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By CAREY FREEMAN
© St. Petersburg Times, published March 2, 2001
LECANTO -- High school coaches don't have the luxury of recruiting their players. But, if they did, you can bet Jill Bandhauer would be at or near the top of everyone's list.
From the sheer athletic ability to the effervescent personality that seems to captivate everyone from her coaches to her teammates, Bandhauer epitomizes what coaches look for in a cornerstone player.
She has speed and she has smarts. She is one of the best catchers in the area, but could excel at every other position. She will lift her teammates' spirits when they are down and maintain their focus during good times.
More than that, though, she is everybody's best friend, whose attitude and abilities are the glue that holds the Lecanto team together.
"She's a nice person. She's cool to hang out with and she's just a great teammate," Lecanto pitcher/third baseman Erin Bailey said. "She practices hard and it shows in games. She's really dedicated and I feel real comfortable when I'm pitching to her."
That Bandhauer is such a standout athletically should come as no surprise. Her mother, Dianna, is a physical education teacher at Lecanto Primary and father, Bill, was an athlete in high school. Older brother Todd was an all-state quarterback at Lecanto and a played for three years at Iowa State.
What may come as a surprise is how complete the package is and how versatile a personality Bandhauer is.
More than just a softball and volleyball player, Bandhauer is a budding artist. Recently she had one of her works -- a sketch of a pencil sharpener -- selected for display at the state fair.
"That was huge," Bandhauer said. "I never even expected to be drawing something the judges would have liked. "
Art is just another of the many things Bandhauer does well. She alternated between third base and catcher last year before making the full time switch to catcher this year. Eight games into the season, Bandhauer leads the team in hitting (.500), doubles (three) and is second in RBI with four.
Bandhauer said she is better this year because of her switch from basketball to weightlifting this winter.
"You'd be surprised how much the conditioning and weight training has helped," Bandhauer said. "Strengthwise, it feels like I don't have to put as much effort into throwing and I'm not as tired after games."
As with everything in her athletic career, the choice to give up basketball for weightlifting was hers and hers alone. Though her parents are supportive, they have never pushed her into anything she didn't clearly want to do.
"One of the things I believe in is that kids should be able to be high school kids first and play what they want to play," Dianna Bandhauer said. "If they can handle it, fine, as long at their grades don't suffer and they enjoy it. Jill is equally as good at volleyball as she is softball, so we don't try to make her pick."
That is a decision Bandhauer will eventually have to make when weighing her collegiate future, but one that won't be easy. Her time, be it in summer camps or on weekend stints with club teams, is evenly split between the two.
However, she has started thinking about where the best opportunities might lie.
"I like both for different reasons," said the 5-foot-7 Bandhauer. "In volleyball, the higher the level, the taller you have to be. So, I think my chances are better in softball."
GRADE: Junior.
POSITION: Catcher.
QUOTABLE: "She is a very happy kid. She loves everything and likes everybody." -- Dianna Bandhauer, Jill's mother.