CORNING'S RIJO GIVES BACK TO YOUTH PROGRAM AS SHE CHOOSES CORNING CINDERELLA TO RECEIVE $1,000 FROM GATORADE AFTER WINNING GATORADE STATE POY (August 15, 2022)By Brian FeesSouthern Tier Sports ReportWhen Atalyia Rijo won the Gatorade State Player of the Year Award she had a choice to make.
With the Gatorade Player it Forward Program, Gatorade donates $1,000 to a local or national charity that each state Gatorade Player of the Year chooses.
For Rijo this meant a chance to give back to the type of programs she grew up with, as she choose to give the money to the Corning Cinderella program.
“I wanted to keep the money local and help out as much as I can before I leave,” Rijo said.
For Rijo, who played Cinderella softball when she was a kid, this is something she knows would have helped her and her teammates growing up.
“As a little girl I would have loved to have that opportunity to receive the money,” Rijo said.
Rijo grew up in Horseheads and played for their Cinderella program, while her mom taught PE at the Gregg School in Corning and was always promoting softball and it was heartbreaking to hear parents say they couldn't afford for their kids to play.
So, Rijo requested that the money that's donate goes toward scholarships for kids who can't afford the registration fees.
The player of the year award was special, and also a bit rare. Many of the Gatorade Players of the Year in the county are pitchers, while Rijo is a shortstop. For the recent Corning graduate that put a little more spotlight on her this summer.
“There is definitely a little more attention not being a pitcher that won it, being a shortstop,” Rijo said.
It was a busy summer for Rijo as she traveled the country playing in softball tournaments.
“It’s been a pretty packed summer,” Rijo said. “Went to Kansas City, Missouri, then to Colorado, then straight to Atlanta, then out to California.”
One of the good things this summer is Rijo was on a travel team with some of her future teammates at Arkansas.
“Getting to know each other better before we go play together for four years is a nice head start,” Rijo said.
One of those travel teammates is even going to be her college roommate.
“My roommate was on my team with me and we are actually pretty close now,” Rijo said.
For Rijo high school was special, and her career was magical with all-state honors, a state championship, as a freshman, and the Gatorade Player of the Year award. For Rijo, some of the accomplishments haven’t fully sunk in yet.
“I am still processing it,” Rijo said.
But, she knows how special it was to be able to be part of such a great team in high school. And, she looks forward to coming back and seeing the banners on the walls in the future.
“I’ll definitely try and make my way back here,” Rijo said.
Rijo already left last week to head down to Arkansas as she gets ready to start school. For Rijo, playing in the SEC is going to be a challenge, but she likes that. She’s ready to go out and try and work toward a starting spot on the team.
“I’m ready for the challenge,” she said. “I am going to go out there and compete and do my best and see what happens.”
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PHOTOS BY BRIAN FEES
