Who knew that when Lyla Hansen was in the sixth grade, picking up a glove and giving softball a try would lead to her being a member of the varsity team at Charles Page High School?

“I play both slow and fastpitch and yes, during slow-pitch I plan on working on just my overall fielding skills,” Hansen said. “I have played multiple positions, pitcher being my favorite, but I also play in the outfield majority of the time.”

Like many of her teammates, Hansen has continued to work on her skills for both seasons.

“I would say the strength of my skill set is my versatility. I improved most on just my overall fielding,” said Hansen.

Being part of the CPHS family and competing with her teammates is something Hansen said she truly loves and enjoys.

“What makes CPHS such a great place for a student-athlete is the fact that I am able to play all three of my sports, softball, wrestling, and track. It was such an easy switch, and, in every sport, I had supportive coaches and teammates,” Hansen said. “What I love most about my teammates is that they are always there to pick you back up and they can always make me laugh.”

The support at CPHS is tremendous and something the team is grateful to have.

“The support from the people around me means a lot and is very helpful and good to hear when you’re down about your abilities. It’s really helpful to have people around you to lift you up,” said Hansen.

As for the game and her preparation, Hansen said she likes to visualize the game and different scenarios that can play out during a contest.

“I mentally prepare myself for competition by sort of running through the events and possibilities they are about to occur or happen. I also give myself a goal and try to reach the standard I have for myself,” said Hansen.

Her inspiration to compete comes from her teammates.

“People that inspire me on the field are my teammates because I want be the best teammate I can be for them and people who inspire me off the field are probably just my family,” said Hansen.

Her goal is to earn a scholarship and play at the next level while pursuing a degree.

“My goal for life after high school is to get a scholarship to a school rather for sports or academics and then create a career in the law field,” said Hansen.