January 6, 2026 • 62 mins
In this episode, Aleshia Ocasio opens up about her journey through the world of softball, from setting personal standards and navigating the college recruiting process to mastering the challenges of pitching. She reflects on balancing beauty and athleticism, staying true to herself, overcoming injuries, and developing the mental toughness necessary to succeed at the highest level.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Dropping Diamonds with AJ Andrews is an iHeart women's sports
production in partnership with Athletes Unlimited Softball League and Deep Blue.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Sports and Entertainment.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
Welcome to Dropping Diamonds with Me AJ Andrews, where we
dive headfirst into the world of softball.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Today. I got my girl, the Girl Boss, herself.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
The Blaze, Battie, all of the above, Alicia Acassio joining me.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Hey girl, Hey, how are you? Thanks for having me on,
Thanks for coming.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Before I get started with this show, I typically start
with a quote and an affirmation and one that I
thought was really fitting for you because I feel like
you're someone that really just sets your own standards and
then you achieved them every single time.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Was the standards you set determine the life you get.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
The standards you set determine the life you get. If
we were to build an affirmation from that quote, what
do you feel like the affirmation should be? Then you
wake up and you're to build upon that, what would
it sound like.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
I really love that because I feel like what you
put into the world is most of the time, what
you're going to get out the work that you put in.
So I love that the standard that you set. I
think every day you just got to give it your
all on every day doesn't mean that you're gonna have
one hundred percent if you have fifty percent and then
give fifty percent that day. So I just think you
(01:28):
wake up, you set your goals, you crush them, and
then move on to the next. But also think, on
the flip side of that, you got to show yourself
grace because not every day is going to be the
day where you tackle everything. So I think setting the
standard and continuing to rise to that standard and continuing
to break around glass ceilings like you have, and I've
enjoyed watching you throughout the years too, so I love it.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
I think based off of what you got, I feel
we should say affirmation for everybody. A day is every day,
give what you got, whether it's one hundred or fifty percent,
show up, set the standard of what I see, dream
and who I will be today.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
My standards have no ceilings.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
I give myself permission to do what I've never done before.
My best opportunity is behind the next door.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
Absolutely clock it CLOCKTT good for afformation because I was
kind of everwhere with it, but you did. That's that's
what we're bringing here, that's what we're bringing.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Well, LELEI with you set in your own standards from
the go playing softball. When did you set the standard
of saying I want to play college ball and I'm
going to continue to build upon, build upon, whether fifty
percent or one hundred percent, give all I can to
make that happen.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
I think growing up, I just had so much fun
playing and it was never a thing in my younger
years of like I want to go and play for
the Florida Gators. I did want to go and play
for UCLA at one point later in middle school, but
I just think I had so much fun playing the game.
I was good at it, and I just continue to
play and I wanted to be better. I wanted to
be better than everybody else. So I would always take
my dad's backyard and pitch and go to the field
(03:05):
and drag them and do infield and hit and stuff
like that. But I think there was one moment where
I was like, I want to be a shortstop for
UCLA because of Natasha Pa just watching her and then
getting to watch her in Orlando with USA.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
I think for me that dream just came alive. Well,
short stop because of Natasha Wally. What inspired you to
want to become a pitcher.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
It's so easy to say the Jenny Finches, the Lisa
Fernandez is and honestly that's who I saw growing up.
But at the end of the day, I just felt
like I was in my own lane and I just
like I said, I wanted to throw the hardest, I
wanted to strike people out. I just wanted to be
great in the circle. And I think with all the
support that I had for my family to be the greatest,
(03:54):
to be one of the best in my eyes, I
think that took my confidence to another level. But I
don't I don't necessarily think I just one person that
I was like, you know, I want to be just
like them. I think for me, it was like I
just want to play, and I just want to be
an athlete, and I just want to go to college
and I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna do that. So
I feel like when it comes to pitching, I just
(04:14):
wanted to set those standards and you know, crush them.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
And so you just woke up one day, which I
feel like all of us, we all kind of went
through like the pitching position and we're like, okay, y'ah,
not for us, not for me, but you went through
and said, oh no, no, I like the feeling of
making people have to walk back to the dugout.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Was that what always want to be absolutely because honey,
I want to be able to control the tempo of
the game and to be able to have a little
large impact on it too.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
What would you feel like was probably the first moment
when you realized not pitching is where it's at, or
this is the pitch because for those that aren't unfamiliar,
Leeley's stuff moves, and when it moves, it really moves.
And when you think it's going to be a strike,
it's when it's below your ankles.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
But it's too late.
Speaker 1 (04:59):
You already started to And so when you come to
you finding your pitch and the pitch that was going
to help you put all those people back into the dugout?
What allowed you to really realize, Okay, this is the
pitch I'm gonna really make, I'm going to master.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
It's funny that you say that about my stuff kind
of going through the zone and going to your ankles,
because I didn't learn my ospeed drop ball until I
got to college. Before I got to college, I was
throwing rise balls, rise balls, curveballs, screwballs and up the changes.
And honestly I got to college and she was like,
we're not throwing that anymore. Tried to learn one of
my teammates change ups, and I ended up learning my
(05:34):
ospeed drop because of it, and then in that moment
on my freshman year, that was my pitch and so
at that moment I could go rise ball, then I
could go aspeed drop. But really I learned it from
a teammate. And I think people don't understand how important
bullpens are, not only by yourself but with the rest
of the staff, to just be able to balance ideas
(05:55):
off of each other, to learn, to grow, to encourage
one another. So I think, if if it weren't for
Delaney Gorley, I'm sure you know who she is, because
she's you know, back in your backyard, But it wasn't
for her, I wouldn't have the pitch.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
And I have. It's crazy, how did that conversation happen
with the lady in the bullpen? You just see her
through that pitch and say, okay, let me give this
a try. Well, we were always conversating within our bullpants,
like when she would throw because our bullpen was so
tidy back then, Like I did not play in the
new renovated stadium.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Yeah, none of us did. All these these new and
approved sec things like got going on. I'm sick about it.
I don't want to talk about it AnyWho. Uh you
would all these be a good pitch, great pitch, you know,
encouraging one another, laughing with one another. I think that's
what made her bullpen so great. But Roacha took away
my change up. I had a knuckle change and she
took it away, and just like, we need to learn
(06:46):
an Austree pitch. So she was like, you're gonna learn Delaney's.
And I just sat with Delaney and say a word.
And Delaney was like, this is how you throw it,
And I'm not flexible at all. She'd be doing some
voodoo magic trick with her hand. So I tried to
like do it because she throws it out the back
of her hand, but it ended up coming on the
top like a drop ball. So that's really all she wrote.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
I was always curious, especially when pictures have, you know,
their signature pitch, how it even comes about? Is it
you throw it that one time and then you say,
oh wait, that was kind of nice, and then you
do it again, and then you get to a point
where you kind of master it because once you throw
it by accident, is it just stick after that once
accidental strike?
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Honestly, I think everybody's different. Like for me, I just
throw it and everybody's like, Tom, all, we need to
go this more. I think when people learn pitches and
it comes so easily, it's so it's so easy to
gravitate towards the pitch because it's so easy to throw.
But I mean there's other pitches that people have that
are their bread and butter that they've had to work
a little bit extra hard for. But I think if
(07:47):
a pitch feels the most natural and easiest to throw,
I think that's when people gravitate towards your pitch.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
Well, when you're teaching young girls how to pitch, what
do you advise them on for strikes? You ever gonna
get over the playgirl? That's gonna be a pitch?
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Not seriously, No, Like you can just tell in young athletes,
like their bodies and their mannerisms and how they move,
like what's gonna be easiest for them? We can get
into like the nitty gritty of like you know, supernation
and pronation and all that. But I could just I
could just tell I'll have them throw one thing and
kind of just see like how they throw it in
if it's easy or if it's hard, and kind of
(08:27):
work from there. Just I mean, there's a lot that
goes into it, and there's a lot of different nuances
to pitching. But I think if it's easy, then you
just stick with it.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
The supernation and the pronation it's too much. I'm assuming
that has to do with the way your body moves.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Yeah, like open rise ball and like turn over like
drop all kind of so yeah, you gotta make it work.
Just make it work then likes we are, we will
be good. What's even more impressive is that you do
all of that with your nails. Can you have a
moment for the nails? Not only ladies and gentlemen? Can
(09:05):
she strike you out? But she can strike you out
and then flex one time afterwards? How is that possible?
I've always gotten my nails done, and I just feel
like I shouldn't have to compromise like beauty and what
I like to play sport, Like I feel like I
can be beautiful, and I could be sexy, and I
could be strong, and I can check you out with
(09:27):
my makeup done, my hair done, my nails. So for me,
it's like, I'm not gonna keep my nails, and there's
a lot of tryal and error in like what length
I need to be able to because in college, oh
my gosh, like I would I would break mine. I
still break nails, but my nails would break and it
would be so painful. But I know now that I
(09:48):
have to cut them a little bit shorter in order
to actually pitch. So that's just the trick. You gotta
cut them down. If you want to keep your nails,
you just gotta cut a little bit down. You gotta
cut them down and mow them down. That should be
a pitching bottle. I'm put that on a shirt. You
might have cut them down a mom down.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
Girls, Well, what is like, how do you grip the
ball with the with your nails?
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Do? I mean normally? Oh? Really?
Speaker 1 (10:12):
I just I thought like sometimes you'll have to like
dig into it to you know. I feel like that's
more like baseball players.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
But I feel like like I need to cut these
two down a little bit more like, I don't really
dig into it. I just create some tension with my
index finger too. Okay, but I think baseball players are
like digging into the ball a little bit more.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
Well.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
I want to highlight that a little bit more.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
The idea that you don't have to compromise who you
are in order to be the athlete that you want
to be. Is that something that you feel like you've
always really established or did you kind of get to
a place within your career at some point where you said,
you know what, I'm trying to be something I'm not
or I'm not being fully myself and I can't perform
the way I want to perform unless I'm a thousand
(10:53):
percent lelee.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
I feel like I've always been myself, and I feel
like a lot of my career I've been very misunderstood,
and I've been in environments where I wasn't necessarily appreciated
for being myself. And I think once I found people
who appreciated like what I bring to the table, I
think that's when I succeed the most. And I think, too,
(11:15):
if I'm loose, if i'm myself, if I'm doing all
the little things that I need to do to feel
good or look good, feel good, play good, then that's
when I could put the best product on the field.
But I think for me, it's about not only being myself,
but like not really caring what you think of me
at the same time, because I feel like if I'm myself,
then the right people are going to gravitate towards me
(11:37):
and vice versa.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
In the moments when because I feel like in softball,
just as a black or brown player, we've always all
have been situations where it we're not necessarily maybe feel
like we're appreciated, we feel like we maybe have to
do a little bit more in order to get just
as much.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
When you talk about the environments that you feel like.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
You didn't feel like you could be or even feel
appreciated for being who you were, how did you navigate.
Speaker 2 (12:01):
Those There's been times in my career where coaches have
been like stop dancing, or like stop speaking, or you know,
say it so everybody can understand, like you know. So
for me, it's like, I just feel like there's certain
things about myself that allow me to not only play
(12:22):
the best my ability, but I feel like I give
energy to other people to allow them to be themselves.
And I think it just comes tenfold when that happens.
And also if nobody accepts me, then I just don't
feel like I need to be in your presence, like
we can be teammates, and that's just just the reality
of life and sport and being in a team is
like if you don't like me, if you don't accept
me like I compete, that I don't need to be
(12:43):
around you. But at the end of the day, we're teammates,
so we have to get along. We have to be
cohesive as a unit on the field. But I think
for me, if I were to give advice to anybody
to continue to be yourself. Obviously you got to have
a You got to know there's a time and a
place for everything. But just continue to be yourself and
allow your light to shine so that you can be
(13:05):
the best orsion of yourself in all passets.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
Allow your light to shine so that those are looking
for your light nowhere to go. That was a lesson
somebody once telling me, it's like, if you damn your light,
how are the people that are looking for you're supposed
to find you. You got to be bright and it's
going to blind some people, but the people that are
looking for you're giving them a path. Yeah, I think
that's it's hard to to sometimes grasp, not just as
(13:27):
a woman in sport, but sometimes as a woman when
like the world is trying to tell you who to
be and what to do and how to do it,
and trying to navigate those in order to become the
best version of who you are can be difficult, and
especially just more like softball, where it's you are faced
with failure almost every single time. I have, not every
single time you step on the field, it's some capacity
(13:49):
And like early in your career, what was a moment
that really tested your confidence that you are now proud
to say that you made it through.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
I've had so many moments where I felt a little
bit tested. My first few years in pro were really hard,
just because I had to learn how to work for
myself and nobody was telling me what to do. But
I had somebody, and this is important, I had somebody
who helped me, like who brought me to the crind
who showed me how to work, and that was Nattie Taylor.
She helped me overcome that part in my career, and
(14:19):
I would definitely tip my cap to her of a
reason while I'm still pro because I learned how to
work I think another time, and people don't realize, like
I tore my labor on in twenty twenty two and
that really messed up my mentality on the field. Yeah,
I mean twenty twenty two was a hard year all
(14:41):
in all, but tearing my labor and I think it
was just like icing on the cake. And it took
me a long time to really gain confidence in my
physical ability to go back to being who I knew
I was, And this year was This year was a
tough year for my team. I know, you know, the Blaze.
We didn't have great season, but I think it was
(15:02):
just another huge test and it tested my confidence and
it tested my mentality, my toughness and the whole nine.
But again going back to people who appreciate me and
what I bring to the table and allowing you to
myself like my GM I think in her protecting me,
I think spoke a lot to that. But going back
to just kind of losing my confidence and losing like
(15:24):
my mentality. Mine is toughness trying to recover from like
a partial tearor it's you know, it's so easy to
say I went to rehabit. I'm good now, but there's
so much more that comes from injury, not just the physicality,
is like how do I get back to being who
I was? How I I don't come back stronger? And
for me, it was a big question mark because it
(15:46):
was so easy for me to always say like I'm
confident on the mound, I have a poker face, like
nothing gets to me, and typically it doesn't. But I
spent two to three years just trying to figure out
who I was on the mound again, and that was
very tough and it's still tough, but I think injury
was the has been the biggest lesson for me in
(16:08):
figuring out how to continue to climb the ladder to
be an elite athlete. And also I'm nearing thirty, so
I'm getting a little bit older, which just as Mitch
just a little bit, but like it's like I balance,
like me getting a little bit older and all these little,
uh you know, tweaks that I'm getting with the physical
(16:29):
and mental aspect of my game. So I think that's
one battle that I'm facing right now and just trying
to overcome the whole injury thing and the excuse part
is also like something you got to kind of get over.
Is like, Okay, everybody probably has a tor neighbor, or
everybody probably is dealt with injury or some sort. I
think that's just the biggest battle that I think I faced.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
Yeah, but I feel like when you're I don't know,
injury is just such a it's such a hard thing
to really grasp unless you've experienced it. Cue everybody's been hurt,
but not people have had like season in ending injuries
or injuries where you're literally trying to find yourself again.
Because I mean your labor and that's a part of
(17:11):
what makes you a great picture, right your arm, Like
you need that to throw, or like I tore my
labor in my hip. I'm known as a speed player.
I need to my labroom has to be healed in
order for that to come back, you know what I mean.
And so it's kind of to your point of how
it just really weighs on your mental when you're trying
to talk to yourself. What are the things that you
would tell yourself in order as you're working to get
(17:33):
that confidence back.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
And trying to find yourself again. I think this goes
for every aspect of any game or anything that you're
practicing to be great at. Is the practice aspect of it.
I think that's where you build confidence, that's where you
build trust, and that's where the disconnect. What is was
is like, I'm physically able, I'm strong, I'm healthy for
the most part, But how do I bridge that gap
(17:57):
between being strong and then the mental aspect of like
actually trusting that I'm strong that I could go through.
So just repetition, I think is the biggest is like
repetition knowing that I can do it, and then executing
when I get on the field.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
Yeah, I think that's really the trusting yourself part. It
becomes oftentimes the hardest. And I started to just read
a bunch of different books, and one of the things
that really stuck out to me that I kind of
my perspective from what someone had said, was that versus
instead of looking at like, let's say you do something
while you're injured as that's who I am, it's more so, oh,
(18:31):
well that's just me recovering, Like that's not AJ the athlete.
That's AJ in recovery, right, And so then so you
don't like stigmatize or attach yourself to the part of
you that's working to get back to who you've been
or what you could become. And so I think that's
something that was a really good perspective change versus being
like dang, like I can't get it done right now,
(18:53):
but this isn't you. This is recovery. You like, keep going,
keep going.
Speaker 2 (18:58):
Let's take a quick break to hear word from our sponsor.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
Whether you think of like people or or words or inspiration,
is there anything that maybe has really kind of inspired
you throughout your process of continuing to try to find
yourself and continue to get better as ath that you are.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
There's a quote that I've I don't even know if
I can remember the exact quote, but I'm beg going
like visual I'm big on just imagining and manifesting. So
for me, it's like I've already been there because I've
already visualized it, so I know that I'm going to
get a hit before I get a hit. Even if
I don't get a hit, then I know the next
(19:42):
time I'm going to get a hit. If that makes sense,
Like I've already been I've already done it, and now
it's just trying to execute. So for me, it's like
I've already I've done harder things. I've done harder things.
I've already been here before. And also too is like
one thing that I've learned from my best friend in college,
Kelsey ste I went in a college and I was like,
(20:03):
how are you so good? Like how do you just
perseuree through everything? She's like, it's literally doggy dog like
I'm gonna eat tonight or you're gonna eat tonight. So
that's literally how you have to think about it. So
for me, when I step out in the field, it's
like I gotta feed my family. Like It's like it's
one of those things. It's like, dang, like I can't
(20:23):
let you eat me, like I gotta eat today. You
know what I'm saying, You really you just have to
create little games and little battles within the game to
be able to kind of allow yourself to stay competitive
because being competitive is so hard. It's like I pitched
for a millisecond and I got ten seconds off. Then
I got them pitched again for another millisecond. Then I
gotta go into the dougout and now I'm eating snacks
(20:45):
and now I'm drinking water. Now I gotta go back
to the So it's like so many different breaks in
a game of softball. You have to figure out how
to stay focused and stay competitive. So I just I
think it's like doggy dog when you're out there.
Speaker 1 (20:59):
Oh love that I can I can envision Kelsey saying
that in her face, as she says, when you're on
the mound, and let's say you're behind the count, what
are some of the the mental games that you play
with yourself or tell yourself in order to come back
to to sit somebody down, or to get back ahead
in the count.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
I think it depends on when of alady pitch them,
But I at the end of the day, just throw,
throw some make some dance, make a dance to the
zone a dance. Yeah, don't give them a pee, don't
give them nothing, you know, through the middle, but hit
a spot. Really, just hit a spot and be competitive.
I think when your back's against the wall like that,
(21:38):
that's when it's I think the toughest to to pitch
because you have all this pressure. Now you have to
figure out how to translate that into a pitch and
keep your composure. So I just think you don't try
to be bigger than the game. You just take each
moment for what it is and that get.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
May dance, may dance, garl in every aspect of the game. Yeah,
we're too and serious as two people, you and Kelsey,
who know what it's like when it comes to the
dog eat dog mentality. This is coming from someone that
(22:14):
has to compete against the both of them at LSU
playing the Florida Gators, whether it be in a regular
season game or be at the World Series. Kelsey and
Alicia took my lunch many times, and when it came
down to the World Series, back to back World Series
(22:38):
champions the Florida Gators, I mean it takes a lot
of eating people's lunches to make that happen. World Series
is something that all SOFTA players aim to get to,
aim to be at, and aim to hopefully win. And
you were able to achieve that. How does it happen
(22:59):
other them? Beaten the I mean making it because you
know in soft but we know like sometimes the best
teams don't always win, And it really is to your point.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
Of dog eat dog mentality to make it out there.
It really is. It's like you just you just never know,
like you can make your predictions, but some crazy stuff
just ends up happening like this past year Nigeriaekennedy trying
to walk Reese Atwood and then throws the pitch plate
and she gets to our Like stuff just happens so crazy,
and it's just I think getting there is a huge
(23:29):
feat and it's it's so cliche, but obviously we work
hard in the off season and treat every moment like
the big moment so that no moment gets too big
for us. But I pitched a lot my freshman year.
Lauren Hager ended up coming out of the woodworks and
just really grinding and being our black horse that year
(23:49):
to take us all the way to the championship. And
I did get a game. I get the first game
of the championship series, which I was so nervous. My
stomach was like turning it upside down, and I don't
know the sweating it was crazy. But I think the
biggest dishing above playing good softball is how you guys,
(24:09):
or how a team loves each other and how they
act and are outside of the sala field. I think
we were one big family that year, and you could
definitely see how the chemistry outside of the field completely
shifted and translated onto the field, and I think that's
that's how we won. I think that's how teams win. Changes.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
Did you guys have like a motto throughout the year,
especially when like the times get hard? I mean there's
days when you know we'd rather do anything but go
to play, go to practice to get through all of
those hard times in the moments which you just didn't
want to be there in order to continue to get better.
Continue how they camarade around our team. What did the
(24:51):
Florida Gators do in order to make that happen?
Speaker 2 (24:54):
I don't I don't remember any specific motto. I'm not
gonna lie to I don't remember any phrase. I just
let me tell you. I just remember Coach made us
bring the lunch pails to the field every single day,
like we were clocking in for work, like y'all are
to go work on the road on the railroads.
Speaker 1 (25:18):
Bro.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
Every day we had our lunch bial. We had stuff
inside of it. We had to bring our cards, we
had to cocket a machine, we had to clock in clock. Yes,
so we were about our business. We were working for real.
I can't say too much about that, but we got
a chamionsh about it. You got to clock in and
clock out. We didn't we did. What is it?
Speaker 1 (25:39):
Would you say it's maybe like the craziest thing, because
I mean coaches come up with some you know, it's
some creative stuff to get us focused and get us
locked in for practice and our games.
Speaker 2 (25:51):
What's one of the craziest things Coach Walton has done?
The lunch pails and clocking in was kind of crazy,
but it's crazy if we won, you know, like it worked.
As far as the craziest thing, I don't know. Everybody's
kind of everybody's got to be a little crazy or.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
Maybe you thing you look back and say, dang, okay,
I remember coach. You know there was one time when
we had to man we ran the entire I'm telling
you we ran basically all at Baton Rouge. We had
to run like from this through I don't know.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
We had to get out. It was right before a
football game too, out all the way down the levee.
Come back.
Speaker 1 (26:27):
We had a full practice and then we had everybody
coming out, like everybody on the staff would say something
to like fire us up and motivate us or what
they want, and then we had to.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
Go do polls. Come back, Lord, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (26:40):
All I know is we didn't want to do that again.
So it's like, whatever we got to do to not
do that again, just let us know.
Speaker 2 (26:46):
Oh you know, that reminds me. We did stuff like that.
We did triathlons where we had to bike ten miles
and run two miles, go out the rope one time.
Then we had to do stadiums all the way up
and down, nicking swim. But I will never forget there's
one time when we were gonna run three mills outside
right and you know Florida, we got rained out one
(27:08):
morning at six am. And one random day we show
up to the indoor facility and there's a table, there's
all these braceleting wristbands, Coachwan and there Ka Schwan's wife
is there. Coach.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
I would have been so nervous as soon as I
see like extracurricular people.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
I'm like, oh god, I'm like, what's like brag one
right now? But so he's like, we're gonna run at
three miles indoor. So we've ran seventeen and a half
laps around the around the We just kept grabbing bracelets
to make sure we were counting our laps. It was
crazy and I was untraumatized, but in a good way,
like you know, yeah, build character.
Speaker 1 (27:45):
I love it now because in those moments, you know,
like after we leave and I was like, I'm just
gonna go take a nap whatever it is that we
do to try to digress from the day. But then
years from then, as we sit back and we talk
about it, it's like, man, that was one of my
favorite memories.
Speaker 2 (27:59):
I hate every second of it, but I love talking
about it. I will never say that, but I will
kick my feet up and sars a lot of other
things in my career because I wouldn't. I wouldn't trade
my experience for anything, not even nil.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
Dang, even though we would have made We would have
made so much money if we were playing now.
Speaker 2 (28:21):
Anyway, I'm gonna digress on that one.
Speaker 1 (28:26):
Lately, I thought it was always super cool being able
to play against you, whether it be in college or
in pro because I just thought you were always just
another representation of what can be done in this game,
especially for a little black girls and little brown girls,
as you don't often see black and brown girls as
(28:47):
pictures in softball, and I mean oftentimes we see it
an outfield short stop maybe I think right now, you
know things are expanding and the opportunities are getting bigger,
but back back then it was a little bit less
for you when it comes to representation and what you've
been able to do for the game. And I know
you're working with players alliance, you having your own businesses,
(29:08):
You're setting more and more standards every single day for
you when it comes to representation, What do you feel
like your impact is or what do you hope it
to be.
Speaker 2 (29:18):
I hope that people can look at me and understand,
aside from the color of my skin, just know that
they can be a pitcher and know be able to
also hit and play positions and literally do whatever they
want to do on the softball field. But then talking
about little brown girls, little black girls, color girls, whoever
(29:41):
it may be, just knowing that they can see me
doing all the things and they don't have to limit
themselves suggest doing one thing. They don't have to limit
themselves to playing the outfield, they don't have to limit
themselves to just being X, Y or Z in a box.
They can literally do whatever they sit their minds to
and they can do at the professional level. And I
(30:02):
hope that they can see me and then know that.
But I think for me, like representation is important to
see me on TV and see us on TV, but
to be in the community too, I think is even
more important to be hands on, to be able to
be in front of these girls and be a face
for them and be active, you know, in front of
them and kind of show them the way and encourage them.
(30:25):
I think is the impact that I want to leave.
Speaker 1 (30:29):
You're doing it, leaving your impact showing everybody what I mean.
Speaker 2 (30:33):
Shoot, you made me want to be a picture a
boy to start all over.
Speaker 1 (30:36):
I mean, I don't know, just so I can wear nails,
just I can figure that part out while like, well,
I'm out there trying to mow people down. When you
out recruited, what does that look like for you? What
does that process look like? Being able to go play
at Ford?
Speaker 2 (30:53):
Because I know you.
Speaker 1 (30:54):
Say UCLA was also a team that you're interested in,
Why did you want to go play for the Gators? Then?
Speaker 2 (31:00):
What did that look like for you? If I'm being frank,
I never even was like, let me go to Florida,
let me be a Gator. Never. I mean, we grew
up in Florida and it's either Gator stuff or FSU
stuff and every way you look, even at the gas stations.
But it was never a thing of like I want
(31:20):
to play for the Gators. For me, it's like I
want to I wanted to go somewhere, I want to
make an impact in a program, and I just I
wanted to get recruited. And I didn't even realize how
good I was. And this is not a dig to
any program, but I didn't realize how good I was
until I told people that I was committed to FGCU,
and they looked at me a certain way, and the
(31:41):
conversation kind of ended for me. That was the reality
that I faced because I was committed to FGCU before
I was committed to Florida. Once I committed, and I
told people where I was going, so I got bigger you,
like why did you make this this? And I think
for me, my ears started ringing, like maybe they're right.
(32:03):
And I committed February of my junior year. Things were
a lot different back then. Coaches could breach out you
a lot earlier. They didn't have all the different sanctions
and rules that they have now, so things, I think
got a little bit more hectic, and so I committed
my junior year February, my junior year, had a fantastic
(32:25):
junior high school season and a great summer as well,
and after that, I just started to get cold feet.
I was like, you know what, maybe these people are right,
and that's probably one of the only times I'm gonna
listen to, you know, outside people. So I was just like, dang,
like I people are looking at it crazy, and so
I just had to kind of step back and reevaluately,
like do I want to go to a program and
(32:46):
just like kind of be the best at the program,
or do I want to go somewhere else where? Like
I had the opportunity to make an impact, sure, but
to play for something a little bit bigger, a lot bigger,
like a nation, And it's crazy. I de committed like
a week before early signing period in November. It was hard.
(33:08):
So that's scary. It was. I had a full scholarship
and I decommitted to absolutely no offers. It's not like football,
where they're still calling and texting you when you're committed
and pulling the other schools. It's not like that at Also,
I literally de committed from my school and coach was like,
you know, you can't come back, like there's no coming back,
like this is it. So I just want to make
(33:29):
sure you're sure. And I was like I'm sure, Like
I'm sure. So you know, I went to some tournaments.
I got some looks. It's crazy because my high school
team was really good and I already had a Florida
commit a grade younger than me and a grade higher
than me. I had an FSU commit, so naturally people
were making calls on my behalf, which was great. And
(33:50):
uh I went on to visit without any of the
coaches really even recruiting me because of word, which is
crazy to me. But I went on a visit and
it was the last day of signing period and I
was like, ahwa's gonna put out the NLI papers for me.
I'm gonna I'm gonna sign right here, put it And
I waited a week and I committed like the week later,
(34:12):
and then I had to wait to the next year
to sign in April. But I just I tell people, like,
you know, recruiting is different for everyone. Now there's a
lot more structure to it to where you can't even
get contacted by school until September first. But I just
tell it when every everybody's journey is so different, you
just kind of have to navigate it the best way,
you know how.
Speaker 1 (34:33):
But I feel like it's it's also a testament. I like,
I feel like you end up where you're supposed to be.
You know, like things kind of really they all fall
together how it's supposed to, even if it's unconventional or
scary they do.
Speaker 2 (34:45):
I say it all the time, like I don't know,
like going to Florida actually change my life.
Speaker 1 (34:50):
I know, same, I don't know where I Like, before
I went to LSU, I used to think like Louisiana
was like a made up state. I was like, cause,
oh I had a like examples of it was like
the people that used to shoot gators, you know what
I mean, And like all you have is that stuff
you see on TV.
Speaker 2 (35:07):
And it was like that just seems like a whole
other world over there. And I go there. I don't
know who I would be without Louisiana.
Speaker 1 (35:13):
I say, oh shah shah baby, all these all these
Louisiana influences that will never leave me now, all because
I mean, I mean we grew up there. We literally
went from eighteen to twenty whatever. However, long you stayed,
We're just babies, just babies. There's more to cover, but
first let's take a quick break from high school to college,
(35:45):
to Pro ball to being on the Blade, but also
with au and AUSL. The twenty twenty five AUSL Alsar
Cup was big for you. As you continue to continue
set the standards, break them, set another one, break that one.
When you go out there, you complete game shutouts, you
have MVP honors. What parts of that run do you
(36:11):
feel like you're most proud of, especially when it comes
to as you continue to get better and you continue
to set new standards, what do you feel like it
was a standard you set in twenty twenty five with
the Pro Bowl.
Speaker 2 (36:23):
This year was not good for me on the Blaze.
I think I posed a seven nine to nine ear
RA in regular season and that left me embarrassed. It
left me questioning, like what is really going on right now?
(36:43):
It left me like just with a lot of questions
that I needed to be answered, And at one point
I was like, there's there's no other answer but to
just go out and ball and say fit, like just
be who I am. I think there was just a
lot of uncertainty throughout the season internally for me, and
(37:05):
I was just like I don't need to necessarily know
exactly what's going on. I just need to go perform
and be who I need to be or who I
really am. So All Star Cup was kind of for
me like almost like a comeback season, like this is
who I really am and this is who to continue
to be. This year didn't define me, no matter what
(37:25):
the number say, it's it's not gonna gonna define me
moving forward, and I think I just trying to prove
myself right. I think at the end of the day,
it's like that really was not who I was. I
had a bad year, but it ended off on a
great note and I feel like I was really competitive.
I felt like I was in my zone. I felt
like I had great people around me, and I'm grateful
(37:47):
I was able to feel like I could redeem myself
in the Alstar Cup.
Speaker 1 (37:50):
I love when you say like I proved myself right
versus like go out and prove other people wrong. I
like the change of perspective. I'm gonna prove myself right.
And as you proved yourself right, what do you feel
like you prove to yourself?
Speaker 2 (38:03):
Then I'm still like girl. No, no, absolutely, And you
called me on that because if you if you don't
believe in yourself, then who's going to believe in you. Yeah,
you're gonna have your tribe, your people encouraging you. But
at the end of the day, it's internally. You have
to know who you are and what you bring to
(38:25):
the table, and even if you got to fake it
till you make it, until you can find some of
that confidence, and that's what you've got to do. So
for me, it's like this isn't over for me. Yeah,
I got a slack tear. Yeah, my knees are creaking
every time I bend down. But hey, I'm still gonna
blow it by you. I'm still gonna make a dance
and I'm still gonna get hits. And I think a
lot of people count me out offensively, And for me,
(38:48):
putting myself in the lineup every single day is like,
and this is where I would stay. I prove other
people wrong because in AU in the past, like people
got to determine who was in the lineup, and oftentimes
I was left out and I was really just a
pee up. So for me, it's like, no, I can
actually hit and I'm gonna show you that I can hit,
(39:09):
and I hit and that's all she wrote. So it
was one of those comeback like take a personal kind
of All Star cups. I'm gonna make a dance.
Speaker 1 (39:20):
Well, I'm throwing it in there or I'm hitting it
in a hole. It's the ball gone dance, baby, it's
going to dance. Being a true utility and a hitter,
I mean, you go out there, you pitch, you can
play in field, you play outfield, and you can hit.
That's so many different elements that you've been able to
craft and become successful in. How does one work to
(39:45):
dominate so many different positions? Because we've heard this saying,
you know, was this like a jack of all trades
is a professor a profession of none or something like that.
Speaker 2 (39:58):
In college, my coach Walton had to sit down and
talk with and you cannot be the jack of all
trades and a master of none. So it's a it's
jack of master of nine. Yeah, you can't be the
master of nine. God, you gotta be better. But I
think I think it It feels a little bit easier
(40:19):
because I grew up playing like different sports, but I
also grew u playing shortstop which in my opinion, one
of the most athletic people on the field. So in
my professional career and really just my whole career, I
think I've just tried to train like an athlete over
to be specific to just one position. Like if you
(40:42):
see me in practice, like it's rare. I'm taking pfps
because i want to play second base or shortstop, and
then I'm gonna go to the al film and then
I'm gonna come back and take some more infield. So
for me, it's just training like an athlete versus just
training like a pitcher who can field a ground ball
here and there, just a you know on top of
you know, the physicality of it. You're never gonna be
(41:05):
that picture where they make a play and.
Speaker 1 (41:06):
They're like, ooh, she's athletic, as like a sorry you
know what I mean, Like heh girl, Oh let their
basement get let their basement get it.
Speaker 2 (41:13):
No, no, no, okay, you got it.
Speaker 1 (41:14):
You got Being able to play everything, I mean, you
are someone when you talk about going to go hit
and being able to really show everybody proved everybody wrong
in that capacity. Do you feel like there's like pitching
in a way helps you become a better hitter.
Speaker 2 (41:33):
I think so, yeah. I like to think about things
like ev like effective velocity and what someone might throw
me or what I would throw them, and understanding like
the charts and what to throw in certain counts in
certain moments. But I think being a picture also helps
me scout, where I'm able to understand other pictures a
(41:55):
lot better than maybe the average player who doesn't necessarily
un pitching charts. So I think that gives me an
edge to be able to understand tendencies and counts and
look deeper into what you throw in different counts and
how you throw and how to use it. And I
think also just working in broadcasting has helped me learn
(42:17):
how to scout even more. I definitely think being a
pitcher has helped me become a better hitter in understanding
what pictures are coming.
Speaker 1 (42:27):
And being able to understand and identify that not only
is beneficial in pro ball, but also international ball as
you play fourteen Puerto Rico and I'm assuming aiming for
that twenty twenty eight Olympic spots Yesterdam Yes, Sam, of course,
of course, of course, of course, being able to represent
(42:51):
Puerto Rico and continue to propel hopefully to the Olympics.
What does that journey look like and what does it
mean to you.
Speaker 2 (43:01):
I've been playing for Puerto Rico for over ten years now,
like twelve, I think thirteen, maybe I don't even know
at this point. We didn't qualify from the last Olympics.
I was really unfortunate and a heartbreaker for all of us.
For me, I just want to end it knowing that
we qualified. Obviously, that's the first step. I'm you know,
(43:23):
I obviously want to meddle as well, but the first
step is qualifying, and I don't I don't necessarily know
what the journey looks like moving forward, but I know
that we're going to compete in every tournament that we're
in because a lot of things have changed, just kind
of being honest about it, like a lot of things
have changed. There's been a lot of new players coming
in and out. A lot of our core players, you know,
(43:46):
haven't been with us for a few years now. So
it's just the question is just like what who who's
going to be on the team, What tournaments are we're
going to play in the future. A lot of this
stuff comes a little bit later than I would like
it too. Unfortunately. But either way and whatever I'm gonna
go to, I'm gonna just do my best to compete,
and then whenever we have the qualifiers, I know that
we're gonna have the best team that we can have
(44:06):
and hopefully qualify this time around, because Man Mexico put
BTA on us last time.
Speaker 1 (44:14):
Is it a lot different than pro ball is as
far as like really working to qualify?
Speaker 2 (44:20):
What do you feel like it takes it?
Speaker 1 (44:22):
What is that extra edge that Team Puerto Rico needs
in order to make that last push?
Speaker 2 (44:27):
I think we just need to get all of our
players on the roster. Yeah, we haven't had all of
our players in the same in the same uniform for
a few years, and I just think we need a
set team to be able to practice together and continue
to build on the foundation we've already created. The past
(44:47):
year or two, we've kind of just been everwhere with
players coming in and out, and as much as I
love playing with different players and talented players like I
need to see some consistency in this next quad for
us to be able to build and then qualify. So
that's just me as a as a longtime vet on
this team, That's what I would like to see. I'm
(45:08):
confident that we'll we'll get there and we'll be able
to put its solid team together to qualify. When is
When is the next qualifier? Girl? I don't even know
what I'm what we're playing in the next year, but
I but twenty seven has to be. Yeah, next year
(45:28):
is the qualifier twenty twenty seven. There might be one year,
but there might be just be like the World Cup
or the World Games that somebody might qualify in. But
next year, for sure, pert Rico is part of us.
Speaker 1 (45:42):
How old is like the determination of who can play
for Team Puerto Rico.
Speaker 2 (45:46):
Who You have to have some lineage for sure, just
having any other un you gotta be a Puerto Rican. Yeah,
you gotta be. Yeah, a little bit in you.
Speaker 1 (45:55):
A little bit, a little bit thanks for staking us
from first it's I can base, will be routing third
after the breaks, walk off home runs too, Gold medal performances.
Speaker 2 (46:13):
To international play you had.
Speaker 1 (46:15):
You had, I feel like so many iconic moments World
Series championships.
Speaker 2 (46:21):
When you think about one moment, what's like probably the biggest.
Speaker 1 (46:25):
Moment that gives you chills throughout your career where it's
like the stories like oh, this is the one.
Speaker 2 (46:29):
I'm gonna tell Wow, There's so many moments in my
career that I feel like give me chills. I would say,
I don't even remember what year was. I think it
was my junior year or senior year. We walked off
Texas and m because a freshmen hit a walk off
(46:49):
home run. Going appo to send us to the World
Series in extras was an actions either way, it was
wright and I got I get chills every single time
I watched the video. Jordan Matthews was just a dog
in that moment. She stepped up, and honestly, I was
happy because I was like over seventeen at that point,
(47:09):
so like, go crazy, sister, Yeah, help me out, helped
me out, do your thing. But there's just so many moments.
I mean, winning Puerto Rico's first gold medal in that
home that walk off, well it wasn't even walk off.
It was a game winning home run because we still
had to hold them, But that was just I mean,
(47:30):
and against Dallas Escabido that that was crazy. No, yeah, yeah,
I had no words. That was just that was crazy.
And then another moment with Puerto Rico. It was in
twenty twenty three, we won another gold medal, and it
was my first time pitching full seven innings after I
(47:51):
tore my laborum because all summer in three innings, five innings,
one inning, whatever, and pitching in the championship game to
get us a god middle against Cuba what would have
been or was the first time I threw seven innings.
So for me, that was a moment like I can
still do this, Like I'm still in the game and
I can still throw the van my arm can do it.
(48:12):
That was another moment for me where like I could
do this, I trust my arm and I'm gonna go
and full send.
Speaker 1 (48:18):
It's then make a dance. That's like my official. My
official is anything softball. Now, I'm just gonna try and
make a dance. Yeah, that's it. You've had so many
different successes at so many different levels. But how would
you define success and define yours?
Speaker 2 (48:38):
I don't think success is what you make it according
to the goals that you set. And like you said,
this game is full of successes, but it's also filled
with failures. And I think I've had a lot more
failures in success. But I think it's import to not
define myself failures. But I think success, like when I
(48:59):
put my to something and I'm able to, you know,
nibble away at it because you don't have to tackle
the big picture immediately. I think what's important with success
is continuing to let set smaller goals to be able
to build to that bigger goal, to be successful in
what you set out to do. But for me too,
(49:20):
it's like I have had so many great people in
my corner that taught me so much and have guided
me along the way to become the player and the
person that I am, And I think a lot of
that has molded me in different ways that I can't
even think of. So I even it's easy to look
(49:43):
at my career and look at numbers and look at
this or that and medals and trophies, but I would
not be able to be holding any of those trophies
or have a medal around my neck if it weren't
for the people who have been around me that have
not only contributed to that success, but have like helped
me stay grounded through all the trials and tribulations throughout
(50:06):
my career. So my dad, my parents, you know, even
my sister who's five and he doesn't even know what's
not all is like, has been motivation for me and
helped ground me. My dog over here eating and drinking
water in the background has kept me grounded throughout every
season of my life. My teammates, my people, good and bad,
(50:29):
because I think you need experience at all to really
understand who you are and you know what you're able
to do and what you're able to give and how
to pour into other people and how to come back
from those those tough moments. So yeah, that was a
long answer. But I think success is subjective. And I
(50:49):
feel successful and rich because I feel like I've accomplished
a lot. But I've also had the greatest village around
me when doing so, and that, lady and gentlemen, is
what makes Alicia Cassio successful.
Speaker 1 (51:05):
Yeah, going into this year twenty twenty six, what successes
are you excited for?
Speaker 2 (51:14):
Particularly with AUSL I just need not hear it to
be under seventy nine. And I'm kidding, I'm excited for
a comeback year with the Blaze. I am. Finishing last
in the league was not fun. It was fun, you know,
(51:34):
hanging around my teammates and all that jazz, but it
was not fun to be last. I think overall, like
building on last year and just coming back and putting
things together. I'm looking forward to the success of my team.
I'm looking forward to having a better year. There's some
some goals that I got to set, but I want
(51:56):
to have a year where we meddle with Puerto Rico
and some capacity whatever turn go to. Just personally too,
I want to continue to broadcast. I want to continue
to build my business and create more. But there's just
a lot of things that I think twenty twenty six
is gonna give me that I'm excited for, and I'm
grateful that I'm in this position to be able to
(52:17):
continue to play softball and to do all the things
that I'm doing.
Speaker 1 (52:20):
Building your own business is lee whether it be pitching
chalk or Alicia's Softball. Something that means a lot to
you is something that you're really able to have ownership of.
Why was that something you really wanted to invest in
outside of being a pro SOFA player.
Speaker 2 (52:36):
You're gonna laugh. So I had a job and I
got fired from it. This was in high school, and
at that moment, I was like, I can't work for
nobody else ever in my life period. Yeah, I was
just like I want financial freedom, but I also want
to be able to dictate how much I'm making at
the same time, And the hard reality on the other
(52:57):
side of it is, in order to play softball, in
order to play professional softball, you either have to work
for yourself or you have to be a coach. And
I'm not ready to give them my freedom yet outside
of the summer. So being a coach right now in
college is was a no for me. So I decided
(53:18):
to create a training business that I could be proud
of and it's been going great. We just opened a
facility a few months ago. So for me, it's just
the freedom to be able to create my own schedule,
to be able to dictate how much I earn, and
then to also say, oh, I want to I want
to go to Turks and Keikos next week, let me
(53:40):
you know my calendar. So for me that was important,
the freedom aspect of it, the control aspect of it,
and just the ability to continue to scale and grow
in my own blies.
Speaker 1 (53:55):
Continue to set new standards because that is just the
Leely way. Well, now we're gonna go into the no
fly zone segment, and because we know that when it
comes down to the infield, the outfield, or the pitching circle.
Speaker 2 (54:15):
We like to turn the field into a no fly zone.
So Leally, what was your favorite play you've ever made
in your career? I have a few. My junior year,
I was playing third base and we were actually playing
LSU and a ball was hit into the camera wall
and I had to go back and track it down.
And there was a runner at third base too with
(54:35):
less than two outs, So I literally go over my
right shoulder and I kind of fall over the camera
well a little bit and come back and look for
the runner. But for me, that was just a big
play to be able to get an out for my pitcher.
But there's some other plays that I really love to
look back out and watch in the circle, just the
ones that I'm throwing on the run and you know,
(54:56):
making making cool plays to get runners I think are
just so fun.
Speaker 1 (55:04):
I always find to make a that I have to
go back to the deck out, whether she's the one
pitcher to us or just making them play against us.
Love the year, Leely, What do you feel like is
the key to being an elite picture?
Speaker 2 (55:17):
Obviously you've got to know how to throw strikes, but
I think the key I think the key is understanding
yourself and how to utilize your pitches. I think that
is the key. I think also being able to control
your emotions and have composure and the toughest of toughest moments,
(55:43):
and be able to have a dog mentality I think
above all things, because you can be a good picture,
but that doesn't mean that you're a dog. So I
think having that dog mentality when you're on the mound
and you're able to look tough moments in the face
and literally knock them down like a wall and be
able to persevere and come out the other side in
those big moments, I think make you that girl as
(56:05):
a pitcher. But I think if we're like going into
like a nitty gritty of it, like obviously you know
how to use your pitches and understand how to read batters.
So that's just like my pro answer. But I think
just confidence in being a dog is the next level.
All comes back to being a dog. What would you
say is your wow? What softball moment? So a softball moment.
Speaker 1 (56:30):
That made you say either Wow, I'm good, Wow, I
love this team.
Speaker 2 (56:35):
Wow I gotta get better. Oh a moment in softball
that was like Wow. All right, here we go. Wow moment.
Let's do this wow moment when coach Walton put me
in the pitch, like my first appearance ever as a
freshman against Michigan. You know, we go to USF every
year to open up, so we played Michigan, which is
(56:56):
like top ten and putting a freshman in starting her
first game, I was like shivering in my boots. But
for me, that was a wow moment, like wow, I
just I just beat them. And then the hug that
my dad gave me after her, like he was so
proud of me, was another wow. Damn it was all
worth it, you know, all the tough weekends at the
(57:17):
softball field, all the ripped cleats, all the screaming matches
worth it.
Speaker 1 (57:25):
Wow, I can only imagine because it means shoot, that's
then you face Michigan in the World Series that year, right, yeah, yeah,
for the final, the championship.
Speaker 2 (57:39):
Look at that Wow wow on me that like a
few a few months ago. He's like, I bet you
to know you started your freshman year and ended your
freshman year pitching and winning against Michigan. I was like, well, here,
you have a great memory, sir.
Speaker 1 (57:53):
That's a pretty big wow moment. Wow, Yeah that is wild. Well,
what would you say, are your softball.
Speaker 2 (58:01):
X wearing your visor and I'm sorry if you do
this age wearing your visor under your ear.
Speaker 1 (58:10):
Like your ears going under my ear, my ears come out.
Speaker 2 (58:14):
I can't have my ears inside. I can't. I can't.
I just gave it the ick. No, I didn't see
someone have that again, So you tuck your ears in.
It's not uncomfortable. Yeah, it is for only first four
out of time. Mm hmm, I can't. What's your softball ice?
Speaker 1 (58:34):
I would say my softball ick is? I mean, maybe
it's just be an outfielder thing. I just hate when
outfielders die for while they didn't die for. It's just
like obvious that you didn't need to die for.
Speaker 2 (58:44):
I get like, oh, you didn't have to do it
when you like make an easy play the card and
they get praised for it, like mm hmmm.
Speaker 1 (58:51):
I'm just like, okay, yes, but good job, that good job,
good job. What would you say, is it your favorite failure?
So failure that ultimately led to one of your biggest successes.
Speaker 2 (59:09):
I think my sophomore year getting walked off by Georgia
to like not go to the World Series was like
a moment where I just had to like reevaluate my
home turnal, not my whole life, but definitely whore because
(59:30):
I'm a competitive person. But I think at times it's
so easy, like I said before, so easy to get
unfocused in moments. And as a pitcher, you can get
lucky sometimes when you're unfocused, but when you're facing e
lite competition, not like you can't you can't take breaks,
you can't take pictures off. So I think that was
(59:51):
a definitely a wake up call for me in my career,
Like I don't want to ever feel that way again.
So yeah, just walk off. I used to have a curse.
I'll say, Jay, need I need to know actually, and
I need to ask so stats guy to pull up
the record and see how many homanes I've had hit
(01:00:11):
off of me in the six and seven innings. There's
there's some numbers there. There's a number there, And you
told me to talk about it. Oh you said, six seven.
All the kids listening, six seven.
Speaker 1 (01:00:27):
Lely, thank you so much for joining me on dropping
diamonds today and for allowing us to learn new and
set new standards.
Speaker 2 (01:00:38):
Thank you so much for having me I've been seeing
all the good work that you've been doing with Dropping Diamonds,
so I'm hodoring to come on and share a little
with my story. So I appreciate you. Thank you Lely,
You're the best.
Speaker 1 (01:00:50):
And to all the listeners, thank you so much for
listening today's episode. Continue this conversation on Instagram at Dropping
Diamonds Pod, and remember our affirmation of every day, give
what you got. I set this standard of what I see,
dream and who I will be today. My standards have
no ceilings. I give myself permission to do what I've
(01:01:12):
never done before. The best opportunity is behind the next door.
It's behind the next door.
Speaker 2 (01:01:16):
Walk through it.
Speaker 1 (01:01:17):
Set those standards and I'll meet you here next week
back at the diamond Bye now. Dropping Diamonds with AJ
Andrews is an iHeart women's sports production in partnership with
Athletes Unlimited Softball League and Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment.
(01:01:38):
I'm your host, AJ Andrews. Our executive producer is Jesse Katz,
Tari Harrison is our supervising producer, and this episode was
mixed and mastered by Mary Dow. Listen to Dropping Diamonds
with AJ Andrews. On the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or
wherever you get your podcasts.
Dropping Diamonds with AJ Andrews is an iHeart women's sports
production in partnership with Athletes Unlimited Softball League and Deep Blue.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Sports and Entertainment.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
Welcome to Dropping Diamonds with Me AJ Andrews, where we
dive headfirst into the world of softball.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Today. I got my girl, the Girl Boss, herself.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
The Blaze, Battie, all of the above, Alicia Acassio joining me.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Hey girl, Hey, how are you? Thanks for having me on,
Thanks for coming.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Before I get started with this show, I typically start
with a quote and an affirmation and one that I
thought was really fitting for you because I feel like
you're someone that really just sets your own standards and
then you achieved them every single time.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Was the standards you set determine the life you get.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
The standards you set determine the life you get. If
we were to build an affirmation from that quote, what
do you feel like the affirmation should be? Then you
wake up and you're to build upon that, what would
it sound like.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
I really love that because I feel like what you
put into the world is most of the time, what
you're going to get out the work that you put in.
So I love that the standard that you set. I
think every day you just got to give it your
all on every day doesn't mean that you're gonna have
one hundred percent if you have fifty percent and then
give fifty percent that day. So I just think you
(01:28):
wake up, you set your goals, you crush them, and
then move on to the next. But also think, on
the flip side of that, you got to show yourself
grace because not every day is going to be the
day where you tackle everything. So I think setting the
standard and continuing to rise to that standard and continuing
to break around glass ceilings like you have, and I've
enjoyed watching you throughout the years too, so I love it.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
I think based off of what you got, I feel
we should say affirmation for everybody. A day is every day,
give what you got, whether it's one hundred or fifty percent,
show up, set the standard of what I see, dream
and who I will be today.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
My standards have no ceilings.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
I give myself permission to do what I've never done before.
My best opportunity is behind the next door.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
Absolutely clock it CLOCKTT good for afformation because I was
kind of everwhere with it, but you did. That's that's
what we're bringing here, that's what we're bringing.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Well, LELEI with you set in your own standards from
the go playing softball. When did you set the standard
of saying I want to play college ball and I'm
going to continue to build upon, build upon, whether fifty
percent or one hundred percent, give all I can to
make that happen.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
I think growing up, I just had so much fun
playing and it was never a thing in my younger
years of like I want to go and play for
the Florida Gators. I did want to go and play
for UCLA at one point later in middle school, but
I just think I had so much fun playing the game.
I was good at it, and I just continue to
play and I wanted to be better. I wanted to
be better than everybody else. So I would always take
my dad's backyard and pitch and go to the field
(03:05):
and drag them and do infield and hit and stuff
like that. But I think there was one moment where
I was like, I want to be a shortstop for
UCLA because of Natasha Pa just watching her and then
getting to watch her in Orlando with USA.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
I think for me that dream just came alive. Well,
short stop because of Natasha Wally. What inspired you to
want to become a pitcher.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
It's so easy to say the Jenny Finches, the Lisa
Fernandez is and honestly that's who I saw growing up.
But at the end of the day, I just felt
like I was in my own lane and I just
like I said, I wanted to throw the hardest, I
wanted to strike people out. I just wanted to be
great in the circle. And I think with all the
support that I had for my family to be the greatest,
(03:54):
to be one of the best in my eyes, I
think that took my confidence to another level. But I
don't I don't necessarily think I just one person that
I was like, you know, I want to be just
like them. I think for me, it was like I
just want to play, and I just want to be
an athlete, and I just want to go to college
and I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna do that. So
I feel like when it comes to pitching, I just
(04:14):
wanted to set those standards and you know, crush them.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
And so you just woke up one day, which I
feel like all of us, we all kind of went
through like the pitching position and we're like, okay, y'ah,
not for us, not for me, but you went through
and said, oh no, no, I like the feeling of
making people have to walk back to the dugout.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Was that what always want to be absolutely because honey,
I want to be able to control the tempo of
the game and to be able to have a little
large impact on it too.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
What would you feel like was probably the first moment
when you realized not pitching is where it's at, or
this is the pitch because for those that aren't unfamiliar,
Leeley's stuff moves, and when it moves, it really moves.
And when you think it's going to be a strike,
it's when it's below your ankles.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
But it's too late.
Speaker 1 (04:59):
You already started to And so when you come to
you finding your pitch and the pitch that was going
to help you put all those people back into the dugout?
What allowed you to really realize, Okay, this is the
pitch I'm gonna really make, I'm going to master.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
It's funny that you say that about my stuff kind
of going through the zone and going to your ankles,
because I didn't learn my ospeed drop ball until I
got to college. Before I got to college, I was
throwing rise balls, rise balls, curveballs, screwballs and up the changes.
And honestly I got to college and she was like,
we're not throwing that anymore. Tried to learn one of
my teammates change ups, and I ended up learning my
(05:34):
ospeed drop because of it, and then in that moment
on my freshman year, that was my pitch and so
at that moment I could go rise ball, then I
could go aspeed drop. But really I learned it from
a teammate. And I think people don't understand how important
bullpens are, not only by yourself but with the rest
of the staff, to just be able to balance ideas
(05:55):
off of each other, to learn, to grow, to encourage
one another. So I think, if if it weren't for
Delaney Gorley, I'm sure you know who she is, because
she's you know, back in your backyard, But it wasn't
for her, I wouldn't have the pitch.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
And I have. It's crazy, how did that conversation happen
with the lady in the bullpen? You just see her
through that pitch and say, okay, let me give this
a try. Well, we were always conversating within our bullpants,
like when she would throw because our bullpen was so
tidy back then, Like I did not play in the
new renovated stadium.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Yeah, none of us did. All these these new and
approved sec things like got going on. I'm sick about it.
I don't want to talk about it AnyWho. Uh you
would all these be a good pitch, great pitch, you know,
encouraging one another, laughing with one another. I think that's
what made her bullpen so great. But Roacha took away
my change up. I had a knuckle change and she
took it away, and just like, we need to learn
(06:46):
an Austree pitch. So she was like, you're gonna learn Delaney's.
And I just sat with Delaney and say a word.
And Delaney was like, this is how you throw it,
And I'm not flexible at all. She'd be doing some
voodoo magic trick with her hand. So I tried to
like do it because she throws it out the back
of her hand, but it ended up coming on the
top like a drop ball. So that's really all she wrote.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
I was always curious, especially when pictures have, you know,
their signature pitch, how it even comes about? Is it
you throw it that one time and then you say,
oh wait, that was kind of nice, and then you
do it again, and then you get to a point
where you kind of master it because once you throw
it by accident, is it just stick after that once
accidental strike?
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Honestly, I think everybody's different. Like for me, I just
throw it and everybody's like, Tom, all, we need to
go this more. I think when people learn pitches and
it comes so easily, it's so it's so easy to
gravitate towards the pitch because it's so easy to throw.
But I mean there's other pitches that people have that
are their bread and butter that they've had to work
a little bit extra hard for. But I think if
(07:47):
a pitch feels the most natural and easiest to throw,
I think that's when people gravitate towards your pitch.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
Well, when you're teaching young girls how to pitch, what
do you advise them on for strikes? You ever gonna
get over the playgirl? That's gonna be a pitch?
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Not seriously, No, Like you can just tell in young athletes,
like their bodies and their mannerisms and how they move,
like what's gonna be easiest for them? We can get
into like the nitty gritty of like you know, supernation
and pronation and all that. But I could just I
could just tell I'll have them throw one thing and
kind of just see like how they throw it in
if it's easy or if it's hard, and kind of
(08:27):
work from there. Just I mean, there's a lot that
goes into it, and there's a lot of different nuances
to pitching. But I think if it's easy, then you
just stick with it.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
The supernation and the pronation it's too much. I'm assuming
that has to do with the way your body moves.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Yeah, like open rise ball and like turn over like
drop all kind of so yeah, you gotta make it work.
Just make it work then likes we are, we will
be good. What's even more impressive is that you do
all of that with your nails. Can you have a
moment for the nails? Not only ladies and gentlemen? Can
(09:05):
she strike you out? But she can strike you out
and then flex one time afterwards? How is that possible?
I've always gotten my nails done, and I just feel
like I shouldn't have to compromise like beauty and what
I like to play sport, Like I feel like I
can be beautiful, and I could be sexy, and I
could be strong, and I can check you out with
(09:27):
my makeup done, my hair done, my nails. So for me,
it's like, I'm not gonna keep my nails, and there's
a lot of tryal and error in like what length
I need to be able to because in college, oh
my gosh, like I would I would break mine. I
still break nails, but my nails would break and it
would be so painful. But I know now that I
(09:48):
have to cut them a little bit shorter in order
to actually pitch. So that's just the trick. You gotta
cut them down. If you want to keep your nails,
you just gotta cut a little bit down. You gotta
cut them down and mow them down. That should be
a pitching bottle. I'm put that on a shirt. You
might have cut them down a mom down.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
Girls, Well, what is like, how do you grip the
ball with the with your nails?
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Do? I mean normally? Oh? Really?
Speaker 1 (10:12):
I just I thought like sometimes you'll have to like
dig into it to you know. I feel like that's
more like baseball players.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
But I feel like like I need to cut these
two down a little bit more like, I don't really
dig into it. I just create some tension with my
index finger too. Okay, but I think baseball players are
like digging into the ball a little bit more.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
Well.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
I want to highlight that a little bit more.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
The idea that you don't have to compromise who you
are in order to be the athlete that you want
to be. Is that something that you feel like you've
always really established or did you kind of get to
a place within your career at some point where you said,
you know what, I'm trying to be something I'm not
or I'm not being fully myself and I can't perform
the way I want to perform unless I'm a thousand
(10:53):
percent lelee.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
I feel like I've always been myself, and I feel
like a lot of my career I've been very misunderstood,
and I've been in environments where I wasn't necessarily appreciated
for being myself. And I think once I found people
who appreciated like what I bring to the table, I
think that's when I succeed the most. And I think, too,
(11:15):
if I'm loose, if i'm myself, if I'm doing all
the little things that I need to do to feel
good or look good, feel good, play good, then that's
when I could put the best product on the field.
But I think for me, it's about not only being myself,
but like not really caring what you think of me
at the same time, because I feel like if I'm myself,
then the right people are going to gravitate towards me
(11:37):
and vice versa.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
In the moments when because I feel like in softball,
just as a black or brown player, we've always all
have been situations where it we're not necessarily maybe feel
like we're appreciated, we feel like we maybe have to
do a little bit more in order to get just
as much.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
When you talk about the environments that you feel like.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
You didn't feel like you could be or even feel
appreciated for being who you were, how did you navigate.
Speaker 2 (12:01):
Those There's been times in my career where coaches have
been like stop dancing, or like stop speaking, or you know,
say it so everybody can understand, like you know. So
for me, it's like, I just feel like there's certain
things about myself that allow me to not only play
(12:22):
the best my ability, but I feel like I give
energy to other people to allow them to be themselves.
And I think it just comes tenfold when that happens.
And also if nobody accepts me, then I just don't
feel like I need to be in your presence, like
we can be teammates, and that's just just the reality
of life and sport and being in a team is
like if you don't like me, if you don't accept
me like I compete, that I don't need to be
(12:43):
around you. But at the end of the day, we're teammates,
so we have to get along. We have to be
cohesive as a unit on the field. But I think
for me, if I were to give advice to anybody
to continue to be yourself. Obviously you got to have
a You got to know there's a time and a
place for everything. But just continue to be yourself and
allow your light to shine so that you can be
(13:05):
the best orsion of yourself in all passets.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
Allow your light to shine so that those are looking
for your light nowhere to go. That was a lesson
somebody once telling me, it's like, if you damn your light,
how are the people that are looking for you're supposed
to find you. You got to be bright and it's
going to blind some people, but the people that are
looking for you're giving them a path. Yeah, I think
that's it's hard to to sometimes grasp, not just as
(13:27):
a woman in sport, but sometimes as a woman when
like the world is trying to tell you who to
be and what to do and how to do it,
and trying to navigate those in order to become the
best version of who you are can be difficult, and
especially just more like softball, where it's you are faced
with failure almost every single time. I have, not every
single time you step on the field, it's some capacity
(13:49):
And like early in your career, what was a moment
that really tested your confidence that you are now proud
to say that you made it through.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
I've had so many moments where I felt a little
bit tested. My first few years in pro were really hard,
just because I had to learn how to work for
myself and nobody was telling me what to do. But
I had somebody, and this is important, I had somebody
who helped me, like who brought me to the crind
who showed me how to work, and that was Nattie Taylor.
She helped me overcome that part in my career, and
(14:19):
I would definitely tip my cap to her of a
reason while I'm still pro because I learned how to
work I think another time, and people don't realize, like
I tore my labor on in twenty twenty two and
that really messed up my mentality on the field. Yeah,
I mean twenty twenty two was a hard year all
(14:41):
in all, but tearing my labor and I think it
was just like icing on the cake. And it took
me a long time to really gain confidence in my
physical ability to go back to being who I knew
I was, And this year was This year was a
tough year for my team. I know, you know, the Blaze.
We didn't have great season, but I think it was
(15:02):
just another huge test and it tested my confidence and
it tested my mentality, my toughness and the whole nine.
But again going back to people who appreciate me and
what I bring to the table and allowing you to
myself like my GM I think in her protecting me,
I think spoke a lot to that. But going back
to just kind of losing my confidence and losing like
(15:24):
my mentality. Mine is toughness trying to recover from like
a partial tearor it's you know, it's so easy to
say I went to rehabit. I'm good now, but there's
so much more that comes from injury, not just the physicality,
is like how do I get back to being who
I was? How I I don't come back stronger? And
for me, it was a big question mark because it
(15:46):
was so easy for me to always say like I'm
confident on the mound, I have a poker face, like
nothing gets to me, and typically it doesn't. But I
spent two to three years just trying to figure out
who I was on the mound again, and that was
very tough and it's still tough, but I think injury
was the has been the biggest lesson for me in
(16:08):
figuring out how to continue to climb the ladder to
be an elite athlete. And also I'm nearing thirty, so
I'm getting a little bit older, which just as Mitch
just a little bit, but like it's like I balance,
like me getting a little bit older and all these little,
uh you know, tweaks that I'm getting with the physical
(16:29):
and mental aspect of my game. So I think that's
one battle that I'm facing right now and just trying
to overcome the whole injury thing and the excuse part
is also like something you got to kind of get over.
Is like, Okay, everybody probably has a tor neighbor, or
everybody probably is dealt with injury or some sort. I
think that's just the biggest battle that I think I faced.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
Yeah, but I feel like when you're I don't know,
injury is just such a it's such a hard thing
to really grasp unless you've experienced it. Cue everybody's been hurt,
but not people have had like season in ending injuries
or injuries where you're literally trying to find yourself again.
Because I mean your labor and that's a part of
(17:11):
what makes you a great picture, right your arm, Like
you need that to throw, or like I tore my
labor in my hip. I'm known as a speed player.
I need to my labroom has to be healed in
order for that to come back, you know what I mean.
And so it's kind of to your point of how
it just really weighs on your mental when you're trying
to talk to yourself. What are the things that you
would tell yourself in order as you're working to get
(17:33):
that confidence back.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
And trying to find yourself again. I think this goes
for every aspect of any game or anything that you're
practicing to be great at. Is the practice aspect of it.
I think that's where you build confidence, that's where you
build trust, and that's where the disconnect. What is was
is like, I'm physically able, I'm strong, I'm healthy for
the most part, But how do I bridge that gap
(17:57):
between being strong and then the mental aspect of like
actually trusting that I'm strong that I could go through.
So just repetition, I think is the biggest is like
repetition knowing that I can do it, and then executing
when I get on the field.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
Yeah, I think that's really the trusting yourself part. It
becomes oftentimes the hardest. And I started to just read
a bunch of different books, and one of the things
that really stuck out to me that I kind of
my perspective from what someone had said, was that versus
instead of looking at like, let's say you do something
while you're injured as that's who I am, it's more so, oh,
(18:31):
well that's just me recovering, Like that's not AJ the athlete.
That's AJ in recovery, right, And so then so you
don't like stigmatize or attach yourself to the part of
you that's working to get back to who you've been
or what you could become. And so I think that's
something that was a really good perspective change versus being
like dang, like I can't get it done right now,
(18:53):
but this isn't you. This is recovery. You like, keep going,
keep going.
Speaker 2 (18:58):
Let's take a quick break to hear word from our sponsor.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
Whether you think of like people or or words or inspiration,
is there anything that maybe has really kind of inspired
you throughout your process of continuing to try to find
yourself and continue to get better as ath that you are.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
There's a quote that I've I don't even know if
I can remember the exact quote, but I'm beg going
like visual I'm big on just imagining and manifesting. So
for me, it's like I've already been there because I've
already visualized it, so I know that I'm going to
get a hit before I get a hit. Even if
I don't get a hit, then I know the next
(19:42):
time I'm going to get a hit. If that makes sense,
Like I've already been I've already done it, and now
it's just trying to execute. So for me, it's like
I've already I've done harder things. I've done harder things.
I've already been here before. And also too is like
one thing that I've learned from my best friend in college,
Kelsey ste I went in a college and I was like,
(20:03):
how are you so good? Like how do you just
perseuree through everything? She's like, it's literally doggy dog like
I'm gonna eat tonight or you're gonna eat tonight. So
that's literally how you have to think about it. So
for me, when I step out in the field, it's
like I gotta feed my family. Like It's like it's
one of those things. It's like, dang, like I can't
(20:23):
let you eat me, like I gotta eat today. You
know what I'm saying, You really you just have to
create little games and little battles within the game to
be able to kind of allow yourself to stay competitive
because being competitive is so hard. It's like I pitched
for a millisecond and I got ten seconds off. Then
I got them pitched again for another millisecond. Then I
gotta go into the dougout and now I'm eating snacks
(20:45):
and now I'm drinking water. Now I gotta go back
to the So it's like so many different breaks in
a game of softball. You have to figure out how
to stay focused and stay competitive. So I just I
think it's like doggy dog when you're out there.
Speaker 1 (20:59):
Oh love that I can I can envision Kelsey saying
that in her face, as she says, when you're on
the mound, and let's say you're behind the count, what
are some of the the mental games that you play
with yourself or tell yourself in order to come back
to to sit somebody down, or to get back ahead
in the count.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
I think it depends on when of alady pitch them,
But I at the end of the day, just throw,
throw some make some dance, make a dance to the
zone a dance. Yeah, don't give them a pee, don't
give them nothing, you know, through the middle, but hit
a spot. Really, just hit a spot and be competitive.
I think when your back's against the wall like that,
(21:38):
that's when it's I think the toughest to to pitch
because you have all this pressure. Now you have to
figure out how to translate that into a pitch and
keep your composure. So I just think you don't try
to be bigger than the game. You just take each
moment for what it is and that get.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
May dance, may dance, garl in every aspect of the game. Yeah,
we're too and serious as two people, you and Kelsey,
who know what it's like when it comes to the
dog eat dog mentality. This is coming from someone that
(22:14):
has to compete against the both of them at LSU
playing the Florida Gators, whether it be in a regular
season game or be at the World Series. Kelsey and
Alicia took my lunch many times, and when it came
down to the World Series, back to back World Series
(22:38):
champions the Florida Gators, I mean it takes a lot
of eating people's lunches to make that happen. World Series
is something that all SOFTA players aim to get to,
aim to be at, and aim to hopefully win. And
you were able to achieve that. How does it happen
(22:59):
other them? Beaten the I mean making it because you
know in soft but we know like sometimes the best
teams don't always win, And it really is to your point.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
Of dog eat dog mentality to make it out there.
It really is. It's like you just you just never know,
like you can make your predictions, but some crazy stuff
just ends up happening like this past year Nigeriaekennedy trying
to walk Reese Atwood and then throws the pitch plate
and she gets to our Like stuff just happens so crazy,
and it's just I think getting there is a huge
(23:29):
feat and it's it's so cliche, but obviously we work
hard in the off season and treat every moment like
the big moment so that no moment gets too big
for us. But I pitched a lot my freshman year.
Lauren Hager ended up coming out of the woodworks and
just really grinding and being our black horse that year
(23:49):
to take us all the way to the championship. And
I did get a game. I get the first game
of the championship series, which I was so nervous. My
stomach was like turning it upside down, and I don't
know the sweating it was crazy. But I think the
biggest dishing above playing good softball is how you guys,
(24:09):
or how a team loves each other and how they
act and are outside of the sala field. I think
we were one big family that year, and you could
definitely see how the chemistry outside of the field completely
shifted and translated onto the field, and I think that's
that's how we won. I think that's how teams win. Changes.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
Did you guys have like a motto throughout the year,
especially when like the times get hard? I mean there's
days when you know we'd rather do anything but go
to play, go to practice to get through all of
those hard times in the moments which you just didn't
want to be there in order to continue to get better.
Continue how they camarade around our team. What did the
(24:51):
Florida Gators do in order to make that happen?
Speaker 2 (24:54):
I don't I don't remember any specific motto. I'm not
gonna lie to I don't remember any phrase. I just
let me tell you. I just remember Coach made us
bring the lunch pails to the field every single day,
like we were clocking in for work, like y'all are
to go work on the road on the railroads.
Speaker 1 (25:18):
Bro.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
Every day we had our lunch bial. We had stuff
inside of it. We had to bring our cards, we
had to cocket a machine, we had to clock in clock. Yes,
so we were about our business. We were working for real.
I can't say too much about that, but we got
a chamionsh about it. You got to clock in and
clock out. We didn't we did. What is it?
Speaker 1 (25:39):
Would you say it's maybe like the craziest thing, because
I mean coaches come up with some you know, it's
some creative stuff to get us focused and get us
locked in for practice and our games.
Speaker 2 (25:51):
What's one of the craziest things Coach Walton has done?
The lunch pails and clocking in was kind of crazy,
but it's crazy if we won, you know, like it worked.
As far as the craziest thing, I don't know. Everybody's
kind of everybody's got to be a little crazy or.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
Maybe you thing you look back and say, dang, okay,
I remember coach. You know there was one time when
we had to man we ran the entire I'm telling
you we ran basically all at Baton Rouge. We had
to run like from this through I don't know.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
We had to get out. It was right before a
football game too, out all the way down the levee.
Come back.
Speaker 1 (26:27):
We had a full practice and then we had everybody
coming out, like everybody on the staff would say something
to like fire us up and motivate us or what
they want, and then we had to.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
Go do polls. Come back, Lord, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (26:40):
All I know is we didn't want to do that again.
So it's like, whatever we got to do to not
do that again, just let us know.
Speaker 2 (26:46):
Oh you know, that reminds me. We did stuff like that.
We did triathlons where we had to bike ten miles
and run two miles, go out the rope one time.
Then we had to do stadiums all the way up
and down, nicking swim. But I will never forget there's
one time when we were gonna run three mills outside
right and you know Florida, we got rained out one
(27:08):
morning at six am. And one random day we show
up to the indoor facility and there's a table, there's
all these braceleting wristbands, Coachwan and there Ka Schwan's wife
is there. Coach.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
I would have been so nervous as soon as I
see like extracurricular people.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
I'm like, oh god, I'm like, what's like brag one
right now? But so he's like, we're gonna run at
three miles indoor. So we've ran seventeen and a half
laps around the around the We just kept grabbing bracelets
to make sure we were counting our laps. It was
crazy and I was untraumatized, but in a good way,
like you know, yeah, build character.
Speaker 1 (27:45):
I love it now because in those moments, you know,
like after we leave and I was like, I'm just
gonna go take a nap whatever it is that we
do to try to digress from the day. But then
years from then, as we sit back and we talk
about it, it's like, man, that was one of my
favorite memories.
Speaker 2 (27:59):
I hate every second of it, but I love talking
about it. I will never say that, but I will
kick my feet up and sars a lot of other
things in my career because I wouldn't. I wouldn't trade
my experience for anything, not even nil.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
Dang, even though we would have made We would have
made so much money if we were playing now.
Speaker 2 (28:21):
Anyway, I'm gonna digress on that one.
Speaker 1 (28:26):
Lately, I thought it was always super cool being able
to play against you, whether it be in college or
in pro because I just thought you were always just
another representation of what can be done in this game,
especially for a little black girls and little brown girls,
as you don't often see black and brown girls as
(28:47):
pictures in softball, and I mean oftentimes we see it
an outfield short stop maybe I think right now, you
know things are expanding and the opportunities are getting bigger,
but back back then it was a little bit less
for you when it comes to representation and what you've
been able to do for the game. And I know
you're working with players alliance, you having your own businesses,
(29:08):
You're setting more and more standards every single day for
you when it comes to representation, What do you feel
like your impact is or what do you hope it
to be.
Speaker 2 (29:18):
I hope that people can look at me and understand,
aside from the color of my skin, just know that
they can be a pitcher and know be able to
also hit and play positions and literally do whatever they
want to do on the softball field. But then talking
about little brown girls, little black girls, color girls, whoever
(29:41):
it may be, just knowing that they can see me
doing all the things and they don't have to limit
themselves suggest doing one thing. They don't have to limit
themselves to playing the outfield, they don't have to limit
themselves to just being X, Y or Z in a box.
They can literally do whatever they sit their minds to
and they can do at the professional level. And I
(30:02):
hope that they can see me and then know that.
But I think for me, like representation is important to
see me on TV and see us on TV, but
to be in the community too, I think is even
more important to be hands on, to be able to
be in front of these girls and be a face
for them and be active, you know, in front of
them and kind of show them the way and encourage them.
(30:25):
I think is the impact that I want to leave.
Speaker 1 (30:29):
You're doing it, leaving your impact showing everybody what I mean.
Speaker 2 (30:33):
Shoot, you made me want to be a picture a
boy to start all over.
Speaker 1 (30:36):
I mean, I don't know, just so I can wear nails,
just I can figure that part out while like, well,
I'm out there trying to mow people down. When you
out recruited, what does that look like for you? What
does that process look like? Being able to go play
at Ford?
Speaker 2 (30:53):
Because I know you.
Speaker 1 (30:54):
Say UCLA was also a team that you're interested in,
Why did you want to go play for the Gators? Then?
Speaker 2 (31:00):
What did that look like for you? If I'm being frank,
I never even was like, let me go to Florida,
let me be a Gator. Never. I mean, we grew
up in Florida and it's either Gator stuff or FSU
stuff and every way you look, even at the gas stations.
But it was never a thing of like I want
(31:20):
to play for the Gators. For me, it's like I
want to I wanted to go somewhere, I want to
make an impact in a program, and I just I
wanted to get recruited. And I didn't even realize how
good I was. And this is not a dig to
any program, but I didn't realize how good I was
until I told people that I was committed to FGCU,
and they looked at me a certain way, and the
(31:41):
conversation kind of ended for me. That was the reality
that I faced because I was committed to FGCU before
I was committed to Florida. Once I committed, and I
told people where I was going, so I got bigger you,
like why did you make this this? And I think
for me, my ears started ringing, like maybe they're right.
(32:03):
And I committed February of my junior year. Things were
a lot different back then. Coaches could breach out you
a lot earlier. They didn't have all the different sanctions
and rules that they have now, so things, I think
got a little bit more hectic, and so I committed
my junior year February, my junior year, had a fantastic
(32:25):
junior high school season and a great summer as well,
and after that, I just started to get cold feet.
I was like, you know what, maybe these people are right,
and that's probably one of the only times I'm gonna
listen to, you know, outside people. So I was just like, dang,
like I people are looking at it crazy, and so
I just had to kind of step back and reevaluately,
like do I want to go to a program and
(32:46):
just like kind of be the best at the program,
or do I want to go somewhere else where? Like
I had the opportunity to make an impact, sure, but
to play for something a little bit bigger, a lot bigger,
like a nation, And it's crazy. I de committed like
a week before early signing period in November. It was hard.
(33:08):
So that's scary. It was. I had a full scholarship
and I decommitted to absolutely no offers. It's not like football,
where they're still calling and texting you when you're committed
and pulling the other schools. It's not like that at Also,
I literally de committed from my school and coach was like,
you know, you can't come back, like there's no coming back,
like this is it. So I just want to make
(33:29):
sure you're sure. And I was like I'm sure, Like
I'm sure. So you know, I went to some tournaments.
I got some looks. It's crazy because my high school
team was really good and I already had a Florida
commit a grade younger than me and a grade higher
than me. I had an FSU commit, so naturally people
were making calls on my behalf, which was great. And
(33:50):
uh I went on to visit without any of the
coaches really even recruiting me because of word, which is
crazy to me. But I went on a visit and
it was the last day of signing period and I
was like, ahwa's gonna put out the NLI papers for me.
I'm gonna I'm gonna sign right here, put it And
I waited a week and I committed like the week later,
(34:12):
and then I had to wait to the next year
to sign in April. But I just I tell people, like,
you know, recruiting is different for everyone. Now there's a
lot more structure to it to where you can't even
get contacted by school until September first. But I just
tell it when every everybody's journey is so different, you
just kind of have to navigate it the best way,
you know how.
Speaker 1 (34:33):
But I feel like it's it's also a testament. I like,
I feel like you end up where you're supposed to be.
You know, like things kind of really they all fall
together how it's supposed to, even if it's unconventional or
scary they do.
Speaker 2 (34:45):
I say it all the time, like I don't know,
like going to Florida actually change my life.
Speaker 1 (34:50):
I know, same, I don't know where I Like, before
I went to LSU, I used to think like Louisiana
was like a made up state. I was like, cause,
oh I had a like examples of it was like
the people that used to shoot gators, you know what
I mean, And like all you have is that stuff
you see on TV.
Speaker 2 (35:07):
And it was like that just seems like a whole
other world over there. And I go there. I don't
know who I would be without Louisiana.
Speaker 1 (35:13):
I say, oh shah shah baby, all these all these
Louisiana influences that will never leave me now, all because
I mean, I mean we grew up there. We literally
went from eighteen to twenty whatever. However, long you stayed,
We're just babies, just babies. There's more to cover, but
first let's take a quick break from high school to college,
(35:45):
to Pro ball to being on the Blade, but also
with au and AUSL. The twenty twenty five AUSL Alsar
Cup was big for you. As you continue to continue
set the standards, break them, set another one, break that one.
When you go out there, you complete game shutouts, you
have MVP honors. What parts of that run do you
(36:11):
feel like you're most proud of, especially when it comes
to as you continue to get better and you continue
to set new standards, what do you feel like it
was a standard you set in twenty twenty five with
the Pro Bowl.
Speaker 2 (36:23):
This year was not good for me on the Blaze.
I think I posed a seven nine to nine ear
RA in regular season and that left me embarrassed. It
left me questioning, like what is really going on right now?
(36:43):
It left me like just with a lot of questions
that I needed to be answered, And at one point
I was like, there's there's no other answer but to
just go out and ball and say fit, like just
be who I am. I think there was just a
lot of uncertainty throughout the season internally for me, and
(37:05):
I was just like I don't need to necessarily know
exactly what's going on. I just need to go perform
and be who I need to be or who I
really am. So All Star Cup was kind of for
me like almost like a comeback season, like this is
who I really am and this is who to continue
to be. This year didn't define me, no matter what
(37:25):
the number say, it's it's not gonna gonna define me
moving forward, and I think I just trying to prove
myself right. I think at the end of the day,
it's like that really was not who I was. I
had a bad year, but it ended off on a
great note and I feel like I was really competitive.
I felt like I was in my zone. I felt
like I had great people around me, and I'm grateful
(37:47):
I was able to feel like I could redeem myself
in the Alstar Cup.
Speaker 1 (37:50):
I love when you say like I proved myself right
versus like go out and prove other people wrong. I
like the change of perspective. I'm gonna prove myself right.
And as you proved yourself right, what do you feel
like you prove to yourself?
Speaker 2 (38:03):
Then I'm still like girl. No, no, absolutely, And you
called me on that because if you if you don't
believe in yourself, then who's going to believe in you. Yeah,
you're gonna have your tribe, your people encouraging you. But
at the end of the day, it's internally. You have
to know who you are and what you bring to
(38:25):
the table, and even if you got to fake it
till you make it, until you can find some of
that confidence, and that's what you've got to do. So
for me, it's like this isn't over for me. Yeah,
I got a slack tear. Yeah, my knees are creaking
every time I bend down. But hey, I'm still gonna
blow it by you. I'm still gonna make a dance
and I'm still gonna get hits. And I think a
lot of people count me out offensively, And for me,
(38:48):
putting myself in the lineup every single day is like,
and this is where I would stay. I prove other
people wrong because in AU in the past, like people
got to determine who was in the lineup, and oftentimes
I was left out and I was really just a
pee up. So for me, it's like, no, I can
actually hit and I'm gonna show you that I can hit,
(39:09):
and I hit and that's all she wrote. So it
was one of those comeback like take a personal kind
of All Star cups. I'm gonna make a dance.
Speaker 1 (39:20):
Well, I'm throwing it in there or I'm hitting it
in a hole. It's the ball gone dance, baby, it's
going to dance. Being a true utility and a hitter,
I mean, you go out there, you pitch, you can
play in field, you play outfield, and you can hit.
That's so many different elements that you've been able to
craft and become successful in. How does one work to
(39:45):
dominate so many different positions? Because we've heard this saying,
you know, was this like a jack of all trades
is a professor a profession of none or something like that.
Speaker 2 (39:58):
In college, my coach Walton had to sit down and
talk with and you cannot be the jack of all
trades and a master of none. So it's a it's
jack of master of nine. Yeah, you can't be the
master of nine. God, you gotta be better. But I
think I think it It feels a little bit easier
(40:19):
because I grew up playing like different sports, but I
also grew u playing shortstop which in my opinion, one
of the most athletic people on the field. So in
my professional career and really just my whole career, I
think I've just tried to train like an athlete over
to be specific to just one position. Like if you
(40:42):
see me in practice, like it's rare. I'm taking pfps
because i want to play second base or shortstop, and
then I'm gonna go to the al film and then
I'm gonna come back and take some more infield. So
for me, it's just training like an athlete versus just
training like a pitcher who can field a ground ball
here and there, just a you know on top of
you know, the physicality of it. You're never gonna be
(41:05):
that picture where they make a play and.
Speaker 1 (41:06):
They're like, ooh, she's athletic, as like a sorry you
know what I mean, Like heh girl, Oh let their
basement get let their basement get it.
Speaker 2 (41:13):
No, no, no, okay, you got it.
Speaker 1 (41:14):
You got Being able to play everything, I mean, you
are someone when you talk about going to go hit
and being able to really show everybody proved everybody wrong
in that capacity. Do you feel like there's like pitching
in a way helps you become a better hitter.
Speaker 2 (41:33):
I think so, yeah. I like to think about things
like ev like effective velocity and what someone might throw
me or what I would throw them, and understanding like
the charts and what to throw in certain counts in
certain moments. But I think being a picture also helps
me scout, where I'm able to understand other pictures a
(41:55):
lot better than maybe the average player who doesn't necessarily
un pitching charts. So I think that gives me an
edge to be able to understand tendencies and counts and
look deeper into what you throw in different counts and
how you throw and how to use it. And I
think also just working in broadcasting has helped me learn
(42:17):
how to scout even more. I definitely think being a
pitcher has helped me become a better hitter in understanding
what pictures are coming.
Speaker 1 (42:27):
And being able to understand and identify that not only
is beneficial in pro ball, but also international ball as
you play fourteen Puerto Rico and I'm assuming aiming for
that twenty twenty eight Olympic spots Yesterdam Yes, Sam, of course,
of course, of course, of course, being able to represent
(42:51):
Puerto Rico and continue to propel hopefully to the Olympics.
What does that journey look like and what does it
mean to you.
Speaker 2 (43:01):
I've been playing for Puerto Rico for over ten years now,
like twelve, I think thirteen, maybe I don't even know
at this point. We didn't qualify from the last Olympics.
I was really unfortunate and a heartbreaker for all of us.
For me, I just want to end it knowing that
we qualified. Obviously, that's the first step. I'm you know,
(43:23):
I obviously want to meddle as well, but the first
step is qualifying, and I don't I don't necessarily know
what the journey looks like moving forward, but I know
that we're going to compete in every tournament that we're
in because a lot of things have changed, just kind
of being honest about it, like a lot of things
have changed. There's been a lot of new players coming
in and out. A lot of our core players, you know,
(43:46):
haven't been with us for a few years now. So
it's just the question is just like what who who's
going to be on the team, What tournaments are we're
going to play in the future. A lot of this
stuff comes a little bit later than I would like
it too. Unfortunately. But either way and whatever I'm gonna
go to, I'm gonna just do my best to compete,
and then whenever we have the qualifiers, I know that
we're gonna have the best team that we can have
(44:06):
and hopefully qualify this time around, because Man Mexico put
BTA on us last time.
Speaker 1 (44:14):
Is it a lot different than pro ball is as
far as like really working to qualify?
Speaker 2 (44:20):
What do you feel like it takes it?
Speaker 1 (44:22):
What is that extra edge that Team Puerto Rico needs
in order to make that last push?
Speaker 2 (44:27):
I think we just need to get all of our
players on the roster. Yeah, we haven't had all of
our players in the same in the same uniform for
a few years, and I just think we need a
set team to be able to practice together and continue
to build on the foundation we've already created. The past
(44:47):
year or two, we've kind of just been everwhere with
players coming in and out, and as much as I
love playing with different players and talented players like I
need to see some consistency in this next quad for
us to be able to build and then qualify. So
that's just me as a as a longtime vet on
this team, That's what I would like to see. I'm
(45:08):
confident that we'll we'll get there and we'll be able
to put its solid team together to qualify. When is
When is the next qualifier? Girl? I don't even know
what I'm what we're playing in the next year, but
I but twenty seven has to be. Yeah, next year
(45:28):
is the qualifier twenty twenty seven. There might be one year,
but there might be just be like the World Cup
or the World Games that somebody might qualify in. But
next year, for sure, pert Rico is part of us.
Speaker 1 (45:42):
How old is like the determination of who can play
for Team Puerto Rico.
Speaker 2 (45:46):
Who You have to have some lineage for sure, just
having any other un you gotta be a Puerto Rican. Yeah,
you gotta be. Yeah, a little bit in you.
Speaker 1 (45:55):
A little bit, a little bit thanks for staking us
from first it's I can base, will be routing third
after the breaks, walk off home runs too, Gold medal performances.
Speaker 2 (46:13):
To international play you had.
Speaker 1 (46:15):
You had, I feel like so many iconic moments World
Series championships.
Speaker 2 (46:21):
When you think about one moment, what's like probably the biggest.
Speaker 1 (46:25):
Moment that gives you chills throughout your career where it's
like the stories like oh, this is the one.
Speaker 2 (46:29):
I'm gonna tell Wow, There's so many moments in my
career that I feel like give me chills. I would say,
I don't even remember what year was. I think it
was my junior year or senior year. We walked off
Texas and m because a freshmen hit a walk off
(46:49):
home run. Going appo to send us to the World
Series in extras was an actions either way, it was
wright and I got I get chills every single time
I watched the video. Jordan Matthews was just a dog
in that moment. She stepped up, and honestly, I was
happy because I was like over seventeen at that point,
(47:09):
so like, go crazy, sister, Yeah, help me out, helped
me out, do your thing. But there's just so many moments.
I mean, winning Puerto Rico's first gold medal in that
home that walk off, well it wasn't even walk off.
It was a game winning home run because we still
had to hold them, But that was just I mean,
(47:30):
and against Dallas Escabido that that was crazy. No, yeah, yeah,
I had no words. That was just that was crazy.
And then another moment with Puerto Rico. It was in
twenty twenty three, we won another gold medal, and it
was my first time pitching full seven innings after I
(47:51):
tore my laborum because all summer in three innings, five innings,
one inning, whatever, and pitching in the championship game to
get us a god middle against Cuba what would have
been or was the first time I threw seven innings.
So for me, that was a moment like I can
still do this, Like I'm still in the game and
I can still throw the van my arm can do it.
(48:12):
That was another moment for me where like I could
do this, I trust my arm and I'm gonna go
and full send.
Speaker 1 (48:18):
It's then make a dance. That's like my official. My
official is anything softball. Now, I'm just gonna try and
make a dance. Yeah, that's it. You've had so many
different successes at so many different levels. But how would
you define success and define yours?
Speaker 2 (48:38):
I don't think success is what you make it according
to the goals that you set. And like you said,
this game is full of successes, but it's also filled
with failures. And I think I've had a lot more
failures in success. But I think it's import to not
define myself failures. But I think success, like when I
(48:59):
put my to something and I'm able to, you know,
nibble away at it because you don't have to tackle
the big picture immediately. I think what's important with success
is continuing to let set smaller goals to be able
to build to that bigger goal, to be successful in
what you set out to do. But for me too,
(49:20):
it's like I have had so many great people in
my corner that taught me so much and have guided
me along the way to become the player and the
person that I am, And I think a lot of
that has molded me in different ways that I can't
even think of. So I even it's easy to look
(49:43):
at my career and look at numbers and look at
this or that and medals and trophies, but I would
not be able to be holding any of those trophies
or have a medal around my neck if it weren't
for the people who have been around me that have
not only contributed to that success, but have like helped
me stay grounded through all the trials and tribulations throughout
(50:06):
my career. So my dad, my parents, you know, even
my sister who's five and he doesn't even know what's
not all is like, has been motivation for me and
helped ground me. My dog over here eating and drinking
water in the background has kept me grounded throughout every
season of my life. My teammates, my people, good and bad,
(50:29):
because I think you need experience at all to really
understand who you are and you know what you're able
to do and what you're able to give and how
to pour into other people and how to come back
from those those tough moments. So yeah, that was a
long answer. But I think success is subjective. And I
(50:49):
feel successful and rich because I feel like I've accomplished
a lot. But I've also had the greatest village around
me when doing so, and that, lady and gentlemen, is
what makes Alicia Cassio successful.
Speaker 1 (51:05):
Yeah, going into this year twenty twenty six, what successes
are you excited for?
Speaker 2 (51:14):
Particularly with AUSL I just need not hear it to
be under seventy nine. And I'm kidding, I'm excited for
a comeback year with the Blaze. I am. Finishing last
in the league was not fun. It was fun, you know,
(51:34):
hanging around my teammates and all that jazz, but it
was not fun to be last. I think overall, like
building on last year and just coming back and putting
things together. I'm looking forward to the success of my team.
I'm looking forward to having a better year. There's some
some goals that I got to set, but I want
(51:56):
to have a year where we meddle with Puerto Rico
and some capacity whatever turn go to. Just personally too,
I want to continue to broadcast. I want to continue
to build my business and create more. But there's just
a lot of things that I think twenty twenty six
is gonna give me that I'm excited for, and I'm
grateful that I'm in this position to be able to
(52:17):
continue to play softball and to do all the things
that I'm doing.
Speaker 1 (52:20):
Building your own business is lee whether it be pitching
chalk or Alicia's Softball. Something that means a lot to
you is something that you're really able to have ownership of.
Why was that something you really wanted to invest in
outside of being a pro SOFA player.
Speaker 2 (52:36):
You're gonna laugh. So I had a job and I
got fired from it. This was in high school, and
at that moment, I was like, I can't work for
nobody else ever in my life period. Yeah, I was
just like I want financial freedom, but I also want
to be able to dictate how much I'm making at
the same time, And the hard reality on the other
(52:57):
side of it is, in order to play softball, in
order to play professional softball, you either have to work
for yourself or you have to be a coach. And
I'm not ready to give them my freedom yet outside
of the summer. So being a coach right now in
college is was a no for me. So I decided
(53:18):
to create a training business that I could be proud
of and it's been going great. We just opened a
facility a few months ago. So for me, it's just
the freedom to be able to create my own schedule,
to be able to dictate how much I earn, and
then to also say, oh, I want to I want
to go to Turks and Keikos next week, let me
(53:40):
you know my calendar. So for me that was important,
the freedom aspect of it, the control aspect of it,
and just the ability to continue to scale and grow
in my own blies.
Speaker 1 (53:55):
Continue to set new standards because that is just the
Leely way. Well, now we're gonna go into the no
fly zone segment, and because we know that when it
comes down to the infield, the outfield, or the pitching circle.
Speaker 2 (54:15):
We like to turn the field into a no fly zone.
So Leally, what was your favorite play you've ever made
in your career? I have a few. My junior year,
I was playing third base and we were actually playing
LSU and a ball was hit into the camera wall
and I had to go back and track it down.
And there was a runner at third base too with
(54:35):
less than two outs, So I literally go over my
right shoulder and I kind of fall over the camera
well a little bit and come back and look for
the runner. But for me, that was just a big
play to be able to get an out for my pitcher.
But there's some other plays that I really love to
look back out and watch in the circle, just the
ones that I'm throwing on the run and you know,
(54:56):
making making cool plays to get runners I think are
just so fun.
Speaker 1 (55:04):
I always find to make a that I have to
go back to the deck out, whether she's the one
pitcher to us or just making them play against us.
Love the year, Leely, What do you feel like is
the key to being an elite picture?
Speaker 2 (55:17):
Obviously you've got to know how to throw strikes, but
I think the key I think the key is understanding
yourself and how to utilize your pitches. I think that
is the key. I think also being able to control
your emotions and have composure and the toughest of toughest moments,
(55:43):
and be able to have a dog mentality I think
above all things, because you can be a good picture,
but that doesn't mean that you're a dog. So I
think having that dog mentality when you're on the mound
and you're able to look tough moments in the face
and literally knock them down like a wall and be
able to persevere and come out the other side in
those big moments, I think make you that girl as
(56:05):
a pitcher. But I think if we're like going into
like a nitty gritty of it, like obviously you know
how to use your pitches and understand how to read batters.
So that's just like my pro answer. But I think
just confidence in being a dog is the next level.
All comes back to being a dog. What would you
say is your wow? What softball moment? So a softball moment.
Speaker 1 (56:30):
That made you say either Wow, I'm good, Wow, I
love this team.
Speaker 2 (56:35):
Wow I gotta get better. Oh a moment in softball
that was like Wow. All right, here we go. Wow moment.
Let's do this wow moment when coach Walton put me
in the pitch, like my first appearance ever as a
freshman against Michigan. You know, we go to USF every
year to open up, so we played Michigan, which is
(56:56):
like top ten and putting a freshman in starting her
first game, I was like shivering in my boots. But
for me, that was a wow moment, like wow, I
just I just beat them. And then the hug that
my dad gave me after her, like he was so
proud of me, was another wow. Damn it was all
worth it, you know, all the tough weekends at the
(57:17):
softball field, all the ripped cleats, all the screaming matches
worth it.
Speaker 1 (57:25):
Wow, I can only imagine because it means shoot, that's
then you face Michigan in the World Series that year, right, yeah, yeah,
for the final, the championship.
Speaker 2 (57:39):
Look at that Wow wow on me that like a
few a few months ago. He's like, I bet you
to know you started your freshman year and ended your
freshman year pitching and winning against Michigan. I was like, well, here,
you have a great memory, sir.
Speaker 1 (57:53):
That's a pretty big wow moment. Wow, Yeah that is wild. Well,
what would you say, are your softball.
Speaker 2 (58:01):
X wearing your visor and I'm sorry if you do
this age wearing your visor under your ear.
Speaker 1 (58:10):
Like your ears going under my ear, my ears come out.
Speaker 2 (58:14):
I can't have my ears inside. I can't. I can't.
I just gave it the ick. No, I didn't see
someone have that again, So you tuck your ears in.
It's not uncomfortable. Yeah, it is for only first four
out of time. Mm hmm, I can't. What's your softball ice?
Speaker 1 (58:34):
I would say my softball ick is? I mean, maybe
it's just be an outfielder thing. I just hate when
outfielders die for while they didn't die for. It's just
like obvious that you didn't need to die for.
Speaker 2 (58:44):
I get like, oh, you didn't have to do it
when you like make an easy play the card and
they get praised for it, like mm hmmm.
Speaker 1 (58:51):
I'm just like, okay, yes, but good job, that good job,
good job. What would you say, is it your favorite failure?
So failure that ultimately led to one of your biggest successes.
Speaker 2 (59:09):
I think my sophomore year getting walked off by Georgia
to like not go to the World Series was like
a moment where I just had to like reevaluate my
home turnal, not my whole life, but definitely whore because
(59:30):
I'm a competitive person. But I think at times it's
so easy, like I said before, so easy to get
unfocused in moments. And as a pitcher, you can get
lucky sometimes when you're unfocused, but when you're facing e
lite competition, not like you can't you can't take breaks,
you can't take pictures off. So I think that was
(59:51):
a definitely a wake up call for me in my career,
Like I don't want to ever feel that way again.
So yeah, just walk off. I used to have a curse.
I'll say, Jay, need I need to know actually, and
I need to ask so stats guy to pull up
the record and see how many homanes I've had hit
(01:00:11):
off of me in the six and seven innings. There's
there's some numbers there. There's a number there, And you
told me to talk about it. Oh you said, six seven.
All the kids listening, six seven.
Speaker 1 (01:00:27):
Lely, thank you so much for joining me on dropping
diamonds today and for allowing us to learn new and
set new standards.
Speaker 2 (01:00:38):
Thank you so much for having me I've been seeing
all the good work that you've been doing with Dropping Diamonds,
so I'm hodoring to come on and share a little
with my story. So I appreciate you. Thank you Lely,
You're the best.
Speaker 1 (01:00:50):
And to all the listeners, thank you so much for
listening today's episode. Continue this conversation on Instagram at Dropping
Diamonds Pod, and remember our affirmation of every day, give
what you got. I set this standard of what I see,
dream and who I will be today. My standards have
no ceilings. I give myself permission to do what I've
(01:01:12):
never done before. The best opportunity is behind the next door.
It's behind the next door.
Speaker 2 (01:01:16):
Walk through it.
Speaker 1 (01:01:17):
Set those standards and I'll meet you here next week
back at the diamond Bye now. Dropping Diamonds with AJ
Andrews is an iHeart women's sports production in partnership with
Athletes Unlimited Softball League and Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment.
(01:01:38):
I'm your host, AJ Andrews. Our executive producer is Jesse Katz,
Tari Harrison is our supervising producer, and this episode was
mixed and mastered by Mary Dow. Listen to Dropping Diamonds
with AJ Andrews. On the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or
wherever you get your podcasts.
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