You name it, Hansen does it

How does Lindsay Hansen do it all?

The senior catcher on Kaneland's softball team has such a packed schedule, her teammates and coach wonders how she manages everything in her busy life.

Hansen has the following on her "résumé" -- she was a varsity cheerleader for 4 years, played varsity volleyball for 3 years, has a straight A average, she's on the honor roll and is a member of the National Honor Society, is in Peer Leadership, Student Advisory Committee and is an editor for the Krier Newspaper, Kaneland's school publication.

Hansen has also played varsity softball since the end of her freshman year and plays travel softball with the Aurora Raiders.

"A lot of girls do a lot of stuff," said Kaneland softball coach Dennis Hansen, who is not related to Lindsay. "I don't know how they do it because I couldn't. They have to manage so many things with school and extra-curricular activities.

"Some of these girls are working 10-15 hours a week. I couldn't do it, but hats off to them to juggle that."

Lindsay's explanation to how she does it is simple -- time management.

"I prioritize a lot," she said. "I don't miss school that much. I go to school, go to my sports practice and as soon as I get home, I do my homework. During the weekends, I spend time with my friends."

Lindsay said she probably is consumed the most with the newspaper magazine, where she is an executive editor. She is in charge of the visuals and design.

"I always see her carrying extra books down the hallways, and all these papers falling out of her folders," teammate Erica Kendrick said.

When Hansen is not in the newsroom, she is most likely doing something involving softball. She spent a lot of the off-season working with specialty coaches to improve her hitting and catching skills.

It has paid off, as Hansen is batting .361 with 13 hits, 7 RBI and 4 doubles in the No. 4 spot. Last year, Hansen hit around .300.

"In the past two years, my average has gone up completely," said Hansen, who has been Kaneland's starting catcher since sophomore year. "With catching, I worked really hard to cut down my throws to second."

"She's doing very well for us," added Dennis Hansen, who brought Lindsay up to the varsity level for regional play when she was a freshman. "She's worked on her hitting over the winter and really put her time in. She's progressed every year.

"She knows the game and is very knowledgeable. She's a student of the game and pretty much knows everything about it."

Lindsay has also put her cheerleading skills to use on the softball field. Teammates agree when the Knights are down, they look to Hansen to pep them up.

"She picks everyone up," teammate Haley Balluff said. "She always cheers for us and she's really positive. If anyone makes a mistake, she gives us encouragement."

Especially Mallory Huml. Kaneland's No. 1 pitcher is having a great junior year. She is 10-2 overall with an ERA of 1.75.

"She's always been there for me," Huml said. "She's always there to help me when I am down. She's there to protect my wild pitches from going around the backstop."

Hansen and Huml have been playing together for about three years.

"She does a really good job at keeping Mallory calm," Kendrick said. "She's been catching for a long time. Whenever Mallory gets flustered, she gives her a look that lets her know everything is going to be OK."

Hansen's days as a catcher began when she played in little league in Elburn. The biggest appeal of catching is that it's a specific position that allows a lot of leadership.

"It's cool because you are like the captain," Hansen said. "A lot of coaches call the catcher the quarterback because you can see everything."

Lake Forest saw something in Hansen and as a result, she will be playing there next year.

Quincy, Benedictine and Elmhurst were also on the list, but in the end, becoming a Forester was the most appealing for Hansen.

Area-known pitching coach Robin Voss discovered Lake Forest for Hansen, who said she really didn't think she was going to end up there. A trip to the campus, however, convinced her otherwise.

"I met the coach (Joe Kinsella) and he was awesome," Hansen said. "I totally felt comfortable with him and the campus was beautiful."

Considering Hansen's nature, there is no doubt she will continue her busy lifestyle in Lake Forest next year -- that's the only way she knows how to do it.