Helping a Youth Movement Mature Gracefully : Softball: Long Beach catcher Kristyn Frady learns to enjoy her role as team’s senior member.

Kristyn Frady is OK with her “old-timer” status--sort of.

At times, Frady revels in being the sage of the Long Beach State softball team. She enjoys counseling the freshmen, of which there are many, about handling every situation from holding runners on base to proper conduct when traveling.

Often her role is fulfilling, fun and rewarding. However, there are occasions when Frady wouldn’t mind just being one of the kids again.

“Sometimes I feel like the grandma,” Frady said, only slightly joking. “It’s been kind of different because I was always one of the younger girls.

“There were always a lot of older girls on the team. In a way, I feel really old.”

This from someone 22? Well, consider the circumstances.

Seven of the 49ers’ 15 players are freshmen. Four others are sophomores.

Frady, the team’s starting catcher and captain, is the only senior. Consequently, her advice is sought daily.

“I share things with them when I can help out with my experience,” she said. “I don’t try to tell them what to do, I usually wait for them to ask me things.

“When we’re on the road, I’ll tell them when we’re supposed to have study hall and things like that. Those are things you don’t know when you first start.”

All of the freshmen have played and five of the seven play regularly for Long Beach. They have fit nicely, Frady said.

“They’ve all come through real well,” she said. “It hasn’t been hard on me at all.”

But with that many neophytes on the field, Coach Pete Manarino expects a few head-pounding moments each game. Frady’s presence helps immeasurably.

“Before the season, we talked a little bit about how young we would be and that she would have to provide some leadership and experience,” Manarino said. “She’s done a very good job. She doesn’t say a lot but she leads by example.”

Sometimes Manarino would rather his youngest charges not follow Frady. That’s because his on-field rock is the team prankster outside the lines. And guess who her favorite target is?

“I was getting ready to leave campus after a game this season, but I go out to the parking lot and my car wasn’t there,” Manarino said. “I remembered where I parked it, so now I’m thinking, ‘Oh, my God! Someone stole my car.’

“I was really scared now. Then I look around and I see Kristyn standing off to the side with all the players and their laughing.”

You wouldn’t believe how easy it is to steal an unsuspecting softball coach’s car keys, Frady said.

“Yeah, I’m definitely the queen of pranks,” said Frady, an honors student with a 3.3 grade-point average. “We’ve done that two years in a row and he’s never caught on.”

Said Manarino: “She has quite a personality.”

Frady developed it more out of necessity than chance. The Frady clan enjoys a good joke, especially when it’s on someone else.

“She learned quickly because my grandfather was always a prankster,” said her father, Dennis. “My dad loved jokes too. We all kind of inherited it.”

Frady, though, doesn’t bring her clown mask to games.

She played only one full season of softball at North Hollywood High. Yet that was enough to impress Manarino.

Equally determined in practice and games, Frady has developed into one of the Big West’s best players, Manarino said. She leads the team with a .313 batting average, six home runs and is tied for first with 26 runs batted in.

Her six home runs set a single-season school record. She has eight in her career, which ties the record. Manarino is even more pleased with her defense and the skill with which she handles the pitching staff.

“She should make the all-conference team,” Manarino said. “She’s performed at a high level the whole season.”