Athlete of the Week: Nathan Choi

Nathan Choi has been a welcome addition to the El Dorado Hills Little League this season. Choi moved to El Dorado Hills from San Jose and has played a enormous role on this year's District 54 and Section 4 10-11-year-old All-Star championship team. As manager Jon Rodenspiel says, there's nothing Choi can't do. He can pitch, play defense and hit. In 11 all-star games prior to the state tournament, Choi had a .611 batting average with 22 hits in 36 at bats. He hit seven doubles and two home runs, drove in 17 runs and scored 15. On the mound, he pitched in five games, starting four, and in 19 total innings, allowed 11 hits, one earned run and struck out 22. When he's not pitching, Choi is the team's shortstop and is solid defensively. "When you look at all aspects of the game, Nathan just stands out," Rodenspiel said. "I feel he's our best player. He's mentally strong to go along with being physically gifted. He's a quiet kid, but is still a leader. He's a joy to coach." Folsom Telegraph: How old are you, what school do you go to and what grade will you be in this fall? Nathan Choi: I'm 11 years old and I went to William Brooks Elementary, I will be going to Rolling Hills Middle School as a sixth grader in the fall. FT: How has your first year been living in El Dorado Hills? What do you like about the area? NC: It's been good in this area. I like playing baseball in the evening under the lights. It's perfect for baseball. FT: Do sports run in the family? NC: My dad plays tennis; my sister plays softball and basketball, and my mom was good at track and field. FT: How long have you been playing baseball? What's your favorite position to play and why? NC: I started playing baseball in first grade. I skipped T-ball, A-ball and I went directly to AA. I like to play as a pitcher because it's fun to make the batters look silly, and I also like to play in shortstop because the ball is hit to me a lot. FT: What do you like most about baseball? NC: There are so many challenges in baseball and I like to deal with it. Dealing with different umpires especially; they all have different strike zones. Dealing with different batters is fun too. FT: Do you play any other sports? What is your favorite sport? NC: I play basketball and my favorite sport is baseball. I would like to play football, but I haven't had a chance to play yet. I can throw a football about 30 yards in perfect spiral. FT: What is your top baseball memory this season and why? NC: It was the championship game against Land Park yesterday because I went for 4-for-4 with the cycle and there were some very scary moments. We could have lost, but our team stuck together and won. Also, batting behind Alekx Bentley is fun. He was walked intentionally two times, and I homered once and hit a triple yesterday for two RBI. FT: What makes your team so good/tough to beat? NC: Hitting, fielding and we have many good pitchers. Some throw a knuckle curve, and some throw a curve. Alekx throws super fast ball and slider. FT: What's your favorite class/subject in school and why? NC: I like social studies and math because I don't have hard time with those subjects. FT: Favorite sports team? NC: My basketball team is the Warriors and baseball team is the A's. FT: Favorite professional athlete? NC: Kevin Durant and Manny Machado. FT: Favorite Food? NC: I like Korean food, especially Korean BBQ. FT: What inspires you in sports? NC: Failure. FT: Do you have any interesting hobbies? What do you like to do in your free time? NC: I like to hang out with my friends and watch YouTube or practice hitting baseball in our garage. FT: What do you think you might want to do when you grow up? NC: A professional baseball player or a computer engineer. FT: What are your plans for the rest of the summer after baseball ends? NC: I want to go on a vacation to Hawaii, but I don't know if we will have time.