Syd Supple’s Blog: My 1st High School Season

Syd Supple’s Blog: My 1st High School Season

Sydney Supple from Oshkosh, Wisconsin is one of the Top 5 players in the 2019 Hot 100 rankings and in 2014 committed to Northwestern when she was just 13 ye

Apr 27, 2016 by Brentt Eads
Syd Supple’s Blog: My 1st High School Season
Sydney Supple from Oshkosh, Wisconsin is one of the Top 5 players in the 2019 Hot 100 rankings and in 2014 committed to Northwestern when she was just 13 years old. 

The tall lefty, who is also a standout hitter and plays first base, is a freshman at Oshkosh North High School and plays for the Beverly Bandits-Conroy/Terrell 16U team, one of the elite club teams nationally in its age division.

So far, in her first high school season, Syd has helped her team go undefeated and last night threw her first high school no-hitter and smashed her fourth home run in the team’s 12 games.

Traditionally, Oshkosh North has been in the bottom half of its conference’s standings, but in this blog Sydney explains how the team has become a powerhouse by believing in itself…



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For many people, they almost feel as if the high school softball season is a waste of time, and they’re losing precious time when they could be getting prepared for the upcoming intense season with their travel ball team.

One of the many reasons I love being a Beverly Bandit and playing for Bill Conroy is he believes that the high school season is an important time, one where you should solely focus on playing for your hometown and your high school.

nullThat is what I am focusing on now, and I have never been filled with so much pride then playing for my high school across my chest and creating a name for our school.

As a member of the Oshkosh North Spartans, I am lucky enough to play for an incredibly knowledgeable coaching staff with hardworking teammates and in the toughest conference in the state of Wisconsin.

Playing for your school is something I am discovering is uniquely special and something everyone should embrace.

Your team doesn’t have to be one of the best in order to turn it into one of the bests!

My high school— three years ago before our coaching staff came on board—was historically known for being in the bottom half of the conference. When experienced Coaches Cindy Suess and Graeme Robertson came in, they built a foundation and changed the mindset of the players.  In the first two years, I watched them go from the bottom half to the top half. Now, in my first year in high school play, my team and I are not only determined to be one of the best but to be THE best team!

Currently on the season we are 12-0, and 8-0 in conference in Division 1 softball in Wisconsin. Through these games we have already started making history beating a team we have never beaten in school history or even scored a run off of!

We also knocked off the two-time defending Conference champs and snapped our 16 game losing streak against them.

I am working hard to do my part to contribute to the team, pitching in 10 games, having a home run my first conference high school at bat and three more so far this conference season. One of them was in the 7th inning with two outs and us down by two runs allowing us to tie the game and then win it on another home run!

Every player on our team is contributing, making critical defensive plays, and five out of our nine of starters have home runs on the season.

My point in writing this is to send a message to all athletes out there: you don’t have to be on the best team to make it a winning team. You have the power to put in hard work with your teammates, to do what has never been done before, by doing the extra work that no one else does.

But it all starts with believing in it.

nullWhen I was deciding between high schools in Oshkosh, I talked to my now current high school coach at Oshkosh North  and she asked me where North was on the map. I responded, “Up.”  She said, “Exactly, we are going up!”

She was right. If you have belief in yourself and your team, you are capable of accomplishing anything and my Spartan team is proof of that.

Talking to everyone before my season and telling them the high expectations I had for this team, there were many people who thought I was dreaming too big.

At the beginning of the season, I began putting a piece of tape in my helmet that said, “I dare you to doubt me.”

It has been the motto I’m living by. We are now leading the conference for the first time in years, turning heads, and becoming a force to be reckoned with. We are not stopping here, and we are working as hard as ever on getting better, proving what Coach Suess said—that Oshkosh North is going up and we are only going to keep going up from here!

​Photos by Ryan Clausen