August 4, 2025 • 28 mins
In this episode, AJ sits down with All-American softball star Danielle Gibson Whorton of the AUSL Bandits and USA Softball. Danielle reflects on her rare home run cycle, her powerful hitting mindset, and how her psychology background fuels her mental game. She also opens up about navigating postpartum depression and the challenges of balancing life as a pro athlete, mom, coach, and wife—with resilience and grace.
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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 Sports and Entertainment. Welcome to Dropping Diamonds with Me
AJ Andrews, where we dive headfirst into the world of softball. Today,
(00:23):
I am joined by an Arkansas softball legend. She is
an All American and you will see here representing the
AUSL blaze here in professional softball, also with USA on
her chest and is the one, it is the only.
Danielle Gibson Horton. Thank you for joining me.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Wow, that little intro is just like give me the chills.
Thank you you are.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
You're a legend. Oh I appreciate a legend. I remember
when I was doing as AC Network and I got
to report on your home run cycle. Oh yeah, I
was just like, I didn't think it was really someone
gave me the I was like, no, you mean just
like a regular cycle you put home run in front?
Like no, no, no, no, no, she had a home run cycle. Like, oh, okay,
(01:08):
I didn't even know that was a thing. Yeah, Like,
why would someone even keep throwing you? I'm sure if
people ask you this question, a million times, but like,
I don't get it. It's like, do you think that
It's like, I actually really good right now? You may
want to walk me, I felt.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
So we played a doubleheader that day, and so I
tell people I had like two strikeouts the game before that,
and then going to the next game, I was like,
I just I'm so swing, Like I'm sill swing, what
can it hurt? And so each home run I'm like, oh,
I was nice, I'm probably not gonna get pitch to again.
And I just kept pitching at me. So I was like, okay,
So I don't really even know what was happening either,
So I just was swinging. Yeah, just swinging.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
You know, I think that that's actually an amazing lesson.
Just go swing, don't even think about it. And then
two strikeouts before I could easily roll over to the
next game. And I mean, if there's any lesson to
be learned if you want to hit a home run cycle, which,
by the way, if your brain isn't like conceptualizing what
that means, it means she had a home run with
(02:01):
one runnerund base, home run with two runners on base,
home route with three runners on base. Oh, that's a
great lame and then by yourself. M So someone kept
pitching to her m hm as she hit all those
home runs. Oh, one can dream, one can dream.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
It was yeah, but it's actually funny. My last home
run was a solo shot. But there was a run
around third. When I started my bat, we were up
like twelve runs, and so you know, like the nature
of the game, it's like you don't steal, you don't
maybe go on past balls, right, But our coach was
like senth around our home because she knew that I
had a solo shot left. Oh, and so there was
her scored on a pass ball, and then I had
the opportunity to had a solo shot and I was like, well,
(02:37):
I'm just gonna go for it. So yeah, crazy stars aligned,
everything aligned.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Do you practice that?
Speaker 3 (02:43):
Now?
Speaker 1 (02:43):
I feel like that's what I'll practice when I won't practice.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
You know.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
A softball players were like, okay, I'm gonna go up
bases loaded bottom the seventh, like that's a scenario. Give
our heads.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
Now if I was like, okay, I just hit one, Okay,
run them on first, okay, run around second, okay going
and it's so.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Just not made like swing for the fences I'm like,
let me hit a ground ball up the middle, like
that's my normal like approach in the box. Really, and
so I try to hit a home run just just
like it just aligned. I'm telling you, like the stars
were aligned. It's crazy.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
You're still the home run leader in total bases and
RBIs at Arkansas and your approach to the plate is
to just hit line drive.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Yeah, with the middle middle?
Speaker 1 (03:22):
Is that how you practice how you hit up? What
did your routine look like?
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Like my normal BP rotation The first couple of rounds
is middle or apple line drives.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
That's it.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
I want to see the ball deep and just hit
the top and side of the ball and then if
I end up getting it early and it goes, then
it goes. But that's why I want to get middle middle,
just to get my timing in. Yeah, when did that.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
Become your daily routine? Was there a moment or has
it always been like that?
Speaker 2 (03:48):
I think being a hitting coach as well, I've learned
a lot about approaches and it can get really easy
to try and change things for me just because I
taken so much information and I learned from a lot
of people, but I learned this from Tony at Georgia
when I coached under him, is the deep window top
and side part of the ball and just trying to
hit the ball hard. His philosophy I've I've really stuck with.
(04:09):
It's very similar how I coach now and I learned
a lot from him. But deep deep window top inside
line drives. I want to take the shortstops a visor off.
It's like my ideal, that's a visual I'm a very
visual person.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
So like you explain it to you that way, So okay,
try and take the shortstops a visor off. It's how
you would explain it.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
Yep, with some backspin, try and get it in the gap. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
I got so caught up off of reminiscing on your
home run cycle that normally I started off. I like
to lead it off slow to your face. Hey, we
do affirmations. We would trade for the home run? Great,
so really bad it's the second aby we're gonna go
up just for a base hit. Like to start with
an affirmation or a quote, and so I felt like
a really fitting quote or affirmation right now is just
(04:55):
ain't no power like mom power because mom power don't stop.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
A fanil Oh, yeah, for sure, period period, if you
have a quote or affirmation that you really like to
live by. I'm very into the im me that's part
of the game, so I think it flows for me.
My kind of saying this year is fight for the hard.
I feel like every part of my life right now
is very challenging, and the best way possible sleep not
(05:21):
getting it, not enough time for starting the conditioning. It's okay,
all my energy goes to my son and my family,
and so that way when it gets to supple, like
I might not be feeling my best, but that's what
I want. I want to fight for that hard moment
because my home life, my family life is amazing, but
it's really challenging. Right now, I chose it. It's really challenging,
(05:41):
and I want to keep being challenged. And so that's
kind of my model right now is just fight for
the hard. So continue to have the hard be present,
and when I'm ready for it, it's going to happen.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
And I think when you go into it with the
mentality of fight for the hard, the heart doesn't discourage you.
It's like, that's what you want to come, is what
you want to happen. When did you start saying that?
Speaker 2 (06:02):
I probably when my son was about two months, I
was in the trenches. I just needed a perspective change
with a newborn. He was really collicky. I didn't know
if I was gonna come back and play, and I
was just a lot of decisions were going on, and
I just sat in my office and I was like,
you know what, Like, I am meant to do hard things,
Like I've always told myself that my entire life, you
(06:23):
can do the hardest thing. So my mom told me
that all the things. And I sat in my office
and I'm like, you know what, like, I'm gonna do this.
I'm gonna play. It's gonna be really hard, but this
is what I'm fighting for every single day. I'm gonna
show up and do the hard because why not. Why
not me? Why not have the ability to do it? Like,
defy the narrative, Defy the narrative of motherhood, Defy the
(06:44):
narrative of being a coach and playing and all the
things that are really hard on paper. Let's fight for it.
Why not? You know?
Speaker 1 (06:52):
So love that?
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (06:54):
Fight for the heart? Yeah, what do you feel like
is the narrative of coming back as an athlete being
a mother?
Speaker 2 (07:01):
I think I felt for a little bit. It's you're
not going to come back as strong, You're not going
to come back as consistent when you're a mom, or
or those things, just because all your time goes to
your kid, which it should. I love him so much.
Every single day I figure out a way to do both.
And some days it might lack in one aspect. I
might not get as much reps in as I need to,
or I might not spend as much time as I
(07:22):
would preferably like to with my son or my husband
or any of my family. But at the end of
the day, I know that it's going to balance out
some days. So some days I'm going to have to
spend more time with Wit and that's great. And some
days I'm not to spend more time in the weight room,
and that's great. I'm really lucky to have a sportive
husband to help me and to get this done. But
it's just things happen, and it's not an armly who
(07:44):
I am. I'm very type A like I have to
get one hundred swings in today, I have to do
this and this and this, and I've just learned to
just be in the moment of just like whatever the
day presents it. That's what's going to make me best,
and so I just try and be really present.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
Also, I was going to ask you how you feel
being your mom has changed you as an athlete and
as a person.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
Would you say it's just being more present totally. I
feel like my perspective has changed. I've always wanted to
do the hard. I've always wanted to prove to everybody that,
like the heart is worth pursuing. But in this motherhood journey,
I've just learned to be present and be okay with
some of the failures and some of the successes. Differently,
(08:23):
like the successes are great, but I still go home
to change poopy diapers and do other things, and the
failures are great, and I still go home to laughs
and cuddles and all the things from my son. And
so I've just learned that it's a game, and I
love the game. I take it a little bit more
with a grain of salt. So really competitive, but I
think it's helps me turn the page on some things.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
For so much of our life, we are identified as
softball players. I've been a softball player since I was
eleven years old. And then you have a new title
of mom mm hm. And so I feel like, does
it bring you out of the idea of like stopball
is just my life?
Speaker 2 (08:59):
It does, but also it gives me who I am.
I start a lot with postpartum depression throughout the entire
season of having him and going right into pouring in
our group at Arkansas as well so pouring into a
new baby, being a new mom, pouring into the girls constantly.
I never felt time to really take care of myself,
and stepping foot here on my first day of training camp,
(09:19):
it was like a breath of fresh air of oh
my gosh, this is me, this is me. This says
everything that I have fought for the hard consistently in
the preseason, training, coaching, all the things I get little
time to myself now of just being able to feed
that love of the game and love of competition. And
so I have just enjoyed every minute of the practice,
(09:42):
the strength and conditioning, the reps, the games, the team
meals all the things.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
I've just enjoyed it. And that's also the perspective too,
of being a mom. So being able to come back
to you that's actually really powerful thanks evening, is.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
That I'm not even a mom. I just think like
in those moments of where you get to step in
and you get to say, ah, this is familiar, this
is me. There's so many other elements of me, but
I'm able to feed into this portion right now. Let's
take a quick break to hear a word from our sponsor.
(10:27):
On Jeene seventh, it had been six hundred and fifty
one days since you had hit in a game. Because
you're caring for your beautiful son. You go up to
the plate and you hit a double. I'm gonna paint it.
Rachel Carcia is up and down. Danielle kIPS and Organ
(10:47):
comes up to the plate. Ohd one. She hasn't seen
pitched in six hundred and fifty one days, live and
a real game. She blasted, it goes, it's still going.
It hits the and she has a stand up double.
You are stating on second base and what is going
through your mind?
Speaker 2 (11:05):
Let's freaking go.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
Yeah, first of all, let's score early, no matter what.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
It was also a moment I'm religious of feeling like
God was telling me like, this is the right decision.
I felt really in between coming back to play and
so I just felt like I was being selfish. I
didn't want to be selfish, but coming back to play
was the best thing that I could have decided for
me in the moment struggling with those things postpartum. It
(11:30):
was this reassurance of like, you are exactly where you
need to be right now, and you still have it.
You still got it, Like, let's go. You know you
can do this. Before your first pitch a doubt, why
not you? You have fought for the heart continuously. It was
the best moment. And I have so much respect for
Rachel as an athlete and as a pitcher, and I
was just really proud of myself.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
You did it, only you still got it. It never left. Yeah, Like,
oh it's always has been, always will be a part
of you. What do you say to the young women,
especially because I feel like we're fed as athletes, the
thought or the narrative to your point that it's over
if you have a child as an athlete, you're not
(12:12):
able to come back. For me, I feel like watching
you on June seventh would be that proof that, oh no,
I'm just getting started. This is actually a new era
of who I am as a player. Yeah, what would
be your advice to someone that is maybe feeding a
little bit into that narrative, but to how you were
fighting between still kind of wants to choose to do
(12:34):
that thing for themselves.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
Yeah, I think moms deserve something for them and for me,
Softballs is it's what I needed. But becoming a mom
is just another hat to your collection. It's just another
hat that I wear. It's just another name that I
go by. It's not like he was a same mom yet,
but he says dad, dad, But now mom, I know,
I know, I.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
Know, I here it's something because it's easier to say yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
It's just easier to say my husband's Graham like you
say dad at first. He deserves it, but I think
not making it seem like it's not that big of
a deal. But it's just another hat that I wear.
I also have all these other hats that are in
my closet I can put on at any point. I
can be a coach and be present. I can be
a player and be present. I can be a wife
and be present. I can be a mom and be present.
(13:19):
And it's really hard to do them all at once,
but it's worth it. It's worth it having something that
I can look forward to every single day, going to practice,
going to games and being around with my teammates has
helped me become a better mom thousand percent has so
I think it allowed me to be present. I think
that I'm able to fill my cup so that way,
(13:40):
when he's crying or when he needs extra I'm not
giving him empty from an empty cup. Then I get
more frustrated as a human of like what am I
doing wrong? I don't know what I'm doing. I'm just
every single day I'm surviving as a mom. That's what
I tell people. I'm like, I'm surviving. I'm figuring it out.
It's all that I know. I don't haven't figured out yet.
Speaker 1 (13:59):
I don't know that I ever testing the process. Yeah,
give you doing softball?
Speaker 2 (14:02):
Yeah yeah, I've been doing this. I've been trying to
figure out top of for my whole life. I can
think I can try and figure out how to be
your mom. I fill my cup to then be able
to help him, and that is after having him and
going through the depression that I experience and trying to
take care of him from an empty cup. Continuously after
(14:23):
the summer and so far as just this first part
of the season, I've been taking care of him with
a full cup, and it makes the moments so much better.
I'm able to enjoy the best parts and then care
for him on the worst moments, when he's teething, when
he's cranky, when all the things. I don't lose my
temper because he doesn't deserve that either, And I just
(14:44):
I appreciate the game because it's given me that.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
Outlet coming through postpartum depression. For you, what are you
most proud of with yourself?
Speaker 2 (14:54):
Sticking through it? There is moments where that we're really
deep and scary. I've never experienced before, and I had
no idea why, Like why am I going through this?
Speaker 1 (15:02):
Why?
Speaker 2 (15:03):
You know why? You just ask that question why? And
looking back, I think every single day presented a new
hard challenge. And some of those days I didn't want
to fight. I didn't want to show up. I just
wanted to like go back to my old self, Like
I love my kid, but I want a piece of
my old life, back of the softball of playing, of competing,
(15:27):
the autonomy of just being me. So far, in the
six months since I when he was two months with
a six months since I had kind of developed this.
I've learned to handle the hard with a lot more grace.
And so I guess anything that I would say to
moms or anybody struggling mental health wise is grace is
(15:51):
your best friend, and it's not going to come every
single day. Their light at the tunnel's going to get
better when you give yourself grace. And that's kind of
how I made it through was just each day, I'm like,
can I do today? How can I help myself today?
Just be present and grace was the biggest thing.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
So I'll do you yourself grace because whether it's getting
through postpartum depression, not beating yourself up after you struck
out with bases loaded, then there's so many moments in
which it can be hard to do and for you,
how are you able to get to a place where
you were able to do that for yourself?
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Well, I think the biggest thing is you don't know
what you don't know, and perseverance is one of the
hardest lessons to learn when you're going through stuff like this.
But just every single day showing up for yourself, like
literally taking a breath. If like those moments where I
was giving myself grace, I was taking a breath, I'm
just like, let me get through this exact moment. Like
I would tell my husband, I'm having a moment, Yeah,
(16:46):
take a break, Like I just I need a breath.
I would take a breath, and then I would pass
into my husband and I would say I just need
a minute. I'd give myself the minute, and then I'd
come back and I would be a new person. I
would be present. And he got to the point to
where he was like, Okay, just go take a second.
Go take a second. And so just literally giving myself
(17:06):
sixty seconds or thirty seconds to breathe understand what I'm
going through, validate myself, and then move forward. That part
gave me the grace of understanding it's okay to be
present and it's okay to be angry. Now let's move on,
because it's not gonna help anybody if you take it
out a little baby like not that I would.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
I think an extremely important part of what you said
is validating yourself, because oftentimes we have those thoughts that
come in. It's just like you let them sleep in.
It's like, oh why am I thinking this? Or why
am I letting this happen? Don't blame yourself, you don't
validate so allowing to validate allows it to kind of
come and go as it please, like flow like water,
totally flow like water.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
I think also having a village like my mom, having
my mom she hasn't lived near us, but having our
phone call away. In those moments, I would just call
my mom and I'd be like Mom, like I'm having
a really tough time, and she would also help validate me.
And so that piece was huge for me too, just
having that outlet.
Speaker 1 (17:59):
There's more to cover, but first let's take a quick break.
What has been your favorite part about being able to
play for the Blade.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
I missed the teammate piece. I've played with au in
the past, and I love the switching of teams and
getting to play with new people. But I have so
enjoyed being able to watch my teammates right now share
a bond with my son and like get excited to
see him and get excited when he crawls, get excited
when he's doing these new little milestones. That piece has
(18:34):
been just like like you have dude, you have no
idea that these are all professional athletes and they are
just like cool you are. I know, I'm like Lisa
Fernandez is holding you in the legends launch today. You
have no idea like how cool you are, And so
just seeing that piece is amazing because I love my kid.
I think he's the best. And then hearing everyone else
just like poor our glove and great and agree is
(18:55):
a Buddhist. I know he's the cutest, but I'm a
little biased, just like I would be saying, I know
that piece has been really fun.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
Oh, you have a background in psychology.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
I have a degree in psychology and then human development
family sciences. It has been one of the best things
to do to go into coaching is to kind of
learn how the brain works, and then also to learn
a little bit about how I can help myself in
those moments. And so validation is huge, validation, affirmations, speaking
to yourself, how you speak to yourself is huge and
that's helped me through all this too. So I'm grateful
(19:30):
I have a background in it.
Speaker 1 (19:32):
Is there something you can say that you learned from
psychology and the brain that allows people to be more
successful as athletes, or that you've learned or you've seen
I would.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
Say, how how you how you talk yourself is really important,
and it's using the language that is proactive rather than reactive,
like never say don't to yourself, because when you're speaking that,
it's still really negative. You're going to have negative thoughts.
I've also learned that those negative thoughts, when you speak
them out loud, that's when they become validating to the
exact moment. So if you're like, man, I don't want
(20:04):
I don't want to give up runs today, or let's
not walk anybody today, evenly you're not saying don't walk
anybody today, it still is like you're validating those negative emotions.
And so my biggest thing I tell my players is
don't say dumb stuff out loud. It could be in
the head, but like, let's be really proactive with how
we talk to ourselves and how we speak out loud
because it also helps each other not word vomit also
(20:25):
in those big stressful moments, So being proactive and having
battle talk in your head of like I got this,
I'm gonna hit this spot, I'm gonna look at this
certain spot when I'm throwing, I'm gonna hit the top
inside part of the ball. Maybe not looking for outcomes,
but having those little bit of cues to help you
through those stressful times.
Speaker 1 (20:45):
Wow, Okay, so I can listen to the noises in
my head.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
They're there for a reason. They're there for a reason.
They protect us, they help us understand the game. But
also validating them by speaking them out loud is how
they come about.
Speaker 1 (20:59):
How would you say you can determine the difference between anxiety,
like an anxious thought versus a thought that is who
you really are.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
That's a good question. I would say an anxious thought
for me happens over and over and over again, like
I can't get out of my head and for who
I am. I think it's also validating to hear from
other people, like That's why I feel like I'm always
talking to different people about coaching, about players, and about
myself because I want to know, like, Okay, do I
(21:33):
really not hit an outside pitch well? Or is it
just me? Like is it just my own anxious thoughts?
And to help validating that coaching piece, that learning piece
helps me a little bit to know like, Okay, it's
just me, it's just me in my in maybe my
BP round. It's not it's not true. So I think
also getting out loud talking to people who you trust
mentors are really great. But I would say recurring thoughts.
(21:55):
Maybe you are a little bit more anxious that happen
immediately rather than long term or can be a chronic anxiety,
But acute anxiety is just like that, like in the
back of your head.
Speaker 1 (22:06):
That's the thoughts that are affirming me versus giving me doubt.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
Yeah, I would say the more you practice the affirmation
and the proactive communication, the less that you're going to
get the negative thoughts. But you're still going to be like, Okay, well,
if I'm down on oh for two or whatever, am
I going to get a hit? That's that's natural. It's
very natural for you to have that. But when you
have the talk of like, Okay, I'm gonna get on base,
(22:33):
I'm gonna get I'm gonna walk, I'm going to have
the best at bat that I can, I'm gonna go
pitch by pitch, I'm gonna be in the moment, and
having that type of communication to yourself allows for you
to then also combat the and what if I don't
get a hit? The what ifs are really hard to battle,
but when you have the proactive and when you learn
and we talk like that, it helps kind of maybe
drown those out a little bit.
Speaker 1 (22:53):
I just learned recently that not everybody has like a voice,
the voice that I think it's so interesting.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
Yeah, it is.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
Whatever's in there, like talking to me before I talk.
Speaker 2 (23:04):
Yeah, like the narrator you say this, same same.
Speaker 1 (23:08):
I can't imagine someone just having nothing.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
I know, and it's very normal, real, very normal.
Speaker 3 (23:13):
M m.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
Yeah. Have you met someone that just doesn't have any
But it's.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
Funny because one of my players, we've talked about this,
and I think maybe two or three of them don't
have it. For me, I'm like, how how how do
you how?
Speaker 1 (23:27):
There's even times I'm about to do something that boys
is like, yeah, no, that's a good idea. I'm like, yeah,
you're right, yeah, okay, here you go again. Yeah yeah,
very fine.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
I know, same same.
Speaker 1 (23:38):
That internal voice that we luckily have has helped me
make some great catches in the outfield, totally in the
field to a no fly zone for you also be
able to turn the field and no fly zone even
in the infield, we don't discriminate. Was probably one of
(23:58):
your favorite plays you've ever made?
Speaker 2 (24:00):
My favorite plays twenty twenty one. I was playing first base,
just normal ground ball. There was a bunt and we
were playing Auburn, and this was the middle of the season.
Nothing was really on the line at that moment, but
there was a bunch third baseman fields it, and as
a first baseman, I just scurried my way to third
base because so the runner up first base in and
go all the way to third base run at first
(24:21):
sacker situation, and if I didn't go over there and
tag her out, that runner to score it, and we
would have not been able to win the SEC Championship.
And so big picture like, those little plays make for
big time moments later in the season. And so it's
one of my favorites just because it was so little
and so like minute to the entire season, but it
helped us win that game and we needed that game
(24:44):
to win the SEC Championship. So very small, but it is.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
What it was. We learn softball, the little things really
aren't that little.
Speaker 2 (24:51):
They're not that little.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
Yeah, they all add up.
Speaker 2 (24:54):
Those dang coaches say that there's just.
Speaker 1 (24:56):
So little, you know, but they're not little.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
Yeah yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
So as a coach now at Arkansas continuing to be
the legend, you are there, good old Arkansas, good all Arkansas. Yeah, Well,
what's the cheer.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
It's like big Sue and you go through three times
and you go razor backs. Yeah, I won't put you
through it. But I remember the first time I experienced that.
Ye all right, here we go same, I'm lead off.
So it was like first I'm like, all right.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
Yeah, let's do it. Yeah yeah.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
I had never didn't even know about it until my
visit there. And then they made me do it at
our Greek theater like by myself on my visit, and
I was like, no, this is not okay. And now
I'm totally bought in, Like my it's gonna do it. It's
like when you're in it, you are in it. We're
just gonna hear a full stadium. It is like nothing's better.
Speaker 1 (25:45):
You gotta do it. Yeah yeah, yeah, m hmm, something
like that.
Speaker 2 (25:51):
Yeah, we'll get you to do it.
Speaker 1 (25:52):
Maybe, Daniell, what would you say, we know, as a coach,
as a player, as a mom, failure is inevitable, but
it leads to the big successes. What's your favorite failure
that's led to some of your favorite successes.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
That's a really great question. I would say I wouldn't
call it a failure, but I would call it my
learning season. My rookie year in the pros, I struggled
a lot to understand who I was, how I fit
in in this setting, and how I can compete and
get better. I had success, but I wasn't as successful
as I was used to. And after that year, I
(26:32):
just was like, and I'm gonna put my head down
and I'm gonna go get everything that I want. I
have this year to go off of. I'm not going
to hide from it. I struggled a little bit, and
I'm going to get better. And I would say that
year has shaped me into how I train being really particular,
and my rounds a VP being really particular, and how
I'm coached and who coaches me and all those things
(26:55):
that I learned so much about the game. And that
was really when I fell into like I knew I
was going to go coach at Georgia that next year,
but I was like, I love this game. I love
the process, and it helps me fall in love with
the process even more that first year that I struggled
a little bit, And then I would say, so far
after that, I've had some pretty electric ears, which I'm
(27:15):
really grateful.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
For electric gears, and so only getting better.
Speaker 2 (27:18):
Let's you know, I only have more opportunities, So I'm
really grateful.
Speaker 1 (27:21):
Any have mom power Now mom power, Baby, They're gonna
keep only gonna keep getting better.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
Mom power.
Speaker 1 (27:26):
Well from our affirmation of fight for the hard, Fight
for the hard every single day. Fight for the hard
because that hard is only going to push you to
your greatness. You don't get to be great and successful
the easy route, Nope, no hard. It's one less travel
and it's honestly the quickest way to get there. So
(27:47):
fight for the hard. And thank you so much for
joining me on Dropping Diamonds and Dropping your Diamonds, but
thanks for having me. I can't wait to continue to
watch your mom power and you continue to inspire so
many women across not just in softball, but across all
sports to know that you don't lose anything by becoming mom.
You only gain the superpowers and need to keep hitting
(28:10):
doubles and hormone cycles up. Thanks, catch you guys next
week on the Diamonds. 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. I'm your host,
(28:32):
AJ Andrews. Our executive producer is Jesse Katz. Tari Harrison
is our supervising producer, and this episode was mixed and
mastered by Mary dou 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 Sports and Entertainment. Welcome to Dropping Diamonds with Me
AJ Andrews, where we dive headfirst into the world of softball. Today,
(00:23):
I am joined by an Arkansas softball legend. She is
an All American and you will see here representing the
AUSL blaze here in professional softball, also with USA on
her chest and is the one, it is the only.
Danielle Gibson Horton. Thank you for joining me.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Wow, that little intro is just like give me the chills.
Thank you you are.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
You're a legend. Oh I appreciate a legend. I remember
when I was doing as AC Network and I got
to report on your home run cycle. Oh yeah, I
was just like, I didn't think it was really someone
gave me the I was like, no, you mean just
like a regular cycle you put home run in front?
Like no, no, no, no, no, she had a home run cycle. Like, oh, okay,
(01:08):
I didn't even know that was a thing. Yeah, Like,
why would someone even keep throwing you? I'm sure if
people ask you this question, a million times, but like,
I don't get it. It's like, do you think that
It's like, I actually really good right now? You may
want to walk me, I felt.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
So we played a doubleheader that day, and so I
tell people I had like two strikeouts the game before that,
and then going to the next game, I was like,
I just I'm so swing, Like I'm sill swing, what
can it hurt? And so each home run I'm like, oh,
I was nice, I'm probably not gonna get pitch to again.
And I just kept pitching at me. So I was like, okay,
So I don't really even know what was happening either,
So I just was swinging. Yeah, just swinging.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
You know, I think that that's actually an amazing lesson.
Just go swing, don't even think about it. And then
two strikeouts before I could easily roll over to the
next game. And I mean, if there's any lesson to
be learned if you want to hit a home run cycle, which,
by the way, if your brain isn't like conceptualizing what
that means, it means she had a home run with
(02:01):
one runnerund base, home run with two runners on base,
home route with three runners on base. Oh, that's a
great lame and then by yourself. M So someone kept
pitching to her m hm as she hit all those
home runs. Oh, one can dream, one can dream.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
It was yeah, but it's actually funny. My last home
run was a solo shot. But there was a run
around third. When I started my bat, we were up
like twelve runs, and so you know, like the nature
of the game, it's like you don't steal, you don't
maybe go on past balls, right, But our coach was
like senth around our home because she knew that I
had a solo shot left. Oh, and so there was
her scored on a pass ball, and then I had
the opportunity to had a solo shot and I was like, well,
(02:37):
I'm just gonna go for it. So yeah, crazy stars aligned,
everything aligned.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Do you practice that?
Speaker 3 (02:43):
Now?
Speaker 1 (02:43):
I feel like that's what I'll practice when I won't practice.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
You know.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
A softball players were like, okay, I'm gonna go up
bases loaded bottom the seventh, like that's a scenario. Give
our heads.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
Now if I was like, okay, I just hit one, Okay,
run them on first, okay, run around second, okay going
and it's so.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Just not made like swing for the fences I'm like,
let me hit a ground ball up the middle, like
that's my normal like approach in the box. Really, and
so I try to hit a home run just just
like it just aligned. I'm telling you, like the stars
were aligned. It's crazy.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
You're still the home run leader in total bases and
RBIs at Arkansas and your approach to the plate is
to just hit line drive.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Yeah, with the middle middle?
Speaker 1 (03:22):
Is that how you practice how you hit up? What
did your routine look like?
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Like my normal BP rotation The first couple of rounds
is middle or apple line drives.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
That's it.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
I want to see the ball deep and just hit
the top and side of the ball and then if
I end up getting it early and it goes, then
it goes. But that's why I want to get middle middle,
just to get my timing in. Yeah, when did that.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
Become your daily routine? Was there a moment or has
it always been like that?
Speaker 2 (03:48):
I think being a hitting coach as well, I've learned
a lot about approaches and it can get really easy
to try and change things for me just because I
taken so much information and I learned from a lot
of people, but I learned this from Tony at Georgia
when I coached under him, is the deep window top
and side part of the ball and just trying to
hit the ball hard. His philosophy I've I've really stuck with.
(04:09):
It's very similar how I coach now and I learned
a lot from him. But deep deep window top inside
line drives. I want to take the shortstops a visor off.
It's like my ideal, that's a visual I'm a very
visual person.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
So like you explain it to you that way, So okay,
try and take the shortstops a visor off. It's how
you would explain it.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
Yep, with some backspin, try and get it in the gap. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
I got so caught up off of reminiscing on your
home run cycle that normally I started off. I like
to lead it off slow to your face. Hey, we
do affirmations. We would trade for the home run? Great,
so really bad it's the second aby we're gonna go
up just for a base hit. Like to start with
an affirmation or a quote, and so I felt like
a really fitting quote or affirmation right now is just
(04:55):
ain't no power like mom power because mom power don't stop.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
A fanil Oh, yeah, for sure, period period, if you
have a quote or affirmation that you really like to
live by. I'm very into the im me that's part
of the game, so I think it flows for me.
My kind of saying this year is fight for the hard.
I feel like every part of my life right now
is very challenging, and the best way possible sleep not
(05:21):
getting it, not enough time for starting the conditioning. It's okay,
all my energy goes to my son and my family,
and so that way when it gets to supple, like
I might not be feeling my best, but that's what
I want. I want to fight for that hard moment
because my home life, my family life is amazing, but
it's really challenging. Right now, I chose it. It's really challenging,
(05:41):
and I want to keep being challenged. And so that's
kind of my model right now is just fight for
the hard. So continue to have the hard be present,
and when I'm ready for it, it's going to happen.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
And I think when you go into it with the
mentality of fight for the hard, the heart doesn't discourage you.
It's like, that's what you want to come, is what
you want to happen. When did you start saying that?
Speaker 2 (06:02):
I probably when my son was about two months, I
was in the trenches. I just needed a perspective change
with a newborn. He was really collicky. I didn't know
if I was gonna come back and play, and I
was just a lot of decisions were going on, and
I just sat in my office and I was like,
you know what, Like, I am meant to do hard things,
Like I've always told myself that my entire life, you
(06:23):
can do the hardest thing. So my mom told me
that all the things. And I sat in my office
and I'm like, you know what, like, I'm gonna do this.
I'm gonna play. It's gonna be really hard, but this
is what I'm fighting for every single day. I'm gonna
show up and do the hard because why not. Why
not me? Why not have the ability to do it? Like,
defy the narrative, Defy the narrative of motherhood, Defy the
(06:44):
narrative of being a coach and playing and all the
things that are really hard on paper. Let's fight for it.
Why not? You know?
Speaker 1 (06:52):
So love that?
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (06:54):
Fight for the heart? Yeah, what do you feel like
is the narrative of coming back as an athlete being
a mother?
Speaker 2 (07:01):
I think I felt for a little bit. It's you're
not going to come back as strong, You're not going
to come back as consistent when you're a mom, or
or those things, just because all your time goes to
your kid, which it should. I love him so much.
Every single day I figure out a way to do both.
And some days it might lack in one aspect. I
might not get as much reps in as I need to,
or I might not spend as much time as I
(07:22):
would preferably like to with my son or my husband
or any of my family. But at the end of
the day, I know that it's going to balance out
some days. So some days I'm going to have to
spend more time with Wit and that's great. And some
days I'm not to spend more time in the weight room,
and that's great. I'm really lucky to have a sportive
husband to help me and to get this done. But
it's just things happen, and it's not an armly who
(07:44):
I am. I'm very type A like I have to
get one hundred swings in today, I have to do
this and this and this, and I've just learned to
just be in the moment of just like whatever the
day presents it. That's what's going to make me best,
and so I just try and be really present.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
Also, I was going to ask you how you feel
being your mom has changed you as an athlete and
as a person.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
Would you say it's just being more present totally. I
feel like my perspective has changed. I've always wanted to
do the hard. I've always wanted to prove to everybody that,
like the heart is worth pursuing. But in this motherhood journey,
I've just learned to be present and be okay with
some of the failures and some of the successes. Differently,
(08:23):
like the successes are great, but I still go home
to change poopy diapers and do other things, and the
failures are great, and I still go home to laughs
and cuddles and all the things from my son. And
so I've just learned that it's a game, and I
love the game. I take it a little bit more
with a grain of salt. So really competitive, but I
think it's helps me turn the page on some things.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
For so much of our life, we are identified as
softball players. I've been a softball player since I was
eleven years old. And then you have a new title
of mom mm hm. And so I feel like, does
it bring you out of the idea of like stopball
is just my life?
Speaker 2 (08:59):
It does, but also it gives me who I am.
I start a lot with postpartum depression throughout the entire
season of having him and going right into pouring in
our group at Arkansas as well so pouring into a
new baby, being a new mom, pouring into the girls constantly.
I never felt time to really take care of myself,
and stepping foot here on my first day of training camp,
(09:19):
it was like a breath of fresh air of oh
my gosh, this is me, this is me. This says
everything that I have fought for the hard consistently in
the preseason, training, coaching, all the things I get little
time to myself now of just being able to feed
that love of the game and love of competition. And
so I have just enjoyed every minute of the practice,
(09:42):
the strength and conditioning, the reps, the games, the team
meals all the things.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
I've just enjoyed it. And that's also the perspective too,
of being a mom. So being able to come back
to you that's actually really powerful thanks evening, is.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
That I'm not even a mom. I just think like
in those moments of where you get to step in
and you get to say, ah, this is familiar, this
is me. There's so many other elements of me, but
I'm able to feed into this portion right now. Let's
take a quick break to hear a word from our sponsor.
(10:27):
On Jeene seventh, it had been six hundred and fifty
one days since you had hit in a game. Because
you're caring for your beautiful son. You go up to
the plate and you hit a double. I'm gonna paint it.
Rachel Carcia is up and down. Danielle kIPS and Organ
(10:47):
comes up to the plate. Ohd one. She hasn't seen
pitched in six hundred and fifty one days, live and
a real game. She blasted, it goes, it's still going.
It hits the and she has a stand up double.
You are stating on second base and what is going
through your mind?
Speaker 2 (11:05):
Let's freaking go.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
Yeah, first of all, let's score early, no matter what.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
It was also a moment I'm religious of feeling like
God was telling me like, this is the right decision.
I felt really in between coming back to play and
so I just felt like I was being selfish. I
didn't want to be selfish, but coming back to play
was the best thing that I could have decided for
me in the moment struggling with those things postpartum. It
(11:30):
was this reassurance of like, you are exactly where you
need to be right now, and you still have it.
You still got it, Like, let's go. You know you
can do this. Before your first pitch a doubt, why
not you? You have fought for the heart continuously. It was
the best moment. And I have so much respect for
Rachel as an athlete and as a pitcher, and I
was just really proud of myself.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
You did it, only you still got it. It never left. Yeah, Like,
oh it's always has been, always will be a part
of you. What do you say to the young women,
especially because I feel like we're fed as athletes, the
thought or the narrative to your point that it's over
if you have a child as an athlete, you're not
(12:12):
able to come back. For me, I feel like watching
you on June seventh would be that proof that, oh no,
I'm just getting started. This is actually a new era
of who I am as a player. Yeah, what would
be your advice to someone that is maybe feeding a
little bit into that narrative, but to how you were
fighting between still kind of wants to choose to do
(12:34):
that thing for themselves.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
Yeah, I think moms deserve something for them and for me,
Softballs is it's what I needed. But becoming a mom
is just another hat to your collection. It's just another
hat that I wear. It's just another name that I
go by. It's not like he was a same mom yet,
but he says dad, dad, But now mom, I know,
I know, I.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
Know, I here it's something because it's easier to say yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
It's just easier to say my husband's Graham like you
say dad at first. He deserves it, but I think
not making it seem like it's not that big of
a deal. But it's just another hat that I wear.
I also have all these other hats that are in
my closet I can put on at any point. I
can be a coach and be present. I can be
a player and be present. I can be a wife
and be present. I can be a mom and be present.
(13:19):
And it's really hard to do them all at once,
but it's worth it. It's worth it having something that
I can look forward to every single day, going to practice,
going to games and being around with my teammates has
helped me become a better mom thousand percent has so
I think it allowed me to be present. I think
that I'm able to fill my cup so that way,
(13:40):
when he's crying or when he needs extra I'm not
giving him empty from an empty cup. Then I get
more frustrated as a human of like what am I
doing wrong? I don't know what I'm doing. I'm just
every single day I'm surviving as a mom. That's what
I tell people. I'm like, I'm surviving. I'm figuring it out.
It's all that I know. I don't haven't figured out yet.
Speaker 1 (13:59):
I don't know that I ever testing the process. Yeah,
give you doing softball?
Speaker 2 (14:02):
Yeah yeah, I've been doing this. I've been trying to
figure out top of for my whole life. I can
think I can try and figure out how to be
your mom. I fill my cup to then be able
to help him, and that is after having him and
going through the depression that I experience and trying to
take care of him from an empty cup. Continuously after
(14:23):
the summer and so far as just this first part
of the season, I've been taking care of him with
a full cup, and it makes the moments so much better.
I'm able to enjoy the best parts and then care
for him on the worst moments, when he's teething, when
he's cranky, when all the things. I don't lose my
temper because he doesn't deserve that either, And I just
(14:44):
I appreciate the game because it's given me that.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
Outlet coming through postpartum depression. For you, what are you
most proud of with yourself?
Speaker 2 (14:54):
Sticking through it? There is moments where that we're really
deep and scary. I've never experienced before, and I had
no idea why, Like why am I going through this?
Speaker 1 (15:02):
Why?
Speaker 2 (15:03):
You know why? You just ask that question why? And
looking back, I think every single day presented a new
hard challenge. And some of those days I didn't want
to fight. I didn't want to show up. I just
wanted to like go back to my old self, Like
I love my kid, but I want a piece of
my old life, back of the softball of playing, of competing,
(15:27):
the autonomy of just being me. So far, in the
six months since I when he was two months with
a six months since I had kind of developed this.
I've learned to handle the hard with a lot more grace.
And so I guess anything that I would say to
moms or anybody struggling mental health wise is grace is
(15:51):
your best friend, and it's not going to come every
single day. Their light at the tunnel's going to get
better when you give yourself grace. And that's kind of
how I made it through was just each day, I'm like,
can I do today? How can I help myself today?
Just be present and grace was the biggest thing.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
So I'll do you yourself grace because whether it's getting
through postpartum depression, not beating yourself up after you struck
out with bases loaded, then there's so many moments in
which it can be hard to do and for you,
how are you able to get to a place where
you were able to do that for yourself?
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Well, I think the biggest thing is you don't know
what you don't know, and perseverance is one of the
hardest lessons to learn when you're going through stuff like this.
But just every single day showing up for yourself, like
literally taking a breath. If like those moments where I
was giving myself grace, I was taking a breath, I'm
just like, let me get through this exact moment. Like
I would tell my husband, I'm having a moment, Yeah,
(16:46):
take a break, Like I just I need a breath.
I would take a breath, and then I would pass
into my husband and I would say I just need
a minute. I'd give myself the minute, and then I'd
come back and I would be a new person. I
would be present. And he got to the point to
where he was like, Okay, just go take a second.
Go take a second. And so just literally giving myself
(17:06):
sixty seconds or thirty seconds to breathe understand what I'm
going through, validate myself, and then move forward. That part
gave me the grace of understanding it's okay to be
present and it's okay to be angry. Now let's move on,
because it's not gonna help anybody if you take it
out a little baby like not that I would.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
I think an extremely important part of what you said
is validating yourself, because oftentimes we have those thoughts that
come in. It's just like you let them sleep in.
It's like, oh why am I thinking this? Or why
am I letting this happen? Don't blame yourself, you don't
validate so allowing to validate allows it to kind of
come and go as it please, like flow like water,
totally flow like water.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
I think also having a village like my mom, having
my mom she hasn't lived near us, but having our
phone call away. In those moments, I would just call
my mom and I'd be like Mom, like I'm having
a really tough time, and she would also help validate me.
And so that piece was huge for me too, just
having that outlet.
Speaker 1 (17:59):
There's more to cover, but first let's take a quick break.
What has been your favorite part about being able to
play for the Blade.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
I missed the teammate piece. I've played with au in
the past, and I love the switching of teams and
getting to play with new people. But I have so
enjoyed being able to watch my teammates right now share
a bond with my son and like get excited to
see him and get excited when he crawls, get excited
when he's doing these new little milestones. That piece has
(18:34):
been just like like you have dude, you have no
idea that these are all professional athletes and they are
just like cool you are. I know, I'm like Lisa
Fernandez is holding you in the legends launch today. You
have no idea like how cool you are, And so
just seeing that piece is amazing because I love my kid.
I think he's the best. And then hearing everyone else
just like poor our glove and great and agree is
(18:55):
a Buddhist. I know he's the cutest, but I'm a
little biased, just like I would be saying, I know
that piece has been really fun.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
Oh, you have a background in psychology.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
I have a degree in psychology and then human development
family sciences. It has been one of the best things
to do to go into coaching is to kind of
learn how the brain works, and then also to learn
a little bit about how I can help myself in
those moments. And so validation is huge, validation, affirmations, speaking
to yourself, how you speak to yourself is huge and
that's helped me through all this too. So I'm grateful
(19:30):
I have a background in it.
Speaker 1 (19:32):
Is there something you can say that you learned from
psychology and the brain that allows people to be more
successful as athletes, or that you've learned or you've seen
I would.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
Say, how how you how you talk yourself is really important,
and it's using the language that is proactive rather than reactive,
like never say don't to yourself, because when you're speaking that,
it's still really negative. You're going to have negative thoughts.
I've also learned that those negative thoughts, when you speak
them out loud, that's when they become validating to the
exact moment. So if you're like, man, I don't want
(20:04):
I don't want to give up runs today, or let's
not walk anybody today, evenly you're not saying don't walk
anybody today, it still is like you're validating those negative emotions.
And so my biggest thing I tell my players is
don't say dumb stuff out loud. It could be in
the head, but like, let's be really proactive with how
we talk to ourselves and how we speak out loud
because it also helps each other not word vomit also
(20:25):
in those big stressful moments, So being proactive and having
battle talk in your head of like I got this,
I'm gonna hit this spot, I'm gonna look at this
certain spot when I'm throwing, I'm gonna hit the top
inside part of the ball. Maybe not looking for outcomes,
but having those little bit of cues to help you
through those stressful times.
Speaker 1 (20:45):
Wow, Okay, so I can listen to the noises in
my head.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
They're there for a reason. They're there for a reason.
They protect us, they help us understand the game. But
also validating them by speaking them out loud is how
they come about.
Speaker 1 (20:59):
How would you say you can determine the difference between anxiety,
like an anxious thought versus a thought that is who
you really are.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
That's a good question. I would say an anxious thought
for me happens over and over and over again, like
I can't get out of my head and for who
I am. I think it's also validating to hear from
other people, like That's why I feel like I'm always
talking to different people about coaching, about players, and about
myself because I want to know, like, Okay, do I
(21:33):
really not hit an outside pitch well? Or is it
just me? Like is it just my own anxious thoughts?
And to help validating that coaching piece, that learning piece
helps me a little bit to know like, Okay, it's
just me, it's just me in my in maybe my
BP round. It's not it's not true. So I think
also getting out loud talking to people who you trust
mentors are really great. But I would say recurring thoughts.
(21:55):
Maybe you are a little bit more anxious that happen
immediately rather than long term or can be a chronic anxiety,
But acute anxiety is just like that, like in the
back of your head.
Speaker 1 (22:06):
That's the thoughts that are affirming me versus giving me doubt.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
Yeah, I would say the more you practice the affirmation
and the proactive communication, the less that you're going to
get the negative thoughts. But you're still going to be like, Okay, well,
if I'm down on oh for two or whatever, am
I going to get a hit? That's that's natural. It's
very natural for you to have that. But when you
have the talk of like, Okay, I'm gonna get on base,
(22:33):
I'm gonna get I'm gonna walk, I'm going to have
the best at bat that I can, I'm gonna go
pitch by pitch, I'm gonna be in the moment, and
having that type of communication to yourself allows for you
to then also combat the and what if I don't
get a hit? The what ifs are really hard to battle,
but when you have the proactive and when you learn
and we talk like that, it helps kind of maybe
drown those out a little bit.
Speaker 1 (22:53):
I just learned recently that not everybody has like a voice,
the voice that I think it's so interesting.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
Yeah, it is.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
Whatever's in there, like talking to me before I talk.
Speaker 2 (23:04):
Yeah, like the narrator you say this, same same.
Speaker 1 (23:08):
I can't imagine someone just having nothing.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
I know, and it's very normal, real, very normal.
Speaker 3 (23:13):
M m.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
Yeah. Have you met someone that just doesn't have any
But it's.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
Funny because one of my players, we've talked about this,
and I think maybe two or three of them don't
have it. For me, I'm like, how how how do
you how?
Speaker 1 (23:27):
There's even times I'm about to do something that boys
is like, yeah, no, that's a good idea. I'm like, yeah,
you're right, yeah, okay, here you go again. Yeah yeah,
very fine.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
I know, same same.
Speaker 1 (23:38):
That internal voice that we luckily have has helped me
make some great catches in the outfield, totally in the
field to a no fly zone for you also be
able to turn the field and no fly zone even
in the infield, we don't discriminate. Was probably one of
(23:58):
your favorite plays you've ever made?
Speaker 2 (24:00):
My favorite plays twenty twenty one. I was playing first base,
just normal ground ball. There was a bunt and we
were playing Auburn, and this was the middle of the season.
Nothing was really on the line at that moment, but
there was a bunch third baseman fields it, and as
a first baseman, I just scurried my way to third
base because so the runner up first base in and
go all the way to third base run at first
(24:21):
sacker situation, and if I didn't go over there and
tag her out, that runner to score it, and we
would have not been able to win the SEC Championship.
And so big picture like, those little plays make for
big time moments later in the season. And so it's
one of my favorites just because it was so little
and so like minute to the entire season, but it
helped us win that game and we needed that game
(24:44):
to win the SEC Championship. So very small, but it is.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
What it was. We learn softball, the little things really
aren't that little.
Speaker 2 (24:51):
They're not that little.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
Yeah, they all add up.
Speaker 2 (24:54):
Those dang coaches say that there's just.
Speaker 1 (24:56):
So little, you know, but they're not little.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
Yeah yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
So as a coach now at Arkansas continuing to be
the legend, you are there, good old Arkansas, good all Arkansas. Yeah, Well,
what's the cheer.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
It's like big Sue and you go through three times
and you go razor backs. Yeah, I won't put you
through it. But I remember the first time I experienced that.
Ye all right, here we go same, I'm lead off.
So it was like first I'm like, all right.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
Yeah, let's do it. Yeah yeah.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
I had never didn't even know about it until my
visit there. And then they made me do it at
our Greek theater like by myself on my visit, and
I was like, no, this is not okay. And now
I'm totally bought in, Like my it's gonna do it. It's
like when you're in it, you are in it. We're
just gonna hear a full stadium. It is like nothing's better.
Speaker 1 (25:45):
You gotta do it. Yeah yeah, yeah, m hmm, something
like that.
Speaker 2 (25:51):
Yeah, we'll get you to do it.
Speaker 1 (25:52):
Maybe, Daniell, what would you say, we know, as a coach,
as a player, as a mom, failure is inevitable, but
it leads to the big successes. What's your favorite failure
that's led to some of your favorite successes.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
That's a really great question. I would say I wouldn't
call it a failure, but I would call it my
learning season. My rookie year in the pros, I struggled
a lot to understand who I was, how I fit
in in this setting, and how I can compete and
get better. I had success, but I wasn't as successful
as I was used to. And after that year, I
(26:32):
just was like, and I'm gonna put my head down
and I'm gonna go get everything that I want. I
have this year to go off of. I'm not going
to hide from it. I struggled a little bit, and
I'm going to get better. And I would say that
year has shaped me into how I train being really particular,
and my rounds a VP being really particular, and how
I'm coached and who coaches me and all those things
(26:55):
that I learned so much about the game. And that
was really when I fell into like I knew I
was going to go coach at Georgia that next year,
but I was like, I love this game. I love
the process, and it helps me fall in love with
the process even more that first year that I struggled
a little bit, And then I would say, so far
after that, I've had some pretty electric ears, which I'm
(27:15):
really grateful.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
For electric gears, and so only getting better.
Speaker 2 (27:18):
Let's you know, I only have more opportunities, So I'm
really grateful.
Speaker 1 (27:21):
Any have mom power Now mom power, Baby, They're gonna
keep only gonna keep getting better.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
Mom power.
Speaker 1 (27:26):
Well from our affirmation of fight for the hard, Fight
for the hard every single day. Fight for the hard
because that hard is only going to push you to
your greatness. You don't get to be great and successful
the easy route, Nope, no hard. It's one less travel
and it's honestly the quickest way to get there. So
(27:47):
fight for the hard. And thank you so much for
joining me on Dropping Diamonds and Dropping your Diamonds, but
thanks for having me. I can't wait to continue to
watch your mom power and you continue to inspire so
many women across not just in softball, but across all
sports to know that you don't lose anything by becoming mom.
You only gain the superpowers and need to keep hitting
(28:10):
doubles and hormone cycles up. Thanks, catch you guys next
week on the Diamonds. 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. I'm your host,
(28:32):
AJ Andrews. Our executive producer is Jesse Katz. Tari Harrison
is our supervising producer, and this episode was mixed and
mastered by Mary dou Listen to Dropping Diamonds with AJ
Andrews on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you
get your podcasts.
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