by By Dan Ninham
Naleyah Bork, 16, is from the Oneida Nation and is a Turtle clan member. She is a sophomore at Freedom HS in Freedom, WI. Her parent’s are Cindy John and Nate Bork.
“My freshman year I started on varsity as a pitcher and was named 2nd team All-Conference,” said Naleyah. “Last spring 2020, I was named to the Northern Indigenous All-State team.”
“Even though I don’t go to a tribal school, I still do my best to represent my tribe with class, respect, and pride while competing,” said Naleyah.
“Julia Ravindran Skenandore inspires me because she comes from the same town I do,” said Naleyah. “We have many similarities in our background She had a strong work ethic and was a great pitcher and is an overall great person and mentor. I aspire to be like her.”
“Naleyah’s leadership and dedication shows in her studies and in the sports she plays, especially with softball,” said Julia Ravindran Skenandore. “She is very focused on her studies with a 4.0 GPA, second in her class and she practices year-round to be one of the top pitchers in her conference. She started playing softball when she was nine years old and it has been amazing watching her evolve throughout the years. Being a lefty pitcher and her height definitely has its advantages, but it’s her clear dedication that has made her so successful.”
“You have to have leadership skills when you are a pitcher because you are always in the center of the game,” said Julia. “It’s also the enthusiasm on and off the field that makes you a leader. These are qualities that Naleyah embodies. One thing that really stands out in Naleyah is her determination and positivity. She is such a good team player and always supports her teammates with positive encouragement.”
“Naleyah keeps extremely busy throughout the year by playing on her high school team, summer team and travel teams. She has gotten to know a variety of girls throughout the state and it’s inspiring to see her keeping in touch with her teammates,” added Julia.
“I also played softball from a very young age, to high school and went on to play at the university level and USA travel teams,” said Julia. “With the level of dedication to her studies and to softball I know she will be extremely successful in pitching at the university level. I am looking forward to following her journey to see what’s next for her. She will be a record breaker for sure!”
“Steve Scheibe has coached me for eight years and he continues to push me to be my very best,” said Naleyah. “He’s inspired my love for softball because he’s so passionate about it. I’ve always looked up to him and he knows me inside and out as a player and knows how to boost my confidence when I’m on the mound.”
“I’ve had the pleasure of coaching Naleyah since she was nine years old until the present day,” said coach Steve Scheibe. “Naleyah is a leader on and off the field. When she takes the mound she has a confident presence about her. We talk about ‘never high never low being even keel”’ and she epitomizes that. She is a fierce competitor within herself. She picks her teammates up when they are down with her quiet demeanor and infectious smile.”
“Naleyah leads by example on the field. She works hard in practice and that carries over to her success on the field. Not a ‘rah rah’ type of player but when she talks her teammates listen,” added Steve.
“Away from the field and into the classroom she is an excellent student,” said Steve. “She carries a high GPA while taking college prep courses and having a very busy schedule. She is trustworthy and kind and does the right thing when no one is watching.”
“As a coach I couldn’t be more proud of the player and person she has become over the past seven years,” said Steve. “This is attributed to the strong family support she has around her. She continues to push herself to become the best. She has made me a better coach and I can’t wait to see what the last two years of high school softball has in store for this young lady. I will be one of her biggest fans as she moves onto the next chapter in her life.”
“For a few years before I went to the club I play for currently, I played with Freedom Fastpitch,” said Naleyah. “Every girl on our team went to the same school and we always competed with every team. We’ve won USSSA state, took 7th at Nationals, and when we were young we had an undefeated summer.”
“I’m a very cool, calm, and collected player,” said Naleyah. “I don’t show many emotions and I’m mentally tough. I’ve gotten out of many situations.”
Naleyah Bork is ready to continue on her journey forward.
Photo Credit: Gretchen Koch
