Name: Megan Kuiper

School: Woodstock

Sport: Softball

Why she was selected: Kuiper racked up 38 strikeouts in her first 14⅓ innings of the season, nearly tossing a no-hitter against Round Lake. She carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning against the Panthers, whiffing 20 batters in a 6-0 victory.

[ Megan Kuiper comes out firing, strikes out 20 in Woodstock’s season-opening win ]

For her performance, Kuiper was selected as the Northwest Herald Athlete of the Week in an online vote. The Blue Streaks sophomore answered a few questions from the Northwest Herald following her 20-K performance.

How did you become a pitcher?

Kuiper: I started playing softball when I was 9 years old and I tried a lot of positions but not pitching. I got the chance to try the next year and I really liked it. I was absolutely terrible, so my parents signed me up for pitching lessons and since then I’ve kept working hard at it and getting better.

What is your favorite pitching drill?

Kuiper: My favorite pitching drill are falls. That’s when I stand behind the mound and fall forward a little bit, then use that momentum to step and drive off the mound.

What is the hardest part about pitching?

Kuiper: The hardest part about pitching is learning to accept that not everything is going to be perfect and you can only control what you can control. For example, if you don’t get a call that you like from an umpire, you can’t control that, but what you can control is how you respond to it. Another example is when someone hits a home run off of you, you can’t control that, but you can control what you do afterwards. Are you going to give up or are you going to go after the next batter?

Who is your funniest teammate?

Kuiper: My funniest teammate is Emma Douglas. She can always lift the mood when things start to get tense. She also always has a smile on her face and is making jokes whether it is during practice, in a game and even outside of softball.

What is a song that always gets you pumped up?

Kuiper: I usually listen to a lot of different music, depending on my mood or what I’m feeling that day. But a couple songs that always get me pumped up are “Gemstone” by Don Toliver, “Run for the Hills” by Tate McRae and “Thinkin’ Bout Me” by Morgan Wallen.

Do you have any game-day rituals or superstitions?

Kuiper: Every single game, no matter what, I always wear the same Kendra Scott earrings my aunt gave me a couple years ago, along with a “40” (my travel softball number) necklace that my mom and dad got for me. Another superstition I have is that if I have a certain drink on the first day of a tournament and do well, I have to get the same drink every morning for the rest of the tournament.

What is something that scares you?

Kuiper: Softball-related, it scares me a little when the ball is hit hard right back at me up the middle. Not softball-related, snakes freak me out.

What’s your proudest sports moment?

Kuiper: My proudest sports moment was probably when I pitched against the Beverly Bandits in a championship game and won.

What is your most prized possession?

Kuiper: My most prized possession is my glove. It’s a custom one that my dad got me for my 16th birthday.

What’s a sport you are bad at?

Kuiper: I tried gymnastics when I was little. Apparently, I was really bad at it. I thought I was good.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

Kuiper: The best piece of advice I’ve gotten is to stay in my bubble. Things can get really loud and there are a lot of distractions when you’re in the circle. I always try to remember to stay in my bubble and block out all that extra noise.