Diamond in the rough

Proving them wrong.

That's been almost a mantra for Flathead Bravette softball player Amanda Lidstrom.

"You tell me I can't do it, I'm going to do it," the admittedly strong-minded senior says.

An illustration came during an early season matchup with the Butte Bulldogs.

A two-year member of Flathead's varsity, Lidstrom batted rarely as a junior, but was inserted into the third spot this spring by first-year head coach Dale Beerman.

"Last year, I got DHed in the batting lineup. I thought I could do it, but other girls were put in for me," she said.

That was frustrating, to say the least.

"I wanted to prove (everybody) wrong," she said. She got her chance April 16.

Flathead held a tenuous 3-2 advantage over Butte when Lidstrom led off the third inning.

"I got up in the batter's box," the outfielder remembers. "I looked over at (Beerman)- I was waiting for my sign. Slap, bunt …

"All I got was the slap of the hands.

"'Prove 'em wrong,'" Beerman called.

Beerman laughed when reminded of the incident.

"'Just hit it out of here,'" he remembers telling her.

"'Don't be looking at me, just hit it out of here.'"

The third pitch must have had her name on it, because Lidstrom sent it sailing over the right center field fence.

"I just saw it - it went high, high … then I see all of my teammates run out of the dugout," Lidstrom said.

"She's strong, that girl. If she ever got in the gym and really learned how to hit a softball, she could probably hit 10-to-15 home runs a year," the coach said.

"When she wants to play, she's a player."

"Mr. Beerman had confidence in me," Lidstrom said.

"He's a good coach. He knows what he's doing. He's really helped me out with my batting this year. I know I wouldn't have had that home run if it wasn't for Mr. Beerman."

In fact, Lidstrom is batting right around .400 with the one home run, four doubles and six RBIs.

Not bad for someone who made the team a couple of years ago because "I had a good heart and I worked hard.

"I still feel I have a lot to learn," she said.

"She's worked hard," Beerman said.

"I hit a lot of fly balls at her in the last two years. She's turned out to be a pretty good outfielder.

"I burn her and she gets mad. I burn her again and she gets mad. But that just makes her work a little bit harder. She's come a long way, she really has."

You could say she's 'proving them wrong.'

That one sentence could just about sum up the Flathead athletic career of the two-sport athlete.

The word 'stubborn' popped right out when asked what words some of her teammates might use to describe her. That was followed by 'aggressive.'

And both illustrate perfectly the way she plays her favorite sport - basketball.

A three-year post for the Flathead varsity, she earned honorable mention all-conference honors this past season. She also got some college basketball attention and is considering an offer to play at University of Montana - Western.

"She's just one of the toughest competitors I've ever coached. She's never backed down to anything," said longtime Bravette basketball coach Dennis Latimer.

At times, that included her coaches.

"We butted heads a little," Lidstrom admitted of her relationship with Latimer.

"She's just as stubborn as I am. We're both intense. We carry a lot of our emotions on our sleeve. But we have a very fond respect for each other," the coach agreed.

"I think we have basically the same personality. Mr. Latimer, he's an intense guy. He can get grouchy at practice," Lidstrom said.

The toughest part for Latimer was reconciling Lidstrom's considerable ability with her tendency to foul.

There were times he would stomp down the bench, glare down at her and growl "'I'd like to put you in … but I can't,'" Latimer said.

"But I always knew she was giving it her all. She never gave me excuses why she can't. She's not an excuse-maker. She gets out and tries to get it done."

That attitude helped the basketball team claim second place in Western AA this past winter.

But there's work to be done if the softball team is to achieve its goal of playing at the Class AA state tournament.

At one point, the Bravettes won seven straight games, but the season was something of a rollercoaster ride and they wrapped the regular season Thursday at 10-9 overall, 6-6 league.

They'll likely host a playoff Thursday against Helena High.

"(The season) has had its ups and downs. We're getting better," she said.

"We just need to make sure we get on base, then when we do get on base, not leave those runners stranded."

Actually, it's just one more chance to 'prove them wrong.'