MIAMI – From the backyard to the big stage, Annie and Zoey Abdullah have always been side by side – pushing, protecting and cheering for each other every step of the way.
As standout softball players at Doral Academy, they’ve not only dominated high school fields but also earned spots representing Team USA for their respective age groups.
Their journey together started with a simple realization.
“I think it was when my parents put me in soccer and I had to realize soccer wasn’t for me,” said Annie Abdullah, a junior shortstop already committed to Texas. “Like, yeah, I like softball—that’s where I’m going to stay.”
Zoey, a freshman outfielder, has always followed close behind, not just as a sister but as a competitor.
“She’s always been really competitive with me, but I think I try to push her at the same time,” Zoey said.
That competitive fire has fueled them to success, but their bond runs even deeper.
“I’m super protective of her,” Annie admitted.
“Anytime anything happens, she’s like, ‘I’ll just go beat them up for you,'” Zoey added with a laugh.
On the field, they’re teammates. Off the field, they’re role models.
“They belong,” Doral Academy Softball Coach Willie Viruet said. “They’ve been training for a team like [Team USA] since they were young. Their parents put them in the right positions with camps, coaches. I’ve been lucky enough to be part of it, but I’ve seen it. They’ve earned it.”
Annie’s confidence is evident every time she steps onto the field.
“I am confident,” she said. “I don’t like to mix that with cocky. A lot of people like to call me cocky… but my presence, I would say, is very confident. There’s not much that I think can beat me, in my opinion.”
Zoey, on the other hand, carries a quieter confidence; one that speaks through her actions rather than words.
“She’s very much the kind of person who thinks, ‘I’m going to do what I need to do, I’m going to excel and if I get zero recognition for it, that’s fine,'” their father, Jameel, said. “But behind closed doors, that flip-flops.”
“Zoey’s weird, like genuinely weird,” Annie teased. “She’s funny, she makes herself laugh all the time. She’ll just sit and start dying laughing by herself for 15 minutes and we’re all just looking at her like, ‘She’s different.'”
Different in personality, maybe. But on the field, their goal remains the same—to play the sport they love and enjoy the time they have together.
“The fact that I have to leave in two years and she’s going to be by herself is not okay for me,” Annie said. “She’s my best friend, my cheerleader and I’m always going to be her No. 1 supporter.”
Zoey doesn’t take that for granted.
“She doesn’t care about what anyone thinks,” she said of Annie. “She’s the most fearless person I’ve ever met, ever.”
