Syd Nuismer, a senior at Elkhorn High School, is all about family. “My uncle played UNK (University of Nebraska Kearney) baseball, so I grew up playing in the dirt at the baseball fields,” she said. Her dad has been her coach from the beginning and is still coaching her in her final select season with Nebraska Gold. “I play for my dad. That’s something that’s real important to me. It grew a huge bond, and it taught me how to treat a coach. He didn’t let me take it easy.”
One of her favorite parts of softball is traveling with the select team in the summer. “I’ve been to so many states on both sides. One time we drove from Georgia to California—41 hours. We stopped once. Poor Dad.” This past summer Syd experienced a special tournament. “My team got third at Nationals, which is a huge deal. We played teams that had all their players going to huge schools like Oklahoma, which is pretty cool for a little Nebraska team to come in and show them what we’ve got.”
Syd hopes to combine her love of art and her passion for working with kids with special needs into a career in special education. She seeks out opportunities like helping special needs students in weights class, participating in the inclusive study hall, and joining the Unified Bowling team. Her commitment goes back to the importance of family. “I grew up with an aunt who has special needs. At school, I hang out with them all the time. I figured it would be something I’d like to do for the rest of my life.”
Syd will be pitching for University of Nebraska Omaha in the fall of 2020. Allen Schutte, her coach at Elkhorn, believes Syd will do well. “Syd has worked really hard to get where she is today,” he said. “She has an outstanding work ethic and a drive to do her best. Syd puts a lot of pressure on herself, whether it is in the circle, batter box, or in the classroom.” Her hard work has paid off with a Regents scholarship to cover her tuition and a softball scholarship to cover everything else. For her part, she is glad to be staying in Omaha. “I’m really close with my family.”
