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Parson on rise for Lady Royals
Alexis Parson had a tremendous season for the Twin Rivers Lady Royals this past season leaving her return this season filled with anticipation and expectations.
Parson, a pitcher, recorded 175 strikeouts last season. From the plate, she hit .457 with 32 hits and 29 RBIs.
She was named all-Ozark Foothills Conference for the spring season and helped the Lady Royals place third in the OFC Tournament, all as a sophomore.
Looking forward to 2024-25, her coach, Casey Parson — who is also her mother — offered some insights into what her daughter’s junior season looks like.
“Alexis’s real strength is her pitching,” Parson said. “She has room to grow in both areas of hitting and pitching.”
This assessment is likely to strike fear into their opponents, considering the skills she already demonstrated as a sophomore.
Parson said that Alexis’s work ethic keeps her working throughout the year.
“She works hard to develop her skills,” coach Parson said. “She has done a strength training program with Ozark Fitness since her freshman year, has gone to pitching and hitting lessons regularly for several years, and plays travel team softball all through the summer.”
Coach Parson said that her daughter’s expectations exceed her own.
“Going into her junior year, she has high expectations of herself, but she has to know that it’s one pitch at a time on the mound and in the batter’s box,” coach Parson said. “Softball is a game of failure; you have to enjoy the grind.
“My biggest expectation of her is to enjoy these next two years of high school ball and travel ball and let her hard work pay off.”
A new area for Alexis to pursue as a junior is leadership beyond game performance.
“Alexis is learning to be a leader on and off the field,” coach Parson said. “Now that she is an upperclassman, hopefully she can develop this skill set.”
As one might expect, coaching one of your own children carries its own set of challenges.
“I will be going into my 20th year as a teacher and coach,” coach Parson said. “Having the daughter and coach relationship has its benefits and its struggles. I rely on my assistant coach, Maci Shearer, a lot. We have made the joke that this year, Coach Shearer is making the mound visits.
“She will have some of those tough coaching conversations with Alexis when It’s needed.”
Coach Parson said she relies on her daughter’s relationship with her pitching coach.
“I wasn’t a pitcher, so she has a lot of those conversations with her pitching coach for corrections in pitching mechanics and her mental approach on the mound,” coach Parson said.
Coach Parson said that while she enjoys being on the field coaching Alexis and the team, and enjoying her high school career alongside her daughter, she also likes that summer travel ball allows her to just sit in a lawn chair and be a mom.
Alexis cites her future goals as playing college softball and getting a degree in physical therapy.
Outside of sports, Parson said Alexis enjoys “the typical teenager things of hanging out with her friends.”