Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald

Spanish Fork head softball coach Natalie Jarvis has one last things she wants to say to her star pitcher Avery Sapp, who graduated in 2023 after dominating in the circle to propel the Dons to three straight 5A championships.

The message?

Word.

“It didn’t matter what I said,” Jarvis said, laughing. “She would say, ‘word’ and it was like that from Day 1 with Avery. I’d say, let’s run two laps or we’ve got to score two runs here, and she’d just say, ‘word.’ It was hilarious.”

When told of Jarvis’s message, Sapp couldn’t help but laugh as well.

Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald

“Every time we’d circle up and the coaches would talk to us,” Sapp said. “After they were done, I’d just say, ‘word.’ Then we would cheer and that’s how it would go.”

Much has been made of Sapp’s tremendous softball talent and rightfully so. Her pitching ability was jaw-dropping, her hitting acumen was impressive and even her fielding was solid.

But while those are the things that observers see that often lead to wins, titles and individual awards (she was recently named Utah’s 2023 Gatorade Player of the Year for softball), it’s the person Sapp is that means the most to the people around her.

“She is such a goofy person,” Spanish Fork senior catcher Paige Pierce said. “She always has something funny to say wherever we are at. It has definitely made us a lot closer.”

For the second straight year, the Daily Herald is pleased to recognize Sapp as the Utah Valley Softball Player of the Year to honor not just her ability but also the way she built up the players around her and grew as a person.

Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald

“Avery and I have been able to pick each other up a lot this season,” Don junior third baseman Peyton Hall said. “I’ve had some games that weren’t my best but Avery has always been there to pat me on the back and tell me, ‘you’re good.’ She reassures me that I’ve got it and reassures me of the player that I am. It’s just nice to have her there and then I can also help her get up when she’s down.”

Hall said that her best memories of Sapp have been when things have been the hardest.

“It’s easy to be good when you are always on top,” Hall said. “It means so much more to see her push through and overcome those challenges.”

Sapp said it wasn’t always easy to be comfortable with who she is and let others see her personality.

“Bonds definitely have to be made,” Sapp said. “My freshman year I didn’t really know anyone. We only had a couple of games and the bonds weren’t very strong yet. But as we got close, it was easier to be myself. You need to be yourself and be welcoming or no one is going to be around. If you do, than everyone is going to play hard and give it their best.”

Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald

Jarvis said she often said Sapp as a quiet leader, one who led by example and motivated others with her performance. That included showing how much she cared.

“She’d come off the field and she would be so pumped up,” Jarvis said. “She would get pumped up for whoever went in to run for her. She was so excited to share that experience with everyone. That was really fun to see.”

Sapp said she came to realize how important it was for everyone on the team to feel the same passion for the game.

“It takes a whole team to come out on top,” Sapp said. “In the circle, I’m quiet but when I get to the dugout, I make sure everyone is getting up and cheering. It’s about celebrating the good things and picking each other up after the not-so-good things.”

That perspective on the game also is how Sapp views the various accolades and awards she has earned.

Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald

“I know I wouldn’t be here without the support of my teammates,” Sapp said. “A pitcher can’t be very good without her defense or the bats getting runs. They all have to come together.”

The Spanish Fork senior expressed her appreciation for the efforts of Hall, Pierce and her other teammates in doing what needed to be done for the Dons to reach their goals.

As Sapp now gets ready to move on to play at UVU, she said what she learned from her time at Spanish Fork is the value of those relationships.

“The bonds that you make and the friendships you make, they’ll last you forever,” Sapp said. “You’re never going to forget your high school moments, so just make sure you’re being grateful for the advisors that you have and the support you have. You look forward to the good things and bad things do come, so just be ready for them and be excited that you’re out there playing for Spanish Fork, that you’re out there playing with some girls that you love.”

When Sapp was asked what her message in response to Jarvis was, she had a straightforward answer as well:

Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald

Thanks.

“I wouldn’t be here without her,” Sapp said. “She is one of my biggest supporters. She would always pat me on the back no matter what the outcome of the game was. Anyone’s lucky to have her as a coach.”

Spanish Fork pitcher Avery Sapp hits the ball during the first game of the 5A championship series against Lehi at Gail Miller Field at BYU on Thursday, May 26, 2022.

Spanish Fork players congratulate junior pitcher Avery Sapp after she got a strikeout during the 5A playoff game against Bountiful at the Cottonwood Complex on Wednesday, May 25, 2022.

Spanish Fork junior pitcher Avery Sapp (right) celebrates with her catcher after ending an inning with a strikeout during the Region 9 game at Springville on Thursday, April 14, 2022.

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