Waukomis’ Rori Wood
Junior outfielder and FFA President Rori Wood sees Waukomis High School’s softball field as more than a diamond – it is where her second family comes together. For Wood, the connections built with the Lady Chiefs are just as rewarding as any win on the scoreboard.
“What I love most about my team and teammates is how we are all so close,” Wood said. “We support each other on and off the field and we feel like a family. We push each other to do better.”
Wood, a junior at Waukomis High School, patrols the outfield for the Chiefs, a role she says demands focus on every pitch. She said the most challenging part of playing the outfield is staying locked in mentally while being ready to react in an instant.
“I play outfield, and the most difficult thing is staying mentally focused and making quick decisions,” Wood said.
That mindset carries over into the classroom and the ag barn. Wood is an active member of the Waukomis FFA chapter, where she competes in livestock judging and speech contests and leans on her teammates there, too. “What I enjoy most is having people to lean on and help each other grow,” she said.
Wood said she draws her inspiration from home and from the coaches who push her to improve.
“I’m inspired most by my family and coaches Nathan Pearson and Ty Stroble,” she said. “My family teaches me to work hard and stay humble, and my coaches challenge me to grow not just as an athlete but as a person.”
In the classroom, math is Wood’s favorite subject, and she points to teacher Beki Hicks as a positive influence in her day-to-day routine. Balancing homework, practices, games and FFA events has taught her lessons that go beyond grades and stats.
“Athletics and FFA have taught me responsibility, leadership and how to work as a team,” Wood said.
Those leadership traits show up loudly on game day. Wood describes herself as the most vocal player on the roster, the one constantly talking, encouraging and keeping the energy up for the Lady Chiefs. She said teammate Hailey Martinez is the one who keeps everyone laughing and loose in the dugout.
Away from school and sports, Wood said she enjoys simple time with the people closest to her. In her free time, she likes hanging out with friends and her older brother and grabbing something to eat around town.
Whether it is under the lights on a weeknight or early in the morning at an FFA event, Wood said she values the people standing beside her the most. The lessons in responsibility, hard work and humility that she has picked up from her family, coaches, teachers and teammates are shaping not only her softball and FFA careers, but also the kind of person she hopes to be long after her final game in a Waukomis uniform.
