ELITE SKILLS CAMPS & CLINICS

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Here are just some of our Shining Stars’ stories

All-star Alum

Blake Bracket

Kass Cross

College:
University of Maryland

Advice :
“I would say advice wise for recruiting to always work hard because you never know who is watching. To the girls about to play in college, enjoy it. Four years may seem like a long time but it goes by very quickly, I’ve been grateful to have been given another year. Take care of your body and be responsible.”

Micaela Cummings

College:
Deleware State

Advice:
“Advice for being recruited: coaches want good softball players, but most people playing at your level are good. They look for the little things. How you interact with your teammates and coaches. How you hustle on and off the field. What your grades look like. They want good people too. The coaches at Pure performance help you with those little things. They push you to stretch yourself not only as an athlete but as a person, and that’s what is most important.”

Marissa DeFranco

College:
Emerson College

Advice:
“I played D3 softball at Emerson for three years, because I graduated a semester early to pursue my career. During the recruiting process, I started with figuring out my goal, which was finding a school that educated me in the field I wish to work in after college. Once I decided on my top choices, I reached out to coaches ahead of time and let them know what tournaments my travel team was playing in. Once you find a school: Ask to do an overnight visit to get a feel for the school and team Ask where the team has played in the past for Spring Break and if you have a financial obligation for the trip. Ask about help getting into the school, for D3 the coach might be able to put a good word in for you to the admissions office or if you have the grades, you may get special consideration for an academic scholarship If you worry about your team being competitive, take a look at the other teams in your conference. Some D3 schools are nationally recognized for their academics and can draw D1 players. Ask if you get any special consideration when registering for classes as an athlete. My best advice to anyone looking to play a sport in college, is to look for a school that has your field of study and will prepare you the most for life after college. I’m very thankful for my years of playing in college, but I wouldn’t be where I am in life if it wasn’t for the school.”

Mckenna Holtz

College:
St. Bonaventure

Advice:
“Recruiting is one of the most exciting and scary processes you can go through as a student athlete. To anyone going through this process I would advise them to enjoy it. You are looking at schools to decide where you are going to start the next chapter of your life and it should be fun. Don’t lose sight of the fact that you love softball and you are looking for schools that fit your academic and personal needs where you can also play the game you love. Regardless of what division you are playing I would tell anyone to chose a school that they would love to go to even if they weren’t playing softball. In terms of softball, find a school that is at your desired level of competition and that upholds the same values that are important to you. Your team will become your family so chose wisely.”

Jenna Gordon

College:
Washington

Advice:
Make sure you can see yourself going to the school even if you end up not playing your sport •Be mindful of what you’re putting on all social media platforms •Don’t try to be someone else when you’re talking to coaches, if they don’t want you for who you truly are, its not the place for you •Don’t commit to a school just for the name / reputation, go to a school where you will get the most benefit from •Ask lots of questions to coaches and current players •Be open to learning and be coachable — just because you were the best in high school doesn’t mean you can’t learn more at the next level •Don’t commit to the first school that offers you a spot, keep looking until you find the right place for you •Always always ALWAYS have someone proofread emails and texts sent to coaches. •Always work hard, you never know who is watching •don’t settle for things that don’t meet your standards •Don’t be influenced by others, make sure you make the right decision for yourself — you will be the one there for 4 years •Always put in 100% effort and keep a positive attitude. these are two things that you can always control, coaches look to see how you react when things don’t go your way •Be kind to your teammates, coaches, and parents •Show that you love your sport, coaches want someone who is passionate and driven •Don’t stress!!!!! being able to play a college sport is an amazing experience and not many people get to experience that. enjoy it while it lasts

Kiana Shurland

College :
Illinois

Advice:
Recruiting advice: “Over communicate with college coaches so they have no choice other than to remember your name. Coaches have hundreds of girls trying to get their attention; make sure a lack of communication is NOT the reason you fall between the cracks. Communication is a controllable!” College advice: “Prioritize your relationships with your teammates more than anything. That’s what is still going to matter after you graduate. My college teammates are my best friends in the world.”

Lyndsy Flippin

College:
St. Bonaventure

Advice:
“First, I just want to say that everyone’s recruiting process is different and unique to them, so don’t compare yourself to your teammates/peers. I know that is easier said than done, as it was a difficult concept for me to understand during my recruitment process. My process was super long. I did not commit to a college until my senior year of high school and it brought a lot of questions of doubt. I was looking in a number of different directions and finally ended up at a school I had not even considered at first, but am now in love with. For those younger players who are going through this process now and may be experiencing similar feelings, I would just encourage you to always stay true to yourself and remind yourself of the love for your sport that is the reason for why you are playing. Always present yourself in your best light and with confidence, hustle on and off the field, and call coaches! Don’t be afraid to ask them the tough questions and also, try to make your conversations with the coach more personal. Your conversations don’t always have to be about softball and can sometimes just be asking how their day is, but it is very important to stay in contact with them. Most importantly, make sure you are succeeding in the classroom because at the end of the day, you are a student before you are an athlete and college coaches want people that they know they can rely to perform well both on the field and at school. While you may not be able to control everything that happens on the field, it’s important that you recognize what you can, such as your work ethic, grades, communication, and the way you carry yourself, so it’s important to focus on those controllables and execution them. This is not an easy process, but from my experience has definitely been a rewarding one, so stay positive and trust that everything happens for a reason.”

Hannah Jonhson

Alyssa Lavine

Jessy Riquelme

College:
Lynchburg College

Advice :
“If I could give any advice to athletes trying to get recruited, the biggest thing I’d say is be patient. There will be schools that want you from the beginning and schools that could show interest at the last second, therefore you should keep your options available. By doing this, you can figure out what exactly you want to get out of your college experience. Your title is Student Athlete. Be aware the Student part comes first, so making sure you find a program that can not only meet your needs as a ball player but as a student as well is something you need to consider. There may be times during your recruiting when you realize not all programs are going to offer your desired study area, and you need to weigh the pros/cons of that situation. The second piece is being an Athlete. Determining which program can take your game to the next level should also be your ambition. Taking the time to get to know the coaches, the team, their morals, the schedule, and even the conference are all aspects you as a potential athlete should be made conscious of. If you want it bad enough, you will get recruited. However, it’s on YOU to find the right fit for where you want to continue your education and playing career. Therefore, my best piece of advice I can give you is to be patient during the process.”

Jenny Requilme

College:

Advice:
“My best advice to players trying to get recruited is to continue to wanting more for yourself. I believe the main factor that got me recruited was my mentality on if you fail you get another chance. The game doesn’t always go your way, neither does life, this game is all about who wants it more and who can persevere from failure better. As a player who has failed many times I thought to myself to stay hungry and not let the negatives cloud up all the positives. I believe if you let the negatives consume you then you will never be able to grow and achieve what you want in the game. Never settle for less than what you believe you can achieve.”

Julia Longo

MaryAnn Hollen

Julia DeSalvo

College:
University of Charleston

Advice :
My Advice to girls who are wanting to play in college is to really find a school you see yourself studying and living at for the next four years. Your education is also super important for your future, so you want to make sure you feel like you will have a great educational experience at the school of your choice. Be open minded about DII and DIII schools as well. When it comes to recruitment make sure you are constantly communicating with the coaches who are interested in you. Also remember to just be you, coaches don’t want you to act like someone else just to impress them. Just be the best teammate you can be. While playing in college the biggest lesson I learned was that everyone has a place on the team, even if it means you are a pinch runner for your freshman year. It can be tough going from being a star starter on your high school and travel teams, to maybe playing three games all season, but that doesn’t mean you are less of a player. Your time will come, so don’t let it discourage you. Enjoy the time you have with your teammates, because college really does fly by!

Maddy Bates

Other Committed Players Who Trained With Pure Performance

Claire Davidson – DukeUniversity
Mel Coombs – Syracuse University
Hannah Johnson – Shippensburg University
Maija Louko – Virginia Tech

MaKayla Marbury – University of Maryland
Ellie Mataya – Boston College/University of Michigan

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