It’s a great year to be part of the Malaske household as sisters Lydia and Ellie are playing varsity softball on the same the team. Ellie is a junior while Lydia enters her freshman season, and both have learned many lessons from older sister and Choctaw standout Anna Malaske.
“She taught me how to understand the game within the game and always reminded me, “Do your job, get it done.” I really love that mindset because, at the end of the day, every person on the field has a job to do. She taught me the importance of trusting your teammates, doing your part, and knowing that when all nine players do their job, that’s when a team can truly succeed,” Ellie said. Lydia added, “She always puts in max effort. She is going to beat everyone no matter how good or how bad. She is there for her team and not for herself, you can tell that by watching her play.”
The girls started playing ball at a young age and it’s lead them to this moment. Now they get two years to be teammates and compete together on the same field.
“It’s really amazing, it keeps us close to each other. We both hold each other to the standard we know each other can get too. It’s the best thing ever I wish everyone could experience it. We make so much more memories together,” Lydia said.
For Ellie, remembering what it was like to play with Anna has given her a perspective on what Lydia is going through as a freshman.
I feel incredibly lucky because I’ve had the opportunity to play my first two years with my older sister, Anna, and now I get to spend my last two years playing with my younger sister, Lydia. Getting to play on the same field as your sister is such a special experience. I feel like playing together has strengthened our bond not only as sisters, but also as teammates, and I’m so grateful that I got to experience that with both of them.”
Both Lydia and Ellie would like to play softball at the collegiate level. Both girls play basketball, and Ellie is a member of National Honor Society and STUCO.
Inspired by family, Lydia and Ellie are poised to make this a season to remember for the Malaske’s.
“The people who inspire me most are my mom and dad. They are truly the most important people in my life and the reason I am who I am today. Life is already challenging on its own, but raising three teenage girls can only make it even harder. Somehow, though, they make it look so easy. I’m so grateful for everything they do and for the person they have helped me become,” Ellie said of her parents.
Lydia looks to another generation in the family. “My grandparents inspire me, Bushie and Jaja, they always remind my sisters and I to keep pushing even when it’s hard and to find the joy in the little things.”
