By Steve Svetovich

Job well done. Such is the case for Holy Cross Lady Crusaders second baseman Alison Ross who was rewarded for her efforts with selection to the all-state team as a junior.

Daughter of Joe and Mari Ross, her dad is the coach of the Holy Cross softball team. Alison, 17, batted .488 in earning an all-state selection as a second baseman. The soon-to-be senior said she owes a lot to her parents.

“They teach me to always be a good person and look at the positives. Treat people right.”

Alison said her dad has always been like a coach to her even before she became a member of the Lady Crusaders softball team under him.

“He brought the game to me at a very young age,” she said. “He taught me everything I know. He knows what to say at the right time. He is always supportive.”

A positive thinker and hard-working, Alison talked about what it takes to be a good second baseman in high school softball.

“It takes a lot of hard work and dedication,” she said. “You need to stay positive to make the plays. Our coaches are very positive and push us to do our best.”

The scholar-athlete has an impressive 3.8 grade point average at Holy Cross. Her favorite academic subject is science. She is a member of the TRUE Club, Foreign Languages Club and National Honor Society.

She will be playing her fourth year on the Lady Crusaders softball team next year. Alison will also be in her fourth year on the basketball team where she was a starting guard as a junior.

Alison comes from a family of outstanding softball and baseball players. Her dad and uncles Frank and Paul were standout high school baseball players. Her late grandfather Paul was a superb and well-known professional softball player. Her sister Amanda was a stalwart softball player for Holy Cross who played for Kean University. Amanda, 24, is currently a graduate student at Widener University studying to be an occupational therapist.

Alison talked about what it takes to be a solid hitter in high school softball. “It all starts with a lot of practice and trying to be a good teammate,” she said. “You need to practice in the off season and during the season. I just try to get on base for my teammates.

“The all-state second baseman said the success of the Lady Crusaders this year was due to teamwork. “We banded together as a team,” she said. “We all get along. We encourage each other and never get down. That’s why we have success.”

Alison said she is not sure if she will play softball in college or where she will attend, but is thinking about becoming a pharmacist eventually.

She likes listening to music in her spare time and would like to see Drake in concert.

Right now Alison is enjoying her time at Holy Cross and looking forward to her senior year.

She is keeping her future goals simple. “I want to get a good job, live a good life and be a good person.”