I am coaching a softball team this summer and there are some things that I would like to instill in the girls that I will be coaching. I played softball for many years and during high school is where I started taking my softball career more serious and I started learning more about myself and my potential. Some of the things that I want to teach the girls are: how to be a team player, how to always stay positive, teach them about commitement, punctuality, and how to prepare themselves for college; whether it is academically or athletically.

Beacause I have been a captain before and been named most inspirational on most of my teams, I find it very important for teammates to be supportive, mature, encouraging and remain positive.  Many of my coaches and the players I played with growing up helped me become and stay a positive person, and my teammates made it easy for me to cheer them on and have faith in each of them. I strongly believe to be a great player you have to have a great attitude and always stay calm and collected. Players who get down on themselves and other teammates only cause harm to themselves and other players. As a player you need to keep your head up  and remain confident, strong and positive. I feel that if any player wants to proceed with their career of softball after high school and wish to continue into college, a player has to put the team before themself, and has to remain confident in themselves and their teammates. College teams look for athletes who are talented all around, they are team players, they are encouraging on and off the field, and they are mature and handle any situation with poise and grace.

When any athlete is preparing to go to college there are many steps these athletes have to go through. The number one thing is to be successful in school, they have to have great attendance, and good SAT scores. The second step is to research colleges and choose 3-5 colleges that you are interested and when choosing a college you have to consider where it is located, does it have a softball team and what level do they play at, how much is the tuition, and are they offering the degree the player is interested in. The third step is to get your high school coaches involved in your college hunt process. High school coaches may have more connections and resources than the player does, so it is important to let your coach know which colleges you are interested and they will help create your player profile, portfolio and player high light video. Step four would be to send your portfolios, videos, and applications to all the colleges of your choice. The fifth step would be to get in touch with the college coaches and let them know your interested and invite them to come watch you play.

The reason why I am interested in helping my team with these tasks at this age is because many college coaches watch player from when they are freshman in highschool. 16 is about the age you want to start getting serious about your college career both academically and athletically. This process is long and takes time to work on. It is a very important time in these athletes lives and I think being someone who has been through it, I think I can offer insight and important advice.