"Failure is the mother of success."

—Anonymous

Athlete Interview

Someone you look up to; athlete, coach, family etc. and why?

Coach Jonny- I grew up not having great coaches until I made his team. After I was coached by him, I learned I want to be a coach when I grow up. He has given me my love for the game, and he gave me back the confidence I lost with my bad coaches. Watching him coach and play has made me a better person, and a better player.

If you could give one piece of advice to younger athletes, what would it be?

Have fun, be confident, and make memories - You are only young once, so be you and have fun doing it. Make memories that you will never forget.

Do you have any odd pre-game rituals?

I like to golf the day before my game. Also everything bagel with cream cheese.

Are you more confident at Home or Away games and why?

Home games. I feel like I have more control over the game because I know the field well.

What are your short-term and long-term aspirations?

Short term: I want to he recruited to play softball in college and learn to be a better leader on the field - Long term: I want to own my own facility and be a athletic director at a high school and coach softball!

How do you handle pressure during a critical game or performance?

I have faith in God, and I try to stay calm and high energy. I know I need to be the best I can be for myself and for my team, so I need to have a good presence.

What does teamwork mean to you, and share a meaningful leadership moment.

Teamwork to me is very important. I think that no matter how good everyone on your team is, the team with good team dynamics will always beat the team with better players that don’t have good dynamics.

During my high school game we were down by a lot and I got my team together and told everyone to dance in our circle. This helped gave us something to do together and help us be a team. We ended up playing a lot better after this because we were working better together.

What would you say are your greatest strengths and weaknesses as an athlete?

Weakness: Not letting stats define me as a player.

Strengths: Energy, attitude, confidence.

How do you manage you athletic responsibilities with academics & personal commitments?

I always know that school comes first. Even though it’s not my favorite, it is important to my future, so it’s a priority.

How do you handle constructive criticism & feedback from coaching staff?

I always take it very well. I have full trust in all my coaches and I know they are saying stuff to help me and it will help me be better as a player.