Anyone with an older sibling has gone through a phase where they wanted to be just like their big brother or sister.

When Brooke Patterson’s older sister Alexis played softball for Warren Central and coach Dana McGivney, Brooke tagged along.

She would venture into the dugouts and go wherever Alexis went. Frankly, it agitated McGivney to the point where she told the Pattersons that Brooke would probably play one year for her.

“I told her mom there’s no way she’s going to play for me. She’s going to drive me insane,” McGivney said. “But she has grown tremendously as a person and a softball player. It’s been fun to watch and see what all she’s accomplished and I can’t wait to see what she accomplishes at Hinds and even beyond that.”

Five years after she officially joined the Lady Vikes’ roster, Patterson is still tagging along with McGivney and earned The Vicksburg Post’s 2016 Softball Player of the Year honor. She also won the award as a sophomore in 2014 and is the third two-time winner, joining Warren Central’s Katie Barnett (2001-02) and St. Aloysius’ Sarah Kerut (2006-07).

The recent graduate signed on to extend her career at Hinds Community College — again following her older sister, who played there in 2014 and 2015 — where she’s had the chance to connect with new teammates through an iMessage group chat. Some even wished her a happy birthday before stepping foot on campus as a student.

Even though Patterson feels lucky to have received Player of the Year honors, her time at Warren Central was riddled with growing pains.

“It was hard. It made me the person I am today,” Patterson said. “Being with the team, I’ll always have forever-friends now. I felt really happy to even be on the team when I was a little kid. I felt like I was a part of the team anyway when I was little. I was at every game and got on (McGivney’s) nerves everyday.”

Patterson doesn’t respond well to loud and brash coaching, as it forces her to put even more self-doubt on her shoulders. McGivney would approach her in a calm manner, which helped Patterson process mistakes or errors. The pair has an understanding of Patterson’s love for softball, which is why the calming approach worked well.

McGivney couldn’t ask for much more from a player like Patterson.

As a seventh grader, Patterson could hardly throw the ball across the field, but over the last three seasons she had the highest batting average on the team and batted leadoff.

Patterson hit .500 or better in each of the past three seasons and finished with a .450 career batting average in five years as a varsity starter. At various times in her high school career, she played catcher, outfield and pitcher.

“In the position of being a leadoff batter you want a kid who can get on base and she got on base, stole bases and was always an offensive spark for us,” McGivney said. “Defensively, she’s played almost every position on the field.”

Being the lone senior on this year’s team, eyes were consistently on Patterson’s behaviors on and off the field. Her leadership in past years has garnered the respect and admiration of her teammates. So much that she was deemed a “perfect player” for her confidence at the plate.

Patterson’s humility doesn’t allow that term to sit well. She knows she’s nowhere near perfect as she’s been tagged out and commits mistakes as any other player.

But, Patterson does accept the notion of her reactions setting the standard on the team.

“I’ve learned that my reaction rubs off on all of them and they watch me and everything I do,” Patterson said. They’re learning based off my reaction.”

When she walked across the stage for Warren Central’s graduation ceremony at Viking Stadium in May, Patterson left behind the family she’s cultivated on the diamond and the love shared amongst the team.

She will take with her in this new portion of life the lesson of selflessness. By learning to put others in front of her, it’s made Patterson more of a respectful person.

Her final message to those she’s leaving behind is to seek excellence.

“You can always strive to do better. If you make a mistake you can’t put your head down and you can’t let other people get to you. You have to do the best you can do at all times and have confidence in yourself.”

A slew of rising juniors and seniors wait to fill the huge void left by Patterson.

“I only have to find one person, but the fact she can play multiple positions, it’s not going to be quite that easy to ‘fill her shoes’ because of the fact she does so many different things for us,” McGivney said.

Vicksburg Post Players of the Year

2016 – Brooke Patterson, Warren Central

2015 – Darby Gain, Warren Central

2014 – Brooke Patterson, Warren Central

2013 – Megan McCullough, Warren Central

2012 – Krista Cortezie, Warren Central

2011 – Mallory McGuffee, St. Aloysius

2010 – Chasity Hearn, Warren Central

2009 – Mandy Fuller, Warren Central

2008 – Sarah Franco, St. Aloysius

2007 – Sarah Kerut, St. Aloysius

2006 – Sarah Kerut, St. Aloysius

2005 – Lauren Anderson, Warren Central

2004 – Lauren Johnson, Porters Chapel

2003 – Laura Beth Lyons, St. Aloysius

2002 – Katie Barnett, Warren Central

2001 – Katie Barnett, Warren Central

2000 – Emily Mathes, Vicksburg