Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
GREEN RIVER -- Green River, Utah, is a town of roughly 1,000 people, a town where everybody knows everybody. And everybody knows 18-year-old Sarah Swalberg, a young lady who has made quite a name for herself, by being the only girl on the Green River High School baseball team. When asked how it felt being the only girl playing on the team she said, "After four years I just kind of get used to it but it is a lot different. It's fun hanging out with the boys. I enjoy it."
Sarah has enjoyed baseball since she was young, but she first had to convince her mother Laurie.
"She was eligible to play little league as an 8-year-old," said Laurie, "and I was not thinking that wasn't really the cool thing … My husband said, ‘Well why not?' And I said, ‘OK, I guess we'll try it.' From then on she just ate it up."
Sarah said when you're from a small town, "You kind of have to be a leader, just 'cause not very many people step up, they kind of sit in the backseat."
Sarah dove right into the front seat and took the lead. She's the starting point guard on the basketball team, she broke the 1-A state record in the javelin, and she's the school's student body president. Two weeks ago, Sarah earned academic All-State honors as well.
"She's willing to go against the odds and the norm and stand out and be different," said Laurie.
Sarah says her sisters had a big impression on her and she hopes she can set an example for others like they did for her.
In her free time, Sarah helps coach a Junior Jazz team, a girls community softball team, and was part of the town's governor's youth council.
E-mail: kaiken@ksl.com
