FPD’s Patterson takes leadership role to heart
Height can make fans take notice of an athlete almost immediately.
For teams taking on the FPD girls basketball and soccer programs, opposing height can also affect game plans.
Kate Patterson gave the Vikings that height. And she took full advantage of it.
“Having someone tall automatically sends up a red flag for other teams,” FPD soccer head coach Joshua Trieste said. “She played like a prototype 5-5 player, but she’s 6-2, 6-3. She didn’t have problems playing low, playing high. Marking her a lot of times really didn’t matter.”
Patterson, who also ran cross country, was a leader on and off the court and the field. In soccer, she had 13 goals and nine assists, leading the team in steals as she helped lead the Vikings to the GHSA Class 1A championship game. In basketball, she averaged 16 points and 8.7 rebounds, capping a career in which she was a four-year starter and a three-year captain.
And, for good measure, Patterson, The Telegraph’s Selby Buck Female Athlete of the Year, is also involved in charitable work. She is currently on a mission trip in Mexico.
“While playing multiple sports was very time consuming, I learned to stay organized and to anticipate deadlines,” Patterson said in an email. “Whether I had to plan ahead to study for a test or quiz or plan time to spend with my friends; playing multiple sports made me very time conscious. I think having a busy schedule kept me on the right track in many aspects of life, and for that I am very grateful.”
While the sports seasons rolled right into each other, Patterson insisted that the teams she was on made time for some fun activities, be it team dinners or other events.
Often times, she found herself leading those activities.
“During cross country, my favorite memory was during a trip to a meet at Berry College,” Patterson wrote. “The runners begged for Krispy Kreme doughnuts and were told we couldn’t have any. But when they turned the buses into Krispy Kreme, the people inside the restaurant turned to look because they could hear us yelling out of excitement.”
Said Trieste, “She has a personality that is unique. As team captain, she hosted team dinners at her house. She definitely spearheaded those. It helps when the seniors are likeable, and she was, and she was encouraging.”
Patterson, however, turned on her competitive side once she entered the gym or the soccer field.
In both basketball and soccer, Patterson could be seen hustling to the ball, getting after loose balls and setting up scoring opportunities.
“Coach Charley Chase, my first varsity basketball coach, had a big effect on my attitude and work ethic in basketball,” Patterson wrote. “He once told me, ‘Play each game like you are thanking the Lord for the gift He has given you.’ Remembering these words changed the way I stepped onto the court and field.”
In addition to spending this summer teaching at the Casa Hogar orphanage in Mexico, Patterson has been involved in community activities. She has conducted basketball camps for children from the Pleasant Hill neighborhood for Campus Clubs, and she has worked with National Charity League and Project Lead. She also attended American Legion Girls State.
Patterson will be attending Arkansas this fall, majoring in sports management.
“As I am excited to start a new chapter of life at Arkansas, I will always hold onto and miss the millions of memories at FPD,” Patterson wrote. “What I will remember the most is the teachers who quickly became parent figures in my life. Whether it was walking down the hall to hear a personal greeting, long conversations that ranged from following Christ to our favorite candy, or spending countless hours together while playing a sport, they always went the extra mile to provide. I will miss the countless memories the halls, gyms, locker rooms, and classrooms hold for me and my friends.”