May 29, 2025 • 51 mins
This week, AJ is joined by former LSU teammate and AUSL Blaze pitcher Carly Hoover. They discuss their time playing together at LSU, the importance of affirmations, and how to maintain motivation through tough situations. Carly shares tales from her career, including her experiences playing in Japan, dealing with pressure, and learning from past failures.
Looking for more diamonds? Follow AJ on Instagram and X.
Share the diamonds you received from this episode by leaving a rating and a review!
Dropping Diamonds with AJ Andrews is in partnership with the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL).
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
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.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
I'm trying to look at every single opportunity, like, if
it's a really tough situation, it's an opportunity. So it's
an opportunity for me to be successful or figure something out.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
In Welcome to Dropping Diamonds with Me AJ Andrews, where
we dive headfirst into.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
The world of softball.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Today, I am joined by the one and only Carly Hoover.
She is a first round second pick for AUSL Blaze
and picture for TVUSA All American out of the best
school in the nation LSU, and my former teammate, a
(00:53):
good friend. It's so fabulous to see your gorgeous space, Carly.
Thank you for coming on.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Yeah, thank you for having me long time to see.
We can't go to this song again.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
I know, like I don't want to dive into the years,
but it's been a very, very very long time, Carly.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
I feel like you know, at LSU, our team was
very into motivation, very into how we can jump start
everything that we do. So I lead that also into
this podcast and kind of start every time with an
affirmation and a little diamond dropped to see to lead
us into the diamonds will we dropped through the conversation
and so one of my favorites which I had to
(01:30):
resurface because I feel like I said this all the
time at LSU at the end of the day, I'm
still pretty and that likely did too. And he said
we had a bad game, went zero for three, struck
out bases loaded or if Carly gave up a home run,
which didn't happen often, and it was just like, hey,
at the end of the day, you're still pretty. Like
(01:53):
there's people who strike out with bases loaded that don't
look like you, you.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Know, like they're having worse they're having worse days.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
So there's a little so I'm a little pick me up,
a little affirmation to give yourself whenever you're feeling a
little low. Also, what another one of my favorites from
the Bayou haters. They're gonna hate and there's absolutely nothing
that you can do about it. You just gotta keep going.
I was and that was definitely my go to. Bianca
Bell loved that one.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
She loved that one.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Probably do you have an affirmation or quote that you
feel like really sticks with you that you still utilize today.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
So a little funny. I'm with Mizuno and I was
creating my glove this year and on the inner whatever
you call palm liner, my dad always says, like, expect
to win in every situation, like no matter what. So
I don't know. I mean, I think they kind of
pushed me in the right direction, like there was a
slight mix up and I got a glove that said
easy to win. So I really like I get my glove,
(02:50):
like I love it. It's beautiful. Here's like Terry Wilsom's
on it. It's such a pretty glove. And every time
I see my gloves sit there, it's just like easy
to win. So I just I really like that. I'm
kind of a doctor it. I'm gonna keep it.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
I love Okay, So well with your dad, what did
your dad always say?
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Expect to win, expect.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
To win, but easy to win is you know, it's
like the cousin of that look at Yeah, don't make
it harder than what it is.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
I like full count on the mound, like basis like
easy to win.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
Yeah, which in my opinion is the full embodiment of
you and your mentality like.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
Whatever, like a little a little chocolate. Yeah, it's easy.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Like was there anything else I was gonna There's nothing
else that was going to happen.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
Actually, when I think about our time.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
So for those that Joe know, Carly and I played
an LSU together one year or two years?
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Just one year, only one, but yeah, you're still around
so it was fine. Yeah, ok.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
So last year, yeah, senior year, me and Carly played together.
We went to the World Series and that was that
was quite a year. We were number one at one point.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
We were here. Yeah, we were really yeah, yeah we
were good. We were really good too, like you don't
know what, you don't know, Like, as I got older,
I'm like, man, like that you was really good.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
We were I know, I think back to it all
the time. So I was like, if we were going
to win the World Series, I feel like that was
the team to do it for sure.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
And I'm just I just said this, it's so real.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
We literally had everything, like every tool, Me and Bailey, slapping, Bianca, Savannah,
Kelsey Claus, the big bats, Connie, Sandy, really scrappy able
to get on base. Then had Ali and you.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
Pitching yeah dang yeah, and which and y'all were the
complete opposites, Like you have someone that threw so hard
and then you had Ali that had all of the spin.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
So it was just like we had literally every weapon
you could think of dot gone.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
At the end of the day, we might get in
each other's face, but we still had respect for each
other and like really call each other up and out,
like we had no problem like saying, like you got
to be better at this, but like we knew it
was coming from a competitive place, and I just I think,
I don't know if it's because I'm thirty now, but
like some some of the younger girls like don't give
(05:12):
me that same vibe that we used to have, you
know what I'm saying of like just getting out there
and doing it and like being about it.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
Yeah, people's feelings will get hurt now, like the way
we talk to each other and the way we we
like things happened. Yeah, it's like, no, no, we need
to win. I'm thinking even now, just thinking about it
when people like oftentimes you when people think ask me
what was your favorite moment playing at LSU, I don't
know why.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
The first thing that sticks out in my mind the
most is that year twenty fifteen and we were playing
at home. Had it been Super Ritels. We're playing Arizona, right.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
We rental Arizona's supers.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
Remember the first time though, was that that year? Maybe
it was your before lost.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
To Arizona State in regionals that year like one game
and then came back and beat him.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Okay, yeah, because we had to play Nebraska and then
beat them and then came back game, I blacked out.
I had a full panic attack, and so Kaushun is
like telling me the other day about I was like,
I don't remember a single thing from that game. She's like,
you literally caught Kiki Stokes home run to save the
game for.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Us to go to the next day. Yeah, I was,
And I was like watching it from my view like
no way.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
I was like I don't remember that at all, completely
blacked out, no idea, no, okay. So there was Super
Regionals when we played Arizona then because remember Bianca thought
she caught the ball, but they said it hit the
ground and she had like a full episode in the dugout.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
And like and then she comes back and hits so
ringing RBI.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
To win the game and for us to move on
to the World Series. That is like the thing that
sticks in my mind the most, even I can't, I
literally cannot think of like that's the first thing that
comes to my mind.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
It's like you're the first thing that comes to your mind.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
I just loved the vibe of like I wouldn't say
girls because it's something were me, but like like people
keeping people on track, people working hard, like we worked
really hard. We did. We did work really hard. I
just had respect, Like even when I didn't like someone,
I was still gonna like respect them, And I think
we kind of all had that which made that team special.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
What do you think is the importance like when we
talk about being able to compete with individuals that maybe
you don't necessarily like, but you have to have that
level of respect because.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
No matter how many people you play with, you're not
gonna like everybody on your team, and being able to
cut the door of that hump.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
How do you feel like we were able to do
that so well?
Speaker 2 (07:32):
I thought about this a lot too, because even playing
in Japan, like I know a little bit of Japanese,
but not enough to like sit here and like talk
about your brother or something, you know what I mean,
Like I know enough to like get by, but not
like tell stories and like set up valuing like working
hard and valuing putting the team first. I think that
literally any of us would have like cut off our
(07:52):
left hand to contribute, like even if it was one
at that and like that passed about mentality versus you
see on some other teams, like this selfishness of like
I'm just trying to get on the shield. Like we
didn't have that. It was more like what can we
do to win? And I think every single person was
bought into that. And I say that magic and having
that is so special versus I've been on other teams
(08:13):
where it's like people just want to play and kind
of make it all about themselves and they don't mean to,
like we all want to be the one and they
just like aren't on the field, and that negativity and
that like I don't know, that vibe just doesn't mesh.
And I just think that specific team that you're talking
about that we were on, every single one on the
team was just like bought into like doing whatever it
took to win an inning when a ball game went
(08:34):
in a bat And I think that's what made us
so good personally.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
I even think to that time when Brian Cain came
and remember you burned your mouth. We had to Uh.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
I was like crying, I remember that. So I circle back, though,
I circle back.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
Oh god, I did it.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
So just for just for reference, Brian Kane is like
a mental coach, and he came to LSU and we
gave us all the different things to do in order
to get over fear and and so one of the
things he had was like the things that fire breathers
do for a show, where they put that fiery thing
in your mouth, and he like chokeed. For mind you,
this is all of us, just college kids, just came
(09:14):
out of class, right, this is like our first introduction
before practice started. And then he's okay, yeah, we want
I want all you guys to do it. And so
I don't remember who jumped up first. Maybe Sitting Bird
because she, you know, she was that type of person,
jumped up.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
First to do it. And they're like looking at me
because you know, one of the leaders. I'm like, I'm
not doing that. Yeah, so like I can't. I'm just
not gonna put that in my mouth. I'm just I
don't know. I don't want to do that. And then
you came up and you did it, and you you
were that valiant effort you had. Yeah, you didn't close
your mouth soon enough.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
I guess yeah. Yeah. I like didn't trust it. I
like didn't trust to like fully encompass it. And then
I had to go into the hallway. Like when then
I had to chill me out a little. I had
to calm down. I was like, I gotta eat this
spire for my girls. Came. I get in it ate
like three or four sticks. I was like, let's double
or nothing.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
You're literally like crying. I'm like, oh my god, Carly, Okay, okay, okay,
she's doing it. She's doing it. She's doing it. She
did it, she did it.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
And then there's me.
Speaker 3 (10:11):
I'm like, I'm proud of you guys. I'm not doing it,
but I'm so proud of y'all for all of you
that did it.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
I am not buying into each other though, you know
what I mean, like like on and off the field,
and like connection. It's interesting little things like that that
help or like things that don't.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
I one of the things I feel like from when
we talk about that hard work and some of the
stuff that he taught us the wipe off method, like
when you get in the box and you're able to
just pick something up, have something that you can tangibly
throw away as if you're wiping off, and it's a
new count that I think. So if you step up
to the plate, you get two strikes. You like pick
up dirt or find whatever it is you want to do,
(10:49):
and you throw it away, and that's your reset to
where now you have a vitality of it. It's just
whether it's three two, it doesn't matter three two, you're
gonna go for it. And so for you right now,
is there something you do that allows you to kind
of reset when you're on the mound?
Speaker 2 (11:04):
Yeah, I would say same literally, same concept, slightly different perspective.
I think I'm a momentum person, Like I'm an up
down person, and I've tried over the years of my
career to take away the down because I thought maybe
that would like help, if that makes any sense. But
as me, yeah, like I think being high and being
(11:24):
up is like also one of my cat like something
that makes to me. So I like kind of circled
back around and now I grab on to the fact
that like if it's oh to one one, whatever the
count is, Like this next pitch I have right here
has nothing to do with the last pitch. Like, if
I have momentum, I'll stack. If I don't, it's like
rashing you. Every time I'll double Inhale, I feel like
(11:45):
a double inhales clears of mine. I'm on a shot
clock and they love the circle thing early on foreigners.
So by the time I'm like looking and like done
playing in the dirt, I have like twelve seconds to
get a pitch off, so I don't have too much
time to master up. I'm out there like, oh my god,
run a clock back. But so literally all I have
time is to like and then I gotta go. So
I try to like clear my mind that way and
(12:07):
then just remember that it's easy to win these a
It all comes back to it's easy to win.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
What is the double? What is the double breath?
Speaker 2 (12:15):
Look and or sound like double breath, so like it's
one thing to take a take a big breath, but
it's a little shocking take a double breath. So it's
like like breath short pause, hit it again, and it's
almost like I feel it in my eyes. What does
that do for you?
Speaker 3 (12:29):
And just you feel like it calms you down?
Speaker 2 (12:31):
Here's my brain. Yeah, yeah, it's just just a little
reset because I just don't have time to like count,
I don't have time to take a deep breath that
takes like six seconds.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
Yeah, and you're on a shot po Yeah, it's like
that's half through time already.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
Yeah, and like what if I shake the pits then,
like that's so much time? Are you talking about.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
Your experience in Japan? How did that come about? How
did they your team find you? And what made you
want to say you want to go across the world
to compete.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
Yeah. So the first team that I played for out here,
they actually they like recruit from the World Series, so
they aren't as in depth like because it's a different country.
So usually who they look at is like people in
the World Series, like the best in on the best
college teams is like who they're recruiting from. And typically too,
the type of players will fight on here. They've definitely
expanded and gotten some different types of players, but typically
(13:20):
they want like a little bit more of a power player,
like a home run hitter or like a fast pitcher
because they're a little smaller than us as people and
like a little more finesse and quick. So then we
bring like the power portion to the game. So thankfully,
just given like what I'm good at throwing the ball hard,
so thankfully I like stood out to them. And then
(13:40):
since I've been here, it's funny like your thoughts and
feelings before you get here, and then like how you
grow when you've been here. Now that I've been here,
I mean, there's not been a game that I haven't learned, Like,
like I've lost in so many different ways. I'm like,
oh my god, like, but as soon as I lose
in that way, I'm not gonna lose in that way again.
So I'm getting better. But it's like crazy the amount
of combinations and things that can like stack up and
(14:03):
they can come at you with and all right, it's
been really enjoyable. Like this season, I'm on a much
younger team, and I've actually watched just like literally get
better in practice and get better game to game, and
like I've seen some of our younger girls like have
an experience for the first time. And for instance, the
other day, one of my like our little ones, you
punch on the mound the other girl that throws they
(14:24):
like threw the plan. So I was starting instead of her,
and she was really prepared and she was a little
on her head about it, and I forgot like I
experienced that ten years ago. I know how to like
get up and get down and like do all that.
Like she was like mentally freaking out. I'm over here
talking to her. I'm like, you're gonna close today, you
already change your mind, and like I ended up starting,
She ended up closing and came in and like switched it,
and it was such a big moment for her. She's twenty. Like,
(14:47):
it's fun watching them learn and experiencing things for the
first time that I've already experienced. And it's fun seeing
them like get better and we're kind of like getting
better together, and they work so hard. So it just
means a lot.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
Oh that a how are you able to really convey
those motivational messages that you really want to get through?
Speaker 2 (15:06):
Oh? One thing about me? You know I'm gonna you know,
I'm gonna accuse your body. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
Oh, do you Google translate right before you get to
her then just start going or do you just do
you show the phone or you practice what you're gonna
say so oh go.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
No, I don't say it. Sometimes, like when we're busy,
you know, you know it says it for you, so
I'll like play the audio okay, and it's sometimes it
hits a little funnier because it's in like a monotown voice.
But I know enough to like get on. But if
it's something a conversation like that, will sit down with
my phone and my WiFi and and they want to
talk to so they'll sit down and like message back,
so that's helpful, and I will say translations like aren't
(15:43):
always right. So sometimes it's just like miss and like
when this is when you're just like okay, next.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
Oh my god, Carly, I missed you that like your mannerisms,
absolutely nothing has changed. It's like I kind of like
I remember VI you be the they'd be like okay, now,
like you say something and if it doesn't land, it's
like okay, well, yep, two ships, we just missed each other.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
Maybe yeah, maybe yeah. Me.
Speaker 3 (16:15):
When you think about being able to talk about.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
The different losses that you've experienced in so many different ways,
what's one that really stuck out to you that you
feel like maybe you've learned the most from Okay.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
For instance, Japan really loves to do they call it
an in run. It's basically they're slapping it into the
field stealing home from third and I've lost two different
ways on that before actually, But like being able to know,
being able to see it, being able to see the
batter open up, being able to know, like they're just
constantly Japan's I mean, they might overpower you sometimes, but
(16:47):
like I'm more gonna get tricked before I'm gonna get overpowered,
you know what I'm saying. So like being able to
see it developing and know what they're doing. Know they're
doing a head and run. They do a lot of
steels head runs. Just put them on play time five.
So just being able to like counterattacks, so being able
to throw the right pitch that I know they can't
get the ball down, or like not letting them get
the bat extended, and situations like that, or in some
(17:09):
situations like getting this batter away and getting the next
batter out or setting someone up even like throwing the
ball off, getting that getting that runner from third in
a rundown, stuff like that. But different purchase, different pitches
work in that situation. It's just really hard when they
turn around and like our zone is like the size
of a cell ball. And then like so I'm not
getting called strikes really much ever, Like I have to
(17:30):
throw the ball on the plate and move the ball.
So when someone's like full turn slapping committed, like they
just fully commit. The runners fully committed, the batter's fully committed,
like they will throw their body across the plate to
get the ball down. And losing like that in like
the seven just right in front of your face, like
literally I'm at home and they're like diving in front
of me. I'm like that sucked. That sucks, But you
(17:51):
know that I can do by that.
Speaker 3 (17:54):
A ball, We'll be dropping more diamonds after these messages.
Playing in Japan, Carly, I feel like it had to
when you first got there. Was it a huge culture
shock the ways in what you've had to learn game
(18:16):
after game, practice after practice. What was the biggest culture
shock you experienced.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
I really like to work. Work isn't an issue for me,
So saying like no to extra work, like oh, like
there is a thing you are doing. Yeah, I found
that many tasks so like learning to like I press press, press,
press press learning to like press enough, let it hang
(18:42):
for a second and come back to it, especially in
my pitching and thoughts and like development, like even I'm
working on something right now. I have seven things that
I want in troubleshoot today and my bullpen, and but
I have to like I wrote it all down after
the game and then like gave myself a day to
do whatever, Like I went, I went into a soccer
and had fun with daily my tee me and then
it's like I'm going to come back today. And so
(19:02):
like learning that balance, I think as an individual and
as a human out here because they have the same
mentality of me, like let's go to the bulbin right now,
let's fix it right now. And like when you're in
a bad mental spot or like you're tired, you're not
going to figure it out. So learning to balance, I
would say, is the hardest part. And to say no,
they let you do whatever you want, but it's pretty hard.
(19:25):
Like let's say I was just on the mountain and
lost the game, and like I'm the one that's not
going to show up extra practice. I'm in my head
about like do I look bad? But it's like I
need to take care of myself and what I need.
Do I need to watch more film, Do I need
to figure this out? Or is it something physical? Like
those are two different things, and so like I know
now what I need to prepare, and I prepare in
a lot of different ways that aren't physical. That's been
(19:46):
hard to figure out because at first it was like,
let me throw my arm to the ground.
Speaker 3 (19:50):
Yeah, girl, the way I have to stretch. Nowadays it's
a lot different show goes.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
Showing cots no way. I'm a little nervous about AU
because like America's a little more laid back like Japan.
We get the field three and a half hours early,
like I'd have a full three hour st your team.
I got time to kill, Like like if we do
someone go, I might like pulls them.
Speaker 1 (20:13):
You have to really like, all right, let's wake up.
Everybody gets up and you're at the field at six.
Speaker 2 (20:20):
In the room. Yeah, yeah, maybe how did you.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
Learn that balance?
Speaker 1 (20:25):
Because I think that that's something that probably a lot
of people are trying to figure out what that looks like,
whether you're overdoing it because I know you mean me
and you both right, we were just really hard workers
and it got to a point I remember in college
when Coachmina was like, you just need to go to
the tea, like stop having someone pitch to you, stop
doing all the things. Just hit off the tee and
(20:47):
feel good, like dial it back. And I don't know
if she would have said that. If I would have right,
I would have gone one hundred miles an hour every
single time trying to figure it out even though it
wasn't working, still going. And so for you, when you
said you had a figure that out for yourself, was
there something particular that kind of clicked for you?
Speaker 2 (21:04):
I would say just in general like failing, because I'm
still going through it, Like I'm still trying to figure
out this one specific thing right now, and I'm still
like hitting my head against the wall trying to figure
out on a thousand miles an hour, I'm about to
go today into like back on my knees, progressing something
like I'm going back to crawling, you know what I mean? Yeah,
but like I have to. But I know also though
(21:25):
I'm going back to crawling with the experience I already have,
it's not that I'm going back to zero. So like
I know that it'll come quick. I just need to
like see what I'm missing in the in the beginner
phase maybe, but I would just say failing has made
me figure it out because I'm not going to keep
doing the same thing, Like I write down every single
thing in every single way I try, and I eventually
(21:47):
got to the point where it's like, Okay, I gotta
do something else, Like I gotta take it, I gotta
take a step back.
Speaker 3 (21:52):
So essentially, it's like you get to a place where
just get back, go back to square one, because getting
back to square ten is going to be easier than
it was when you first started. So just go back
and figure out.
Speaker 2 (22:03):
How you did it and know that it'll fill in.
Like trust that with everything their ear remark to square
one with you're gonna be able to jump levels. But
I just keep trying to start from twenty when I'm
missing something in the teens somewhere, Like that's how I
feel right now. I like that. How do you see?
Speaker 1 (22:20):
No, it makes perfect sense, Like we're just you're trying
to troubleshoot to the top, and yeah, you got one
to five figured out, but you still got to get
six to fourteen, get that before you can get all
the way back.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
To where you feel comfortable in who you are.
Speaker 1 (22:36):
Yeah, is there something you tell yourself in the midst
of that, like as far as maybe like a motto
or something that you know gets you going Sometimes.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
I know this sounds so dramatic. It's hard to like
keep hoping and keep trying. Every time I try something wrong,
it's gonna be closer like market list. So that's what
I kind of hold on too. It's like every time
I had a new idea that didn't work, getting closer
to the right one I know a little more. So
that's what I like to think, like I'm smarter.
Speaker 1 (23:05):
That reminds me of a saying like failure is only
the opportunity to intelligently begin again, Like you are only
getting the opportunity to do this, to do this same
thing but with more intellect and more experience in order
to make it better than that last time. I said
all the time when it comes to like making diving catches,
(23:26):
the only way I'm able to make that really amazing
catches because I've missed it before and so I know
what I need to do now in order to.
Speaker 3 (23:34):
Never miss it again.
Speaker 1 (23:35):
So you don't see you haven't you didn't see that
one miss But that one miss is the only reason
why you see all those other catches, and so building
upon that.
Speaker 2 (23:44):
I'm really making myself sound like I'm a loser, like
all I do is fail, but I'm just like embracing
like it's important. It's you don't learn from it, then
you are a loser. Ay, that's a bar. That was
a bar right there.
Speaker 3 (23:59):
Failure doesn't make you a loser. Not learning from the
failure makes you lose. My next love, learn or lose,
And uh yeah, because you have to learn, because it's
easy to win. From your experience in Japan, being able
to fail your first attempt in learning more intelligently, beginning
(24:22):
again and continuously coming back to get back to twenty,
you've been able to have some of your best games.
You are on Team USA, You're a Japan All Star,
you were the twenty eighteen Japan Cup. What is your
favorite part about playing in Japan?
Speaker 2 (24:42):
Honestly, the people, Like it is so fun interact and
it is so fun to just like mess around with
my girls and my team, Like the softball's fun, the
growing's fun, the like mess around different countries fun. But
it's like the people that I'm with it like really
makes it like we're at the field all day every day,
but it's enjoy It's like not like you want to
go hal. I've been on scenes out here before where
(25:03):
it's like like the environment's just not the same. The
environment this year is like I don't mind being at
the field eight to five, like, yeah, let's clean up
for three hours, like because it's like we're messing around
and they just like eat up like whatever we give them,
they just like eat it up. Like they love the
Instagram dances like and they're all shot like they want
to do them. And then like but it's like, don't post,
don't post.
Speaker 3 (25:23):
Oh yeah, okay, shy girl, you gotta break at your shell.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
Yeah. They're awesome And I don't know, interacting with them,
friendships with them, relationships with them. I think it's the
best part.
Speaker 3 (25:37):
And your team is called the NSK Brave Berry's Team.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
Yeah, Betty's Betties.
Speaker 3 (25:44):
What's the thing you guys?
Speaker 2 (25:45):
Do you say?
Speaker 3 (25:45):
You do something in between innings?
Speaker 2 (25:47):
All of us when I'm not pitching, and we stand
there like like there's a line of us like this
and we.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
Go at what is the reason behind that?
Speaker 2 (25:55):
Again? I don't know.
Speaker 3 (25:57):
Can you say a sentence in Japanese like what would
you say?
Speaker 2 (26:00):
What do you know? What tash you on? I am sleepy?
Uh yeah I can. I can just say like dumb stuff.
Speaker 1 (26:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (26:14):
I feel it's like typically what you learn the most
infortant and the cuss words.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
Yeah yeah, you learn like the quick things and then
they talk all the customards immediately. Of course who taught
you that?
Speaker 3 (26:27):
She said, I can't tell what's your favorite food to eat?
Speaker 2 (26:32):
There? They do steak different here. I could eat steak
recastunda dinner. Also, I just feel like in general, I
eat a lot more here and it's better, Like, yeah,
we just have stuff in our food at home. I
don't know what, but stuff that sticks on meat and
Japan this doesn't stick on me the same.
Speaker 3 (26:48):
That's how it was when I played in Italy, Like
they would feed us pasta every single day before a game,
with loads of meats, loads of cheeses, and no matter
what I did.
Speaker 1 (26:58):
I worked out every day, I did my saming thing,
but I ate more and I lost at least like
ten pounds and there's nothing I could do about it.
Speaker 3 (27:04):
Like I tried to maintain my weight and just could it.
And it had to food.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
The food was just better and you feel lighter. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (27:12):
In the US, I think so many softball players want
to look into playing overseas, whether it is in Italy,
whether it is in Japan. And now you have a
lot more girls even going to Mexico. The different opportunities
that there are around the world now to play softball.
Japan was always an opportunity because you were able to
get paid and get paid like a real salary to
(27:35):
where you didn't have to have a second job the
way type you would playing pro in the US. Do
you see that being more of a trend.
Speaker 2 (27:43):
I think there's a misconception sometimes too about Japan because
like a couple people get paid paid. Other than that,
everyone else is in the same range, gotcha, because I
don't think everyone's like super clear on that, and people
think they're gonna come over and like make this out
of the other, Like you kind of have to be
a very civic type of player and has specific skills
and there has to be an opening on a specific
(28:05):
team that has money. God, Like there's a lot has
to be a lot of things that line up, Like
only a couple teams pay pay and it's like do
they need a picture like do they need this? But
I will say even the teams that don't pay pay
are still making like more than enough to have a
good life. Is set like a salary all those things.
But like the big money that you're talking about, I
(28:26):
think people think everyone gets that, and that's not true. Personally,
I always wanted Japan because like my ultimate goal in life.
This is interesting. Actually last year with TEMSA, we did
a thing in the summer of like a number, like
I was number ten, so I got to interview other
number tens and ask them like what it meant, and
one of them ended up being Lonnie Ricketts. Like I
just loved like that project. It was really fun and
(28:48):
it was really really interesting to hear some of the girls,
Like some of the girls were like crying on their presentations,
like I give anything to play for USA, and I
think that is so cool. That is never I kind
of made me really what I what I'm about and
what I value. I've never valued like having Obviously I
value USA on my chest, but I've never been like
let me like kill myself to be on this team.
(29:10):
It's more like if I don't fulfill the ultimate mission
of being the best I could be. I can't sleep
in net and if that, if that mission aligns with
me being on that team, that would be amazing beautiful
if that mission aligns with me winning it, chanmioned about
here love it. But like on my cup, my personal
cup is gonna be filled when I figured out everything
I can figure out and what I've done, what I
can do. It's not so much like did this team
(29:33):
validate mean and think I was good enough to make
the team? Like it's it's did I validate myself and
did I do everything in my power to grow as
much as I could and learn as much as I
could and be as best as I can be. That's
why I'm in Japan because I'm learning and growing, I'm
getting better. Like I look at myself as like I'm
probably like three or four percent out of one hundred.
Like that's literally how I view myself, Like I'm not
(29:53):
even close, and I don't know. I think that's the
point for me, I know for others, it's just like,
let me reach this milestone. I'm good. So that's kind
of like my vibe on it. If you have the
opportunity to play over seas and everything that comes is
growing and learning I just think it's silly to pass
up and you can never like go back and lace
them up again. Like once you're done, it's kind of tough.
(30:15):
So it's like, let's let's squeeze it out right now,
like let's get what we can.
Speaker 1 (30:20):
I love that mentality, and it reminds me of a
saying that I used to talk about a little bit
more words, I don't fear people talking negatively about me
or other people's opinions.
Speaker 3 (30:30):
I fear not reaching my potential and being average. Like
that's why I do what I do.
Speaker 2 (30:36):
That's what I fear.
Speaker 3 (30:38):
I'm scared of when it's.
Speaker 1 (30:39):
All set and down, looking back and say, dang, I
really could have done that, right, Think you don't want
to do that out right?
Speaker 3 (30:45):
That's not and that's what propels you, that's what motivates
you forward.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
Yeah you're similar, you're the same.
Speaker 1 (30:51):
Yeah, no, I know, we're like, yeah, we're off the
Sanborto branches, off the same tree. We literally like I'd
be like all our conversations were very similar in the
ways of which we think and like to your point
about in our team in twenty fifteen, that's why we're
able to I feel like we all had that mentality,
we just expressed it in different ways, and so that's
(31:12):
why we were all able to like kind of check
each other because we all.
Speaker 3 (31:16):
Like, I get what you're saying. Maybe we don't like
how you're saying it to me right now, but like
I get what you're saying.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
Yeah, And ultimately we were all right, right, oh god,
I really I think that that's so important though, especially
the part about validation, because I think so many times
as players we're seeking whether it's our coaches, validation, our parents, validation,
being able to wear certain letters across our chests. And
(31:42):
at the end of the day, you have to become
the best you and hopefully those things that you want align.
Speaker 3 (31:49):
But until you get to where you're supposed to be,
it's never going to align with what it is that
you want to become.
Speaker 2 (31:55):
Yeah, and it's not time yet. Like I don't know,
I want to be. I want to have those when
I'm there. I don't think I'm there, Like there's I'm
figuring out a lot right now, but hopefully soon, I
don't know or not.
Speaker 3 (32:08):
I mean, I feel like there's enough.
Speaker 1 (32:09):
There's a power in the constant chase of greatness, right
never like feeling relaxed or never feeling like I am
one hundred percent like you always cause I'm the outside.
Someone could look at you like, lean know, Carl Hooper's
little the best picture I've ever faced. No, Like, I
don't think you can get better than Carli Hooper. But
then in your mind you're like, yeah, no, I'm not
twenty percent.
Speaker 2 (32:30):
Right now, Yeah you used to see my notes?
Speaker 1 (32:32):
How did you say that to somebody that thinks like
you're the best, like the fast person ever face.
Speaker 3 (32:36):
Like you're twenty percent? All right, Well I'm gonna retire.
I see it anyway, So thank god I don't have
to see you at one hundred.
Speaker 2 (32:44):
I still remember. I can't remember who this conversation was with.
I was like maybe twenty two or something, and I
was like playing up on the national team, like I
was on the second teat like the B team, whatever
you want to call it, and like playing up and
I called my fastball, my fastball is like a split
and it kind of cuts a little bit, and I
was like calling in a and she was like, no, no, no,
it's a fastball. And I was like what She was like, yeah,
because when you strike someone out and I say, what
(33:05):
was that? Doesn't it suck? You'd be like, oh, that
was just a fastball, versus like that's a cutter, you
know what I mean? So like just like dumb down
all of it. Like I might have like eight variations
of pitches, and like I was just throwing straight right,
I have.
Speaker 3 (33:18):
No I don't know what you're talking about, okay, and
then every time you throw a fastball looks different. It's like, no, no,
tell me what you're throwing. That is not a fastball
easy to win?
Speaker 2 (33:29):
Right? And then this is easy?
Speaker 3 (33:33):
I love my god. It all comes back to that,
and I think that is chef's kiss.
Speaker 1 (33:37):
When do you think about the like playing in Japan,
I always thought y'all got paid like honey k or more. Yeah,
there's definitely people in that range. Okay, Yeah, what do
you think we got to do in order to get that?
In America? Her girls can just be playing a hundred K.
They don't have to go and coach softball teams in
the spring and fall after.
Speaker 2 (33:58):
Okay. Outside of like the growth of everything that's happening
in America, I just feel like I can't really speak
on much because I haven't been in it, and I
haven't been experiencing it. I watch it on my couch
when I'm home, love it, support it. Always watch my
friends like posting them like I'm really excited to play
this summer, but I haven't been in it, so I
don't know. I would say though, when it comes to
like actual like like political financial things like for instance,
(34:21):
my company, like we are able to have a league
because of these companies that can front the teams. In America,
I don't think companies can pay, Like there's some logisticality
thing where like if a company can front a team
and like that could be a tax rite off, like
if we could be Pepsi or if we could be Gatorade.
I think there's something there that's not letting that happen.
(34:43):
I don't know for a fact, but like you look
at Europe, you look everywhere else, and like all these
companies are funding these teams, Like companies aren't allowed to
do that in America. So like if we had that,
I think that'd help all female sports.
Speaker 3 (34:55):
And I didn't think about that because that's what it
is in Japan, right the Toyota, and because.
Speaker 2 (35:00):
I've given there so much thought about where my money
comes from. Yeah, like how am I getting paid? Because
there's many people here, like no one cares, so who's
paying me?
Speaker 1 (35:13):
You talk about how you haven't been in the scene
really in America. I mean you kind of jumped straight
into going and play in Japan. You played a little
bit here in US and then about being Bada boom
hit the road.
Speaker 3 (35:25):
Jack didn't come back no more. But now you are
coming back and you will be with aus L and
you'll be on the blaze this summer playing professional softball.
Speaker 1 (35:38):
When you think about getting more integrated back into US
pro softball, what are you most looking forward to or
do you how do you feel like it might be
a little different.
Speaker 2 (35:47):
I'm genuinely most looking forward to my friends and family
being there because I've been gone for so long, and
like my parents watch my games online. But I'm just excited,
like for the American environment of like let me get
a hot dog, let me listen to this American music,
like let me enjoy my teammates in English. Love my
teammates now, but like let's mess around in English in
the dugout, Like that's so fun. That's genuinely like what
(36:11):
I'm most excited for, like hearing like country music when
I'm in the bullpen, Like I don't even like country music, but.
Speaker 3 (36:20):
It's just something so softball about it.
Speaker 2 (36:22):
Yeah yeahs elevator music is being played out here like
oh really, or like my team listens to K pop, which,
like I know if you love it awesome, Like it's
not my favorite, so I think just like yeah, being
home and like even if like I open up in
KANDUS so I'm going to Kansas, I'm still home. Like
I get to be in the country. I get to
play just with friends again. That's what I'm most excited about.
Speaker 3 (36:44):
Love your family, Allow your mom on Instagram. Yeah, I
love that she's never changed that stay true or some queen.
Speaker 2 (36:53):
Yeah, she's gonna do it.
Speaker 1 (36:56):
Okay, Now we're gonna go into my favorite segment of
pop Cast, the no Fly Zone segments, you know, where
we try to make sure the balls never touch the
touch the ground, which I tried to do for you
as much as I possibly.
Speaker 2 (37:10):
Absolutely outfield behind you.
Speaker 3 (37:13):
What's your favorite planet that made that I made web gym? Yeah,
my favorite web gym I had while I was playing
behind Jim.
Speaker 2 (37:20):
The fact that you're asking me to narrow it down
when I saw you do this in practice every day.
I don't think that's what people understand, Like people don't
get that, like when people are watching you or your
sister like highlight reels. It's like we saw that in
practice every day. Like not not like I don't care,
but I'm like a little to sensitized, Like you should
be catching it, like I see you catch that.
Speaker 3 (37:42):
It's like when I don't like literally like a million times.
Speaker 2 (37:46):
It's easy to wind, Like yeah, but you make it.
You make it look easy to wind. So like even
just watching me do it a thousand times in practice
and then when it would come in the game, it's
like routine. If that's right, that is your routine. I
love that. Yeah, it was fun to watch, Like you know,
one thing about me, I'm not gonna do it that
So period really been to watch you guys do it.
Speaker 1 (38:09):
Just try to make it so that I was a
picture's best friend out there. Made you want to love
me more than everybody else. That was my goal.
Speaker 2 (38:15):
Yeah, you know I love you. I still love you,
still love you.
Speaker 3 (38:19):
How'd you keep the field of no fly zone?
Speaker 2 (38:20):
Carly? I can think of like some big moments where
I like came in and struck somebody out, but I
can't really think of like and I've been like sewn
it right down the middle. I'm like, how did you
not hit that? Thank you well?
Speaker 1 (38:31):
Keep me in a no fly zone, Like is there
a moment where you feel like you've you've come back
from you know, from behind, or you've been able to
get somebody out a really big moment.
Speaker 2 (38:41):
So Japan changed their their inning stuff to you can
now tie, So in the eighth inning it goes international
tie breaker runner on second, and the ninth it goes
to runners second, third, one out. And so there's been
now a couple of situations in my career where we
didn't score, and so it's it's tie or loose, Like
I go out there and it's literally tire lose and
(39:01):
I'm over there like this sucks, like but I've like
got the tie and I can just think, like I
remember those innings of like you're just trying to hit
and run, They're just trying to get the ball down,
and I'm like, get out of here. Didn't get it down,
so that felt really good, Like I didn't win, though
I think it just tied. But yeah, those are pressure moments,
(39:21):
like yeah, what.
Speaker 1 (39:22):
Do you think is the key to being an elite
picture and being able to dominate within those pressure moments.
Speaker 2 (39:27):
The perspective I've had this season is different because my
team's a little different. So I'm trying to like, I'm
pitching some really good games, we're doing some really good things,
but like we haven't been winning a whole lot. There's
only so much you can control, right, So I'm trying
to look at every single opportunity, Like, if it's a
really tough situation, it's an opportunity. So it's an opportunity
for me to be successful or figure something out in
(39:48):
So I've kind of been approaching a lot of tough
moments like that, and I've been pretty successful. It's like
this person I don't want to see is up at
the play runners on whatever. It's an opportunity to figure
out what can't not get to what can I do
with this? So keeping that perspective has been nice. It
feels light, it feels good, it doesn't feel too heavy.
Speaker 3 (40:07):
Mm hmm. Like that either succeed, either succeed or you learn.
Speaker 2 (40:12):
Yeah, Like, obviously I'm trying to to succeed. I'm not right,
I'm not trying to like learn in the game, like
I'll take it after, but I.
Speaker 3 (40:19):
Prefer to succeed, but ye know, at times I do
have to learn.
Speaker 1 (40:23):
Yeah, what would you say is your I talked, We
talked about failure and how it's so important to be
able to have the mentality of your take that those
steps back or to propel yourself forward. Do you have
in your mind a favorite failure of yours where you've
really been able to you've learned the most from, Like
(40:44):
the one failure is like, oh, this was the kick
in the ass that I needed.
Speaker 2 (40:49):
Yeah, there's a couple of years ago, I was stirring
against Toyota, who's a really good team out here. I
was starting a gym. Maybe you only gave up like
one or two infield singles. We're up by three going
at seventh, and I got tight, like I mentally was
like freaking out, like because we're not supposed to beat them,
Like I just I just caught that wave out of nowhere,
(41:09):
gave it up in the seven, got walked off, and
I was like about to call myself a bad word,
but like what a baby? Like a baby, Like I
was sitting there and the dugout after like I did
that no one beat me, Like, absolutely, no one beat me.
I did that and that moment that was a good failure.
That was a good one.
Speaker 3 (41:28):
You said you called yourself a baby.
Speaker 1 (41:31):
Why.
Speaker 2 (41:31):
Yeah, I was just a baby out there, like, oh
my god, what if they hit it? Like what if
they don't think? Yeah, And I wasn't on that all game.
I was attacking and that's why I was. I was winning.
Speaker 3 (41:45):
And then you got back on the defense.
Speaker 2 (41:47):
Yeah. They just came into his credit. It's like, I'm
pretty it's easy. Yeah, all of you both.
Speaker 3 (41:54):
Hmmm when you said the what if? So it made
me think of you watched the Jordan documentary that came
out a while ago.
Speaker 2 (42:02):
Yeah, I did.
Speaker 3 (42:03):
During COVID, Yeah, and there was there's a part in that.
Speaker 1 (42:07):
I don't know why it resonated with me so much,
but he talked about when people I think someone asked
him about making me so confident within those big moments
and being able to shoot no matter what, or people
put hands in your face, and he was always His
response was, why would I worry.
Speaker 3 (42:23):
About a shot? I haven't I haven't shot yet, Like,
why would I worry about Why would I be thinking
about the outcome of a shot? I haven't attempted.
Speaker 1 (42:31):
It's like I'm gonna shoot it, like it's just and
I don't know why it stuck with me so much,
like I don't think about what's gonna love have a
shot that I never shot, like yeah, and it just
it led me into what you just said about you
beginning to think about, Okay, well what if they hit
this ballt what if they do that?
Speaker 3 (42:49):
And that leads into so many people.
Speaker 1 (42:50):
I mean, it's the same mentality like many people have
when you get to the plate and it's like, okay,
well they have a new picture.
Speaker 3 (42:55):
Who maybe is the best picture? It's okay, well, what
if she throws her curveball? What if she does this?
Versus like this is a pitch I'm gonna hit.
Speaker 1 (43:02):
I will sit here and wait till she throws it
to me, and then once I get it, I'm about
to knock it out of the park. Like this is
in changing your mentality, how small the shift that can be,
and if you shift it just that slightly in your mind,
how exponentially the ship will be in your performance.
Speaker 2 (43:19):
Yeah, why didn't we speak before season because I need
that It's never too late.
Speaker 3 (43:25):
But like so, yeah, it's never too ever, learn a
rite succeed or you learn Yeah.
Speaker 2 (43:31):
Wait now I want to go back and rewatch it. Yeah,
I'm sure you can find it on on yeah too.
Speaker 3 (43:37):
That was it stuck with me for really. I mean,
obviously it's still stuck with me, but it was, I
like was hung up on it for a while. I
feel like I talked about it a lot after that
because it was really it seems so simple and so
like matter of fact and common sense. But as athletes,
because we get so on our heads so frequently that
you don't really think of it in that way.
Speaker 2 (43:56):
Why I don't worry about a shot?
Speaker 3 (43:58):
It's like, yeah, why would I? Why would I worry
about a pitch that she hasn't pitched?
Speaker 2 (44:03):
Why would I?
Speaker 3 (44:03):
Like it may never come?
Speaker 2 (44:04):
Why would I worry.
Speaker 3 (44:05):
About this moment that may never even come to.
Speaker 2 (44:08):
Fruition the way I feel like I have looked at
things before. I think it was a Kobe interview actually
that we were we were talking he was talking about
he was all right here, yeah right, it's not fear
like someone asked him some question, can't specifically remember, but
he was talking about like you can't like the more
you run away from it, like you're running, running running,
(44:30):
versus like sitting in it. Like sit in it, let
it come. It's not nearly as bad as what you think. Like,
for instance, before I got walked off, I'm sitting there,
like what if I get walked off? And then I
actually get walked off, and it like really wasn't even
that bad, Like it was way worse in my head.
That's a different way of thinking about it too. But
it's like sometimes we like stack it up in our
heads so big and so bad, and like the real life,
(44:51):
even if that does happen, it's like nine times out
of ten it doesn't and it's not that bad. But
then it's like never reaches the level of bad that
you feel in your head, Like you may get hurt
worse than it actually hurt M but I like yours better.
Speaker 1 (45:04):
Yeah, there's more to cover, but first let's take a
quick break. Carly, where did you get your mentality from?
Like I know I got mine from my dad for sure,
and obviously just like life, but you just are full
(45:25):
of so much knowledge and so much wisdom that you are,
and like the way you speak, it's so it's without
even trying, like you just you have the way just
your cadence of speaking. It is with the intent to
always drop knowledge and you're not even trying to. It's
just like this is just your life and the way
in which you're speaking your life. It's filled with so
(45:47):
much profound opportunities and lessons, and I'm just curious how
you've developed the mentality of, you know, I succeed or
I learn, it's not a moment where I'm not getting better.
Speaker 2 (45:57):
First, I was like, maybe the best compliment anyone's ever
told me, thank you, that was so nice. Of course,
I'm like over here, like get my crime. I would say,
you know, my parents, I think both of them are
I like, couldn't ask for better parents, Like what I
get from each of them. I have talks like this
(46:18):
with my mom and then with my dad. It's like
he has such a thing that like he just wants
to be the best human being he can be, and
like hasn't spilled that in me and my sister as well.
So like that combination of always just like trying, like
we're gonna figure it out, Like I'm out here on
my own, might as well make it, Like might as
well not waste time, Like I don't know it has
(46:40):
to be my parents, Like I love am a lot.
They're probably the people I talk to the most. I
have amazing friends in my life too. I think most
of my friends are actually differing from me a lot
in like opinions, but similar in the way that we
might break things down, like the way that you speak
and the way that you are, Like most of my
friends are like not your same personality, but same like
layers if that like levels to it. And I really
(47:02):
like people like that. I don't really love like neutral,
I don't really love, like I want you to like
not agree with me, like I don't really want if
I convince you to agree with me, like I'm bored.
Speaker 3 (47:15):
Well that wasn't fun.
Speaker 2 (47:16):
Yeah, I don't care. Yeah anti climatic, yeah, like no
matter what you are, who you are, what you think
of yourself, like it's and just tell me just how
you think, like that's what I want. Like and I'm like,
if you're lying to me or telling you what I
want to hear, I hate you, like yeah, this is
like you're exactly like okay, yeah right. Bailey hampels my
(47:43):
catcher right now, and she's we have such different personalities
and she's so nice and like she doesn't want to
not upset me, but like differ in my opinion, and
like on the mound, I like, I'm like if we're playing,
like we don't have that, and like what do you think?
And she's sitting there like thinking about I didn't ask you.
What am I thinking? What do you say? And like
we're now finally to the point where she's like answering me.
(48:04):
And like the other day on the mound, she came
out there and gave me an opinion that I didn't
ask for and I was like, thank you, Like I
love it, That's what I wanted. Yeah, yeah, talking the game,
I was like, thank you so much for that, and
she was like, yeah, is that okay? And I was
like perfect, Oh, Carly. I.
Speaker 1 (48:21):
First of all, it's been so fun being able to
talk to you and being able to drop the many
diamonds that you drop throughout this podcast, whether it is
talking about taking it back to crawling to then learn
how to walk to then learning how to briskly walk
to then being able to run again. But take it
back to those moments failures only an opportunity more intelligently
(48:44):
begin again, and at the end of the day, you
don't lose unless you stop getting better.
Speaker 3 (48:50):
You succeed or you learn. And so I want to
say thank you so much for the diamond you dropped
of helping us all realize it's just easy to win.
It's easy to win.
Speaker 2 (49:01):
Yeah, but thingsing me. It's been so nice speaking to you,
but I've really missed you.
Speaker 3 (49:07):
Missed you, girl.
Speaker 2 (49:08):
I know.
Speaker 3 (49:08):
I'm so excited get to see you after I don't
even know God how long, but see yeah soon. Summer
with AU Is anyone you're most looking forward to playing with?
Speaker 2 (49:17):
Oh? Off the bat. I hate playing favorites because I'm
excited for everybody, but I'm really excited for Taylor Edwards.
She's like just one of my favorite people. Yeah. And
I'm also really excited to be on the same team
with Kline Rickets because she's just like they're all just
like the sweetest people. Yeah. Also, Rickets was someone that
like when I was younger. I wouldn't say that I
(49:38):
like idolized anyone. I grew up watching volleyball. I didn't
watch up ball, but I loved her like. I loved
her in like high school and I thought she was
so good And then I met her on my visit
and like I was just kind of like, hell, little
girl crush, and then to be like friends with her,
I'm like, oh my god, she she's awesome. So I'm
really excited now she's a mom, Like, I'm just excited
to be around her.
Speaker 1 (49:58):
Well, I'm excited to be around all of you, but
especially you and be able to watch all the things
that you have been able to do throughout your career.
I've known you for quite a while and it's been
so exciting and fun to see you continue.
Speaker 3 (50:13):
For our tires. For those that literally are just listening,
we just did the handles. Sorry that that sound us
very random, but no, I love you. I'm so proud
of you, and I'm so excited to watch you continue
to succeed, whether it is in Japan or America. So
thank you again for coming on.
Speaker 1 (50:34):
And remember, guys, if you can look at failure as
just an opportunity to get better, start back over at
square one in order to get to twenty, because this
time you're not starting from nothing, You're starting from experience,
and you'll be able to get back sooner.
Speaker 3 (50:48):
And that way it'll be easy to win.
Speaker 1 (50:50):
I mean you, guys, back here next week at the
Diamond Bye for now. Dropping Diamonds with Aj Andrews is
an iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Athletes Unlimited,
Softball Link and Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment.
Speaker 3 (51:11):
I'm your host, AJ Andrews.
Speaker 1 (51:13):
Our executive producer is Jesse Katz. Tari Harrison is our
supervising producer, and this episode was mixed and mastered by
Mary Doo. 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.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
I'm trying to look at every single opportunity, like, if
it's a really tough situation, it's an opportunity. So it's
an opportunity for me to be successful or figure something out.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
In Welcome to Dropping Diamonds with Me AJ Andrews, where
we dive headfirst into.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
The world of softball.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Today, I am joined by the one and only Carly Hoover.
She is a first round second pick for AUSL Blaze
and picture for TVUSA All American out of the best
school in the nation LSU, and my former teammate, a
(00:53):
good friend. It's so fabulous to see your gorgeous space, Carly.
Thank you for coming on.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Yeah, thank you for having me long time to see.
We can't go to this song again.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
I know, like I don't want to dive into the years,
but it's been a very, very very long time, Carly.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
I feel like you know, at LSU, our team was
very into motivation, very into how we can jump start
everything that we do. So I lead that also into
this podcast and kind of start every time with an
affirmation and a little diamond dropped to see to lead
us into the diamonds will we dropped through the conversation
and so one of my favorites which I had to
(01:30):
resurface because I feel like I said this all the
time at LSU at the end of the day, I'm
still pretty and that likely did too. And he said
we had a bad game, went zero for three, struck
out bases loaded or if Carly gave up a home run,
which didn't happen often, and it was just like, hey,
at the end of the day, you're still pretty. Like
(01:53):
there's people who strike out with bases loaded that don't
look like you, you.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Know, like they're having worse they're having worse days.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
So there's a little so I'm a little pick me up,
a little affirmation to give yourself whenever you're feeling a
little low. Also, what another one of my favorites from
the Bayou haters. They're gonna hate and there's absolutely nothing
that you can do about it. You just gotta keep going.
I was and that was definitely my go to. Bianca
Bell loved that one.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
She loved that one.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Probably do you have an affirmation or quote that you
feel like really sticks with you that you still utilize today.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
So a little funny. I'm with Mizuno and I was
creating my glove this year and on the inner whatever
you call palm liner, my dad always says, like, expect
to win in every situation, like no matter what. So
I don't know. I mean, I think they kind of
pushed me in the right direction, like there was a
slight mix up and I got a glove that said
easy to win. So I really like I get my glove,
(02:50):
like I love it. It's beautiful. Here's like Terry Wilsom's
on it. It's such a pretty glove. And every time
I see my gloves sit there, it's just like easy
to win. So I just I really like that. I'm
kind of a doctor it. I'm gonna keep it.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
I love Okay, So well with your dad, what did
your dad always say?
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Expect to win, expect.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
To win, but easy to win is you know, it's
like the cousin of that look at Yeah, don't make
it harder than what it is.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
I like full count on the mound, like basis like
easy to win.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
Yeah, which in my opinion is the full embodiment of
you and your mentality like.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
Whatever, like a little a little chocolate. Yeah, it's easy.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Like was there anything else I was gonna There's nothing
else that was going to happen.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
Actually, when I think about our time.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
So for those that Joe know, Carly and I played
an LSU together one year or two years?
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Just one year, only one, but yeah, you're still around
so it was fine. Yeah, ok.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
So last year, yeah, senior year, me and Carly played together.
We went to the World Series and that was that
was quite a year. We were number one at one point.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
We were here. Yeah, we were really yeah, yeah we
were good. We were really good too, like you don't
know what, you don't know, Like, as I got older,
I'm like, man, like that you was really good.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
We were I know, I think back to it all
the time. So I was like, if we were going
to win the World Series, I feel like that was
the team to do it for sure.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
And I'm just I just said this, it's so real.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
We literally had everything, like every tool, Me and Bailey, slapping, Bianca, Savannah,
Kelsey Claus, the big bats, Connie, Sandy, really scrappy able
to get on base. Then had Ali and you.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
Pitching yeah dang yeah, and which and y'all were the
complete opposites, Like you have someone that threw so hard
and then you had Ali that had all of the spin.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
So it was just like we had literally every weapon
you could think of dot gone.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
At the end of the day, we might get in
each other's face, but we still had respect for each
other and like really call each other up and out,
like we had no problem like saying, like you got
to be better at this, but like we knew it
was coming from a competitive place, and I just I think,
I don't know if it's because I'm thirty now, but
like some some of the younger girls like don't give
(05:12):
me that same vibe that we used to have, you
know what I'm saying of like just getting out there
and doing it and like being about it.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
Yeah, people's feelings will get hurt now, like the way
we talk to each other and the way we we
like things happened. Yeah, it's like, no, no, we need
to win. I'm thinking even now, just thinking about it
when people like oftentimes you when people think ask me
what was your favorite moment playing at LSU, I don't
know why.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
The first thing that sticks out in my mind the
most is that year twenty fifteen and we were playing
at home. Had it been Super Ritels. We're playing Arizona, right.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
We rental Arizona's supers.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
Remember the first time though, was that that year? Maybe
it was your before lost.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
To Arizona State in regionals that year like one game
and then came back and beat him.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Okay, yeah, because we had to play Nebraska and then
beat them and then came back game, I blacked out.
I had a full panic attack, and so Kaushun is
like telling me the other day about I was like,
I don't remember a single thing from that game. She's like,
you literally caught Kiki Stokes home run to save the
game for.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Us to go to the next day. Yeah, I was,
And I was like watching it from my view like
no way.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
I was like I don't remember that at all, completely
blacked out, no idea, no, okay. So there was Super
Regionals when we played Arizona then because remember Bianca thought
she caught the ball, but they said it hit the
ground and she had like a full episode in the dugout.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
And like and then she comes back and hits so
ringing RBI.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
To win the game and for us to move on
to the World Series. That is like the thing that
sticks in my mind the most, even I can't, I
literally cannot think of like that's the first thing that
comes to my mind.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
It's like you're the first thing that comes to your mind.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
I just loved the vibe of like I wouldn't say
girls because it's something were me, but like like people
keeping people on track, people working hard, like we worked
really hard. We did. We did work really hard. I
just had respect, Like even when I didn't like someone,
I was still gonna like respect them, And I think
we kind of all had that which made that team special.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
What do you think is the importance like when we
talk about being able to compete with individuals that maybe
you don't necessarily like, but you have to have that
level of respect because.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
No matter how many people you play with, you're not
gonna like everybody on your team, and being able to
cut the door of that hump.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
How do you feel like we were able to do
that so well?
Speaker 2 (07:32):
I thought about this a lot too, because even playing
in Japan, like I know a little bit of Japanese,
but not enough to like sit here and like talk
about your brother or something, you know what I mean,
Like I know enough to like get by, but not
like tell stories and like set up valuing like working
hard and valuing putting the team first. I think that
literally any of us would have like cut off our
(07:52):
left hand to contribute, like even if it was one
at that and like that passed about mentality versus you
see on some other teams, like this selfishness of like
I'm just trying to get on the shield. Like we
didn't have that. It was more like what can we
do to win? And I think every single person was
bought into that. And I say that magic and having
that is so special versus I've been on other teams
(08:13):
where it's like people just want to play and kind
of make it all about themselves and they don't mean to,
like we all want to be the one and they
just like aren't on the field, and that negativity and
that like I don't know, that vibe just doesn't mesh.
And I just think that specific team that you're talking
about that we were on, every single one on the
team was just like bought into like doing whatever it
took to win an inning when a ball game went
(08:34):
in a bat And I think that's what made us
so good personally.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
I even think to that time when Brian Cain came
and remember you burned your mouth. We had to Uh.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
I was like crying, I remember that. So I circle back, though,
I circle back.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
Oh god, I did it.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
So just for just for reference, Brian Kane is like
a mental coach, and he came to LSU and we
gave us all the different things to do in order
to get over fear and and so one of the
things he had was like the things that fire breathers
do for a show, where they put that fiery thing
in your mouth, and he like chokeed. For mind you,
this is all of us, just college kids, just came
(09:14):
out of class, right, this is like our first introduction
before practice started. And then he's okay, yeah, we want
I want all you guys to do it. And so
I don't remember who jumped up first. Maybe Sitting Bird
because she, you know, she was that type of person,
jumped up.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
First to do it. And they're like looking at me
because you know, one of the leaders. I'm like, I'm
not doing that. Yeah, so like I can't. I'm just
not gonna put that in my mouth. I'm just I
don't know. I don't want to do that. And then
you came up and you did it, and you you
were that valiant effort you had. Yeah, you didn't close
your mouth soon enough.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
I guess yeah. Yeah. I like didn't trust it. I
like didn't trust to like fully encompass it. And then
I had to go into the hallway. Like when then
I had to chill me out a little. I had
to calm down. I was like, I gotta eat this
spire for my girls. Came. I get in it ate
like three or four sticks. I was like, let's double
or nothing.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
You're literally like crying. I'm like, oh my god, Carly, Okay, okay, okay,
she's doing it. She's doing it. She's doing it. She
did it, she did it.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
And then there's me.
Speaker 3 (10:11):
I'm like, I'm proud of you guys. I'm not doing it,
but I'm so proud of y'all for all of you
that did it.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
I am not buying into each other though, you know
what I mean, like like on and off the field,
and like connection. It's interesting little things like that that
help or like things that don't.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
I one of the things I feel like from when
we talk about that hard work and some of the
stuff that he taught us the wipe off method, like
when you get in the box and you're able to
just pick something up, have something that you can tangibly
throw away as if you're wiping off, and it's a
new count that I think. So if you step up
to the plate, you get two strikes. You like pick
up dirt or find whatever it is you want to do,
(10:49):
and you throw it away, and that's your reset to
where now you have a vitality of it. It's just
whether it's three two, it doesn't matter three two, you're
gonna go for it. And so for you right now,
is there something you do that allows you to kind
of reset when you're on the mound?
Speaker 2 (11:04):
Yeah, I would say same literally, same concept, slightly different perspective.
I think I'm a momentum person, Like I'm an up
down person, and I've tried over the years of my
career to take away the down because I thought maybe
that would like help, if that makes any sense. But
as me, yeah, like I think being high and being
(11:24):
up is like also one of my cat like something
that makes to me. So I like kind of circled
back around and now I grab on to the fact
that like if it's oh to one one, whatever the
count is, Like this next pitch I have right here
has nothing to do with the last pitch. Like, if
I have momentum, I'll stack. If I don't, it's like
rashing you. Every time I'll double Inhale, I feel like
(11:45):
a double inhales clears of mine. I'm on a shot
clock and they love the circle thing early on foreigners.
So by the time I'm like looking and like done
playing in the dirt, I have like twelve seconds to
get a pitch off, so I don't have too much
time to master up. I'm out there like, oh my god,
run a clock back. But so literally all I have
time is to like and then I gotta go. So
I try to like clear my mind that way and
(12:07):
then just remember that it's easy to win these a
It all comes back to it's easy to win.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
What is the double? What is the double breath?
Speaker 2 (12:15):
Look and or sound like double breath, so like it's
one thing to take a take a big breath, but
it's a little shocking take a double breath. So it's
like like breath short pause, hit it again, and it's
almost like I feel it in my eyes. What does
that do for you?
Speaker 3 (12:29):
And just you feel like it calms you down?
Speaker 2 (12:31):
Here's my brain. Yeah, yeah, it's just just a little
reset because I just don't have time to like count,
I don't have time to take a deep breath that
takes like six seconds.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
Yeah, and you're on a shot po Yeah, it's like
that's half through time already.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
Yeah, and like what if I shake the pits then,
like that's so much time? Are you talking about.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
Your experience in Japan? How did that come about? How
did they your team find you? And what made you
want to say you want to go across the world
to compete.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
Yeah. So the first team that I played for out here,
they actually they like recruit from the World Series, so
they aren't as in depth like because it's a different country.
So usually who they look at is like people in
the World Series, like the best in on the best
college teams is like who they're recruiting from. And typically too,
the type of players will fight on here. They've definitely
expanded and gotten some different types of players, but typically
(13:20):
they want like a little bit more of a power player,
like a home run hitter or like a fast pitcher
because they're a little smaller than us as people and
like a little more finesse and quick. So then we
bring like the power portion to the game. So thankfully,
just given like what I'm good at throwing the ball hard,
so thankfully I like stood out to them. And then
(13:40):
since I've been here, it's funny like your thoughts and
feelings before you get here, and then like how you
grow when you've been here. Now that I've been here,
I mean, there's not been a game that I haven't learned, Like,
like I've lost in so many different ways. I'm like,
oh my god, like, but as soon as I lose
in that way, I'm not gonna lose in that way again.
So I'm getting better. But it's like crazy the amount
of combinations and things that can like stack up and
(14:03):
they can come at you with and all right, it's
been really enjoyable. Like this season, I'm on a much
younger team, and I've actually watched just like literally get
better in practice and get better game to game, and
like I've seen some of our younger girls like have
an experience for the first time. And for instance, the
other day, one of my like our little ones, you
punch on the mound the other girl that throws they
(14:24):
like threw the plan. So I was starting instead of her,
and she was really prepared and she was a little
on her head about it, and I forgot like I
experienced that ten years ago. I know how to like
get up and get down and like do all that.
Like she was like mentally freaking out. I'm over here
talking to her. I'm like, you're gonna close today, you
already change your mind, and like I ended up starting,
She ended up closing and came in and like switched it,
and it was such a big moment for her. She's twenty. Like,
(14:47):
it's fun watching them learn and experiencing things for the
first time that I've already experienced. And it's fun seeing
them like get better and we're kind of like getting
better together, and they work so hard. So it just
means a lot.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
Oh that a how are you able to really convey
those motivational messages that you really want to get through?
Speaker 2 (15:06):
Oh? One thing about me? You know I'm gonna you know,
I'm gonna accuse your body. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
Oh, do you Google translate right before you get to
her then just start going or do you just do
you show the phone or you practice what you're gonna
say so oh go.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
No, I don't say it. Sometimes, like when we're busy,
you know, you know it says it for you, so
I'll like play the audio okay, and it's sometimes it
hits a little funnier because it's in like a monotown voice.
But I know enough to like get on. But if
it's something a conversation like that, will sit down with
my phone and my WiFi and and they want to
talk to so they'll sit down and like message back,
so that's helpful, and I will say translations like aren't
(15:43):
always right. So sometimes it's just like miss and like
when this is when you're just like okay, next.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
Oh my god, Carly, I missed you that like your mannerisms,
absolutely nothing has changed. It's like I kind of like
I remember VI you be the they'd be like okay, now,
like you say something and if it doesn't land, it's
like okay, well, yep, two ships, we just missed each other.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
Maybe yeah, maybe yeah. Me.
Speaker 3 (16:15):
When you think about being able to talk about.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
The different losses that you've experienced in so many different ways,
what's one that really stuck out to you that you
feel like maybe you've learned the most from Okay.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
For instance, Japan really loves to do they call it
an in run. It's basically they're slapping it into the
field stealing home from third and I've lost two different
ways on that before actually, But like being able to know,
being able to see it, being able to see the
batter open up, being able to know, like they're just
constantly Japan's I mean, they might overpower you sometimes, but
(16:47):
like I'm more gonna get tricked before I'm gonna get overpowered,
you know what I'm saying. So like being able to
see it developing and know what they're doing. Know they're
doing a head and run. They do a lot of
steels head runs. Just put them on play time five.
So just being able to like counterattacks, so being able
to throw the right pitch that I know they can't
get the ball down, or like not letting them get
the bat extended, and situations like that, or in some
(17:09):
situations like getting this batter away and getting the next
batter out or setting someone up even like throwing the
ball off, getting that getting that runner from third in
a rundown, stuff like that. But different purchase, different pitches
work in that situation. It's just really hard when they
turn around and like our zone is like the size
of a cell ball. And then like so I'm not
getting called strikes really much ever, Like I have to
(17:30):
throw the ball on the plate and move the ball.
So when someone's like full turn slapping committed, like they
just fully commit. The runners fully committed, the batter's fully committed,
like they will throw their body across the plate to
get the ball down. And losing like that in like
the seven just right in front of your face, like
literally I'm at home and they're like diving in front
of me. I'm like that sucked. That sucks, But you
(17:51):
know that I can do by that.
Speaker 3 (17:54):
A ball, We'll be dropping more diamonds after these messages.
Playing in Japan, Carly, I feel like it had to
when you first got there. Was it a huge culture
shock the ways in what you've had to learn game
(18:16):
after game, practice after practice. What was the biggest culture
shock you experienced.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
I really like to work. Work isn't an issue for me,
So saying like no to extra work, like oh, like
there is a thing you are doing. Yeah, I found
that many tasks so like learning to like I press press, press,
press press learning to like press enough, let it hang
(18:42):
for a second and come back to it, especially in
my pitching and thoughts and like development, like even I'm
working on something right now. I have seven things that
I want in troubleshoot today and my bullpen, and but
I have to like I wrote it all down after
the game and then like gave myself a day to
do whatever, Like I went, I went into a soccer
and had fun with daily my tee me and then
it's like I'm going to come back today. And so
(19:02):
like learning that balance, I think as an individual and
as a human out here because they have the same
mentality of me, like let's go to the bulbin right now,
let's fix it right now. And like when you're in
a bad mental spot or like you're tired, you're not
going to figure it out. So learning to balance, I
would say, is the hardest part. And to say no,
they let you do whatever you want, but it's pretty hard.
(19:25):
Like let's say I was just on the mountain and
lost the game, and like I'm the one that's not
going to show up extra practice. I'm in my head
about like do I look bad? But it's like I
need to take care of myself and what I need.
Do I need to watch more film, Do I need
to figure this out? Or is it something physical? Like
those are two different things, and so like I know
now what I need to prepare, and I prepare in
a lot of different ways that aren't physical. That's been
(19:46):
hard to figure out because at first it was like,
let me throw my arm to the ground.
Speaker 3 (19:50):
Yeah, girl, the way I have to stretch. Nowadays it's
a lot different show goes.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
Showing cots no way. I'm a little nervous about AU
because like America's a little more laid back like Japan.
We get the field three and a half hours early,
like I'd have a full three hour st your team.
I got time to kill, Like like if we do
someone go, I might like pulls them.
Speaker 1 (20:13):
You have to really like, all right, let's wake up.
Everybody gets up and you're at the field at six.
Speaker 2 (20:20):
In the room. Yeah, yeah, maybe how did you.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
Learn that balance?
Speaker 1 (20:25):
Because I think that that's something that probably a lot
of people are trying to figure out what that looks like,
whether you're overdoing it because I know you mean me
and you both right, we were just really hard workers
and it got to a point I remember in college
when Coachmina was like, you just need to go to
the tea, like stop having someone pitch to you, stop
doing all the things. Just hit off the tee and
(20:47):
feel good, like dial it back. And I don't know
if she would have said that. If I would have right,
I would have gone one hundred miles an hour every
single time trying to figure it out even though it
wasn't working, still going. And so for you, when you
said you had a figure that out for yourself, was
there something particular that kind of clicked for you?
Speaker 2 (21:04):
I would say just in general like failing, because I'm
still going through it, Like I'm still trying to figure
out this one specific thing right now, and I'm still
like hitting my head against the wall trying to figure
out on a thousand miles an hour, I'm about to
go today into like back on my knees, progressing something
like I'm going back to crawling, you know what I mean? Yeah,
but like I have to. But I know also though
(21:25):
I'm going back to crawling with the experience I already have,
it's not that I'm going back to zero. So like
I know that it'll come quick. I just need to
like see what I'm missing in the in the beginner
phase maybe, but I would just say failing has made
me figure it out because I'm not going to keep
doing the same thing, Like I write down every single
thing in every single way I try, and I eventually
(21:47):
got to the point where it's like, Okay, I gotta
do something else, Like I gotta take it, I gotta
take a step back.
Speaker 3 (21:52):
So essentially, it's like you get to a place where
just get back, go back to square one, because getting
back to square ten is going to be easier than
it was when you first started. So just go back
and figure out.
Speaker 2 (22:03):
How you did it and know that it'll fill in.
Like trust that with everything their ear remark to square
one with you're gonna be able to jump levels. But
I just keep trying to start from twenty when I'm
missing something in the teens somewhere, Like that's how I
feel right now. I like that. How do you see?
Speaker 1 (22:20):
No, it makes perfect sense, Like we're just you're trying
to troubleshoot to the top, and yeah, you got one
to five figured out, but you still got to get
six to fourteen, get that before you can get all
the way back.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
To where you feel comfortable in who you are.
Speaker 1 (22:36):
Yeah, is there something you tell yourself in the midst
of that, like as far as maybe like a motto
or something that you know gets you going Sometimes.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
I know this sounds so dramatic. It's hard to like
keep hoping and keep trying. Every time I try something wrong,
it's gonna be closer like market list. So that's what
I kind of hold on too. It's like every time
I had a new idea that didn't work, getting closer
to the right one I know a little more. So
that's what I like to think, like I'm smarter.
Speaker 1 (23:05):
That reminds me of a saying like failure is only
the opportunity to intelligently begin again, Like you are only
getting the opportunity to do this, to do this same
thing but with more intellect and more experience in order
to make it better than that last time. I said
all the time when it comes to like making diving catches,
(23:26):
the only way I'm able to make that really amazing
catches because I've missed it before and so I know
what I need to do now in order to.
Speaker 3 (23:34):
Never miss it again.
Speaker 1 (23:35):
So you don't see you haven't you didn't see that
one miss But that one miss is the only reason
why you see all those other catches, and so building
upon that.
Speaker 2 (23:44):
I'm really making myself sound like I'm a loser, like
all I do is fail, but I'm just like embracing
like it's important. It's you don't learn from it, then
you are a loser. Ay, that's a bar. That was
a bar right there.
Speaker 3 (23:59):
Failure doesn't make you a loser. Not learning from the
failure makes you lose. My next love, learn or lose,
And uh yeah, because you have to learn, because it's
easy to win. From your experience in Japan, being able
to fail your first attempt in learning more intelligently, beginning
(24:22):
again and continuously coming back to get back to twenty,
you've been able to have some of your best games.
You are on Team USA, You're a Japan All Star,
you were the twenty eighteen Japan Cup. What is your
favorite part about playing in Japan?
Speaker 2 (24:42):
Honestly, the people, Like it is so fun interact and
it is so fun to just like mess around with
my girls and my team, Like the softball's fun, the
growing's fun, the like mess around different countries fun. But
it's like the people that I'm with it like really
makes it like we're at the field all day every day,
but it's enjoy It's like not like you want to
go hal. I've been on scenes out here before where
(25:03):
it's like like the environment's just not the same. The
environment this year is like I don't mind being at
the field eight to five, like, yeah, let's clean up
for three hours, like because it's like we're messing around
and they just like eat up like whatever we give them,
they just like eat it up. Like they love the
Instagram dances like and they're all shot like they want
to do them. And then like but it's like, don't post,
don't post.
Speaker 3 (25:23):
Oh yeah, okay, shy girl, you gotta break at your shell.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
Yeah. They're awesome And I don't know, interacting with them,
friendships with them, relationships with them. I think it's the
best part.
Speaker 3 (25:37):
And your team is called the NSK Brave Berry's Team.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
Yeah, Betty's Betties.
Speaker 3 (25:44):
What's the thing you guys?
Speaker 2 (25:45):
Do you say?
Speaker 3 (25:45):
You do something in between innings?
Speaker 2 (25:47):
All of us when I'm not pitching, and we stand
there like like there's a line of us like this
and we.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
Go at what is the reason behind that?
Speaker 2 (25:55):
Again? I don't know.
Speaker 3 (25:57):
Can you say a sentence in Japanese like what would
you say?
Speaker 2 (26:00):
What do you know? What tash you on? I am sleepy?
Uh yeah I can. I can just say like dumb stuff.
Speaker 1 (26:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (26:14):
I feel it's like typically what you learn the most
infortant and the cuss words.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
Yeah yeah, you learn like the quick things and then
they talk all the customards immediately. Of course who taught
you that?
Speaker 3 (26:27):
She said, I can't tell what's your favorite food to eat?
Speaker 2 (26:32):
There? They do steak different here. I could eat steak
recastunda dinner. Also, I just feel like in general, I
eat a lot more here and it's better, Like, yeah,
we just have stuff in our food at home. I
don't know what, but stuff that sticks on meat and
Japan this doesn't stick on me the same.
Speaker 3 (26:48):
That's how it was when I played in Italy, Like
they would feed us pasta every single day before a game,
with loads of meats, loads of cheeses, and no matter
what I did.
Speaker 1 (26:58):
I worked out every day, I did my saming thing,
but I ate more and I lost at least like
ten pounds and there's nothing I could do about it.
Speaker 3 (27:04):
Like I tried to maintain my weight and just could it.
And it had to food.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
The food was just better and you feel lighter. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (27:12):
In the US, I think so many softball players want
to look into playing overseas, whether it is in Italy,
whether it is in Japan. And now you have a
lot more girls even going to Mexico. The different opportunities
that there are around the world now to play softball.
Japan was always an opportunity because you were able to
get paid and get paid like a real salary to
(27:35):
where you didn't have to have a second job the
way type you would playing pro in the US. Do
you see that being more of a trend.
Speaker 2 (27:43):
I think there's a misconception sometimes too about Japan because
like a couple people get paid paid. Other than that,
everyone else is in the same range, gotcha, because I
don't think everyone's like super clear on that, and people
think they're gonna come over and like make this out
of the other, Like you kind of have to be
a very civic type of player and has specific skills
and there has to be an opening on a specific
(28:05):
team that has money. God, Like there's a lot has
to be a lot of things that line up, Like
only a couple teams pay pay and it's like do
they need a picture like do they need this? But
I will say even the teams that don't pay pay
are still making like more than enough to have a
good life. Is set like a salary all those things.
But like the big money that you're talking about, I
(28:26):
think people think everyone gets that, and that's not true. Personally,
I always wanted Japan because like my ultimate goal in life.
This is interesting. Actually last year with TEMSA, we did
a thing in the summer of like a number, like
I was number ten, so I got to interview other
number tens and ask them like what it meant, and
one of them ended up being Lonnie Ricketts. Like I
just loved like that project. It was really fun and
(28:48):
it was really really interesting to hear some of the girls,
Like some of the girls were like crying on their presentations,
like I give anything to play for USA, and I
think that is so cool. That is never I kind
of made me really what I what I'm about and
what I value. I've never valued like having Obviously I
value USA on my chest, but I've never been like
let me like kill myself to be on this team.
(29:10):
It's more like if I don't fulfill the ultimate mission
of being the best I could be. I can't sleep
in net and if that, if that mission aligns with
me being on that team, that would be amazing beautiful
if that mission aligns with me winning it, chanmioned about
here love it. But like on my cup, my personal
cup is gonna be filled when I figured out everything
I can figure out and what I've done, what I
can do. It's not so much like did this team
(29:33):
validate mean and think I was good enough to make
the team? Like it's it's did I validate myself and
did I do everything in my power to grow as
much as I could and learn as much as I
could and be as best as I can be. That's
why I'm in Japan because I'm learning and growing, I'm
getting better. Like I look at myself as like I'm
probably like three or four percent out of one hundred.
Like that's literally how I view myself, Like I'm not
(29:53):
even close, and I don't know. I think that's the
point for me, I know for others, it's just like,
let me reach this milestone. I'm good. So that's kind
of like my vibe on it. If you have the
opportunity to play over seas and everything that comes is
growing and learning I just think it's silly to pass
up and you can never like go back and lace
them up again. Like once you're done, it's kind of tough.
(30:15):
So it's like, let's let's squeeze it out right now,
like let's get what we can.
Speaker 1 (30:20):
I love that mentality, and it reminds me of a
saying that I used to talk about a little bit
more words, I don't fear people talking negatively about me
or other people's opinions.
Speaker 3 (30:30):
I fear not reaching my potential and being average. Like
that's why I do what I do.
Speaker 2 (30:36):
That's what I fear.
Speaker 3 (30:38):
I'm scared of when it's.
Speaker 1 (30:39):
All set and down, looking back and say, dang, I
really could have done that, right, Think you don't want
to do that out right?
Speaker 3 (30:45):
That's not and that's what propels you, that's what motivates
you forward.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
Yeah you're similar, you're the same.
Speaker 1 (30:51):
Yeah, no, I know, we're like, yeah, we're off the
Sanborto branches, off the same tree. We literally like I'd
be like all our conversations were very similar in the
ways of which we think and like to your point
about in our team in twenty fifteen, that's why we're
able to I feel like we all had that mentality,
we just expressed it in different ways, and so that's
(31:12):
why we were all able to like kind of check
each other because we all.
Speaker 3 (31:16):
Like, I get what you're saying. Maybe we don't like
how you're saying it to me right now, but like
I get what you're saying.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
Yeah, And ultimately we were all right, right, oh god,
I really I think that that's so important though, especially
the part about validation, because I think so many times
as players we're seeking whether it's our coaches, validation, our parents, validation,
being able to wear certain letters across our chests. And
(31:42):
at the end of the day, you have to become
the best you and hopefully those things that you want align.
Speaker 3 (31:49):
But until you get to where you're supposed to be,
it's never going to align with what it is that
you want to become.
Speaker 2 (31:55):
Yeah, and it's not time yet. Like I don't know,
I want to be. I want to have those when
I'm there. I don't think I'm there, Like there's I'm
figuring out a lot right now, but hopefully soon, I
don't know or not.
Speaker 3 (32:08):
I mean, I feel like there's enough.
Speaker 1 (32:09):
There's a power in the constant chase of greatness, right
never like feeling relaxed or never feeling like I am
one hundred percent like you always cause I'm the outside.
Someone could look at you like, lean know, Carl Hooper's
little the best picture I've ever faced. No, Like, I
don't think you can get better than Carli Hooper. But
then in your mind you're like, yeah, no, I'm not
twenty percent.
Speaker 2 (32:30):
Right now, Yeah you used to see my notes?
Speaker 1 (32:32):
How did you say that to somebody that thinks like
you're the best, like the fast person ever face.
Speaker 3 (32:36):
Like you're twenty percent? All right, Well I'm gonna retire.
I see it anyway, So thank god I don't have
to see you at one hundred.
Speaker 2 (32:44):
I still remember. I can't remember who this conversation was with.
I was like maybe twenty two or something, and I
was like playing up on the national team, like I
was on the second teat like the B team, whatever
you want to call it, and like playing up and
I called my fastball, my fastball is like a split
and it kind of cuts a little bit, and I
was like calling in a and she was like, no, no, no,
it's a fastball. And I was like what She was like, yeah,
because when you strike someone out and I say, what
(33:05):
was that? Doesn't it suck? You'd be like, oh, that
was just a fastball, versus like that's a cutter, you
know what I mean? So like just like dumb down
all of it. Like I might have like eight variations
of pitches, and like I was just throwing straight right,
I have.
Speaker 3 (33:18):
No I don't know what you're talking about, okay, and
then every time you throw a fastball looks different. It's like, no, no,
tell me what you're throwing. That is not a fastball
easy to win?
Speaker 2 (33:29):
Right? And then this is easy?
Speaker 3 (33:33):
I love my god. It all comes back to that,
and I think that is chef's kiss.
Speaker 1 (33:37):
When do you think about the like playing in Japan,
I always thought y'all got paid like honey k or more. Yeah,
there's definitely people in that range. Okay, Yeah, what do
you think we got to do in order to get that?
In America? Her girls can just be playing a hundred K.
They don't have to go and coach softball teams in
the spring and fall after.
Speaker 2 (33:58):
Okay. Outside of like the growth of everything that's happening
in America, I just feel like I can't really speak
on much because I haven't been in it, and I
haven't been experiencing it. I watch it on my couch
when I'm home, love it, support it. Always watch my
friends like posting them like I'm really excited to play
this summer, but I haven't been in it, so I
don't know. I would say though, when it comes to
like actual like like political financial things like for instance,
(34:21):
my company, like we are able to have a league
because of these companies that can front the teams. In America,
I don't think companies can pay, Like there's some logisticality
thing where like if a company can front a team
and like that could be a tax rite off, like
if we could be Pepsi or if we could be Gatorade.
I think there's something there that's not letting that happen.
(34:43):
I don't know for a fact, but like you look
at Europe, you look everywhere else, and like all these
companies are funding these teams, Like companies aren't allowed to
do that in America. So like if we had that,
I think that'd help all female sports.
Speaker 3 (34:55):
And I didn't think about that because that's what it
is in Japan, right the Toyota, and because.
Speaker 2 (35:00):
I've given there so much thought about where my money
comes from. Yeah, like how am I getting paid? Because
there's many people here, like no one cares, so who's
paying me?
Speaker 1 (35:13):
You talk about how you haven't been in the scene
really in America. I mean you kind of jumped straight
into going and play in Japan. You played a little
bit here in US and then about being Bada boom
hit the road.
Speaker 3 (35:25):
Jack didn't come back no more. But now you are
coming back and you will be with aus L and
you'll be on the blaze this summer playing professional softball.
Speaker 1 (35:38):
When you think about getting more integrated back into US
pro softball, what are you most looking forward to or
do you how do you feel like it might be
a little different.
Speaker 2 (35:47):
I'm genuinely most looking forward to my friends and family
being there because I've been gone for so long, and
like my parents watch my games online. But I'm just excited,
like for the American environment of like let me get
a hot dog, let me listen to this American music,
like let me enjoy my teammates in English. Love my
teammates now, but like let's mess around in English in
the dugout, Like that's so fun. That's genuinely like what
(36:11):
I'm most excited for, like hearing like country music when
I'm in the bullpen, Like I don't even like country music, but.
Speaker 3 (36:20):
It's just something so softball about it.
Speaker 2 (36:22):
Yeah yeahs elevator music is being played out here like
oh really, or like my team listens to K pop, which,
like I know if you love it awesome, Like it's
not my favorite, so I think just like yeah, being
home and like even if like I open up in
KANDUS so I'm going to Kansas, I'm still home. Like
I get to be in the country. I get to
play just with friends again. That's what I'm most excited about.
Speaker 3 (36:44):
Love your family, Allow your mom on Instagram. Yeah, I
love that she's never changed that stay true or some queen.
Speaker 2 (36:53):
Yeah, she's gonna do it.
Speaker 1 (36:56):
Okay, Now we're gonna go into my favorite segment of
pop Cast, the no Fly Zone segments, you know, where
we try to make sure the balls never touch the
touch the ground, which I tried to do for you
as much as I possibly.
Speaker 2 (37:10):
Absolutely outfield behind you.
Speaker 3 (37:13):
What's your favorite planet that made that I made web gym? Yeah,
my favorite web gym I had while I was playing
behind Jim.
Speaker 2 (37:20):
The fact that you're asking me to narrow it down
when I saw you do this in practice every day.
I don't think that's what people understand, Like people don't
get that, like when people are watching you or your
sister like highlight reels. It's like we saw that in
practice every day. Like not not like I don't care,
but I'm like a little to sensitized, Like you should
be catching it, like I see you catch that.
Speaker 3 (37:42):
It's like when I don't like literally like a million times.
Speaker 2 (37:46):
It's easy to wind, Like yeah, but you make it.
You make it look easy to wind. So like even
just watching me do it a thousand times in practice
and then when it would come in the game, it's
like routine. If that's right, that is your routine. I
love that. Yeah, it was fun to watch, Like you know,
one thing about me, I'm not gonna do it that
So period really been to watch you guys do it.
Speaker 1 (38:09):
Just try to make it so that I was a
picture's best friend out there. Made you want to love
me more than everybody else. That was my goal.
Speaker 2 (38:15):
Yeah, you know I love you. I still love you,
still love you.
Speaker 3 (38:19):
How'd you keep the field of no fly zone?
Speaker 2 (38:20):
Carly? I can think of like some big moments where
I like came in and struck somebody out, but I
can't really think of like and I've been like sewn
it right down the middle. I'm like, how did you
not hit that? Thank you well?
Speaker 1 (38:31):
Keep me in a no fly zone, Like is there
a moment where you feel like you've you've come back
from you know, from behind, or you've been able to
get somebody out a really big moment.
Speaker 2 (38:41):
So Japan changed their their inning stuff to you can
now tie, So in the eighth inning it goes international
tie breaker runner on second, and the ninth it goes
to runners second, third, one out. And so there's been
now a couple of situations in my career where we
didn't score, and so it's it's tie or loose, Like
I go out there and it's literally tire lose and
(39:01):
I'm over there like this sucks, like but I've like
got the tie and I can just think, like I
remember those innings of like you're just trying to hit
and run, They're just trying to get the ball down,
and I'm like, get out of here. Didn't get it down,
so that felt really good, Like I didn't win, though
I think it just tied. But yeah, those are pressure moments,
(39:21):
like yeah, what.
Speaker 1 (39:22):
Do you think is the key to being an elite
picture and being able to dominate within those pressure moments.
Speaker 2 (39:27):
The perspective I've had this season is different because my
team's a little different. So I'm trying to like, I'm
pitching some really good games, we're doing some really good things,
but like we haven't been winning a whole lot. There's
only so much you can control, right, So I'm trying
to look at every single opportunity, Like, if it's a
really tough situation, it's an opportunity. So it's an opportunity
for me to be successful or figure something out in
(39:48):
So I've kind of been approaching a lot of tough
moments like that, and I've been pretty successful. It's like
this person I don't want to see is up at
the play runners on whatever. It's an opportunity to figure
out what can't not get to what can I do
with this? So keeping that perspective has been nice. It
feels light, it feels good, it doesn't feel too heavy.
Speaker 3 (40:07):
Mm hmm. Like that either succeed, either succeed or you learn.
Speaker 2 (40:12):
Yeah, Like, obviously I'm trying to to succeed. I'm not right,
I'm not trying to like learn in the game, like
I'll take it after, but I.
Speaker 3 (40:19):
Prefer to succeed, but ye know, at times I do
have to learn.
Speaker 1 (40:23):
Yeah, what would you say is your I talked, We
talked about failure and how it's so important to be
able to have the mentality of your take that those
steps back or to propel yourself forward. Do you have
in your mind a favorite failure of yours where you've
really been able to you've learned the most from, Like
(40:44):
the one failure is like, oh, this was the kick
in the ass that I needed.
Speaker 2 (40:49):
Yeah, there's a couple of years ago, I was stirring
against Toyota, who's a really good team out here. I
was starting a gym. Maybe you only gave up like
one or two infield singles. We're up by three going
at seventh, and I got tight, like I mentally was
like freaking out, like because we're not supposed to beat them,
Like I just I just caught that wave out of nowhere,
(41:09):
gave it up in the seven, got walked off, and
I was like about to call myself a bad word,
but like what a baby? Like a baby, Like I
was sitting there and the dugout after like I did
that no one beat me, Like, absolutely, no one beat me.
I did that and that moment that was a good failure.
That was a good one.
Speaker 3 (41:28):
You said you called yourself a baby.
Speaker 1 (41:31):
Why.
Speaker 2 (41:31):
Yeah, I was just a baby out there, like, oh
my god, what if they hit it? Like what if
they don't think? Yeah, And I wasn't on that all game.
I was attacking and that's why I was. I was winning.
Speaker 3 (41:45):
And then you got back on the defense.
Speaker 2 (41:47):
Yeah. They just came into his credit. It's like, I'm
pretty it's easy. Yeah, all of you both.
Speaker 3 (41:54):
Hmmm when you said the what if? So it made
me think of you watched the Jordan documentary that came
out a while ago.
Speaker 2 (42:02):
Yeah, I did.
Speaker 3 (42:03):
During COVID, Yeah, and there was there's a part in that.
Speaker 1 (42:07):
I don't know why it resonated with me so much,
but he talked about when people I think someone asked
him about making me so confident within those big moments
and being able to shoot no matter what, or people
put hands in your face, and he was always His
response was, why would I worry.
Speaker 3 (42:23):
About a shot? I haven't I haven't shot yet, Like,
why would I worry about Why would I be thinking
about the outcome of a shot? I haven't attempted.
Speaker 1 (42:31):
It's like I'm gonna shoot it, like it's just and
I don't know why it stuck with me so much,
like I don't think about what's gonna love have a
shot that I never shot, like yeah, and it just
it led me into what you just said about you
beginning to think about, Okay, well what if they hit
this ballt what if they do that?
Speaker 3 (42:49):
And that leads into so many people.
Speaker 1 (42:50):
I mean, it's the same mentality like many people have
when you get to the plate and it's like, okay,
well they have a new picture.
Speaker 3 (42:55):
Who maybe is the best picture? It's okay, well, what
if she throws her curveball? What if she does this?
Versus like this is a pitch I'm gonna hit.
Speaker 1 (43:02):
I will sit here and wait till she throws it
to me, and then once I get it, I'm about
to knock it out of the park. Like this is
in changing your mentality, how small the shift that can be,
and if you shift it just that slightly in your mind,
how exponentially the ship will be in your performance.
Speaker 2 (43:19):
Yeah, why didn't we speak before season because I need
that It's never too late.
Speaker 3 (43:25):
But like so, yeah, it's never too ever, learn a
rite succeed or you learn Yeah.
Speaker 2 (43:31):
Wait now I want to go back and rewatch it. Yeah,
I'm sure you can find it on on yeah too.
Speaker 3 (43:37):
That was it stuck with me for really. I mean,
obviously it's still stuck with me, but it was, I
like was hung up on it for a while. I
feel like I talked about it a lot after that
because it was really it seems so simple and so
like matter of fact and common sense. But as athletes,
because we get so on our heads so frequently that
you don't really think of it in that way.
Speaker 2 (43:56):
Why I don't worry about a shot?
Speaker 3 (43:58):
It's like, yeah, why would I? Why would I worry
about a pitch that she hasn't pitched?
Speaker 2 (44:03):
Why would I?
Speaker 3 (44:03):
Like it may never come?
Speaker 2 (44:04):
Why would I worry.
Speaker 3 (44:05):
About this moment that may never even come to.
Speaker 2 (44:08):
Fruition the way I feel like I have looked at
things before. I think it was a Kobe interview actually
that we were we were talking he was talking about
he was all right here, yeah right, it's not fear
like someone asked him some question, can't specifically remember, but
he was talking about like you can't like the more
you run away from it, like you're running, running running,
(44:30):
versus like sitting in it. Like sit in it, let
it come. It's not nearly as bad as what you think. Like,
for instance, before I got walked off, I'm sitting there,
like what if I get walked off? And then I
actually get walked off, and it like really wasn't even
that bad, Like it was way worse in my head.
That's a different way of thinking about it too. But
it's like sometimes we like stack it up in our
heads so big and so bad, and like the real life,
(44:51):
even if that does happen, it's like nine times out
of ten it doesn't and it's not that bad. But
then it's like never reaches the level of bad that
you feel in your head, Like you may get hurt
worse than it actually hurt M but I like yours better.
Speaker 1 (45:04):
Yeah, there's more to cover, but first let's take a
quick break. Carly, where did you get your mentality from?
Like I know I got mine from my dad for sure,
and obviously just like life, but you just are full
(45:25):
of so much knowledge and so much wisdom that you are,
and like the way you speak, it's so it's without
even trying, like you just you have the way just
your cadence of speaking. It is with the intent to
always drop knowledge and you're not even trying to. It's
just like this is just your life and the way
in which you're speaking your life. It's filled with so
(45:47):
much profound opportunities and lessons, and I'm just curious how
you've developed the mentality of, you know, I succeed or
I learn, it's not a moment where I'm not getting better.
Speaker 2 (45:57):
First, I was like, maybe the best compliment anyone's ever
told me, thank you, that was so nice. Of course,
I'm like over here, like get my crime. I would say,
you know, my parents, I think both of them are
I like, couldn't ask for better parents, Like what I
get from each of them. I have talks like this
(46:18):
with my mom and then with my dad. It's like
he has such a thing that like he just wants
to be the best human being he can be, and
like hasn't spilled that in me and my sister as well.
So like that combination of always just like trying, like
we're gonna figure it out, Like I'm out here on
my own, might as well make it, Like might as
well not waste time, Like I don't know it has
(46:40):
to be my parents, Like I love am a lot.
They're probably the people I talk to the most. I
have amazing friends in my life too. I think most
of my friends are actually differing from me a lot
in like opinions, but similar in the way that we
might break things down, like the way that you speak
and the way that you are, Like most of my
friends are like not your same personality, but same like
layers if that like levels to it. And I really
(47:02):
like people like that. I don't really love like neutral,
I don't really love, like I want you to like
not agree with me, like I don't really want if
I convince you to agree with me, like I'm bored.
Speaker 3 (47:15):
Well that wasn't fun.
Speaker 2 (47:16):
Yeah, I don't care. Yeah anti climatic, yeah, like no
matter what you are, who you are, what you think
of yourself, like it's and just tell me just how
you think, like that's what I want. Like and I'm like,
if you're lying to me or telling you what I
want to hear, I hate you, like yeah, this is
like you're exactly like okay, yeah right. Bailey hampels my
(47:43):
catcher right now, and she's we have such different personalities
and she's so nice and like she doesn't want to
not upset me, but like differ in my opinion, and
like on the mound, I like, I'm like if we're playing,
like we don't have that, and like what do you think?
And she's sitting there like thinking about I didn't ask you.
What am I thinking? What do you say? And like
we're now finally to the point where she's like answering me.
(48:04):
And like the other day on the mound, she came
out there and gave me an opinion that I didn't
ask for and I was like, thank you, Like I
love it, That's what I wanted. Yeah, yeah, talking the game,
I was like, thank you so much for that, and
she was like, yeah, is that okay? And I was
like perfect, Oh, Carly. I.
Speaker 1 (48:21):
First of all, it's been so fun being able to
talk to you and being able to drop the many
diamonds that you drop throughout this podcast, whether it is
talking about taking it back to crawling to then learn
how to walk to then learning how to briskly walk
to then being able to run again. But take it
back to those moments failures only an opportunity more intelligently
(48:44):
begin again, and at the end of the day, you
don't lose unless you stop getting better.
Speaker 3 (48:50):
You succeed or you learn. And so I want to
say thank you so much for the diamond you dropped
of helping us all realize it's just easy to win.
It's easy to win.
Speaker 2 (49:01):
Yeah, but thingsing me. It's been so nice speaking to you,
but I've really missed you.
Speaker 3 (49:07):
Missed you, girl.
Speaker 2 (49:08):
I know.
Speaker 3 (49:08):
I'm so excited get to see you after I don't
even know God how long, but see yeah soon. Summer
with AU Is anyone you're most looking forward to playing with?
Speaker 2 (49:17):
Oh? Off the bat. I hate playing favorites because I'm
excited for everybody, but I'm really excited for Taylor Edwards.
She's like just one of my favorite people. Yeah. And
I'm also really excited to be on the same team
with Kline Rickets because she's just like they're all just
like the sweetest people. Yeah. Also, Rickets was someone that
like when I was younger. I wouldn't say that I
(49:38):
like idolized anyone. I grew up watching volleyball. I didn't
watch up ball, but I loved her like. I loved
her in like high school and I thought she was
so good And then I met her on my visit
and like I was just kind of like, hell, little
girl crush, and then to be like friends with her,
I'm like, oh my god, she she's awesome. So I'm
really excited now she's a mom, Like, I'm just excited
to be around her.
Speaker 1 (49:58):
Well, I'm excited to be around all of you, but
especially you and be able to watch all the things
that you have been able to do throughout your career.
I've known you for quite a while and it's been
so exciting and fun to see you continue.
Speaker 3 (50:13):
For our tires. For those that literally are just listening,
we just did the handles. Sorry that that sound us
very random, but no, I love you. I'm so proud
of you, and I'm so excited to watch you continue
to succeed, whether it is in Japan or America. So
thank you again for coming on.
Speaker 1 (50:34):
And remember, guys, if you can look at failure as
just an opportunity to get better, start back over at
square one in order to get to twenty, because this
time you're not starting from nothing, You're starting from experience,
and you'll be able to get back sooner.
Speaker 3 (50:48):
And that way it'll be easy to win.
Speaker 1 (50:50):
I mean you, guys, back here next week at the
Diamond Bye for now. Dropping Diamonds with Aj Andrews is
an iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Athletes Unlimited,
Softball Link and Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment.
Speaker 3 (51:11):
I'm your host, AJ Andrews.
Speaker 1 (51:13):
Our executive producer is Jesse Katz. Tari Harrison is our
supervising producer, and this episode was mixed and mastered by
Mary Doo. Listen to Dropping Diamonds with Aj Andrews on
the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your
podcasts
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Ridiculous History
History is beautiful, brutal and, often, ridiculous. Join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown as they dive into some of the weirdest stories from across the span of human civilization in Ridiculous History, a podcast by iHeartRadio.