March 31, 2025 • 51 mins
In this episode, AJ is joined by Amanda Lorenz, a professional softball player for the AUSL Volts and USA Softball team. Amanda emphasizes the importance of confidence, hard work, and overcoming failures as she shares key moments in her career, from the college recruitment process to impactful games.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Dropping Diamonds with AJ Andrews is an iHeart women's sports
production in partnership with Athletes Elimited Softball League and Deep
Blue Sports and Entertainment.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
You're just one swing away from your luck changing. I think,
like you know, you don't even have to do so
much different, but just one swing away from something good
can start a new streak.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
All right, Welcome y'all to Dropping Diamonds with AJ Andrews,
where we dive headfirst into the world of softball, and
on today's episode, we are joined by the amazing Amanda Lorenz,
professional softball player currently competing for USA and the Vaults
in the new formatted Athletes Elimited Softball League, debuting this June.
(00:49):
As she's known for her impressive skill sets and leadership
on the field. Amanda has earned numerous accolades, including a
World Cup Summer Metal World Cup Games gold medal, solidifying
her place the best in the sport. With the relentless
drive dedication, Amanda continues to inspire fans, inspiring softball players
on a global and national stage and in the softball world.
(01:10):
She's known as Mandy Softball. Hey girl, Hi Aja, thanks
for having me on What Who gave me that nickname
Mandy softball. I'll feel like we all just ran with it,
but I never knew where originated.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
From my college teammate Sophia Reno. So we actually we
were watching like postseason softball one of the years, like
on our apartment couch, and Michelle Smith referred to somebody
like playing in regionals as like her.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Name's Nicole something.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
They call her Nicki softball because she loves softball, and
Sophia was like, that's you. You're Mandy Softball and she
basically like told ESPN and that's my favorite nickname, and
everybody calls me that. No one called me it, and
it just like stuck. So it's she loves it because
she knows, like no one calls me Mandy really, but
(01:56):
it's stuck.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
I love how that's how nicknames happen ones where it's
like no one calls me that that's the one. Now
everybody's going to call yes, yes, yes, gosh. Well, Amana,
thank you so much for coming on the show. Before
we really dive into everything and we drop all the
diamonds on and off the diamond I like to start
off by giving kind of an affirmation and what We're
(02:19):
gonna kind of set the tone for the day. You
know how we do in softball, you gotta set the tone,
lead it off. And so for this one, affirmations. One
of my favorite quotes that I really feel like I've
lived and died by is whether you believe you can
or you believe you cannot. Either way you are right.
And so an affirmation we're gonna spur from that is
(02:41):
I'm a queen, I'm a dream, I do what I
want to do, I am who I want to be.
Love it. That is our efforts for getting into this one.
Dropping diamonds off strong, and then as we continue to talk,
we're going to find so many different diamonds from our conversation.
And I know that you have so much to give
(03:01):
to this game, not just on the field, but also
off so super excited to dive in deeper. And before
we continue to drop those, we gotta shine bright like
a diamond and continue to give you your flowers. Because
you started professional softball in twenty nineteen, your second overall
pick in the NPF draft, and then twenty twenty four
athletes unlimited champion playing for US, the US team, and
(03:25):
you're also the home run Derby X home run Champion
for Major League Baseball, So.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
You got a lot.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
I don't know how big your trophy clabet is, but
I imagine that you have to continue to make it bigger
every year.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
They're all just like in little corners of the house.
I definitely don't have them displayed yet, but I do
need to, especially before I have kids. That's a goal
to like make sure they're out so they know like
their mom was the cool one.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
That is important. Like that's the goal to have it
up before I have kids. And it's like whenever they
decided to play sports, I just know you got this
all from me. Actually, this is correct. You're all the
athleticism mom's doing correct, Like I know dad's coaching baseball.
I know, like he played baseball's all. But no, just no,
it's all for me, right exactly. Yeah, all that's absolutely
(04:12):
what I would be doing as well. We have to
do a comparison and I'll maybe buy some fake trophies
too if he, if whoever I decided to marry, has
more than me. But we'll get to that when we
get to that, because definitely not very yet. Love it. Oh, Manna,
your journey to softball is so fun watching so many
different videos of you talk about how softball is something
(04:33):
where you took this like hyper young kid, gave her
an outlet to be able to go out and perform
form these friendships and then also perform this natural talent
ability to display across the entire world. What made that
young five year old fall in love with the game.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
I really don't know. I like say all the time
that you know, I'm sure you say this as well,
like we're much more than just softball players, right Like.
I feel like that's said a lot with female athletes
in general. But I feel like God made me a
softball player, Like I just like fully identify it and
for a lot of like the good things, right Like,
I just really feel like growing up, I didn't really
fit in until I was on the softball field, Like
(05:12):
I really felt, you know, my most authentic self on
the field and like having a positive outlet to compete
because everything was a competition. So I think when my
parents put me in softball, it was like, oh, okay,
like this is definitely where I can thrive and not
be worried about you know, X y Z. But I
just I've always just loved the game.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
Was there one moment because when I think whenever I
get asked a question of I just played so many
different sports when I was younger, and it was a
why softball And I just remember the moment when I
made a diving catch in my little league team. So
I was probably eleven years old at the time, and
I'm from Florida, and so like it just gets really dewey,
you know, playing at Gainsville, it's really dewey. Sometimes in
the morning, White Grass made a diving catch and like
(05:55):
I just slid really really far, and in my mind,
I'm like, oh, this is like a slick and slide
like this is That was my introduction to slide. And
you know, kids are nervous sometimes to dive nowadays. What
mine was it turned to a slip in side. So
I got excited every time I got to dive. And
to me, softball was like, oh, this is fun. There
wasn't really other the basketball and I ran track and
I played soccer. I didn't really have an opportunity to,
(06:17):
you know, just dive on the grass at will in
any other sport. And so to me, that was what
I feel like was really what madely attached to the game.
Was there one moment for you that made you say that, Oh,
I'd feel like God made me a softball player because
of this. I love that.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
I don't know that I have a specific moment, but
I did play like I did play soccer growing up,
and it tried to do travel softball and travel soccer,
and it came to like a thing of like, Okay,
this is definitely too much, like it'd probably be better just
to choose one. And it was an easy choice. There
definitely wasn't like, oh, but I really like now, Oh,
I don't have to run as much anymore. Perfect, Like
(06:54):
that's actually perfect.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
I just worried about hitting the ball and trying to hit.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
It as far as possible, so I don't need to
run as much. So that was probably the moment, just
knowing like I loved softball. It was like I knew
I didn't see my life without it from an early age.
I was like, I want to do this forever.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
Oh, I love that. What was your favorite cheer when
we were little?
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Oh, my gosh, and tap into the memory rank gosh,
what's the one that's like seventy wide six feet under
when we hit the ball. It sounds like thunder thunder
thunder thunderation.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
Where are the best teams in the nation?
Speaker 2 (07:30):
Oh yeah, yeah that felt good to get out.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Yeah, it's like riding a bike. Onne was Picture's gonna
walk or just like Daddy Totter. I don't know. We
just thought we had so much added like we were.
I was like, really talling, we love it. Love that
one from your journey from playing five. So you were
on the OC Batbusters, right, and then your journey to
(07:58):
being recruited and ultimately signing with the Florida Cators. What
did that look like? Why did you know that Florida
was the team for you?
Speaker 2 (08:06):
So I'm a southern California girl, grew up about maybe
forty miles from UCLA, So I loved Ucla growing up,
Like Ucla was always my dream. I remember just thinking
I was going to arrive day one of freshman year
and they would just know I'm on the team. Like,
I had no idea that there was like a recruiting process.
I didn't know really what entailed it, but I was
(08:27):
like from an early age, I was determined to like
play at UCLA and just going through the recruiting process.
My parents were very adamant about checking out other schools
and you know, taking my time. I was really young,
so it was like I had plenty of time to decide.
And after my first phone call with Coach Walton, we
just really clicked. Like he reminded me a lot of
my coach with the Baptisters, Mike Stith. I just felt
(08:50):
like we clicked and he understood me and my goals.
And then after my visit to Florida, I was like, wow,
like this is definitely the place I want to be.
Like I had no idea about the SEC and how
crazy it was and didn't really understand it. And shortly
eftery when people were like, you know, you get it.
Also like I bleed orange and blue or I bleed
(09:11):
purple and gold, I was like, these people are crazy,
Like it's a little too much, right, But then you
get there and you're like, now that's me, right, I'm like,
so the craziest loyal Gator fan of all time. So yes,
I loved the campus and really thought that Coach Welton
was going to be the coach that was going to
not only like make me a really good softball player
and help me with any goals that I had, but
(09:31):
I knew that I was going to leave as a
better human and prepared for real life. And yeah, like
so thankful because I was so young, like looking back,
like so young making such a huge decision and it
ended up being like more than I could have ever
dreamed of.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
How old were you?
Speaker 2 (09:47):
I committed December of my freshman year, so I think
I was fourteen. Yeah, I was just I was really young,
and like, take.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
A decisions for the rest of your life, go yeah, yeah,
And like in the moment, I.
Speaker 2 (09:58):
Was like, yeah, I got this, like easy, I know
what I'm doing. And looking back, I'm like, I don't
even know who that little girl is, Like we're obviously
so different. So it's just crazy that that young girl
made a decision that changed the trajectory of my whole life.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
Do you remember the moment that Tim Wanton began recruiting you?
Was there something that that really sparked his interest? Well,
good question.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
I would love to know his answer, because I remember
we we got we got rained out that weekend and
we had to we did like a little like workout
in our in our indoor facility that Mike stith Oon's,
and I remember like feeling like I did horrible. I
was like I just did so bad and for some reason,
I mean, I didn't even want to go to Florida.
I don't know why, like seeing Coach Walton there, I
was like trying really hard to do well. I lived
(10:44):
pretty far from Orange County, so our commute was a
few hours in the car back after after games and practices.
I remember I cried for like the first hour, like
thinking how awful I did at this workout and that
was it, Like he said, he always says, like the
girl in the pink nikes. I've always been a pink girl,
So like these pink shoes at the endoor, like the
only one wearing pink. And it's just funny that like
(11:06):
whatever I did sparked something. But in my mind it
was like definitely not good enough.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
We gotta ask him then. I'm so curious as to
what it is it hadn't been. I don't know that.
Maybe it was the shoes, the shoes, the smile.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
You know what, if you can't if you can't douse
them with your ability, at least like you make sure
you're put together right, Like that's my.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
Motto, that's my mom. I'm gonna I'm gonna distract you
from the outfit of anything. You'll figure it out. I mean,
that's even something you said when I was reading the
article that MLB I wrote about you after you won
Home Run Derbi. You said, look, you're gonna come out
there with some flash my pink shoes, so you're gonna
see a lot of sparkle, and you know, a lot
of home runs. By the way, you're gonna get get
(11:49):
his show either way. Yes, has always love it something
that you have felt about yourself, like I'm gonna go
out and put a show or is there a moment
when you kind of had to come into your own
throughout your process and career.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
I think when I was younger and didn't quite fit
in with all the other girls in school, I was
like trying to, you know, try out other outfits and
other things, and my mom's like, you know, you can still,
like wear a skirt. I went to a private school
at this time. She's like, you can still wear your
skirt and play sports with the boys, and you can
wear your pink shoes and play sports with the boys.
You can wear whatever you want, but you know that
(12:20):
you can't do that right And I was like, oh really,
Like okay, Like, so I can go play basketball with
the boys and beat them in races still wearing my
skirt and my pink shoes, And so I did so,
just as like growing up, I just realized, like, Okay,
if I love pink, I can still incorporate that. And obviously,
like being with Adidas now, they surprised me with like
these hot pink turfs for last season, and I just
(12:44):
loved them. I was like, these are so me, They're
so out there. And then just showing girls like we
can be girly while still being really freaking good at
what we do and strong and still beating boys at recess.
It doesn't matter what color we have on. You know,
we can still show them up.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
Period. Girl. You can. You can so beat all the
boys and look good at the same time, look hey
at the same time. That's been something that I think
all young girls, all women in general, need to know
at literally every phase of life. We don't have to
change ourselves in any capacity or to meet and or
beat the men that we have to compete against within
our careers. When you went to Florida and throughout that
(13:22):
recruiting process, you talked about you left feeling like you
didn't do well and then you get a letter from
coach Walton. I imagine what a couple of weeks later.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
At that time, I was too young to receive uh
yeah four teen compact. So yeah, yeah, So my travel
ball coach was like, hey, coach Walton was interested, Like
you should give him a call, and so at that
time it was like kind of the ball was in
our court to reach out and so yeah, so had
to have phone call conversation with him and it went well.
I really liked him and decided to plan a visit
(13:55):
out there and see what Gainsol was all about, and
it was it was really awesome to see a different
side of the country. I had been so used to,
you know, our little bubble in southern California and what
sports looks like there. It was really cool to go
somewhere where walking around as a softball recruit, I felt
like I was getting the same amount of attention that
a top football recruit would get, and like that was
(14:17):
that was really cool to see, Like how much not
only like Gainsall as a whole, but like the university
really valued their female athletes and saw so much value
in US as softball players and the program and just
like where they wanted to take it. That was really
exciting for me because I had committed before they had
won their first national championship, so it was like they definitely,
(14:39):
you know, were so competitive, but they were right there
right and the administration believed in the program and like
put a high value on it, and I thought.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
That that was so cool. I love that because oftentimes
we feel like we have to hit three for three,
four for four when you're getting recruited in order for
a coach to pay attention or want any were you
to come to the school. And to me, it just
sounds like I had a conversation with Rose Level the
other day and one of the things I really took
away from her Olympic soccer player, and she said that
(15:09):
the good is never as good as you think, and
the bad is never as bad as you think, and
so just keep the main thing the main thing. And
I would say, probably from just what you're talking about,
just go out with your the pink shoes, the flair
that you have, and be yourself and just know that
the good it's never that as good as you think.
You can always be better, but the bad is never
as bad as you think. And I love that for
(15:32):
I love that, and especially through the recruiting process. Right,
it's a lot like how you respond to it, responding
to the bad and responding to the good. Right, Like
the coaches are really looking at everything. So a lot
of the times they're showing up because they know you're
really good. They've already heard it.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
It's more than just having you as a softball player,
as you know, like you're essentially become their family for
that four years. So seeing them so often like you
want to like the human too and like the way
that they act. So handling failure with class and winning
with class as well is I think really important.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
Canalio class, winning with class and going out but also
being badass because that's the only way you go out
and be a four time All American as a Florida Gator.
And then you recently posted your home run, your first
home run from nine years ago. When you saw that video,
and you think about just how much time is truly
(16:23):
flown by from you in your career, from starting at
Florida to where you are today. How do you feel
like you have evolved as a player the Amanda then
and who is the Amanda.
Speaker 2 (16:33):
Now, She's really similar, But I think I'm more confident
now and who I am and my whole life. I
love my life, Like there's so much less uncertainty now
than there was, you know, freshman year, Amanda, I compared
myself to a lot of others when I was that young,
and just it's crazy to see think like I'm still
(16:54):
playing the game. I think my younger self would be
so excited to know that my full time job is
being a professional softball player period, Like I do not
have another job, And I think that's pretty freaking cool.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
Especially as a woman in sports so oftentimes where we
have to have multiple incomes in order to maintain being
able to be a professional softball player. And you can
just say in our two point period, I'm out here
playing pro softball and dominating the game every literally everything
any field that I step onto, whether it's softball, baseball,
hitting home runs at every stage. For you, when you
(17:30):
talk about the impact and the involvement and you being
more confident is there because I feel like confidence is
a muscle you have to like work out right, and
if you don't utilize it, you lose it and it
can come back and you can go on as it
comes or go as it comes for you maintaining that
level of confidence. Is there anything that you implement to
make sure that you can continue to ride that wave?
Speaker 2 (17:51):
Yeah, I think hard work. I think that there's so
many times we can fake it till we make it,
but really like looking yourself in the mirror and knowing
like I'm eating well, I'm working out, I'm doing things correct,
and dang it feels good, Like it feels good to
do things the right way and like see results, but
also just know like you're putting in the work. I
think that that's helped me a ton, like especially you
(18:12):
know now not being in college and like being a
pro full time and knowing what works well for my body,
Like I know how to perform at my best and
I know what to do. I know X, Y and
Z to attack, and so if I don't attack X,
Y and Z, it's really easy to not feel confident.
But when I do the things that I know work,
then then it's easy to stay confident. And also, like
you said, like not ride the way we can ride
(18:34):
the wave of just what being a softball player is like. Unfortunately,
it's a it's a game of failure. But just because
I'm riding this wave of doing well and not doing well,
it doesn't mean my confidence should dip or rise. It
should still be this steady slope, right. So I've tried
to really buy into that, especially probably the last like
two three years, and I've definitely felt the best that
I've ever felt because of it.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
Let's take a quick break to hear word from our sponsor.
Is there one moment you can think of, whether it
be college or pro ball, where you felt like your
confidence was struggling a little bit and you finally found
like the moment when you found yourself again.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
It probably is my senior year of high school. I,
you know, my whole life, like I dreamed of playing
at UCLA and playing for teen USA. That was like
it to me. And had just been really gifted where
I didn't experience a lot of adversity. And my senior year,
I had tried out for the junior national team and
I didn't make it, and that was like my first
time being told like you're not good enough, and it
(19:40):
was really hard for me. I had felt like I
worked so hard and when it didn't happen, I remember
feeling like really broken, Like why am I working so
hard if it's not good enough. So it's like, oh, okay,
well then I don't need to go on my runs
that I've been doing. I don't need to hit on
my own. I can just show up, Like what's point Anyway,
(20:01):
It took a little bit. Took my travel ball coach.
I showed up to practice one day and he pulled
me aside and he's like, I don't know who this is,
but this is not you. So you need to get
over it, Like it's time to turn the page. And
if you are continuing to play this game for other
people's validation, like you are a way different human than
I thought you were. Like you play because you love
the game, and you love competing and you love winning.
(20:23):
You love doing it with your teammates. You're not doing
it for these other people to write your name on
a piece of paper. And I was like, oh, you're right,
Like thank you. I needed that.
Speaker 1 (20:33):
Like it took.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
I think he tried to like help, try to have
me just work through it on my own, But him
saying that to me like totally flipped the page of
Like this game is so much bigger to me than
just these goals or these dreams, and while they're so important,
it doesn't affect. Like you say, the good is never
as good and the bad is never as bad, So
like maybe it wasn't even as good as I thought
(20:55):
it was going to be, you know what I mean,
Like it's all a part of God's plan. But I'd
say like that was a big moment for me in
my career of like being told no for the first
time and then finally flipping the page and getting my
love for the game back, getting my confidence back.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
I really like how you talked about get over it.
You just gotta go and get over But also, if
you're playing for others validation, are you really playing the
game because you love the game or are you playing
it because you're wanting someone else to tell you that
how good you are? And total, ultimately, especially in the
day and age with social media, if we're waiting for validation,
(21:34):
we're gonna have just as much good as we're gonna
have bad. So as as much as you attach yourself
to the good, you're gonna attach yourself as much the
same to the bad, and it's only going to continue
to pull you down. And you talk about when you're
here and you're playing as who you are and the
confidence and the pink shoes and the impact that you've
been able to have on softball and women's sports in general.
(21:54):
And then you look back at your niece and who
has also got to watch you talk about with the
vaults on TV, and how you're really able to impact
her and change her life and change her perspective and
her vision on being a woman in sport. When you
think about the impact that you're able to have on
your niece and on so many other young girls are
(22:15):
hooked onto the TV watching amand La RAN's play, what
is the initial motion that kind of runs through you?
Speaker 2 (22:22):
Yeah, I think just I was them. So I think
of like the fact that I had, especially the two
thousand and eight Olympic team to look up to, like
they made me believe as an eleven year old that
I was going to be in their shoes one day,
like no matter what, I was gonna wear that jersey.
Without them, like that dream wouldn't have been there, Like
I probably still wouldn't be playing. So just to be
(22:43):
some sort of dream for them to show like what
sports can do in your life like means absolutely like
everything to me. My cousin's daughter, Blake, she just started
softball and has her second weekend this week, and I'm
just like totally obsessed with asking about how much fun
she had, Like just to see her have this big
smile on her face and her like her friends that
(23:04):
are all on her team, Like just to see them
having fun in sport just makes me so happy because
I just even, you know, from that age, just the
love was there and never stop. So I just am
hoping and praying they just fall in love with sport,
whatever sport that might be, but just to know how
amazing it is and to keep going.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
Now how amazing it is, and keep going. What was
probably the best advice or your favorite Tim Watton moment
where he was helping you and making sure that you
kept going, because once you get to college ball, it
can get hard.
Speaker 2 (23:35):
Yeah. Yeah, I think my freshman year he had called
me in for a meeting and he was like, I understand, like,
you have all these goals. You want to be an
All American, you want to win SEC, you want to
win a national championship, and I love that you can
do it. You can do all these things. You want
to hit four hundred, you can do that, but just
so you know your work ethic is here and in
(23:55):
order to achieve all those things, it needs to be here.
So just so you know, like it's not going to
match up if you continue to work at this level,
like you need to be doing more. You're doing just
what everyone else is doing. You're not doing more. And
he's like, I'm gonna match it. He's like whatever, whatever
you want to do, Like I'm in like truss me,
like we'll do it together. But it needs to you
need to increase. And I was like, oh, I'm in
(24:16):
like whatever you say. You know, as a freshman, you
don't really know right, You're just you're just like doggy
paddling to stay afloat. So the thought of like going
in extra for more cardio in the weight room, like yeah,
definitely wasn't thinking about that, Definitely wasn't thinking about showing
up to hit more. But it just took someone like
saying like, hey, you need to elevate yourself if you
(24:37):
really want all of these crazy things. So I did.
I'm so fortunate that I've had some really honest coaches
in my life to hold me accountable and not only
just like hey, this is what you need to do,
but like be willing to do the work with me,
so it's not like I feel like I'm alone, but
him sharing the goals with me, where it's not just
me on an island, like it's us doing it together.
Speaker 1 (24:58):
Would you say that's the best advice you ever received
playing or is there something else you really feel like
has really stuck with you? Hey, yeah, I don't.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
I really don't know the best advice. I feel like
I've gotten so many good nuggets throughout the years, but
I feel like the best, like professional advice. I feel
like I've gotten a lot of money advice from other
pros like that that has really helped me. But like
softball has always been like I've always loved it and
haven't needed like a little like spark plug other than
other than my senior year there, I don't know that
I've had any like specific advice that sticks with me.
(25:30):
No change of perspective, that definitely changes perspective. So, as
you know, at Florida on Saturdays and every game throughout postseason,
we wear the sunflowers in our hair. So that is
in honor of in raising awareness for pediatric cancer, and
so that was a huge perspective shift for me my
freshman year when Aubrey Monroe talk to the freshmen and
(25:51):
just like say, hey, like why we wear the sunflower
and who we do it for, and giving us the
history of Heather Brat as well, who they had lost
right before the twenty fourteen national championship, who was a
young girl who battled brain cancer and was able to
be part of the team through Friends of Jacqueline. And
so just having the perspective of, like we volunteered a
(26:12):
lot at our hospital on campus called Chans, meeting with
these kids and just seeing like their faces and how
much joy it brought them when we were able to
make visits and stuff, and knowing like playing collegiate softball
was not going to be in the cards for a
lot of these kids, right, just with the cards that
they have been dealt. And then my senior year, we
(26:33):
were ready to adopt another adoptee through Friends of Jacqueline,
So we had adopted Hartley George's and I was kind
of heading the relationship there of her, like with the program.
So I spent a lot of time with Hartley, whether
that's on FaceTime or texting, or I was in the
hospital with her and when she received some chemo and
it rocked my world of just seeing what this family
(26:56):
was going through and then you know, coming out on
the other side when she was healthy and able to
attend some games, Like the smile that she would greet
me with when I was coming in the dugout, whether
I just struck out or hit a home run or
had a big moment was exactly the same, Like she
did not. She loved me because of our relationship and
how I made her feel. It wasn't because I was
(27:17):
getting a big hit for the Gators, Like she still
was so excited to see me and like have that relationship.
So that perspective truly changed my whole life of just
you know, there's a lot harder things that we're gonna
have to tackle in this life than softball. It's just
a game. Although it's our life and we care and
that's you know, being passionate is great, it's also just
(27:38):
a game and the world's keep spinning around. There's a
lot harder things that we're gonna have to go through.
So being involved with friends of Jacqueline and my relationship
with Hartley and her whole family has changed my life forever.
Speaker 1 (27:50):
There's so many things bigger than the game and so
much I'm so happy that she's able to overcome that,
and so she's healthy now, still.
Speaker 2 (27:57):
Healthy, healthy and beautiful and strong.
Speaker 1 (28:01):
For you, when you have that change of perspective and
you realize that there's just so much more to this
to me, it would seem as if it would make
the game feel more free or like the pressures release
a little bit more for you. When you think about
the things that you've overcome, whether it's softball or beyond,
what do you look back and you say, this is
(28:22):
the biggest mental overcoming that I've had or physical overcoming
that has placed me to be where I am today
and had the perspectives that I have today.
Speaker 2 (28:31):
Oh, I mean, I think my relationship with Hartley was
huge in my perspective being away from I'm from California,
so being in Florida for my whole career, and just
like missing my family. My boyfriend at the time husband
now went to school in California, So just like being
away from my family. I value family time like on
(28:53):
a different level now of just every time I see them.
It feels very intentional, But I don't know that I've
had like a huge mental block yet I'm sure God's
gonna throw me one at some point in my life.
But I've been extremely blessed of just loving every phase
of my life, truly.
Speaker 1 (29:10):
Loving every phase. Moving into a new phase where you're
making a beautiful your wife and then you're making beautiful
sour dough breads that look like literally the best thing
since slice bread, like the way they come out so
gorgeous out of the oven. Talking about like work life balance,
You're now married to Greg Griffin, who has been with
your boyfriend now your husband, so years upon years of
(29:33):
cultivating that relationship, and what does that dynamic look like
as he is the assistant coach at Clemson, you're still
playing professional softball. How are you guys able to really
make sure that everything we talk about there's still everything's good.
We ride the good and the bad, keep making and
ride those waves.
Speaker 2 (29:51):
Yeah. I was on another call with some one of
my strength coaches from Florida. He has a strength coach
class like he teaches, and they asking about work life balance,
and I was like, if you work in college athletics,
there is no work life balance, Like I hope you.
I hope you know that, but it's in the most
beautiful way. Obviously, I really understand his schedule and what
(30:11):
it means like to be great and how much time
you need to spend at it, so I completely support it.
But I'm also incredibly blessed that he works for a
head coach that really values family. So like tonight, we
have a big family dinner at the facility. They do
a big family dinner before every home series and it
includes the whole team, the whole staff and staff family,
so we all have a big, nice meal together before
(30:34):
entering the big series. So definitely thankful that we sneak
in time whenever we can get it. But for both
of us, like some couples, they like to like talk
about things and talk about you know, struggles if you
go over three or you like to never talk about
it again. But we both have been obsessed our whole lives.
So I'm so thankful that I've always had I've had
a partner that when I've had bad games, I've had
(30:56):
someone that I can talk it through immediately and get
and get actual advice on how to fix it and
make it better, not someone just to coddle me and say, oh,
it's gonna be okay, but like really dissect, like how
can we flip the script and get better? So I'm
we're very fortunate we get each other and and it
just works. But yeah, like you said, I'm tackling sourdough.
You know, I'm got a lot more time on my hands,
(31:19):
so I really just like I work out, and then
it's like what else, Like we have a we have
a dog, so obsessed with our dog blue and making
sower to I'm like really a perfectionist in softball, and
I can see that carrying into my sourdough loaves. I'm
like always like looking for new tricks and tips on
TikTok to like make my loaves even better? How can
(31:40):
I make them more beautiful? I love it. You guys
are adding like little like pink sparkles to them really
like I know, Elevator, I know, but I'm in my
like die free era too, so it's like you have
to like look at It's like I've seen the people
are trying to use like the die free sprinkles and
then they just melt and it looks like yellow nothingness.
(32:02):
I'm really trying it all. I'm looking looking into all
of it.
Speaker 1 (32:07):
What would you say, Griffin, Since you guys have all
the conversations, what's probably his favorite play of yours or
if you use were to sit and talk about, oh no,
this one time Amanda did this, what does he bring up?
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
I don't know if he'll ever give me defensive props honestly,
but probably Like I was so fortunate to make it
to the World Series three times during my career and
he was able to attend each time. And we've been
together since we were fifteen, and we're best friends before that,
so definitely have a long history. But my favorite moment
of him being supportive was him being at my first
(32:44):
Women's College World Series. I hit that double it turned
into being on third to tie the game and the
twelfth inning against Oclahoma in the National Championship, And after
that game, he was like when I when I walked
into the stadium and like saw all the people, He's like,
I literally like teared up, like looking like you're playing
on this level and like he's he's definitely not an
emotional guy. So that meant a lot to me just
(33:08):
to like know, I mean we were so young still still,
but for him to just like I've always never questioned
the level that he's understood me and like he always
knows like that was always my dream to be there.
And so to feel like your partner or your spouse
like understands you to that level is really cool and
really validating to feel like it was not just my moment,
(33:29):
but our moment too. So I always think about that,
just how special that is to me.
Speaker 1 (33:33):
It's not my moment, but our moment. Do you have
any other moments outside of just with Griffin where you
really really stick with you throughout your softball career that
you always look back to you when people ask you
your favorite memory, favorite moment, what comes to mind that is.
Speaker 2 (33:50):
Probably that moment, really yeah, tying the game against Oklahoma
in the National Championship. It was two out page Lowry
kid just came in. She was throwing like seventy miles
an hour. I remember right before she had come in,
Jamie Hoover, my teammate at the time, she had struck out,
and I gave her highfied. I looked at her and
I was like, I got you, Like I have your
back here, like we're fine. And I fully believed it.
(34:13):
I fully believed it until I saw that first pitch
from Paige Lowry and it looked like eighty miles per hour,
and I was like, Okay, how.
Speaker 1 (34:21):
Am I going to make this happen?
Speaker 2 (34:23):
Ended up like having a long, a long at bat
and lacing a ball in the gap and tying the game.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
And that was my sophomore year.
Speaker 2 (34:30):
And that was just like such a huge moment on
the biggest stage of like showing up and seeing my
hard work come to fruition in the biggest moment of
my career. My brain wasn't going a million miles an hour,
Like it was quiet and the stadium full of of
Sooner fans. I couldn't hear a thing like a yeah,
(34:50):
I'm gonna hit this ball as hard as I can.
So that's probably like one of my favorite moments, especially
like something I did personally in that Gator uniform.
Speaker 1 (35:00):
As if I remember playing against Page at that time,
she was still at Missouri, and so when I first
walked up or first my first a b against her,
I literally just like it just feels like, you don't know,
It's almost like one kidding against Colonie Ricketts where you
don't really see the ball. It's like, all right, I'm
gonna go now.
Speaker 2 (35:18):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (35:19):
Yeah, it's like swing and prey. Yes. Every time it happened,
like I got a few hits off a page, I
was like, all right, I've gotten my now down. It's
not that I'm seeing the ball. I've just matched up
my now perfectly to when I need to hit her.
I love that well throughout softball, from five years old
to batbusters, to college to playing professionally. Athletes Unlimited Softball
(35:42):
League and you talk about softball being your only job,
which is absolutely amazing and something that we're striving for
in the softball world, in softball community as a whole.
When you talk about Liverpool wages, when you think about
the future of softball, what do you hope What is
your goals for this game as it continues to grow.
Speaker 2 (36:01):
Yeah, my hope is that there can be more athletes
like me that softball is their only job, that they
aren't having to get off season jobs or do a
bunch of lessons in camps to make ends meet, like
they can just focus on being a true professional. And
whether that's with supportive sponsors or just through our league
and Athletes Unlimited, my hope is that we just continue
to make a livable wage where that's all we have
(36:22):
to worry about, because I think that's the key difference
right now of what's not taking our sport to the
next level is like we're not able to put as
much time in our craft that it deserves because we
have so much other things going on, Like people have
to go to work and make a living and be
able to make rent. So how are we supposed to
do that and still practice for three four hours a day?
Like it's not ideal. So that's my hope, and I
(36:45):
see us getting there, but I just I can't wait
for it to happen and be a reality for everyone
in our league.
Speaker 1 (36:51):
There's more to cover, but first let's take a quick break.
I feel like softball only continues to get bigger and better.
And when you see the growth the WNBA has had
and how it is just taking a road by storm
over the last two years with the new formation of AUSL,
(37:15):
and how that's going to continue to grow and continue
to get that exposure and be able to tell the
stories like we're trying to do today and beyond with
dropping diamonds. What do you anticipate? How do you feel
like we're going to get over that hump with the
softball community or to be able to have that exponential
growth and get to the place where we want to be.
Speaker 2 (37:33):
I think just like exposure, like more games on ESPN,
like easily accessible for fans to know. Like there's still
so many times when we've been talking to a regular
softball fan that they have no idea that professional softball exists.
So we need to make sure that every softball fan
or every you know, sports fan in general knows that
that professional softball is here, it's alive, and it's thriving.
(37:56):
So just the exposure of being able to watch on TV.
And then also like I think the NBA support of
the WNBA has been so huge and so cool to see,
you know, these men like really championing these women as
they deserve, but just giving more of a platform right
of just showing how amazing these athletes are. And I
think that, you know, I think MLB hom and Derby
(38:16):
X is doing that right now too, with really valuing
softball players and females in general, having them on these
stops around the country, of hitting in front of a
bunch of fans and showing them like the girls can
do it too and be more fun to watch because
it's faster and it's just fun, fun pace. So I
think just that support is going to take us because
we just still need to get our name out there. Unfortunately,
(38:39):
because there's just so many people that still don't know
that professional softball exists.
Speaker 1 (38:44):
You got to keep doing, keep pushing, and keep the
main thing the main thing. Maybe more people wear pink cleats. Yeah,
all the stops. Yeah, Okay, we're going to go into
a little bit of rapid fire real quick. So is
this all super fast? Whatever comes it's your mind? You ready? Ready?
Speaker 2 (39:02):
Kay?
Speaker 1 (39:03):
Favorite walk up song, Let's get it started.
Speaker 2 (39:06):
Black Eyed Peas?
Speaker 1 (39:07):
Oh yeah, do you have a softball role model?
Speaker 2 (39:12):
Jenny Finch?
Speaker 1 (39:14):
So do you want to be a picture? And when
you were younger too?
Speaker 2 (39:17):
Like for a hot second, but I think it was
like the pink litter headbands and she was just so kind.
I think that's really what it was.
Speaker 1 (39:24):
Yeah, I forgot like the death of the bows. Yeah,
you don't see people wearing bows or ribbons anymore. Remember
it was like the bigger the bow, the better.
Speaker 2 (39:31):
At one point, Yes, those are the days.
Speaker 1 (39:35):
Is there a skill you are working to be better at?
Speaker 2 (39:42):
My sourdough game if that counts, or if you're talking
about softball, then speed okay both yeah, speed and sourdough
the ss yes, yes?
Speaker 1 (39:52):
What is this? One would be? What is your favorite drill?
I know that you talk about how drills aren't really
something you focus on. So when you feel like you've
lost your rhythm in a game, what is something that
you do to get that back?
Speaker 2 (40:04):
The tea? I love the tea, So I just hit
a bunch off of the tea set my swing. That's
how I set my swing every single day, and if
I have issues, then I always go back to the tea.
Speaker 1 (40:14):
No specific door, you're just hitting, trying to get.
Speaker 2 (40:16):
Just hitting back, just hitting inside, outside, middle, high tea,
low tea, just working all locations.
Speaker 1 (40:23):
If you had to choose one city to play in forever,
which would it be?
Speaker 2 (40:28):
Gainesville, Florida?
Speaker 1 (40:30):
Good old Gainesville? Easy? How do you get pumped up
and get ready for game day? Oh?
Speaker 2 (40:38):
I love to get a nice cup of coffee and
laugh with my teammates.
Speaker 1 (40:44):
Do you have any superstitions? Yes?
Speaker 2 (40:46):
I put like my socks on the same way. If
I did well, then the hair will stay exactly the same.
I usually wear the same understand I'm always watching my stuff.
I'm not like a dirty clothes wearer, but I will
wear the same stuff.
Speaker 1 (40:58):
Okay, so but just for clar for even if it
looks the same, it was washed the night before.
Speaker 2 (41:03):
Always.
Speaker 1 (41:04):
Okay, going into our no fly zone segment because as outfielders,
we know how boring it is to turn the outfield
into a no fly zone. You made some amazing diving
catches in your career, and when you think about it
out being in the grass, I always say the outfield
were like the Beyonces, Like we just run the world
(41:25):
and if you're the field is our oyster. We see everything,
we take control. When you think of your favorite play
you've made in the outfield, what is it? In college?
Speaker 2 (41:38):
It wasn't a home run, but it was like a
foul ball home run. So I like did my not
very high leap and caught it like over the fence
and brought it back in. And I remember so shocked
that I did it, because unlike you and Aaliyah, I'm
not a big jumper, not really not really diving far
and making those incredible catches and just try to be
(41:59):
like solid over there. So that was probably my favorite one,
Like being shocked that like I did it and got
up enough to catch it.
Speaker 1 (42:06):
I love especially when you don't know if you caught
it or not and you're like please please please please
please please.
Speaker 2 (42:11):
Yeah, totally have that moment.
Speaker 1 (42:14):
I was like, oh, I got it. What do you
feel like is the key to making a great play
in the outfield?
Speaker 2 (42:22):
Your first step and not giving up on the ball.
Speaker 1 (42:26):
When you say not gives up on the ball, what
do you mean?
Speaker 2 (42:29):
Sometimes it's ugly, like if you take a wrong step,
like you might have to add like a little bit
of lean. But sometimes when it's like you feel like
you're a little bit off, it's easy to just like
shut it down and worry about getting it in, but like,
don't give up. If it's still in the air, you
can still catch it.
Speaker 1 (42:44):
Still in the air, you can still catch it. I
love that. What would you say is your mentality when
you step out on the field, just having my pictures
back okay, and that whatever that looks like to have
it just like defensively, I'm just all I'm thinking about
is having her back, like if she misses a spa
or as she doesn't, and it's in my general direction,
(43:07):
I want to be that last line of defense having
your pictures. By God, you used always tell people it's like, listen,
I'm not a picture, but if I had a great outfielders,
I would say I would probably be a picture's favorite player.
Like I'm a picture's best friend. I'm going to do
what I can do to make sure that those balls,
any mistake you made is going to look like you
did it on purpose to try to get me on
(43:28):
Sports Center. That's where we're yes, yes, yes, Well we
know softball is a game of failure, and without great failure,
there will not be great success. And so I feel
as athletes we try to avoid it as much as
we can, but it is inevitable. And so for you,
what would you say has been your favorite failure that
(43:50):
has ultimately led to some of your greatest success.
Speaker 2 (43:53):
Probably not making the junior national team my senior year,
but I know we spoke about that a lot. So
more of a recent one is I had a really
bad summer this summer with USA softball. I had just
an awful tournament in Italy. I got one hit and
that happened to be in the gold medal game, but
other than that, I.
Speaker 1 (44:10):
Was not finding the grass.
Speaker 2 (44:13):
Who's just hitting right at people and I was just
really really frustrated. And then I go into Athletes Unlimited
and I ended up being, you know, the champions. So
it's crazy how quickly that changes. I went straight from
Italy to AU, so it's not like I was doing
a bunch of homework and changing a bunch of things.
But it was really dark there for a second, and
then getting to AU and having you know, just took
(44:34):
a deep breath for a little bit and was able
to get after it.
Speaker 1 (44:36):
Take a look at that and you self reflect, what
do you feel like is a lesson in that.
Speaker 2 (44:40):
Moment, Like you're just one swing away from your luck changing.
I think, like, you know, you don't even have to
do so much different, but just one swing away from
something good can start a new streak.
Speaker 1 (44:53):
One swing away from something good. Oh, I love our saying.
I utilize this in every aspect of my life. But
it just takes one and it's whether you know, it's
that one hit or that one moment, or that one interaction,
that one meeting. It's so funny how that's saying that
we've I feel like we have used time and time
again in softball has really become like a motto within
(45:17):
my day to day life, even outside of the game.
I love it. Do you feel like there's anything that
you know, our our corny or things that we say
in softball that you feel like is really kind of
a part of you in life.
Speaker 2 (45:29):
Coach wall And used to always say, like your go
one for one. So a lot of the times like
that was zero for two. Then I'd be like trying
to go three for three in my next which is impossible,
Like you can now only go one for three. So
just going one for one and everything. So like, hey,
if failure is gone, like I'm gonna attack the next
one and I'm gonna and I'm gonna get it right
(45:49):
this time. So just going one for one and everything,
which I try to do a lot.
Speaker 1 (45:54):
I love that, just go one for one. So it's
always just that next one is what we're focusing on.
That one for one. I remember watching your Instagram and
you posted that trend where it's like you meet your
younger self and you met your younger self for coffee,
and those made me so emotional watching those on Talk
(46:15):
to caf and then amount of hours I spend crying
for strangers on tiktoking actually probably should be talking to
somebody about that. But La and with that trend, I
just feel like it's so powerful because us as humans,
athletes or other like, we're all on this journey to
(46:39):
heal our younger selves and you continue to be better
human beings and learn from just life. And when you
think back to your experience and when you said you
she met, you met with her and she told me
she's going to play softball in college and her dreams
to play for tv USA, and you said, I smiled
and said she's going to have the time of her life.
(47:00):
Because it's like this knowing that you've achieved that that
this is happening, and when you think about the evolvement
and life and how you these dreams are realized and
you can really sit back and just smile at that
little girl like you did it. We're tearing up now.
(47:23):
I'm such a baby. No, but it's so real and
the emotions that you had creating that when you think
about those dreams are realized. When you're tearing up now,
why like, what are the thoughts that are going through
your mind or the most you're feeling.
Speaker 2 (47:39):
Gosh, I just think, yeah, like you said, like it's
just so cool that it happened. Like I think of
the dreams that I had as a young girl and thinking,
like the odds of all this that's gonna happen, they're
pretty slim, right, but in my mind it was like
no doubt, I'm doing all of it. I just like
for so no wonder, Like I was so misunderstood by
(48:01):
so many people and so many friends, like and didn't
really feel like I fit in. Was because I was
this crazy person with these crazy dreams. So like they
were going out and doing all these things, and I
was like, now I'm not doing that. I have no
interest in that, And now like just like to know
that it ended up being like better than I could
have ever imagined, Like I'm so fulfilled in my life,
like I've loved every step of it all, and like
(48:22):
my my youngest help would just be over the moon
to know that, like this is what the spore has
done for me, Like it's it's just incredible. It's incredible,
and I'm so thankful.
Speaker 1 (48:34):
If that young Aanda was stitting across from you right
now and said, what am I going to be most
proud of of myself in ten years? What would you say.
Speaker 2 (48:44):
Your passion, probably like because at times like really misunderstood
by others and I felt like weird for having these
certain interests, and like now it's like so cool to
be passionate, Like I would have been that way my
whole life, and I'm so cool for it. Like so
I would just tell her, like, you are so cool
the way you are, like so cool.
Speaker 1 (49:06):
I love that you be proud of your passion and
to know that, I feel like the if I think
about the diamonds that were dropped today throughout this conversation,
it really comes down to if the ball is in
the air, you still have time. And I feel like
we can really sum that up into a powerful saying
if you think about your younger self of if you're
(49:28):
still breathing, your goals can still be achieved. The ball
in the air, you still have time. The things that
you set out for you wake up the next day,
you can still make it happen. And then you can
be Amanda in twenty twenty five looking back and saying
how proud you are that you maintain that passion and
that who you were at that young age is the
reason why you've actually achieved all these things today. Being
(49:49):
misunderstood when you were younger has allowed you to now
be understood at the highest level and through with so
many different people, and so Amanda, I just want to
say thank you so much for dropping your diamonds and
coming on dropping diamonds with me.
Speaker 2 (50:04):
Thanks for having me. You were seriously amazing and didn't
have it on my BEINGO card to get emotional, but
but I know it was amazing. Thank you so much
for having me.
Speaker 1 (50:13):
Thank you guys all for listening to today's episode. Remember
to open your heart and allow wonderful things to have
influence your life. You're a queen your dream and all
wonderful things are happening. The ball is still in the air.
You still have time make your younger self proud today.
I'll meet you here next time on Dropping Diamonds at
(50:33):
the Diamonds Bye for now. Dropping Diamonds with AJ Andrews
is an iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Athletes
Unlimited Softball League and Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. I'm
your host, AJ Andrews. Our executive producer is Jesse Katz.
(50:55):
Tari Harrison is our supervising producer, and this episode was
mixed and mastered by Mary Do. Listen to Dropping Diamonds
with Aja 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 Elimited Softball League and Deep
Blue Sports and Entertainment.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
You're just one swing away from your luck changing. I think,
like you know, you don't even have to do so
much different, but just one swing away from something good
can start a new streak.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
All right, Welcome y'all to Dropping Diamonds with AJ Andrews,
where we dive headfirst into the world of softball, and
on today's episode, we are joined by the amazing Amanda Lorenz,
professional softball player currently competing for USA and the Vaults
in the new formatted Athletes Elimited Softball League, debuting this June.
(00:49):
As she's known for her impressive skill sets and leadership
on the field. Amanda has earned numerous accolades, including a
World Cup Summer Metal World Cup Games gold medal, solidifying
her place the best in the sport. With the relentless
drive dedication, Amanda continues to inspire fans, inspiring softball players
on a global and national stage and in the softball world.
(01:10):
She's known as Mandy Softball. Hey girl, Hi Aja, thanks
for having me on What Who gave me that nickname
Mandy softball. I'll feel like we all just ran with it,
but I never knew where originated.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
From my college teammate Sophia Reno. So we actually we
were watching like postseason softball one of the years, like
on our apartment couch, and Michelle Smith referred to somebody
like playing in regionals as like her.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Name's Nicole something.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
They call her Nicki softball because she loves softball, and
Sophia was like, that's you. You're Mandy Softball and she
basically like told ESPN and that's my favorite nickname, and
everybody calls me that. No one called me it, and
it just like stuck. So it's she loves it because
she knows, like no one calls me Mandy really, but
(01:56):
it's stuck.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
I love how that's how nicknames happen ones where it's
like no one calls me that that's the one. Now
everybody's going to call yes, yes, yes, gosh. Well, Amana,
thank you so much for coming on the show. Before
we really dive into everything and we drop all the
diamonds on and off the diamond I like to start
off by giving kind of an affirmation and what We're
(02:19):
gonna kind of set the tone for the day. You
know how we do in softball, you gotta set the tone,
lead it off. And so for this one, affirmations. One
of my favorite quotes that I really feel like I've
lived and died by is whether you believe you can
or you believe you cannot. Either way you are right.
And so an affirmation we're gonna spur from that is
(02:41):
I'm a queen, I'm a dream, I do what I
want to do, I am who I want to be.
Love it. That is our efforts for getting into this one.
Dropping diamonds off strong, and then as we continue to talk,
we're going to find so many different diamonds from our conversation.
And I know that you have so much to give
(03:01):
to this game, not just on the field, but also
off so super excited to dive in deeper. And before
we continue to drop those, we gotta shine bright like
a diamond and continue to give you your flowers. Because
you started professional softball in twenty nineteen, your second overall
pick in the NPF draft, and then twenty twenty four
athletes unlimited champion playing for US, the US team, and
(03:25):
you're also the home run Derby X home run Champion
for Major League Baseball, So.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
You got a lot.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
I don't know how big your trophy clabet is, but
I imagine that you have to continue to make it bigger
every year.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
They're all just like in little corners of the house.
I definitely don't have them displayed yet, but I do
need to, especially before I have kids. That's a goal
to like make sure they're out so they know like
their mom was the cool one.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
That is important. Like that's the goal to have it
up before I have kids. And it's like whenever they
decided to play sports, I just know you got this
all from me. Actually, this is correct. You're all the
athleticism mom's doing correct, Like I know dad's coaching baseball.
I know, like he played baseball's all. But no, just no,
it's all for me, right exactly. Yeah, all that's absolutely
(04:12):
what I would be doing as well. We have to
do a comparison and I'll maybe buy some fake trophies
too if he, if whoever I decided to marry, has
more than me. But we'll get to that when we
get to that, because definitely not very yet. Love it. Oh, Manna,
your journey to softball is so fun watching so many
different videos of you talk about how softball is something
(04:33):
where you took this like hyper young kid, gave her
an outlet to be able to go out and perform
form these friendships and then also perform this natural talent
ability to display across the entire world. What made that
young five year old fall in love with the game.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
I really don't know. I like say all the time
that you know, I'm sure you say this as well,
like we're much more than just softball players, right Like.
I feel like that's said a lot with female athletes
in general. But I feel like God made me a
softball player, Like I just like fully identify it and
for a lot of like the good things, right Like,
I just really feel like growing up, I didn't really
fit in until I was on the softball field, Like
(05:12):
I really felt, you know, my most authentic self on
the field and like having a positive outlet to compete
because everything was a competition. So I think when my
parents put me in softball, it was like, oh, okay,
like this is definitely where I can thrive and not
be worried about you know, X y Z. But I
just I've always just loved the game.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
Was there one moment because when I think whenever I
get asked a question of I just played so many
different sports when I was younger, and it was a
why softball And I just remember the moment when I
made a diving catch in my little league team. So
I was probably eleven years old at the time, and
I'm from Florida, and so like it just gets really dewey,
you know, playing at Gainsville, it's really dewey. Sometimes in
the morning, White Grass made a diving catch and like
(05:55):
I just slid really really far, and in my mind,
I'm like, oh, this is like a slick and slide
like this is That was my introduction to slide. And
you know, kids are nervous sometimes to dive nowadays. What
mine was it turned to a slip in side. So
I got excited every time I got to dive. And
to me, softball was like, oh, this is fun. There
wasn't really other the basketball and I ran track and
I played soccer. I didn't really have an opportunity to,
(06:17):
you know, just dive on the grass at will in
any other sport. And so to me, that was what
I feel like was really what madely attached to the game.
Was there one moment for you that made you say that, Oh,
I'd feel like God made me a softball player because
of this. I love that.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
I don't know that I have a specific moment, but
I did play like I did play soccer growing up,
and it tried to do travel softball and travel soccer,
and it came to like a thing of like, Okay,
this is definitely too much, like it'd probably be better just
to choose one. And it was an easy choice. There
definitely wasn't like, oh, but I really like now, Oh,
I don't have to run as much anymore. Perfect, Like
(06:54):
that's actually perfect.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
I just worried about hitting the ball and trying to hit.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
It as far as possible, so I don't need to
run as much. So that was probably the moment, just
knowing like I loved softball. It was like I knew
I didn't see my life without it from an early age.
I was like, I want to do this forever.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
Oh, I love that. What was your favorite cheer when
we were little?
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Oh, my gosh, and tap into the memory rank gosh,
what's the one that's like seventy wide six feet under
when we hit the ball. It sounds like thunder thunder
thunder thunderation.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
Where are the best teams in the nation?
Speaker 2 (07:30):
Oh yeah, yeah that felt good to get out.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Yeah, it's like riding a bike. Onne was Picture's gonna
walk or just like Daddy Totter. I don't know. We
just thought we had so much added like we were.
I was like, really talling, we love it. Love that
one from your journey from playing five. So you were
on the OC Batbusters, right, and then your journey to
(07:58):
being recruited and ultimately signing with the Florida Cators. What
did that look like? Why did you know that Florida
was the team for you?
Speaker 2 (08:06):
So I'm a southern California girl, grew up about maybe
forty miles from UCLA, So I loved Ucla growing up,
Like Ucla was always my dream. I remember just thinking
I was going to arrive day one of freshman year
and they would just know I'm on the team. Like,
I had no idea that there was like a recruiting process.
I didn't know really what entailed it, but I was
(08:27):
like from an early age, I was determined to like
play at UCLA and just going through the recruiting process.
My parents were very adamant about checking out other schools
and you know, taking my time. I was really young,
so it was like I had plenty of time to decide.
And after my first phone call with Coach Walton, we
just really clicked. Like he reminded me a lot of
my coach with the Baptisters, Mike Stith. I just felt
(08:50):
like we clicked and he understood me and my goals.
And then after my visit to Florida, I was like, wow,
like this is definitely the place I want to be.
Like I had no idea about the SEC and how
crazy it was and didn't really understand it. And shortly
eftery when people were like, you know, you get it.
Also like I bleed orange and blue or I bleed
(09:11):
purple and gold, I was like, these people are crazy,
Like it's a little too much, right, But then you
get there and you're like, now that's me, right, I'm like,
so the craziest loyal Gator fan of all time. So yes,
I loved the campus and really thought that Coach Welton
was going to be the coach that was going to
not only like make me a really good softball player
and help me with any goals that I had, but
(09:31):
I knew that I was going to leave as a
better human and prepared for real life. And yeah, like
so thankful because I was so young, like looking back,
like so young making such a huge decision and it
ended up being like more than I could have ever
dreamed of.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
How old were you?
Speaker 2 (09:47):
I committed December of my freshman year, so I think
I was fourteen. Yeah, I was just I was really young,
and like, take.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
A decisions for the rest of your life, go yeah, yeah,
And like in the moment, I.
Speaker 2 (09:58):
Was like, yeah, I got this, like easy, I know
what I'm doing. And looking back, I'm like, I don't
even know who that little girl is, Like we're obviously
so different. So it's just crazy that that young girl
made a decision that changed the trajectory of my whole life.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
Do you remember the moment that Tim Wanton began recruiting you?
Was there something that that really sparked his interest? Well,
good question.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
I would love to know his answer, because I remember
we we got we got rained out that weekend and
we had to we did like a little like workout
in our in our indoor facility that Mike stith Oon's,
and I remember like feeling like I did horrible. I
was like I just did so bad and for some reason,
I mean, I didn't even want to go to Florida.
I don't know why, like seeing Coach Walton there, I
was like trying really hard to do well. I lived
(10:44):
pretty far from Orange County, so our commute was a
few hours in the car back after after games and practices.
I remember I cried for like the first hour, like
thinking how awful I did at this workout and that
was it, Like he said, he always says, like the
girl in the pink nikes. I've always been a pink girl,
So like these pink shoes at the endoor, like the
only one wearing pink. And it's just funny that like
(11:06):
whatever I did sparked something. But in my mind it
was like definitely not good enough.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
We gotta ask him then. I'm so curious as to
what it is it hadn't been. I don't know that.
Maybe it was the shoes, the shoes, the smile.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
You know what, if you can't if you can't douse
them with your ability, at least like you make sure
you're put together right, Like that's my.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
Motto, that's my mom. I'm gonna I'm gonna distract you
from the outfit of anything. You'll figure it out. I mean,
that's even something you said when I was reading the
article that MLB I wrote about you after you won
Home Run Derbi. You said, look, you're gonna come out
there with some flash my pink shoes, so you're gonna
see a lot of sparkle, and you know, a lot
of home runs. By the way, you're gonna get get
(11:49):
his show either way. Yes, has always love it something
that you have felt about yourself, like I'm gonna go
out and put a show or is there a moment
when you kind of had to come into your own
throughout your process and career.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
I think when I was younger and didn't quite fit
in with all the other girls in school, I was
like trying to, you know, try out other outfits and
other things, and my mom's like, you know, you can still,
like wear a skirt. I went to a private school
at this time. She's like, you can still wear your
skirt and play sports with the boys, and you can
wear your pink shoes and play sports with the boys.
You can wear whatever you want, but you know that
(12:20):
you can't do that right And I was like, oh really,
Like okay, Like, so I can go play basketball with
the boys and beat them in races still wearing my
skirt and my pink shoes, And so I did so,
just as like growing up, I just realized, like, Okay,
if I love pink, I can still incorporate that. And obviously,
like being with Adidas now, they surprised me with like
these hot pink turfs for last season, and I just
(12:44):
loved them. I was like, these are so me, They're
so out there. And then just showing girls like we
can be girly while still being really freaking good at
what we do and strong and still beating boys at recess.
It doesn't matter what color we have on. You know,
we can still show them up.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
Period. Girl. You can. You can so beat all the
boys and look good at the same time, look hey
at the same time. That's been something that I think
all young girls, all women in general, need to know
at literally every phase of life. We don't have to
change ourselves in any capacity or to meet and or
beat the men that we have to compete against within
our careers. When you went to Florida and throughout that
(13:22):
recruiting process, you talked about you left feeling like you
didn't do well and then you get a letter from
coach Walton. I imagine what a couple of weeks later.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
At that time, I was too young to receive uh
yeah four teen compact. So yeah, yeah, So my travel
ball coach was like, hey, coach Walton was interested, Like
you should give him a call, and so at that
time it was like kind of the ball was in
our court to reach out and so yeah, so had
to have phone call conversation with him and it went well.
I really liked him and decided to plan a visit
(13:55):
out there and see what Gainsol was all about, and
it was it was really awesome to see a different
side of the country. I had been so used to,
you know, our little bubble in southern California and what
sports looks like there. It was really cool to go
somewhere where walking around as a softball recruit, I felt
like I was getting the same amount of attention that
a top football recruit would get, and like that was
(14:17):
that was really cool to see, Like how much not
only like Gainsall as a whole, but like the university
really valued their female athletes and saw so much value
in US as softball players and the program and just
like where they wanted to take it. That was really
exciting for me because I had committed before they had
won their first national championship, so it was like they definitely,
(14:39):
you know, were so competitive, but they were right there
right and the administration believed in the program and like
put a high value on it, and I thought.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
That that was so cool. I love that because oftentimes
we feel like we have to hit three for three,
four for four when you're getting recruited in order for
a coach to pay attention or want any were you
to come to the school. And to me, it just
sounds like I had a conversation with Rose Level the
other day and one of the things I really took
away from her Olympic soccer player, and she said that
(15:09):
the good is never as good as you think, and
the bad is never as bad as you think, and
so just keep the main thing the main thing. And
I would say, probably from just what you're talking about,
just go out with your the pink shoes, the flair
that you have, and be yourself and just know that
the good it's never that as good as you think.
You can always be better, but the bad is never
as bad as you think. And I love that for
(15:32):
I love that, and especially through the recruiting process. Right,
it's a lot like how you respond to it, responding
to the bad and responding to the good. Right, Like
the coaches are really looking at everything. So a lot
of the times they're showing up because they know you're
really good. They've already heard it.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
It's more than just having you as a softball player,
as you know, like you're essentially become their family for
that four years. So seeing them so often like you
want to like the human too and like the way
that they act. So handling failure with class and winning
with class as well is I think really important.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
Canalio class, winning with class and going out but also
being badass because that's the only way you go out
and be a four time All American as a Florida Gator.
And then you recently posted your home run, your first
home run from nine years ago. When you saw that video,
and you think about just how much time is truly
(16:23):
flown by from you in your career, from starting at
Florida to where you are today. How do you feel
like you have evolved as a player the Amanda then
and who is the Amanda.
Speaker 2 (16:33):
Now, She's really similar, But I think I'm more confident
now and who I am and my whole life. I
love my life, Like there's so much less uncertainty now
than there was, you know, freshman year, Amanda, I compared
myself to a lot of others when I was that young,
and just it's crazy to see think like I'm still
(16:54):
playing the game. I think my younger self would be
so excited to know that my full time job is
being a professional softball player period, Like I do not
have another job, And I think that's pretty freaking cool.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
Especially as a woman in sports so oftentimes where we
have to have multiple incomes in order to maintain being
able to be a professional softball player. And you can
just say in our two point period, I'm out here
playing pro softball and dominating the game every literally everything
any field that I step onto, whether it's softball, baseball,
hitting home runs at every stage. For you, when you
(17:30):
talk about the impact and the involvement and you being
more confident is there because I feel like confidence is
a muscle you have to like work out right, and
if you don't utilize it, you lose it and it
can come back and you can go on as it
comes or go as it comes for you maintaining that
level of confidence. Is there anything that you implement to
make sure that you can continue to ride that wave?
Speaker 2 (17:51):
Yeah, I think hard work. I think that there's so
many times we can fake it till we make it,
but really like looking yourself in the mirror and knowing
like I'm eating well, I'm working out, I'm doing things correct,
and dang it feels good, Like it feels good to
do things the right way and like see results, but
also just know like you're putting in the work. I
think that that's helped me a ton, like especially you
(18:12):
know now not being in college and like being a
pro full time and knowing what works well for my body,
Like I know how to perform at my best and
I know what to do. I know X, Y and
Z to attack, and so if I don't attack X,
Y and Z, it's really easy to not feel confident.
But when I do the things that I know work,
then then it's easy to stay confident. And also, like
you said, like not ride the way we can ride
(18:34):
the wave of just what being a softball player is like. Unfortunately,
it's a it's a game of failure. But just because
I'm riding this wave of doing well and not doing well,
it doesn't mean my confidence should dip or rise. It
should still be this steady slope, right. So I've tried
to really buy into that, especially probably the last like
two three years, and I've definitely felt the best that
I've ever felt because of it.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
Let's take a quick break to hear word from our sponsor.
Is there one moment you can think of, whether it
be college or pro ball, where you felt like your
confidence was struggling a little bit and you finally found
like the moment when you found yourself again.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
It probably is my senior year of high school. I,
you know, my whole life, like I dreamed of playing
at UCLA and playing for teen USA. That was like
it to me. And had just been really gifted where
I didn't experience a lot of adversity. And my senior year,
I had tried out for the junior national team and
I didn't make it, and that was like my first
time being told like you're not good enough, and it
(19:40):
was really hard for me. I had felt like I
worked so hard and when it didn't happen, I remember
feeling like really broken, Like why am I working so
hard if it's not good enough. So it's like, oh, okay,
well then I don't need to go on my runs
that I've been doing. I don't need to hit on
my own. I can just show up, Like what's point Anyway,
(20:01):
It took a little bit. Took my travel ball coach.
I showed up to practice one day and he pulled
me aside and he's like, I don't know who this is,
but this is not you. So you need to get
over it, Like it's time to turn the page. And
if you are continuing to play this game for other
people's validation, like you are a way different human than
I thought you were. Like you play because you love
the game, and you love competing and you love winning.
(20:23):
You love doing it with your teammates. You're not doing
it for these other people to write your name on
a piece of paper. And I was like, oh, you're right,
Like thank you. I needed that.
Speaker 1 (20:33):
Like it took.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
I think he tried to like help, try to have
me just work through it on my own, But him
saying that to me like totally flipped the page of
Like this game is so much bigger to me than
just these goals or these dreams, and while they're so important,
it doesn't affect. Like you say, the good is never
as good and the bad is never as bad, So
like maybe it wasn't even as good as I thought
(20:55):
it was going to be, you know what I mean,
Like it's all a part of God's plan. But I'd
say like that was a big moment for me in
my career of like being told no for the first
time and then finally flipping the page and getting my
love for the game back, getting my confidence back.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
I really like how you talked about get over it.
You just gotta go and get over But also, if
you're playing for others validation, are you really playing the
game because you love the game or are you playing
it because you're wanting someone else to tell you that
how good you are? And total, ultimately, especially in the
day and age with social media, if we're waiting for validation,
(21:34):
we're gonna have just as much good as we're gonna
have bad. So as as much as you attach yourself
to the good, you're gonna attach yourself as much the
same to the bad, and it's only going to continue
to pull you down. And you talk about when you're
here and you're playing as who you are and the
confidence and the pink shoes and the impact that you've
been able to have on softball and women's sports in general.
(21:54):
And then you look back at your niece and who
has also got to watch you talk about with the
vaults on TV, and how you're really able to impact
her and change her life and change her perspective and
her vision on being a woman in sport. When you
think about the impact that you're able to have on
your niece and on so many other young girls are
(22:15):
hooked onto the TV watching amand La RAN's play, what
is the initial motion that kind of runs through you?
Speaker 2 (22:22):
Yeah, I think just I was them. So I think
of like the fact that I had, especially the two
thousand and eight Olympic team to look up to, like
they made me believe as an eleven year old that
I was going to be in their shoes one day,
like no matter what, I was gonna wear that jersey.
Without them, like that dream wouldn't have been there, Like
I probably still wouldn't be playing. So just to be
(22:43):
some sort of dream for them to show like what
sports can do in your life like means absolutely like
everything to me. My cousin's daughter, Blake, she just started
softball and has her second weekend this week, and I'm
just like totally obsessed with asking about how much fun
she had, Like just to see her have this big
smile on her face and her like her friends that
(23:04):
are all on her team, Like just to see them
having fun in sport just makes me so happy because
I just even, you know, from that age, just the
love was there and never stop. So I just am
hoping and praying they just fall in love with sport,
whatever sport that might be, but just to know how
amazing it is and to keep going.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
Now how amazing it is, and keep going. What was
probably the best advice or your favorite Tim Watton moment
where he was helping you and making sure that you
kept going, because once you get to college ball, it
can get hard.
Speaker 2 (23:35):
Yeah. Yeah, I think my freshman year he had called
me in for a meeting and he was like, I understand, like,
you have all these goals. You want to be an
All American, you want to win SEC, you want to
win a national championship, and I love that you can
do it. You can do all these things. You want
to hit four hundred, you can do that, but just
so you know your work ethic is here and in
(23:55):
order to achieve all those things, it needs to be here.
So just so you know, like it's not going to
match up if you continue to work at this level,
like you need to be doing more. You're doing just
what everyone else is doing. You're not doing more. And
he's like, I'm gonna match it. He's like whatever, whatever
you want to do, Like I'm in like truss me,
like we'll do it together. But it needs to you
need to increase. And I was like, oh, I'm in
(24:16):
like whatever you say. You know, as a freshman, you
don't really know right, You're just you're just like doggy
paddling to stay afloat. So the thought of like going
in extra for more cardio in the weight room, like yeah,
definitely wasn't thinking about that, Definitely wasn't thinking about showing
up to hit more. But it just took someone like
saying like, hey, you need to elevate yourself if you
(24:37):
really want all of these crazy things. So I did.
I'm so fortunate that I've had some really honest coaches
in my life to hold me accountable and not only
just like hey, this is what you need to do,
but like be willing to do the work with me,
so it's not like I feel like I'm alone, but
him sharing the goals with me, where it's not just
me on an island, like it's us doing it together.
Speaker 1 (24:58):
Would you say that's the best advice you ever received
playing or is there something else you really feel like
has really stuck with you? Hey, yeah, I don't.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
I really don't know the best advice. I feel like
I've gotten so many good nuggets throughout the years, but
I feel like the best, like professional advice. I feel
like I've gotten a lot of money advice from other
pros like that that has really helped me. But like
softball has always been like I've always loved it and
haven't needed like a little like spark plug other than
other than my senior year there, I don't know that
I've had any like specific advice that sticks with me.
(25:30):
No change of perspective, that definitely changes perspective. So, as
you know, at Florida on Saturdays and every game throughout postseason,
we wear the sunflowers in our hair. So that is
in honor of in raising awareness for pediatric cancer, and
so that was a huge perspective shift for me my
freshman year when Aubrey Monroe talk to the freshmen and
(25:51):
just like say, hey, like why we wear the sunflower
and who we do it for, and giving us the
history of Heather Brat as well, who they had lost
right before the twenty fourteen national championship, who was a
young girl who battled brain cancer and was able to
be part of the team through Friends of Jacqueline. And
so just having the perspective of, like we volunteered a
(26:12):
lot at our hospital on campus called Chans, meeting with
these kids and just seeing like their faces and how
much joy it brought them when we were able to
make visits and stuff, and knowing like playing collegiate softball
was not going to be in the cards for a
lot of these kids, right, just with the cards that
they have been dealt. And then my senior year, we
(26:33):
were ready to adopt another adoptee through Friends of Jacqueline,
So we had adopted Hartley George's and I was kind
of heading the relationship there of her, like with the program.
So I spent a lot of time with Hartley, whether
that's on FaceTime or texting, or I was in the
hospital with her and when she received some chemo and
it rocked my world of just seeing what this family
(26:56):
was going through and then you know, coming out on
the other side when she was healthy and able to
attend some games, Like the smile that she would greet
me with when I was coming in the dugout, whether
I just struck out or hit a home run or
had a big moment was exactly the same, Like she
did not. She loved me because of our relationship and
how I made her feel. It wasn't because I was
(27:17):
getting a big hit for the Gators, Like she still
was so excited to see me and like have that relationship.
So that perspective truly changed my whole life of just
you know, there's a lot harder things that we're gonna
have to tackle in this life than softball. It's just
a game. Although it's our life and we care and
that's you know, being passionate is great, it's also just
(27:38):
a game and the world's keep spinning around. There's a
lot harder things that we're gonna have to go through.
So being involved with friends of Jacqueline and my relationship
with Hartley and her whole family has changed my life forever.
Speaker 1 (27:50):
There's so many things bigger than the game and so
much I'm so happy that she's able to overcome that,
and so she's healthy now, still.
Speaker 2 (27:57):
Healthy, healthy and beautiful and strong.
Speaker 1 (28:01):
For you, when you have that change of perspective and
you realize that there's just so much more to this
to me, it would seem as if it would make
the game feel more free or like the pressures release
a little bit more for you. When you think about
the things that you've overcome, whether it's softball or beyond,
what do you look back and you say, this is
(28:22):
the biggest mental overcoming that I've had or physical overcoming
that has placed me to be where I am today
and had the perspectives that I have today.
Speaker 2 (28:31):
Oh, I mean, I think my relationship with Hartley was
huge in my perspective being away from I'm from California,
so being in Florida for my whole career, and just
like missing my family. My boyfriend at the time husband
now went to school in California, So just like being
away from my family. I value family time like on
(28:53):
a different level now of just every time I see them.
It feels very intentional, But I don't know that I've
had like a huge mental block yet I'm sure God's
gonna throw me one at some point in my life.
But I've been extremely blessed of just loving every phase
of my life, truly.
Speaker 1 (29:10):
Loving every phase. Moving into a new phase where you're
making a beautiful your wife and then you're making beautiful
sour dough breads that look like literally the best thing
since slice bread, like the way they come out so
gorgeous out of the oven. Talking about like work life balance,
You're now married to Greg Griffin, who has been with
your boyfriend now your husband, so years upon years of
(29:33):
cultivating that relationship, and what does that dynamic look like
as he is the assistant coach at Clemson, you're still
playing professional softball. How are you guys able to really
make sure that everything we talk about there's still everything's good.
We ride the good and the bad, keep making and
ride those waves.
Speaker 2 (29:51):
Yeah. I was on another call with some one of
my strength coaches from Florida. He has a strength coach
class like he teaches, and they asking about work life balance,
and I was like, if you work in college athletics,
there is no work life balance, Like I hope you.
I hope you know that, but it's in the most
beautiful way. Obviously, I really understand his schedule and what
(30:11):
it means like to be great and how much time
you need to spend at it, so I completely support it.
But I'm also incredibly blessed that he works for a
head coach that really values family. So like tonight, we
have a big family dinner at the facility. They do
a big family dinner before every home series and it
includes the whole team, the whole staff and staff family,
so we all have a big, nice meal together before
(30:34):
entering the big series. So definitely thankful that we sneak
in time whenever we can get it. But for both
of us, like some couples, they like to like talk
about things and talk about you know, struggles if you
go over three or you like to never talk about
it again. But we both have been obsessed our whole lives.
So I'm so thankful that I've always had I've had
a partner that when I've had bad games, I've had
(30:56):
someone that I can talk it through immediately and get
and get actual advice on how to fix it and
make it better, not someone just to coddle me and say, oh,
it's gonna be okay, but like really dissect, like how
can we flip the script and get better? So I'm
we're very fortunate we get each other and and it
just works. But yeah, like you said, I'm tackling sourdough.
You know, I'm got a lot more time on my hands,
(31:19):
so I really just like I work out, and then
it's like what else, Like we have a we have
a dog, so obsessed with our dog blue and making
sower to I'm like really a perfectionist in softball, and
I can see that carrying into my sourdough loaves. I'm
like always like looking for new tricks and tips on
TikTok to like make my loaves even better? How can
(31:40):
I make them more beautiful? I love it. You guys
are adding like little like pink sparkles to them really
like I know, Elevator, I know, but I'm in my
like die free era too, so it's like you have
to like look at It's like I've seen the people
are trying to use like the die free sprinkles and
then they just melt and it looks like yellow nothingness.
(32:02):
I'm really trying it all. I'm looking looking into all
of it.
Speaker 1 (32:07):
What would you say, Griffin, Since you guys have all
the conversations, what's probably his favorite play of yours or
if you use were to sit and talk about, oh no,
this one time Amanda did this, what does he bring up?
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
I don't know if he'll ever give me defensive props honestly,
but probably Like I was so fortunate to make it
to the World Series three times during my career and
he was able to attend each time. And we've been
together since we were fifteen, and we're best friends before that,
so definitely have a long history. But my favorite moment
of him being supportive was him being at my first
(32:44):
Women's College World Series. I hit that double it turned
into being on third to tie the game and the
twelfth inning against Oclahoma in the National Championship, And after
that game, he was like when I when I walked
into the stadium and like saw all the people, He's like,
I literally like teared up, like looking like you're playing
on this level and like he's he's definitely not an
emotional guy. So that meant a lot to me just
(33:08):
to like know, I mean we were so young still still,
but for him to just like I've always never questioned
the level that he's understood me and like he always
knows like that was always my dream to be there.
And so to feel like your partner or your spouse
like understands you to that level is really cool and
really validating to feel like it was not just my moment,
(33:29):
but our moment too. So I always think about that,
just how special that is to me.
Speaker 1 (33:33):
It's not my moment, but our moment. Do you have
any other moments outside of just with Griffin where you
really really stick with you throughout your softball career that
you always look back to you when people ask you
your favorite memory, favorite moment, what comes to mind that is.
Speaker 2 (33:50):
Probably that moment, really yeah, tying the game against Oklahoma
in the National Championship. It was two out page Lowry
kid just came in. She was throwing like seventy miles
an hour. I remember right before she had come in,
Jamie Hoover, my teammate at the time, she had struck out,
and I gave her highfied. I looked at her and
I was like, I got you, Like I have your
back here, like we're fine. And I fully believed it.
(34:13):
I fully believed it until I saw that first pitch
from Paige Lowry and it looked like eighty miles per hour,
and I was like, Okay, how.
Speaker 1 (34:21):
Am I going to make this happen?
Speaker 2 (34:23):
Ended up like having a long, a long at bat
and lacing a ball in the gap and tying the game.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
And that was my sophomore year.
Speaker 2 (34:30):
And that was just like such a huge moment on
the biggest stage of like showing up and seeing my
hard work come to fruition in the biggest moment of
my career. My brain wasn't going a million miles an hour,
Like it was quiet and the stadium full of of
Sooner fans. I couldn't hear a thing like a yeah,
(34:50):
I'm gonna hit this ball as hard as I can.
So that's probably like one of my favorite moments, especially
like something I did personally in that Gator uniform.
Speaker 1 (35:00):
As if I remember playing against Page at that time,
she was still at Missouri, and so when I first
walked up or first my first a b against her,
I literally just like it just feels like, you don't know,
It's almost like one kidding against Colonie Ricketts where you
don't really see the ball. It's like, all right, I'm
gonna go now.
Speaker 2 (35:18):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (35:19):
Yeah, it's like swing and prey. Yes. Every time it happened,
like I got a few hits off a page, I
was like, all right, I've gotten my now down. It's
not that I'm seeing the ball. I've just matched up
my now perfectly to when I need to hit her.
I love that well throughout softball, from five years old
to batbusters, to college to playing professionally. Athletes Unlimited Softball
(35:42):
League and you talk about softball being your only job,
which is absolutely amazing and something that we're striving for
in the softball world, in softball community as a whole.
When you talk about Liverpool wages, when you think about
the future of softball, what do you hope What is
your goals for this game as it continues to grow.
Speaker 2 (36:01):
Yeah, my hope is that there can be more athletes
like me that softball is their only job, that they
aren't having to get off season jobs or do a
bunch of lessons in camps to make ends meet, like
they can just focus on being a true professional. And
whether that's with supportive sponsors or just through our league
and Athletes Unlimited, my hope is that we just continue
to make a livable wage where that's all we have
(36:22):
to worry about, because I think that's the key difference
right now of what's not taking our sport to the
next level is like we're not able to put as
much time in our craft that it deserves because we
have so much other things going on, Like people have
to go to work and make a living and be
able to make rent. So how are we supposed to
do that and still practice for three four hours a day?
Like it's not ideal. So that's my hope, and I
(36:45):
see us getting there, but I just I can't wait
for it to happen and be a reality for everyone
in our league.
Speaker 1 (36:51):
There's more to cover, but first let's take a quick break.
I feel like softball only continues to get bigger and better.
And when you see the growth the WNBA has had
and how it is just taking a road by storm
over the last two years with the new formation of AUSL,
(37:15):
and how that's going to continue to grow and continue
to get that exposure and be able to tell the
stories like we're trying to do today and beyond with
dropping diamonds. What do you anticipate? How do you feel
like we're going to get over that hump with the
softball community or to be able to have that exponential
growth and get to the place where we want to be.
Speaker 2 (37:33):
I think just like exposure, like more games on ESPN,
like easily accessible for fans to know. Like there's still
so many times when we've been talking to a regular
softball fan that they have no idea that professional softball exists.
So we need to make sure that every softball fan
or every you know, sports fan in general knows that
that professional softball is here, it's alive, and it's thriving.
(37:56):
So just the exposure of being able to watch on TV.
And then also like I think the NBA support of
the WNBA has been so huge and so cool to see,
you know, these men like really championing these women as
they deserve, but just giving more of a platform right
of just showing how amazing these athletes are. And I
think that, you know, I think MLB hom and Derby
(38:16):
X is doing that right now too, with really valuing
softball players and females in general, having them on these
stops around the country, of hitting in front of a
bunch of fans and showing them like the girls can
do it too and be more fun to watch because
it's faster and it's just fun, fun pace. So I
think just that support is going to take us because
we just still need to get our name out there. Unfortunately,
(38:39):
because there's just so many people that still don't know
that professional softball exists.
Speaker 1 (38:44):
You got to keep doing, keep pushing, and keep the
main thing the main thing. Maybe more people wear pink cleats. Yeah,
all the stops. Yeah, Okay, we're going to go into
a little bit of rapid fire real quick. So is
this all super fast? Whatever comes it's your mind? You ready? Ready?
Speaker 2 (39:02):
Kay?
Speaker 1 (39:03):
Favorite walk up song, Let's get it started.
Speaker 2 (39:06):
Black Eyed Peas?
Speaker 1 (39:07):
Oh yeah, do you have a softball role model?
Speaker 2 (39:12):
Jenny Finch?
Speaker 1 (39:14):
So do you want to be a picture? And when
you were younger too?
Speaker 2 (39:17):
Like for a hot second, but I think it was
like the pink litter headbands and she was just so kind.
I think that's really what it was.
Speaker 1 (39:24):
Yeah, I forgot like the death of the bows. Yeah,
you don't see people wearing bows or ribbons anymore. Remember
it was like the bigger the bow, the better.
Speaker 2 (39:31):
At one point, Yes, those are the days.
Speaker 1 (39:35):
Is there a skill you are working to be better at?
Speaker 2 (39:42):
My sourdough game if that counts, or if you're talking
about softball, then speed okay both yeah, speed and sourdough
the ss yes, yes?
Speaker 1 (39:52):
What is this? One would be? What is your favorite drill?
I know that you talk about how drills aren't really
something you focus on. So when you feel like you've
lost your rhythm in a game, what is something that
you do to get that back?
Speaker 2 (40:04):
The tea? I love the tea, So I just hit
a bunch off of the tea set my swing. That's
how I set my swing every single day, and if
I have issues, then I always go back to the tea.
Speaker 1 (40:14):
No specific door, you're just hitting, trying to get.
Speaker 2 (40:16):
Just hitting back, just hitting inside, outside, middle, high tea,
low tea, just working all locations.
Speaker 1 (40:23):
If you had to choose one city to play in forever,
which would it be?
Speaker 2 (40:28):
Gainesville, Florida?
Speaker 1 (40:30):
Good old Gainesville? Easy? How do you get pumped up
and get ready for game day? Oh?
Speaker 2 (40:38):
I love to get a nice cup of coffee and
laugh with my teammates.
Speaker 1 (40:44):
Do you have any superstitions? Yes?
Speaker 2 (40:46):
I put like my socks on the same way. If
I did well, then the hair will stay exactly the same.
I usually wear the same understand I'm always watching my stuff.
I'm not like a dirty clothes wearer, but I will
wear the same stuff.
Speaker 1 (40:58):
Okay, so but just for clar for even if it
looks the same, it was washed the night before.
Speaker 2 (41:03):
Always.
Speaker 1 (41:04):
Okay, going into our no fly zone segment because as outfielders,
we know how boring it is to turn the outfield
into a no fly zone. You made some amazing diving
catches in your career, and when you think about it
out being in the grass, I always say the outfield
were like the Beyonces, Like we just run the world
(41:25):
and if you're the field is our oyster. We see everything,
we take control. When you think of your favorite play
you've made in the outfield, what is it? In college?
Speaker 2 (41:38):
It wasn't a home run, but it was like a
foul ball home run. So I like did my not
very high leap and caught it like over the fence
and brought it back in. And I remember so shocked
that I did it, because unlike you and Aaliyah, I'm
not a big jumper, not really not really diving far
and making those incredible catches and just try to be
(41:59):
like solid over there. So that was probably my favorite one,
Like being shocked that like I did it and got
up enough to catch it.
Speaker 1 (42:06):
I love especially when you don't know if you caught
it or not and you're like please please please please
please please.
Speaker 2 (42:11):
Yeah, totally have that moment.
Speaker 1 (42:14):
I was like, oh, I got it. What do you
feel like is the key to making a great play
in the outfield?
Speaker 2 (42:22):
Your first step and not giving up on the ball.
Speaker 1 (42:26):
When you say not gives up on the ball, what
do you mean?
Speaker 2 (42:29):
Sometimes it's ugly, like if you take a wrong step,
like you might have to add like a little bit
of lean. But sometimes when it's like you feel like
you're a little bit off, it's easy to just like
shut it down and worry about getting it in, but like,
don't give up. If it's still in the air, you
can still catch it.
Speaker 1 (42:44):
Still in the air, you can still catch it. I
love that. What would you say is your mentality when
you step out on the field, just having my pictures
back okay, and that whatever that looks like to have
it just like defensively, I'm just all I'm thinking about
is having her back, like if she misses a spa
or as she doesn't, and it's in my general direction,
(43:07):
I want to be that last line of defense having
your pictures. By God, you used always tell people it's like, listen,
I'm not a picture, but if I had a great outfielders,
I would say I would probably be a picture's favorite player.
Like I'm a picture's best friend. I'm going to do
what I can do to make sure that those balls,
any mistake you made is going to look like you
did it on purpose to try to get me on
(43:28):
Sports Center. That's where we're yes, yes, yes, Well we
know softball is a game of failure, and without great failure,
there will not be great success. And so I feel
as athletes we try to avoid it as much as
we can, but it is inevitable. And so for you,
what would you say has been your favorite failure that
(43:50):
has ultimately led to some of your greatest success.
Speaker 2 (43:53):
Probably not making the junior national team my senior year,
but I know we spoke about that a lot. So
more of a recent one is I had a really
bad summer this summer with USA softball. I had just
an awful tournament in Italy. I got one hit and
that happened to be in the gold medal game, but
other than that, I.
Speaker 1 (44:10):
Was not finding the grass.
Speaker 2 (44:13):
Who's just hitting right at people and I was just
really really frustrated. And then I go into Athletes Unlimited
and I ended up being, you know, the champions. So
it's crazy how quickly that changes. I went straight from
Italy to AU, so it's not like I was doing
a bunch of homework and changing a bunch of things.
But it was really dark there for a second, and
then getting to AU and having you know, just took
(44:34):
a deep breath for a little bit and was able
to get after it.
Speaker 1 (44:36):
Take a look at that and you self reflect, what
do you feel like is a lesson in that.
Speaker 2 (44:40):
Moment, Like you're just one swing away from your luck changing.
I think, like, you know, you don't even have to
do so much different, but just one swing away from
something good can start a new streak.
Speaker 1 (44:53):
One swing away from something good. Oh, I love our saying.
I utilize this in every aspect of my life. But
it just takes one and it's whether you know, it's
that one hit or that one moment, or that one interaction,
that one meeting. It's so funny how that's saying that
we've I feel like we have used time and time
again in softball has really become like a motto within
(45:17):
my day to day life, even outside of the game.
I love it. Do you feel like there's anything that
you know, our our corny or things that we say
in softball that you feel like is really kind of
a part of you in life.
Speaker 2 (45:29):
Coach wall And used to always say, like your go
one for one. So a lot of the times like
that was zero for two. Then I'd be like trying
to go three for three in my next which is impossible,
Like you can now only go one for three. So
just going one for one and everything. So like, hey,
if failure is gone, like I'm gonna attack the next
one and I'm gonna and I'm gonna get it right
(45:49):
this time. So just going one for one and everything,
which I try to do a lot.
Speaker 1 (45:54):
I love that, just go one for one. So it's
always just that next one is what we're focusing on.
That one for one. I remember watching your Instagram and
you posted that trend where it's like you meet your
younger self and you met your younger self for coffee,
and those made me so emotional watching those on Talk
(46:15):
to caf and then amount of hours I spend crying
for strangers on tiktoking actually probably should be talking to
somebody about that. But La and with that trend, I
just feel like it's so powerful because us as humans,
athletes or other like, we're all on this journey to
(46:39):
heal our younger selves and you continue to be better
human beings and learn from just life. And when you
think back to your experience and when you said you
she met, you met with her and she told me
she's going to play softball in college and her dreams
to play for tv USA, and you said, I smiled
and said she's going to have the time of her life.
(47:00):
Because it's like this knowing that you've achieved that that
this is happening, and when you think about the evolvement
and life and how you these dreams are realized and
you can really sit back and just smile at that
little girl like you did it. We're tearing up now.
(47:23):
I'm such a baby. No, but it's so real and
the emotions that you had creating that when you think
about those dreams are realized. When you're tearing up now,
why like, what are the thoughts that are going through
your mind or the most you're feeling.
Speaker 2 (47:39):
Gosh, I just think, yeah, like you said, like it's
just so cool that it happened. Like I think of
the dreams that I had as a young girl and thinking,
like the odds of all this that's gonna happen, they're
pretty slim, right, but in my mind it was like
no doubt, I'm doing all of it. I just like
for so no wonder, Like I was so misunderstood by
(48:01):
so many people and so many friends, like and didn't
really feel like I fit in. Was because I was
this crazy person with these crazy dreams. So like they
were going out and doing all these things, and I
was like, now I'm not doing that. I have no
interest in that, And now like just like to know
that it ended up being like better than I could
have ever imagined, Like I'm so fulfilled in my life,
like I've loved every step of it all, and like
(48:22):
my my youngest help would just be over the moon
to know that, like this is what the spore has
done for me, Like it's it's just incredible. It's incredible,
and I'm so thankful.
Speaker 1 (48:34):
If that young Aanda was stitting across from you right
now and said, what am I going to be most
proud of of myself in ten years? What would you say.
Speaker 2 (48:44):
Your passion, probably like because at times like really misunderstood
by others and I felt like weird for having these
certain interests, and like now it's like so cool to
be passionate, Like I would have been that way my
whole life, and I'm so cool for it. Like so
I would just tell her, like, you are so cool
the way you are, like so cool.
Speaker 1 (49:06):
I love that you be proud of your passion and
to know that, I feel like the if I think
about the diamonds that were dropped today throughout this conversation,
it really comes down to if the ball is in
the air, you still have time. And I feel like
we can really sum that up into a powerful saying
if you think about your younger self of if you're
(49:28):
still breathing, your goals can still be achieved. The ball
in the air, you still have time. The things that
you set out for you wake up the next day,
you can still make it happen. And then you can
be Amanda in twenty twenty five looking back and saying
how proud you are that you maintain that passion and
that who you were at that young age is the
reason why you've actually achieved all these things today. Being
(49:49):
misunderstood when you were younger has allowed you to now
be understood at the highest level and through with so
many different people, and so Amanda, I just want to
say thank you so much for dropping your diamonds and
coming on dropping diamonds with me.
Speaker 2 (50:04):
Thanks for having me. You were seriously amazing and didn't
have it on my BEINGO card to get emotional, but
but I know it was amazing. Thank you so much
for having me.
Speaker 1 (50:13):
Thank you guys all for listening to today's episode. Remember
to open your heart and allow wonderful things to have
influence your life. You're a queen your dream and all
wonderful things are happening. The ball is still in the air.
You still have time make your younger self proud today.
I'll meet you here next time on Dropping Diamonds at
(50:33):
the Diamonds Bye for now. Dropping Diamonds with AJ Andrews
is an iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Athletes
Unlimited Softball League and Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. I'm
your host, AJ Andrews. Our executive producer is Jesse Katz.
(50:55):
Tari Harrison is our supervising producer, and this episode was
mixed and mastered by Mary Do. Listen to Dropping Diamonds
with Aja Andrews on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or
wherever you get your podcasts.
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