While other school sports often dominate publicity and the attention of both staff and students, softball remains a cornerstone of the school’s athletics program. Without the support of hundreds screaming from the home bleachers every Friday night, softball relies primarily on grit and dedication from its players to define its true success. This year, the school’s softball team has one collegiate commit: Celia Anbinder, a senior whose years of consistency and leadership on and off the field have set her apart. This fall, Anbinder will continue to define her success, taking her athletic career to a new level as a Division I softball athlete at Brown University. Her commitment marks a significant milestone but also highlights the true strength of the school’s program.
Anbinder began playing softball at a very young age due to the influence of family members.
“I started playing softball in first grade because my sister was doing it and my mom was the coach,” Anbinder said.
What initially started as a family activity eventually grew into a long-term commitment, with practices, games and team meetings becoming a consistent part of her life. This marked the beginning of her softball journey, one filled with hard work and lifelong goals that ultimately led to several accomplishments. Among those accomplishments, Abinder’s most memorable moment during her high school career occurred in her sophomore season, in a game against Wakefield.
“My most memorable moment so far in my high school career has been my sophomore year when we beat Wakefield 21-12, and the game took so long that the lights shut off in like the 5th or 6th inning,” Anbinder said. “We had a whole dance party in the dugout with the other team, and it was a really memorable night where we were able to come together as a team.”
Even with Abinder’s athletic success in softball, she has maintained an impressive academic record. Brown University, an Ivy League institution founded in 1764, is extremely selective due to its high academic prestige. To keep track of both athletics and academics, Abinder created daily routines for classes and used all free time throughout the school day to complete any required work or studying.
“Getting into a good routine has helped me balance school and athletics,” Abinder said. “One of the biggest things that have helped me to stay on top of work and also get as much practice in as possible is getting things done before the deadline. Using class time and little pockets of free time has helped me a lot.”
While managing a difficult academic schedule with constant athletics, Abinder has also successfully completed the stressful recruitment process. Her priorities when choosing a college stemmed from the school’s commitment to her; she chose Brown because it offered great academic opportunities and it provided an environment where she felt valued.
“I chose Brown because I felt like the coaches were invested in me as a player,” Abinder said. “They took the time to get to know me and help me make the best decision possible. When I stepped on campus and met the team, I immediately felt at home and like it was a [place] where I would be able to fit in and grow as an athlete and student. The academic opportunity also made it an easy choice.”
Although Brown University was Abinder’s first choice, she also had many other schools of interest. Abinder narrowed her recruitment search to schools with high academic standards, specifically in the Northeast.
“I was mostly looking at high academic schools in the Northeast like Boston University, Northwestern, Maryland, Michigan, Dartmouth, Syracuse, and Cornell,” Abinder said.
Beyond winning and competing on a team, Abinder credits softball with shaping her character, specifically her resilience. . Her sports challenges have taught her to fight battles and grow from them.
“Softball being a sport where you fail more than you succeed, I’ve been able to learn from my failures rather than dwell on them,” Abinder said. “Softball has helped me to be more resilient through adversity and has taught me to never give up.”
As she prepares for the next chapter in her athletic career at Brown, Abinder hopes to leave the school with motivation for those striving to follow in her footsteps.
“Don’t get caught up in the little things,” Abinder said. “If you keep your head down and work, everything will turn out like it’s supposed to.”
