an immediate impact.
“She’s a tremendous athlete and a tremendously hard worker,” Cochran said. “She loves what she sees (at Doane). “She’ll definitely come in and help that program.”
“A lot of the facilities are really new. I like that,” Kennedy added about the Crete-based university. “But mostly it felt like a family. I felt a real strong connection to everyone there. I practiced with some of them and right away, they were hyping me up.”
It’s not hype to say Kennedy has even stronger, bigger goals about attending Doane.
She sees really good biology and science programs where Kennedy plans to start her pursuit of becoming an occupational therapist.
Her McCook High health careers group visited Doane where they saw cadavers (yeeks!).
“I’ve done a lot of dissections,” she revealed about some of her early education.
“I’m a trauma junkie, I guess you could say,” Kennedy remarked. “I just really love the idea of helping people recover from setbacks and get better. I’m excited about helping people.”