Benson leads off life after high school

POLSON - Staci Benson's softball career didn't begin with softball at all. Instead, she played hard ball with the guys before she was old enough to attend kindergarten.

"I played baseball with my dad [as coach] and my brother," Benson said. "When I was four-years-old, I played with all boys on a six-seven-year-old team."

The recent Polson High School graduate had natural ability and played a number of sports throughout the years.

"I loved to be outdoors and I wasn't the girliest of girls," Benson said. "It just keeps you busy. I like practice, working out and keeping in shape."

It wasn't until eighth grade that Benson made the switch to softball, which quickly became her favorite sport.

"It seemed like it was time. I wasn't going to be able to play baseball in high school," Benson said. "I was pretty comfortable with it. I adjusted well."

So well that she got to play on the 16U summer softball team as an eighth grader with Polson softball head coach Larry Smith. It was the beginning of a very successful player-coach pairing that won two state championships.

"She's one of the best players to come through the program," Smith said. "She's a dandy."

As a freshman, she played just one game for the JV squad. Benson then moved to the varsity softball team for Polson and remained on the lineup card until she graduated.

"A lot of the girls didn't consider me a freshman, I was always hanging out with the older girls," Benson said.

With seven seniors on the team in 2007 to make up the inner core of defense, Benson played in the outfield. She earned All-Conference utility player honors and the squad took home the state championship.

"Freshman year seemed like it was a bigger deal because there were seven seniors on the team so it was a big deal for them to win before they graduated," Benson said.

Flash forward three years and Benson found herself in a different situation. As the only senior on the team, she was on a squad infused with youth.

"We were really young but I played with these girls for a lot of years and knew we definitely had potential," Benson said.

Batting as the leadoff hitter, she hit .500 for the regular season and also led the team in RBIs.

"You never see that," Smith said.

Being a switch hitter, Benson was able to set the tone for the Pirates' offense.

"You're getting things started for the team," she said. "I like it just because I do pretty well under pressure."

Pressure found a way into the 2010 season. The Pirates were primed for a championship run but dropped their last two conference games, casting doubt heading into the postseason. Benson, who had made the state tournament every year she had played for the Pirates, used her veteran leadership to rally the team.

"I talked to the girls and told

them that going into the state tournament is a totally different season," Benson said.

The Pirates shook off the end of the regular season and captured another state championship in 2010.

"She came on in a big way as a freshman and she left in a big way," Smith said.

However, it wasn't easy for Benson.

During her sophomore season she crashed into second base and tore up her shoulder.

"The doctors looked at it and said that I didn't dislocate it, but it was pretty close," Benson said.

She spent a few weeks rehabbing the injury which has never healed completely. Benson has just had to learn to live with it.

"It still gives me problems, it wasn't like it's fixed now, it's just that I can tolerate the pain that I have," Benson said.

She was moved from shortstop to second base so she didn't have to throw as far. It didn't slow her down as Benson won second-team all conference honors at second baseman. She then spent her junior year trying to strengthen her throwing arm to get back to her original position.

"I got it back to a reasonable amount of strength so I could start throwing from shortstop," Benson said.

Her junior and senior year she earned all-state honors from the shortstop position despite the lingering issues with her shoulder.

"Your mind has to be working a lot more than in the outfield," Benson said. "You have to be more attentive, ready to move and react as soon as the ball comes off the player's bat."

Anyone who's seen a shortstop snag a line drive heading towards the outfield understands the kind of athleticism and guts it requires to play that position.

"You have to make a lot of decisions on base coverage," Smith said.

Benson isn't just a one-sport player either. She played basketball until her senior year when she decided to focus more on softball. She also developed into a very good volleyball player for the Pirates.

Benson played at the defensive specialist position of libero for the Pirates her freshman year. However, the team won just one game. Then current Polson volleyball coach Jan Toth was named to lead the squad.

"She's a phenomenal coach," Benson said. "I knew from that point on our team was going to be a lot better."

Toth took the struggling program to state tournament appearances Benson's junior and senior year. Benson ended up earning all-state libero honors those two years as well.

However, Toth isn't the only one that Benson has accolades for. She also appreciated the coaching of her father, Brad Benson, who she played baseball for until eighth grade.

"He was pretty much my coach my whole life, on and off the field," Benson said.

And she couldn't forget Smith, who has coached the Polson girls' softball team to five state championships in the past decade.

"Larry is an amazing coach," Benson said. "I definitely enjoyed all four years playing for him. He's a very quiet individual. You kind of have to play for him to understand how he coaches, he knows so many things. You could ask him any question and he would have the exact answer for you."

Benson said that Smith's good-natured demeanor really helps the team.

"If you're having a bad inning, he'll tell you something you did right," Benson said. "Then if you're doing something wrong, he'll probably tell you what you're doing with a smile on his face."

Nobody can argue with Smith's methods considering the results.

Now graduated, Benson has looked at several schools to continue playing softball in college. She said she has leaned towards small schools to at least start her collegiate career.

"Coming from a small town, a lot of big schools don't look at you as often," Benson said.

She looked at a few schools in North Dakota and a community college in California.

Benson said her focus is on academics, and that she would probably go into dental hygiene.

While that means she has to leave Polson, she certainly won't forget what she accomplished here for both the softball and volleyball teams.

"Every year has been a great experience with winning state two years out of your career," Benson said. "You can't complain about that."