Schools
Whiz Kid: Brenda Bott, Softball Powerhouse
Fountain Valley High School student is looking forward to an exciting season.
Brenda Bott has been playing softball since she was 5 years old. Now a Junior and star catcher and hitter for Fountain Valley High School, she is looking forward to the upcoming season.
“One of the things I love about playing softball is being with the players,” Bott said. “It really is a family, especially in high school. I’ve been playing with a lot of these girls since I was really young, so we grew up together and share a lot of the same experiences.”
Brenda grew up playing softball in recreational leagues in Fountain Valley and South Huntington Beach. When she was 13, she switched to travel ball, playing for a variety of Orange County teams, and now plays for the Orange County Case Batbusters 18 Gold. She’s known in the softball world for both her hitting and catching skills.
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“When I was 14 and playing for one of my travel ball teams, we needed a catcher and my coach asked me to step in,” Bott said. “We had no one else, but I had never caught before. I gave that a try and it was really fun. I did it because the coach needed me to and found out I love catching - it was really cool to discover that.”
When Brenda started playing for Fountain Valley High School as a freshman, the team was short a catcher, as their stud catcher had graduated the year before. Brenda started taking lessons from Jen Schroeder, former UCLA star catcher, and has been catching ever since.
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“Brenda has the focus and power needed to be a phenomenal catcher,” Schroeder said. “And she also hits the ball harder than almost any young player out there.”
Brenda has made it to the ASA Softball Western Nationals twice – once with her 16-and-under team and once with the Case Batbusters.
“Softball is all about leadership,” Bott said. “It has taught me to take control of my actions, to manage myself, look out for your teammates and make good decisions.”
Brenda is looking forward to a great year of softball at both FVHS and with the OC Case Batbusters. She’s working on college choices and excited about her future and the opportunity to continue her softball career at the university level.
