It can be hard being the coach’s daughter, but Pleasant Home senior Kati Reeves said the extra pressure to succeed was good for her.

Reeves has been playing under her father and coach Jimmy Reeves throughout high school on the softball team at PHS.

Reeves will continue to play softball next year at Faulkner State Community College in Bay Minette. After Faulkner, Reeves plans to attend the University of South Alabama in Mobile to study marine biology.

This season, Reeves helped lead her team to the Class 1A state tournament last weekend. The Lady Eagles finished in third place.

Reeves said her time at PHS on the softball team has been rewarding and a growing experience.

“Being on the softball team has been great,” Reeves said. “It has helped me to grow as a person and make really strong bonds with the rest of the girls on the team.”

Reeves’ batting average for this season is .432. She played at third base. The reason why she plays softball is simply because she “loves it.”

“I really enjoy all sports, but softball fits me the best,” she said. “It’s a team sport, it’s tough and very competitive.”

As far as playing under her father, Reeves said it made her strive to be a better player on the team.

“I have to say it was pretty tough always playing under my dad,” she said. “I always had to work extra hard and practice more, but now I realize that I really needed the extra pushes to be the best I can be.

“My father and I have always tried to leave the softball stuff at the field,” she said. “We try not to talk to much about it when we’re at home.”

One thing Reeves is most grateful for while at PHS was the opportunity to play softball.

“I’ve learned so many things from softball — unselfishness, humility and work ethic, but I have to say that the most important is the thankfulness that God has given me this body that is able to play softball,” Reeves said.

Faulkner was the first college to offer a scholarship to Reeves to play softball. So, when that happened, she took advantage.

“They were the first to offer me a scholarship and when I took a campus tour I really liked the facilities, offered classes and the coach,” she said. “And in addition, being near the beach earned it big ‘brownie points.’”

Reeves is the daughter of Jimmy Reeves and Teresa Capps of Andalusia.