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08/09/2018 12:00 AMCameron LeClaire found herself mired in a hitting slump at the end of her sophomore season with the Morgan softball squad. However, what could have been a frustrating time instead proved a turning point for Cameron, who wound up becoming quite the slugger for the Huskies.
Cameron received some sound advice from a teammate that helped her bring more confidence to the plate as Morgan’s cleanup hitter in her junior year. This spring, the senior captain catcher moved up to the No. 3 spot in the lineup and produced some healthy numbers for the Huskies. Cameron posted a .373 batting average to go with 18 RBI and 19 runs scored on her way to making the All-Shoreline Conference Second Team.
“I got into a slump, and one of my senior captains, Kelsey Hopkins, told me that every time I’m up there, I need to whisper to myself that I will hit the ball. I continued to tell myself that, and that I would drive runs in for the team,” says Cameron. “[Head Coach Scott Chidsey] also helped me with hitting tips, and I took the time to hit to the opposite side and center of the field.”
Cameron took on the responsibility of leading Morgan as a field general when she donned the catcher’s gear. Cameron served as the eyes, ears, and voice for her fellow Huskies, while also calling what pitches her battery mate would throw.
“Catcher is one of the hardest positions. You can see the whole field, and you have to be talking on every play and know where the ball is supposed to go. Everyone is waiting for your voice. I like being that leader on the field and listening to the coaches,” Cameron says. “We also had a certain shift for different players, which was a great idea. One of the hardest parts of catching is knowing where to go, because you have one million different situations that could happen.”
Cameron has also spent time honing her skills by competing in the travel league circuit. She credits both her travel and high-school coaches for helping her progress into a better softball player.
“Coach Chidsey and [former Huskies’ Head Coach Sal Fiorillo] really helped me. When I was in the outfield before catching, Coach Chidsey would keep hitting balls to me to help,” says Cameron. “My sophomore year, I started travel ball with the Connecticut Tides, and the coaches there helped me hit the ball much better.”
Coach Chidsey says that Cameron constantly led by example by displaying an unrelenting drive to improve. Chidsey knows that this is one of the reasons why Cameron has earned the respect of her peers across multiple levels of the game.
“Cameron is a very respected player by her coaches, teammates, opposing coaches, and umpires. She was an unbelievable captain, always putting her team first. She has worked with several high school, middle school, and Little League players to help them with their game,” says Chidsey. “The fact that Cameron was a catcher was perfect for our program, because she could see the whole field, and we felt like we had a coach on the field at all times. Her work ethic was outstanding. She would stay after practice and get some extra tee work in on countless occasions, even if she was by herself.”
Morgan featured a big roster this season, and Cameron was true to the task of creating cohesion among the Huskies. Cameron feels proud to have spent the past several years competing for a team that helped her develop into a solid player and a quality leader.
“We had 27 girls or so on the team this year, which was the most we’ve had, but we were big on team bonding with events like pasta parties. It meant a lot coming from Coach Chidsey to have his trust in me as a captain,” says Cameron. “Being a part of this program helped me tremendously. Coach Chidsey helped me become more of a leader. I had a good bond with the team and him. My time here helped me grow, because I learned how to be the leader my coach wanted me to be.”