By Ken Hansard
Cooper Williams, a senior outfielder and catcher for the Derby Panthers, has some very simple and very attainable goals in mind for his final year with the Panthers, “I want to be someone who models positivity. Mostly, I am just excited to go out and play the game I love one more time, and I am also excited about playing for our new coach.”
After finishing last season with a disappointing first-round playoff loss, Williams and his teammates have put in a dedicated effort during the off-season to help ensure that they can hit the ground running early this season, “I have really worked on improving my hitting. I changed up my swing in the off-season and have put in a lot of reps to learn to adjust to it. I did that mostly by getting in the cages with my teammates and our coaches.”
Williams’ love for the game came through loud and clear in his interview answers. He says that beating Blue Valley West is one of his favorite memories because, “…it’s always rewarding to beat a team through teamwork and perseverance.” He also talked about why he enjoys competition, and specifically the sport of baseball, “I have always loved competing. Something about baseball that has always stuck with me and appealed to me is the idea that, in baseball, you can fail 70% of the time and still be successful.”
After graduation, Williams plans to attend Pratt Community College in the fall to pursue a career as a Game Warden.
