BY NATE KOTISSO | STAFF WRITER
SAN JUAN — PSJA High pitcher Elaine Madera was a freshman on a playoff-bound Bears club armed with one of the district’s co-Coaches of the Year (Teresa Thibodeaux), Offensive Player of the Year (Jennifer Lopez) and Defensive Player of the Year (Gabie Fonseca).
After Madera’s freshman season, those three familiar faces were all gone. She had a lot of growing up to do quickly.
PSJA High’s 2017 and 2018 seasons were rebuilding years. With her father, Eric, moving into the head coaching position, Elaine was called on to shoulder the brunt of the workload in the circle.
“Staying focused is the one thing you have to do,” Madera said. “You can’t have any distractions. It was a big workload because you have everyone in your ear telling you stuff, shouting at you. But they’re your seven innings and you need to get through them. Clear the mechanism and focus on your game.”
One hobby of Madera’s that continues to help her focus in the circle is singing, which Madera says, runs in her family.
“My mom can sing as well, so we have fun singing together,” Madera said. “I’ve always been one to take the stage. When I was 4 or 5 years old, I remember being at this party place where there was a stage and a microphone. I was like, ‘Give me that mic! I want that!’ I was by myself on the stage singing and entertaining people. I like entertaining people. I like putting on a show.”
“That’s a joy of hers. She sings at the house all the time,” PSJA High coach Eric Madera said. “I catch myself sometimes, practicing with her even though I have no idea how to sing. I’ve always told her, ‘If softball doesn’t work out, you might go into singing.’”
Elaine has a recording booth in her home, which sometimes serves as her fortress of solitude.
“I go in there on my own and close the door, but my parents can still hear me singing through the house,” Elaine Madera said. “I download a little karaoke version of a song from YouTube to my MacBook and press record. Whether I mess up or I don’t, it’s fun. I love Beyoncé, so I’m always listening to her and trying to match her pitches. I have a strong imagination, so I think I’m her sometimes when I sing. I’ve thought about starting a YouTube channel of my own, but you never what can happen with it. It’s something that I can relax to with everything that’s on my shoulders.”
January 24 was shaping up to be the biggest day in Elaine’s life. Not only would it be her 18th birthday, but it was also the day she signed a letter of intent to play college softball at Prairie View A&M.
Madera’s cumulative performance playing at PSJA High and Next Generation, an Austin-based softball travel team, had finally paid off.
“It was a full day,” Madera said. “My grandpa ended up passing on my birthday, as well. He worked at the Pulga in Mercedes. He loved being there. Sometimes I went and helped him out at work. He always kept up with my dad. Every Sunday, he’d come over to my house. Knowing that it happened on my birthday, I took it hard because I’ll always love my grandpa dearly. I’m not wearing it now, but I have a visor with angels on it in memory of him. This season is all for him.”
The Bears are on the prowl again, sporting a healthy 14-5 regular season record entering the week. PSJA High moved from 31-6A to 30-6A, its third different district since 2016.
The change in districts, which included the PSJA North Raiders joining the Bears, contributed to some early parity in 30-6A through three games. PSJA North is the lone 3-0 team in the district, but the Raiders are followed by McAllen Memorial, McAllen Rowe, Mission High and PSJA High, all of which are 2-1 in district play.
PSJA High will host McAllen Rowe at 7 tonight.
“We’re a whole different team than we were the last couple years,” Eric Madera said. “We had a lot of freshmen on the team two to three years ago, but a lot of these girls are juniors now. They’ve grown up and they know what’s expected of them each and every game. Getting a playoff berth this season is a must for us.”
“All the girls are on board about what we want to accomplish this year,” Elaine Madera said. “We’ve bonded well and we all get along. Everyone comes to practice ready to work. We haven’t made the playoffs since my freshman year. Mind you, we were also district champs my freshman year and that’s also a goal for us, too. I think the district is all up for grabs. We’re striving for that.”