Former Daphne and Alabama softball star breaking barriers in Baldwin County

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - She was once a standout softball player for the Crimson Tide and now, she’s making history in Baldwin County.

At just 29 years old, Peyton Grantham is stepping into a role few women in Alabama have held — She’s the new athletic director at Elberta High School.

Grantham is the first female AD in school history and just the second in all of Baldwin County.

“This was my dream job. To be an athletic director, and to get it at 29, it was surreal for me. I knew eventually I wanted to do that, but never in a million years, would have thought as a female, I would get it at 29 years old.”

Grantham grew up on the Eastern Shore and graduated from Daphne High School, but it was her time on the softball field at the University of Alabama that helped shape her leadership style.

After college, she earned her degree in criminal justice, but coaching came calling first. Robertsdale High School offered her the head softball coaching job.

At just 21 years old, she took it — coaching there for six seasons and serving as associate athletic director for the last year. Grantham also coached girls’ flag football and volleyball.

“Just being able to be involved in multiple sports was really the key, because if you’re just involved in one sport, you only know yours. If you’re not in it, you don’t know what all goes into this role, and there is a lot. So, I was very blessed to be able to be able to be that assistant last year and kind of get my feet wet — to understand if this was something I really felt like I could do. I knew I wanted to do it, but could I?"

Now, she’s ready to lead an entire athletic department — with her eyes set not just on wins and championships, but on leaving a legacy of opportunity, and proving those who ever doubted her, wrong.

“As cliche as it sounds, nothing is impossible if you actually put your mind to it. Again, being a female, being young, there is no representation for us yet, but we’re making strides. The country as a whole is making strides. Female athletes at a younger age are starting to see female leaders in all areas. Put your mind to it and don’t let anybody tell you, you can’t, because I’ve been told I can’t quite a few times, but the best feeling in the world is being able to say — you told me I couldn’t and look what I did."

Grantham officially stepped into the role at the start of the summer.

She says she’s locked in, and her focus this year is building strong relationships with coaches and student-athletes—and finding new ways to grow female participation in sports.