The recruitment process started on September 1st of my junior year. That is the first day that colleges can reach out to future players. You get phone calls and texts from a bunch of different coaches. From there, you set up visits to all the different colleges and programs. After the visits, the coaches typically want you to commit within a month or two. However, the process starts even before the coaches reach out because you have to post your stats and promote yourself to be seen. That’s not the fun part of the process, and I’m glad that that part is over. It can be stressful.

I picked Iowa State because of the coaches and the team. Also, the atmosphere and the campus just felt really homey. I have been playing softball since I was seven years old. My favorite part about the sport is being able to play with my teammates and build relationships. My favorite softball memory is beating North Polk to go to the state championship last year and the bus ride home.

On top of playing for the school, I also play for a tournament team. Playing for the school is different than playing for a tournament team because I get to play with all of my friends, and I’m representing my school. With my tournament team, I’m playing with a group of girls from different schools. It’s a different atmosphere. Tournaments are more competitive because we’re going somewhere to play in a tournament. So, we’re playing multiple games in a day.

For softball, committing as a junior is very typical. Usually, if you wait until later, there are not as many offers. Schools want you to commit right away, as early as possible. I didn’t really know where I wanted to go at the beginning of the process. I was exploring all my options, but when I went on my visit to Iowa State, I knew that it was where I wanted to be. Going into my last two seasons with ADM, I think I’m putting a little bit more pressure on myself because I’m holding myself to higher standards. Other than that, I’m just excited to continue to play with my team.