The CT Softball Blog

When Cameron Clark entered Greenwich High School as a freshman, she had the wherewithal to try a lot of different things.

Athletically, while she has always enjoyed swimming, water polo and playing tennis, she thrived on both the volleyball court in the fall and on the softball field in the spring.

On Wednesday, Clark, a senior center field, hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning against Staples, helping the Cardinals posted a walk-off 4-3 win over the Wreckers.

Following the game, the Duke University-bound Clark went “Extra Innings” with the CT Softball Blog.

FIRST INNING: Tell us about your softball journey. How did you become a softball player?

CAMERON CLARK: I started playing baseball or T-ball, I guess, in elementary school, and then once it got to the kids’ pitch instead of the coaches, I switched to softball because I didn’t really trust any kid my age to be throwing the ball at me. And, also, my sister played, so I was just following in her footsteps.

SECOND INNING: We know obviously you’re a big time volleyball player here at Greenwich, as well. Are you a softball player who plays volleyball, or are you a volleyball player who plays softball?

CC: I think originally in middle school my answer would’ve been a softball player who plays volleyball, but I think now it’s more equal. I feel like just the time at Greenwich High School that I’ve had, especially with such a successful volleyball team, it’s kind of grown my love for volleyball and starting to play club throughout high school and stuff like that. I would definitely consider myself more of a volleyball player than I have before, but I think I’m still a softball player that plays volleyball, but less than before.

THIRD INNING: What is it about softball that you like so much?

CC: Yeah, it’s a lot of skill work and I think seeing my skills develop throughout the years, it’s not something that anyone can just pick up. Nobody can just pick up a bat sophomore year of high school and just become amazing. It takes a lot of work and just seeing my work progress throughout the years, that’s why I come out every spring. And, also, the team chemistry is just amazing. I love being out here with all these girls, so I just love coming out here every year with the same group of girls and just developing my skills.

FOURTH INNING: Midway through your career your team underwent a coaching change as Marybeth Fratello stepped down and Alexyss Conley took over. How has that gone for the squad?

CC: Honestly, MB is a great coach and Lex is, too. There was a little bit of an adjustment period last year when Lex came in, but I think overall there’s been no real discrepancies in my learning. I think they’re both great coaches and I’ve learned different things from both of them, and it’s just great having both perspectives, especially now that MB’s back again as a JV coach. It’s just nice to have that presence here.

FIFTH INNING: You wear number four for softball and for volleyball. How did that become your number?

CC: I think one year I was playing water polo over the summer and my sister and I were on the same team and her favorite number is six, and I asked the coach for number six and my sister yelled at me, so I took four and it was just like four from there.

SIXTH INNING: What is your perfect hype-up pregame music? What do you like to listen to before a game?

CC: Our whole team likes listening to country and it’s not really amp-up music, but it’s definitely feel-good, getting in the zone. It’s not necessarily hype-up, stuff like that. It’s just nice to just calm down, calm the nerves, and just listen to some good music.

SEVENTH INNING: What would you rather do: Hit a walk-off home run to end a game, make a spectacular diving catch to win a game, or throw somebody out at home plate to clinch a victory for your team?

CC: That’s a tough question. Oh my gosh. I think hitting a home run. I think it’s so much more of a spectacle. Diving catches, they’re cool, but I think it, especially walking off, it’s home run just to end the game, that’s ideal. Perfect day.

EIGHTH INNING: Let’s see how honest you are. What is your most embarrassing moment on the softball field that you’ve ever had?

CC: Oh my God. Last year when we played Staples, it wasn’t during a game, but my shoe laces, they weren’t even untied. They were just tied like this. I was throwing a ball and my cleat got stuck in the loop and I just fell flat on my face and then our assistant coach Eric was laughing. It was not a good thing

NINTH INNING: Let’s get away from the softball questions. If you could have a gift, be it music drawing or whatever, just something that you could do great that isn’t sports related, what would you pick? 

CC: I mean, I already do choir at school, but definitely I’d like to be better at singing. I’m definitely a choir person, but I would be really happy if I could be more of a soloist and more confident, just have a better suited voice for stuff like that.

TENTH INNING: What is your most memorable brush with greatness, or meeting somebody famous?

CC: I haven’t actually met anyone famous, but I was at my admitted students day at Duke University and there’s Ken Jeong, he’s a famous actor. I guess his daughter is going there next year and I walked past him, but he looked like rushed, so I was too scared to say hi to him. But me and the girls next to me were, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s Ken Jeong, and he just looked distressed, telling his wife something, so he just didn’t say hi. But that was the closest I’ve ever been to one.

ELEVENTH INNING: You can travel anywhere in the world after the season’s over, before you go to Duke, where would it be and why would you want to go there?

CC: I would want to go to Greece. My mom went there last year. I just always wanted to visit. Very beachy, a lot of culture there, and I think it would just be such a fun vacation. A good place to relax, too.

TWELFTH INNING: If you could give any advice to an incoming eighth grader who will join Greenwich High as a freshman next year, what would you say?

CC: I would just say try everything. You never know what interests might actually excite you. I think I’ve done a good job kind of exploring different interests and that helped me really figure out what I like to do. And it’s not coming into high school with a closed mind of what you already like to do and these are my friends and stuff like that. It’s just not a good way to start off your experience. If you come in open-minded, ready to try new things, I think you can figure out a lot of what you like to do, what type of people you like to surround yourself with and just it’s like you can really learn and grow more that way through your four years.

THIRTEENTH INNING: Twenty years from now, what’s your life look like? Where are you, what are you doing?

CC: I have no idea what I want to do. Hopefully something that’ll give me a decent amount of money, close to home. Not necessarily in Greenwich, but definitely somewhere in the northeast so I can be close to my family. Yeah, I have no idea what I want to do. 

FOURTEENTH INNING: What one word best describes you?

CC: I would say well-rounded.

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