JEFF FIELDER Editor
SCOTTSBLUFF – Taylor Klein, who will be a senior at Scottsbluff High School this upcoming school year, is this week’s Nspire Today! Female Athlete of the Week, sponsored by Kristy Culek Agency, LLC-American Family Insurance. Klein is a four-year starter on the Bearcats’ softball team. She played first base as a freshman and then switched to third base her sophomore and junior seasons. She expects to play second base this season. She was on the Broadway Bombers’ 18-under traveling softball team that enjoyed lots of success this summer, including posting a 20-13 record. She also plays tennis. Her parents are Sara and Bob Klein, and she has a younger brother, Tyson.
Q: Were you pleased with how the Bombers’ season went this summer?
KLEIN: “Our Bombers season went very well. We were very successful. We had great team chemistry throughout the season. We had absolutely zero team drama. We played loose and free like we were hoping to. It was a blast to play on this team.”
Q: How will the Bombers’ success this summer help the high school team this fall?
KLEIN: “Performing well this summer will help us go into the season with more confidence.”
Q: How excited are you for your senior softball season?
KLEIN: “I’m really excited about it. I like how Scottsbluff softball’s culture has changed, and I love the girls I play with.”
Q: What are your personal goals for this season?
KLEIN: “I just want to be able to go out every game and give it my all. If I make an error, I’m just going to re-set for my team and give 100 percent all the time. I’ve never really gotten down on myself, but I want to work on having a quicker mental re-set because we don’t have a lot of time to re-set in softball. I want to be able to bring our teammates up whenever they get down on themselves and just be more of a leader.”
Q: Offensively, how are things looking for the team?
KLEIN: “We had a very good offensive season this summer. Our bats were looking great, and if we keep playing with the confidence we had this summer, we should do very well offensively and defensively.”
Q: Talk about the team’s outlook this fall?
KLEIN: “This team is going to be fun. All of us are so energetic and happy. It’s just fun to play with each other.“
Q: How good can this year’s team be?
KLEIN: “I feel like our team is going to make a lot of noise. I think we could easily win a district championship and make some noise at the other end of the state.”
Q: You also play tennis. Which sport is your favorite?
KLEIN: “Most definitely softball.”
Q: When did you start playing softball?
KLEIN: “I’ve been playing softball since I was about 4.”
Q: Why do you love the game of softball so much?
KLEIN: “I’ve always enjoyed playing softball. It’s always made me happy. My favorite part is getting to know the other girls on the team.”
Q: Talk about your college plans.
KLEIN: “I’ve verbally committed to play at Otero Junior College.”
Q: How excited are you about your college career?
KLEIN: “It’s very exciting. When I went on my visit there, it seemed like a great fit for me.”
Q: What do you plan to major in?
KLEIN: “I’m going to major in elementary education. I want to be a kindergarten teacher.”
Q: Why do you want to be a kindergarten teacher?
KLEIN: “I’ve always loved working with kids. Being around kids is really easy for me. I work at a daycare [Crossroads Corner Preschool], and when I was a freshman, we were getting the new building and we got an extra week off for Christmas break, so I went to a kindergarten classroom since my mom works at Lincoln Heights, and I helped there, and I loved every minute of it.”
Q: Do you also hope to do some coaching in the future?
KLEIN: “Yes. I am going to minor in coaching when I go to college.”
Q: Outside of sports, what other activities are you involved in at school?
KLEIN: “I’m in National Honor Society, Educators Rising, and Link Crew.”
Q: How important is it to you to maintain excellent grades and also to to be involved in National Honor Society?
KLEIN: “Getting good grades has always been important to me. You have to have good grades in order to play, and you have to have good grades in order to go to college. So, those have been motivators for me. I enjoy going to school, so trying to get good grades hasn’t been that hard for me. To be in National Honor Society is a big honor because it’s one of the highest achievements you can get grade-wise in high school.”
Q: Outside of the activities we’ve talked about, what else do you like to do for fun?
KLEIN: “I love hanging out with my friends and family, for sure.”
Q: How much have you enjoyed growing up in Scottsbluff?
KLEIN: “I’ve enjoyed growing up in Scottsbluff. It’s a community that works together, and people are really supportive of each other. It’s been fun living here. I like that it’s a smaller community. I’m not a big fan of big cities. I think people in a smaller community are closer.”
Q: If you were talking to someone who had never visited Scottsbluff before, what are three places in this area that you would recommend he or she visit?
KLEIN: “I would recommend hiking the monument, going to the bakery because they have good food, and going to any of the local high school and college events or even the Pioneers’ games.”
Q: Which teacher has made the biggest influence on you?
KLEIN: “One teacher who has always been in the back of my mind and is someone who I’ll always remember is my kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Fertig from Westmoor. She recently retired. She always wanted the best for each kid, and she would always go out of her way to help her students be as successful as they could be.”
Q: In your opinion, which student at Scottsbluff High School is the kindest person you know?
KLEIN: “The kindest person at Scottsbluff High School would probably be my best friend, Logan Hernandez. She’s always there for you. She’s really nice.”
Q: Name one person who you feel is a big difference-maker in the Scottsbluff community.
KLEIN: “Someone who helps our community a lot is Sami Webb. She gives back to a lot of different organizations and is supportive of many youth activities.”
If you would like to nominate someone for Nspire Today!’s Athletes of the Week, sponsored by Kristy Culek Agency, you may do so by sending an email to jeff.fielder@nspiretoday.com or by mailing a letter to Nspire Today!, P.O. Box 454, Scottsbluff, NE 69363. Nominations may also be submitted by sending a text to 308-220-8865.
In addition to being recognized online, athletes of the week will also be recognized in Nspire Today! magazine. To sign up for a one-year subscription (12 issues) to the magazine, please send $15 to Nspire Today!, P.O. Box 454, Scottsbluff, NE 69363. To pay with a credit card, please call 308-220-8865. If you would like to increase your subscription to $20, Nspire Today! will donate the extra $5 in August to the local DOVES organization.
For all your insurance needs, visit The Kristy Culek Agency, LLC-American Family Insurance, located at 1012 Ave. I in Scottsbluff, or call 308-632-8598.
