Avery Fallon bringing the energy during IMG Academy’s inaugural softball season

BRADENTON, Fla. (WWSB) - This week’s ABC7 Athlete of the Week is IMG Academy’s Avery Fallon. She’s a junior for the Lady Ascenders regional team.

They’re into the thick of their season at this point, and playing well as a group and she is having a standout individual season too at the plate and as a fielder.

Fallon says it’s an exciting for her and her teammates. “It’s been great so far, especially being in the warm weather,” Fallon said. “It’s snowing back home, but warm down here. I talked it over with my parents. We ultimately decided that this was the best opportunity for me and my future.”

When this season is over, Fallon and all of her teammates will be able to say they made history. They are apart of the inaugural softball class for IMG Academy.

“Coming from a small town in Pennsylvania, the opportunity to get my name out there and be apart of this big opportunity, it was just an immediate yes,” Fallon said.

When it comes to making history, for Fallon, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. “My sister was apart of the inaugural season at the University of Albany for rowing,” Fallon said. “My uncle was apart of the inaugural season at UConn for men’s hockey. It kind of runs in the family. Being able to hold the honor is huge for me.”

Fallon prides herself on being the ultimate teammate, and that’s something that her coach, Sara Haefeli, appreciates the most about her.

“We’re able to create that culture and really feed into our athletes on how we can support each other,” Haefeli said. “It’s great having her out on the field, and really feeding energy to her teammates.”

As much an honor as it is to be apart of history, Fallon wants it to be good history. They’re here to win ball games, and that’s her goal each time she takes the field.

“I think it’s just a matter of you know who you are,” Fallon said. “Just build your own confidence.”