Even though it may not be softball season for the high school teams, junior London Sanfilippo Cook is putting in work on and off the field year-round. Cook plays for the Eagle High Softball team and the Washington Angel’s 18U club team.
Whether it’s motivating her teammates on the field or pushing herself and her classmates in rigorous courses, Cook always puts a good mood and smile on the faces of her peers.
“I can’t remember a time I wasn’t thinking or working on softball,” said Cook.
Cook has been playing softball since the age of six because of her family members playing baseball and softball when they were younger. She started playing for Crossfire Shankland 10U when she was nine and her love for rallying together with her teammates solidified her love for the sport. Luckily for them, she fell in love with the sport and takes great pride in playing no matter the day.
“It helps that both of my aunts played softball in high school and college,” Cook said. “Oklahoma State and University of Utah softball are my favorite teams to watch because my aunt went there.”
Cook recently competed in a tournament at Carroll College in Montana, where she made a standout play in right field, diving forward to catch a fly ball before making a powerful throw to home. She also hit a double, advancing two bases on one swing, contributing to her team’s victory.
Off the field, Cook is just as active in the community. She is enrolled in many colleges and AP classes at Eagle High, like AP Language and Composition, Forensics, Microbiology, Anatomy and College US History. She has a GPA of 3.5 and participates in volunteer work through Eagle High’s softball team and helps run grade school club teams on the weekends.
To support her need for power on the field, Cook participates in Off the Field, a strength training program many athletes in the area work out at. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, she goes for two hours to prepare for tournaments and practices.
“Managing the workload can be difficult, but I have found that making to-do lists and sticking to them has made my life a lot easier,” Cook said.
Cook has gone through mental and physical setbacks over the years of being a student athlete, and bouncing back has been hard at times. However, Cook proves that pushing through rough times has gotten her to great places. Physically, she has never had any major injuries, however, she often comes back from practice and workouts sore but says the pain is worth the results in the end.
“When I hit a mental block, I try to view myself literally pushing through it,” Cook said. “Like, if something is wrong with my swing, I invision it the exact way I want it to be.”
Cook’s goals after high school consist of perusing a nursing degree, particularly wanting to go into pediatric nursing after college. Cook wants to play college ball, preferably in the south but she is waiting to make any solid decisions.
“Playing in college has been in the back of my mind since I was a kid,” Cook said. “However, nursing is what I see myself doing in the future, so whatever school I go to needs to have a program that fits that dream.”
Cook brings a positive attitude to every community she is a part of and puts in the work to support herself and her teammates. She has a bright future for her last year and a half of high school and a bright future for the rest of her life.
