December 16, 2025 • 61 mins
In this conversation, Sahvanna Jaquish discusses the significance of maintaining team culture, the value of hard work, the importance of authenticity, and overcoming personal doubts. She shares her experiences of feeling misunderstood in sports and emphasizes the need for trust between players and coaches. Additionally, she reflects on her time playing in Japan, highlighting the cultural differences and the mental toughness she developed through challenging experiences.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Dropping Diamonds with AJ Andrews is an iHeart women's sports
production in partnership with Athletes Unlimited Softball League and Deep
Blue Sports and Entertainment. Welcome to Dropping Diamonds with Me
aj Andrews, where we dive headfirst into the world of softball.
(00:22):
Today we are joined by USA Gold medalist Lsu All
American and catcher for the AUSL Talents, and my former teammate,
Savannah j Quished. Welcome to the show.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Girly Pop, Hey, glad to be here.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Hey, Hey, so I'm so happy here. She's got her
Bobby on on for those that can't see. Yeah, and
it is an astiff period. She's got on a Richard,
not a Bob. I love that. I love that, Okay,
with Savannah as we start my podcast, I love to
start with a good affirmation, a good quote. You know
(01:01):
more than most how much that really has pushed me
throughout my softball career and just my life, and so
one that I really thought of today talking to you
as someone that is a thousand percent herself, no matter
the circumstance, no matter who she's dealing with, her she's
talking to and I think that this is a great quote.
So it says I think the reward for conformity is
(01:23):
that everyone likes you except for you. Never conform because
at the end of the day, the only person that
matters is you, and when you conform to everyone else,
everyone might like you except for you. Because I think
you got to just find your tribe. What do you
feel like is a good affirmation we could grab from
that quote?
Speaker 2 (01:42):
When you said that, quoter reminded me of something that
I read today about like if you have no enemies,
you've never hit a trader on the hip, or you've
never slapped a cut from Perga's lips, And I was like, wow, Like,
if you don't stand for who you are are, then
you can form to what everyone else wants you to be.
(02:05):
So I totally agree with that quote. I think that
you just have to be yourself and not everyone's gonna
like that, and the people that do that's your that's
your circle, that's your tribe.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
I love it. Okay, so we're gonna do Let's see,
I said, probably like if I'm gonna wake up this
morning and say an affirmation, I love a good rhyme
for yourself today, each and every way, the right people
will Cinday. Oh, I've liked that, right, people will come
(02:36):
to stay boom.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Are we gonna write a song? Yes?
Speaker 1 (02:44):
No, I honestly I'm gonna put all these together and
maybe make like a full song or a book or something.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Oh wow, Yes, yes, girl, that's what I'm talking about.
I'll buy it. I'd buy your book.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
I love you. Do you have a quote that you
feel like you've lived by throughout your illustrious and grand
softball career, something that's really kept you pushing in those
times that really got rough.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
I definitely have been recently, just like my mantra, and
I'm sure that some college kids have heard this, but
it's really like ringing true. Is control what you can control.
I feel like I start getting like anxiety and like,
oh my gosh, what about this? What about that? And
(03:32):
it's totally out of my control. And I need to
be a good steward of what I can't control and
what I already have, And I think that that pushes
me through to the next day and to be open
and willing to learn the next day. So control what
you can control.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
Can you think of a moment where you've really had
to put that to the test where you was really
whether it's in softball and things were really getting hard,
or things were really trying you, or you felt like
you were feeling and you really had to bring back
to your mantra of this is just not something I
can control. Get back to the things that you can control.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Yeah. I think that one thing that really stands out
to me is in twenty twenty when the Olympics were
names and I wasn't on the roster. I felt like
I had put my identity and like, this is what
I want to do, and this is my goal and
this is my dream. And then when that wasn't for me,
(04:29):
I had to figure out, like why I still play
And it's not for anyone else, it's for me. It's
for the joy that I have when I play, and
that's what I can control. And I think that I
had one of my best years because I was like, Okay,
that's gone, that's out of my control. What am I
going to do now? Who am I going to be now?
(04:51):
And that lesson honestly was like I think it grew me,
like in fast forward modes. So I think that that's
just one of the biggest moments that I've had where
that rang true, definitely.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
I maybe there's so many moments where a lot of
softball players can relate where whether you don't make a team,
or things won't go your way, or you didn't start
in college, whatever it is, where you kind of have
this identity crisis because your entire life you've been the
best or one of the best, and for the first time,
you don't feel like that, or you feel like you
don't know who you are as a person or a player.
(05:26):
When you felt like that in those moments, and you
said it drove you to having the best your best career,
what was the switch in your mind? Like, what did
you tell yourself, Okay, this is not something I can control,
get back to the controllables. How did you realize you
need to check yourself in order to get back to
that good mental state.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
I think it's the fact that the future that I had,
this future that I envisioned, isn't going to be a reality.
And I think that I needed to like bury that
and really be where my feet were and be in
the present and be grateful for what I had at
the present moment. And I still had a season to
play with AU And I think that just being grateful
(06:08):
and being present really shook me out of that mentality
of like reaching for the future so much. If I
just like stick to who I am and stick to
like bettering myself and my character, then what's going to
be for me is going to come and if it's
not for me, then it's going to pass me by.
(06:29):
And I think that after that big heartbreak, then I
was like okay with kind of everything that wasn't for me,
Like Okay, that's not for me, that's not for me,
and then I'm gonna just worry about my character and
whatever is meant something's going to happen.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
I'm a firm believer that what's meant for you does
not pass you, and you have to be kind of
in alignment with the things that you that you want
in order to get them. And so, you know, we
always say how the game doesn't know who's supposed to win, right,
the better team doesn't always win because the game doesn't know,
and it just comes down to who put in that
(07:04):
effort or who put in the knowing that this isn't
something like control, Now what can I what can I control?
And getting back to what you can control and getting
that to a place to where you reach success and
you talked about you feel like you lost your identity.
What did you in those moments when you felt like
you lost your identity? Where did it go?
Speaker 2 (07:25):
Like?
Speaker 1 (07:25):
What did you think of yourself? And that time?
Speaker 2 (07:28):
Yeah, So after I wasn't named to the roster, all
of those sponsors, they all withdrew their support and I
was like, okay, so if I'm not this person, then
there's that doesn't help them out. If I'm not this Olympian,
doesn't help out their brand or their products. If I'm
not this person, and if you're not willing to stick
(07:50):
with me as an athlete, then the affirmation that I
put in you is like declined. I think I put
my identity and things that weren't reciprocating that like support
for me as a person, and that's a huge thing
for me, and it was a huge thing for me
to see at that age too. I was like, Okay,
I understand now that if I can't do something for
(08:11):
their brands, then they don't want me instead of supporting
the person that I am, And I need to support
the person that I am and that's important to me.
And so when all those things were stripped away and
you're kind of just left to yourself. You have a
decision to like love yourself in that moment and trust
yourself and believe in yourself and really get down to
the root of it. And when I sat down with myself,
(08:34):
I was like, when I was a little girl and
I was nine, I would just throw the ball against
the wall till my dad would come outside and be like,
you better do your homework, you know, and like I
was like, but I want to throw the ball against
the wall and like just be outside and play. And
when I got to that core of myself, I was like,
this is why I play soft well, not for the brands,
(08:58):
not for the accolades, not for the title, not for
anything else, but the love that I have and I
have always had. And that's when I like, sall on
my center.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
Finding your center can It's like it's one of the
most important things, but it's also one of the most
difficult things. And not like something that really sticks out
to me is where they say like other people's opinions
are only heavy if you choose to carry them, and
so many of us choose to carry sometimes unconsciously, right
(09:31):
like we just allow the thoughts or whatever the things
that people are saying to kind of just stick to
us rather than brushing it off. Because we don't brush
it off, it begins to weigh and we're choosing to
carry it. And I think when it comes down to
like being yourself and understanding your identity, I think it's
one of the best examples that I can think of.
(09:52):
Someone like that would be you as far as just
being able to a thousand percent, you are yourself, no
matter who likes it, who doesn't like it. Meet Savannah
came in to LSU my saw junior year, my junior year,
and she was I like, that was little miss her
(10:12):
issued in stink. Okay. She had a pep in her
step and she had this I remember when she first,
like her first ball softball game, her routine at the
plate she did on her little one two and then
she would point the bat and then she would do
a little swipe across the bridge of her helmet and
(10:34):
it was it was a whole performance. And you know,
sometimes you have people that like hate it on it,
didn't like it. I was like, okay, girl, like, if
this makes you feel good, go up and do what
makes you feel good. You go up and do you.
And I'm so curious because especially as young athletes and
you talk what we're talking about, as we're talking about
identity and finding your identity and being confident in your
(10:57):
identity something that you always were, and even in the moments,
like you said, when you felt like you lost it
and you're able to kind of reconnect to get it back,
how do you stay when you get it back? How
do you keep it? How do you keep that strength,
that confidence in your identity when you have so many
different people that you don't like it, want to change it,
(11:18):
or are doing things to kind of strip it away
from you? How do you keep it intact?
Speaker 2 (11:24):
I think that's one of the hardest things as like
a human being and especially an athlete, just you're because
you're changing, you're evolving as well. You're going through experiences
that are that you're deciding like, hey, I don't really
like that anymore, or so I think that you should
(11:44):
really just have like your non negotiables, like your value,
like this is what I value, this is what I
stand on. But man, I feel like I'm finding myself
in every season. I feel like I'm you know, I
did find myself in twenty twenty and that was like wow.
And then you go about life and you're trying to
(12:05):
evolve as a human and your you know, life happens
and you're back to you feel like you're back to
ground zero again. But I think that you should always
be okay with being back to ground zero and having
the confidence to be like, Okay, I remember these experiences
I had, and I'm going to stand on this and
(12:26):
I remember that I value this. And it's just like
refining yourself, putting yourself back in the fire and bringing
yourself back out. And every time you bring yourself back
out from ground zero, you're shedding the things that aren't
of you anymore. So that's kind of how I look
at it now, because it's hard to hold on you,
(12:47):
don't you And especially this last season, I didn't do
as well as I wanted to, And yeah, my mind
went back to, like why can't I just hit like
I did, you know in twenty twenty one and twenty
pointy two, and like you kind of want to chase
the past and the best version of yourself, But the
best version of yourself is forward. It's always forward. And
(13:08):
I think that you have said that since we were
in college, like say if you fail, like fail forward,
fail forward. You would always tell us that because there's
nothing back there that's gonna help you. Now you know that,
like you can look back and be like, wow, it
was great and I made these adjustments this way. But
(13:29):
as far as evolving into the human you want to be,
that's in front of you. So that's like fail forward. Girl.
If I make the Olympic team, I'm gonna be like, yeah,
you need to do your.
Speaker 1 (13:46):
I got to do the whole thing somewhere, a whole
one too. But when you came in, I know, like
what were the things people were saying? I don't like
see you when you do. I always thought I was
like what have let her do with saying? But what
would other?
Speaker 2 (14:01):
You're too much? You're it's taking too long. That's what
coach would say. Coach is like, girl, it's taking too long.
I think I invented the ten second rule, like getting
the box in ten seconds because but so it's too much.
But to me, I was like a different person, like
becoming a different person, like when I was a player,
(14:24):
and then when I was off the field, like I
had I wasn't confident off the field, I was insecure
and I thought it was like chubby, you know. I
was like, oh my gosh, this is all weird. But
I think that when I would play the game, that
was my chance to be as big as I wanted
to be. And too, I was a freshman playing in
the SEC like batting force. I was like, I was
(14:48):
already imposter syndrome, right, so I had to help myself
out and give myself some confidence. And I'm like, well,
if I practice like this routine and like even before practice,
then I'm getting myself into the zone. And it was
very young mindset at that time, like my routine's gonna
help me get into this zone. This this being that
I want to be. Obviously that's refined, thank thank goodness.
(15:14):
But I knew it was a lot, that's why. And
then I was like, Okay, I'm a lot, So what like,
are you still gonna You're still gonna be my teammate,
You still gotta be around me, you still gotta like
because I'm a lot, you don't like me, Like that's
what you're choosing to be my friend or not based
off my routine, not off my character, like all right,
Like it didn't really bother me because I had real
(15:35):
ones like you too. So it also helps to have
real friends who don't judge you. But also you You
looked at me and you're like, Jay, that's a lot
like when you're gonna, you know, cut out three of
the swipes, and I was like, all right, Like, this
person has good intentions for me, and I can see
(15:56):
their love for me and they want to help me out.
I'm gonna listen to them because I saw your heart
and your intentions.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
A girl, you were good. Are good, We're good coming
in starting as a freshman. You did your one two
and my thing was like, look, that girl has a
home run every other at bat Like if she wants
to do a backflip at her approach, I had her
to do a damn backflip. Who cares? My god, Let's
take a quick break to hear a word from our sponsor.
(16:33):
When it comes to starting as a freshman, the pressure
that comes with that, how did you handle it and
how did you get around? I'm sure like the obvious
nerves that initially came in but then allowed yourself to
settle to understand this is where I belong. I'm I
am very good and I deserve to be batting forth
and to be in the line of the way.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
I am so Beth's gonna kill me because I'm gonna
say exactly how it went down. It was my freshman
year at LSU, and we were it was like a
week before our first game, and we were all excited,
like we've been training the whole entire time, like the
fall season, like training hard. And she takes like all
(17:16):
the freshmen into the batting cages and she blatantly just
tells us like, hey, none of you guys are gonna
play this year, Like you guys aren't you know, you
guys are freshmen. You need experience, like just just know.
Like she's like telling us like we're not don't expect
to play the first game, and some of them started crying,
(17:39):
and I was just livid. I was actually mad, and
I was like, you're wrong, like we deserve to be
out there, like some of us are better than the
upper classmen. Like I was just bitting it all out.
And I think back, like when I was growing up,
my mom would say, like I'm disrespectful, right because I
(18:00):
challenge authority so much, But I think that it was
misplaced boldness, like looking back at him, like dang, girl,
you were like almost borderlining disrespectful to your authorities, right
to your coaches, like you shouldn't speak out like that.
But it turned into like no, like give us a chance,
like let us show you what we can do. And
(18:23):
that game that we played, I was the only one
to get in that bat and I hit like a
jam shot to the right side and that was my
first hit ever at LSU. And I think that I
was like going toe to toe with like an All
American pitcher and I ended up getting a hit. And
I was like, that was not just for me. That
was for the mindset that you have, like about underclassmen
(18:46):
and ignorance is bliss, Like yeah, I don't know them,
but they don't know me, so I could be as
dangerous as a senior, you know. So I think that
was my mindset and now besting a place freshman if
they're good.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
Enough, period. I just do want to know that I
did play my freshman year too though.
Speaker 2 (19:06):
Okay, well did, but but that was also that.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
Was also coach Rina's first year coaching at LSU, so
I'm sure she just was like figuring it out, you
know what I mean. At the same time, but I
mean your class.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
Was didn't you guys go to the World Series?
Speaker 1 (19:22):
We did, but that was that was off of pitching solely.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
No, didn't you tag on all? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (19:31):
Yeah I did.
Speaker 2 (19:32):
I was.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
You know, there's some epic things that came out from
that year, but getting there was definitely due to Brittany
Mack and Rachel Fico. Absolutely. But you know, we did
our We did our one twos. I mean we had
to score runs, right, so we made it work. But
the pitching how is down for sure. But what are
(19:53):
my senior year? I think that was the best LSU
softball team. I don't know, maybe, I mean, they have
good teams now, but like our team my senior year,
your sophomore year, we were like the Avengers. I mean me, you,
Bianca Bell, Kelsey Claus, Bailey, Landry, Connie Quinn, Sandy.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
My sophomore year, I kind of get mixed up with
all the teams.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
She's so good, she's played on so many games. She
can't even think. I know, I was thinking of the
I know I was thinking of our actual lineup though,
But yes, Ali Carly Hoover. So we have a picture
that threw really hard and threw up and then we
have a picture that could mix speeds really well and
through a great drop ball. Like we just had all
(20:44):
the things. We had speed, power placement, we had great defense, like.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
We've heard ran number one. Yeah, we went to Florida.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
It was a time. And that goes to show when
we talked about earlier the game isn' who was supposed
to win and we if we were winning World Series,
that was going to be the year we won the
World Series. Like we were just that good. We were
number one in the nation for a good portion of
the year, like and it just didn't happen. We got
to the World Series, but we didn't win it.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
Ugh rough we were We got third place.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
I know, and a bost Michigan. Yeah, trust me, I
will never forget it. Yeah, Like when my entire body
started itching, I hated it. Golly. What was your favorite
memory at lsu mm hm.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
The first thing that popped in my head is when
we had a run. Like I just only think about
like the tribe.
Speaker 1 (21:44):
Because we got punished. We got punished all the time, Oh.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
My gosh, because we were little rebel children. We didn't
want to follow the rules. We're like, no, you know, all.
Speaker 1 (22:00):
What if I say there's like three that kind of
pop up in my head. The first one, I remember
what we were in trouble for. But remember, like the
entire staff came out and we had to run from
pole to pole, and then every time we had a break,
someone would come up and tell us how disappointed they are, and.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
Then and why we're running the next rep.
Speaker 1 (22:19):
Yes, and all of us were like, I'm positive every
last one of us didn't know what was being said.
We're just like, get it all out, though, that's the
longer the break, get it all out, talk as long
as you need so we can go a longer rest.
Speaker 2 (22:33):
Can you remember we could? We weren't even wearing our jerseys.
Remember they made us change into our like Mary Nutter
tournament shirts, and like we had to come down and
we had like Mary Nutter Classic like tournament shirts on
and that's and they were like making us run. Oh
my gosh. And even our like director of ops was
(22:55):
down there like telling us why we're running. I'm like, wait,
Like they had people that weren't even coaching, people that
weren't even coaching, I think, why we should run?
Speaker 1 (23:05):
And I was like our freaking video guy, like we had.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
Anyone bringing anyone and tell us why we stuff together.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
Another time I think is funny. I don't know if
Coachery is gonna think it's funny. But when like we
used to kind of go a little bit over on
the practice when we were practice and Connie went and
told and then we hads like monitored practices, and then
people would come out to the practice. Oh my gosh,
(23:38):
our team. We should have made a documentary because that
was like the funniest group of individuals from all over
the world, California, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana. Like we were just
all is that's so funny. It was so fun Okay,
but what was your favorite moment? Do you have one?
(24:00):
Mm hmm.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
I think my favorite moment was going in the World
Series the first time. That was like my favorite moment,
like my pophomore year. It was like a wow, we
actually we did it, like everything that we said that
we were gonna do, like we're here and then yeah,
(24:21):
like just like the funny things that brought us together
as a team, like the dancing in the locker room
or I think me Connie and Randy's like little singing
group like that. That was funny to me. When I
was like at LSU and then running three like snakes
(24:44):
in the in death valley in the football stadiums, like three,
running three of them, like even running one. We were winded,
but running three, I was I think that was last.
It was like me and like Ali Wadasker was in
front of me, and I was like, I'm the last person. Yeah,
I couldn't do it. It was so funny. We hadn't
run three of them. I don't remember what was after me.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
Or would have been like after my time, I don't remember.
Speaker 2 (25:08):
I think so yeah, I think your sister was like
first every time.
Speaker 1 (25:12):
Okay, girls, low down, this is a savanna. Oh. But
when it comes to being able to play at LSU,
compete professionally, compete overseas, compete in a us L. You
(25:35):
played for the Talents this past year and you guys
won the inaugural season of a us L. What was
that experience like being able to be I mean making
history one, but then being able to be on the
Talents for that inaugural season.
Speaker 2 (25:53):
I think that it was such a great first year
just for the staff to establish it's like culture. I
think that's really hard to do. And I think that's
kind of overlooked. When you win a championship, it really
comes down to like the culture of the team and
from everyone from the teammates to the trainers to the staff,
(26:15):
like the coach, the coaching staff. I think that we
all really supported each other and it was just a
release to come back from Japan, you know, kind of
feeling isolated and I don't really speak the language, so
I'm just kind of figuring things out over there, and
really the isolation to go coming into a team that's
(26:37):
brand new and everyone's just like feels supportive and like
a family. And I think that you could kind of
tell that from our team how like bonded we are.
We like to hang out off the field too, So
I think that was a huge part of why we
won because our culture.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
If you would describe the culture in one word, what
would it be the talents.
Speaker 2 (27:05):
Genuine, nice, such genut, genuine, genuine.
Speaker 1 (27:14):
Being a genuine is going to get you to a championship.
Right on, tay Hey, playing at the championship was at
Alabama where we played many times playing in the SEC
that championship series. What was the energy like and what
do you feel like really propelled the talents to winning
it all.
Speaker 2 (27:34):
I think the energy was just electric, Like Alabama is
always really fun to play at. I don't know what
it is.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
They love softball there nice.
Speaker 2 (27:48):
And I and I like don't even mind it, like
and they're in like a respectful way, Like even when
we were playing at LSU, Like in LSU against Samma,
we were friends so cool and I was like, yeah
we would. We would literally go back to Bama just
to hang out with the Bama girls. And I'm just like, anyway,
(28:11):
just now being a pro and what it was last year,
it just really brought back those memories of like, man,
this is such like a good fan base and so
happy to see the game growing. And I think, man,
it was just a great softball game too. It wasn't
like a blowout game. It was like a one run game.
It was like a pitching duel and Fid hit that
(28:34):
one home run of defense and we all just went crazy.
So it was it was a great game as well
as the great atmosphere.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
Why do you think the talents won? Like, what is
it about your team that you guys that you feel
like is what made you better than the bandits?
Speaker 2 (28:49):
I think it was just everything added up throughout the year.
Just that consistency that we had throughout the year of
getting to know each other and getting better together, like
knowing each other's styles play and also yeah, like it
genuinity of like yeah, let's go, like I hope you
do get a hit, I hope you make a play
(29:10):
or And I think a lot of that stem from
the girls on the team. Number one person that comes
to my head is Tory Dallas, like how she just
made everything so fun even though like even if someone
was struggling, she was like when you get a hit,
like you gotta do this white girl dance like at
second base, and everyone was just like bought into to
(29:30):
everyone's ideas. We had shirts with like Montana fouts and
we all wore like Montana Fout shirts to like support
her and her debut at Alabama, you know in the
Talents and Briella's shirts, Like we all just kind of
really genuinely were pulling for each other and happy that
the game was growing. And I think that consistency throughout
(29:51):
the year showed up when it needed to, and against
a tough team like the Bandits, like where they I
don't know what their culture is, but they have great,
great players. They had the hitter of the year, the picture,
the you know, the first round pick picture. And so
I think that both of us coming together and you
seeing that duel, what edge just like out on top
(30:13):
was just our consistency with the camaraderie.
Speaker 1 (30:16):
I forgot coach Dobson is also your coach.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
Yes, yes, he is great. I think he was meant
to coach professionals because he just like tops it up
with us and you know, kind of gives us what
we need in like a dad way. So I think
it's like, it's great, the dynamic is great, it's funny.
Speaker 1 (30:39):
Oh, Dobby. There's more to cover, but first let's take
a quick break. First season championship. What do you feel
like it's going to take for the talents to win
(31:00):
in twenty twenty six, especially after the new allocation Draft
and the expansion Draft.
Speaker 2 (31:05):
I think really keeping the culture is important and then
not chasing who we were. But I think Patty Gasso
said this to our team, you know when I played
at TEMSA, and it really like struck true. She's like,
culture is your non negotiables, like what you're not willing
to waiver on. And I was like let me write
(31:28):
that down right, So I think that that's going to
be huge, And like, I think what made us win
was our camaraderie, our culture, like who we are as
people and and how we show up as a team.
But we're not trying to chase who we were. We're
gonna we're going to accept new players and a new
type of vibe, but we're definitely going to like stick
(31:50):
to like being good people. And that's what is going
to make us win at.
Speaker 1 (31:55):
The end of the year, being good people, being genuine,
but also the hard work and talking about hard work.
I mean, I don't know we've knew of that song
is like he wasn't wait to shooting in the gym,
Savannah very much. So was with me shooting im the gym.
Every single night we would have practice and then we
(32:18):
would go do our thing, whether it be study, hall weights,
and then we would be back at the field promptly,
like eight, nine, ten pm, hitting for another hour or two.
What is it that makes us work so hard? Why
is it hard work so ingrained in you?
Speaker 2 (32:37):
I think it's a way that I was brought up.
You know, my parents like told us, like me and
my two other sisters like, we don't have the money
to put you, like into college, so you're going to
get there through a scholarship and that's the only way.
That's there's no plan B. Like there's there's no plan B.
(32:58):
And when my older sister went to Notre Dame on
a full scholarship, I was like, okay, like this is possible.
This is like what's gonna get me to where I
need to be. And then boom, it's just like as
soon as I envisioned it and like it like manifested
in front of me. And a lot of that was
(33:19):
like the drive that I had. And I also loved
the hard work, and I think that was like easy
for me to love love the hard moments, love to
do things I don't want to do, love to practice
what I'm bad at and see it get better. And
(33:40):
I think that that just like I don't know, it's
just in us, they it's not in in a lot
of people. That's why we were the one percent of
the one percent of the one percent. And that's what
I'm gonna lay like that's that will never change in me.
I think that's what a characteristic that I really cherish
about myself is like love the hard love the hard work.
(34:04):
That's how I'm going to be to the day I die,
to the day I die, for sure say and that
you too, like even in your field, like that goes
for everything that you do, not just softball, Like when
your career is over, like I was actually having this
conversation with my dad like yesterday, when when my career
is over, like that's going to be a sad day,
(34:25):
but it's also going to be an exciting day to see,
like what else I can do that's great and how
I can implement like the lessons that I've learned into
my next great thing.
Speaker 1 (34:34):
And look at you, my next I like the way
I like the way you think my next great thing
because everything touch is going to be great. What would
you say is the value of hard work and how
you feel like it has placed you where you are today?
Speaker 2 (34:49):
I think that when you work hard, it's a lot
about like preparing yourself for the moment. In our sport
has a lot of like you have to do a
lot of repetition for our sport because you're trying to
like create the same movement. So it's a lot of
like muscle memory, got to train your body. But when
(35:11):
you're in it right when you're working out and you're like,
I am so tired. I don't want to do this.
Like your your self talk really like you can heal
it here. Your self talk magnified, it gets louder, and
just training that and training your mind and like, no,
I am strong enough for this next rep, Like I am,
(35:34):
I am ready? What if it was like the fourteenth
inning and I'm tired? And so you're like training that,
like sharpening that tool, that mind set, and also you're
getting to know yourself. You're getting to know yourself on
an intimate level. I think that that is what gives
me the itch to meet my doubts, to meet my insecurities,
(35:57):
like to do hard things. I have the opportunity to
meet my enemies, which is my doubts, my insecurities, and
I get to put them in line. And when I
meet those things again, when I'm playing against Waino in
Japan or you know, I'm in a tough situation and
(36:18):
I meet those doubts, I'm going to be like, no,
I remember you, I conquered you five days that they
can do in a gym. Yeah, Like I would think
that that's what gives me the it to work hard.
Speaker 1 (36:30):
The reflection amazing, ding ding ding ding ding. That's a
diamond being dropped.
Speaker 3 (36:36):
Drop diamonds, dropping diamonds, getting getting excited or getting used
to meeting your enemies, which are maybe fear and doubt,
and when you when you come across them, put them
in their place and overcome it.
Speaker 1 (36:52):
That way, when you meet them again, it's not something
that stops in your tracks or shocks you. You say, oh,
I've I've been here before, and I know how to
conquer it. I like that because oftentimes we stray away
from the things we fear or we try to avoid
failure without realizing if we just went up and shook
its hand, we would know how to navigate it the
(37:13):
next time we encountered it, because it's going to come
across again. And so I like that. I think that's amazing.
I mean, when it comes to the hard work and
meeting your fear or figuring out how to navigate these things,
it can be easy, especially in softball or in sports,
where at a certain point in your life it becomes
(37:35):
your whole life, and it's easy to be misunderstood, especially
if you don't navigate it the way maybe other people
do or it looks unfamiliar to the way other people
handle certain situations. Have you ever felt misunderstood in the game.
Speaker 2 (37:50):
Yeah, all the time, all the time. And I think
that I'm understanding myself as well. I mean, I think
I've a clear vision of who I am, Like I said,
like identity, right, that was like where we started with
this conversation. And I just have a clear vision of
(38:11):
who I am to the core, and I know I'm
going to change, but I definitely hear what people say
about me, and I'm like, hmm, that's not right, Like
that's not why I'm doing that, or that's not why
I'm you know, acting that way, Like when I have
my breakout year, like I feel like at Au and
I was leading in every category and do and I
(38:32):
told you because I refound this love for the game
and this love like within myself. But I heard a
lot of commentators be like, well, she has a chip
on her shoulder, like you know, she's upset, And I'm like,
that's not true, Like that's what you see and if
you want to make it like that, then that's fine.
But I know why I'm doing the way I'm doing,
(38:55):
Like I know why I'm playing well, and it's because,
like I stripped myself down to my core and I
found something special. But if you want to make it
like me versus whatever, then that I can't control that.
I can only control what I do and my character,
and it's going to be misunderstood sometimes and I'm not
(39:16):
going to get it right all the time either. Like
I also do things where I'm like, I shouldn't have
done that or shouldn't have said that, And that's just
a part of being human and a part of like
people will forgive you if they know your intentions and
they know your heart truly, and those are the people
I want to stick around. Everyone else they're just passing through.
(39:40):
I think that if what they're saying kind of hurts
you in a way that you feel like that's completely
not true. I feel like that should be like that
should kind of roll off your shoulders and you just
keep showing that that you're self and like I said,
(40:02):
like you're improving your character, you're improving your intentions. Like
but then if they can't see that eventually, I think
that through time they'll be like, oh, no, okay, she's actually,
you know, not what I thought she was and that
happens a lot. But if if that what they're saying
about you hurts you in a way that you're like,
oh that kind of like yeah, it wasn't a good
(40:24):
thing that I did, then you address it, I think
with that person and just say hey, you know, I
feel like I wronged you in this way and I'm
really going to try to work on myself. And if
trust is later on in the relationship for us, and
that's you know, I hope that you can forgive me
for this, and I'm really going to work on it
(40:45):
because we're not going to get things right all the time.
Like there's things that I say and I'm like, dang,
that was kind of hurtful to people that I love,
and thank god they just give me another chance and
they they see my intentions and they're like, well, I
hope you do grow and you know that wasn't okay
what you said. But I think that's that's going back
(41:07):
to like life, life is. Life is difficult. It's hard,
and it's hard being a human, but you got to
work on yourself and who you want to be one
percent every day, try to be that person.
Speaker 1 (41:23):
Get better at one percent after one hundred days you
one hundred percent better, Yesta.
Speaker 2 (41:29):
Goes, that's the days. That's the days, and you're gonna
fall some days and you just gotta get right back
up the next day. If you just throw yourself a
pity party, you're gonna stay down there for a while.
Speaker 1 (41:41):
Yeah, because we all love a party. Listen, A party
loves to be thrown, no matter who is throwing it.
So throw and upbeat one. Don't throw a pity because
either way you're going to stay awhile. So find find
the party you want to be at. When you talk
about trust and you talk about being able to build
those different relationships and understanding as a catcher, how do
(42:04):
you build relationships with your pictures?
Speaker 2 (42:09):
That is where I'm at in my career right now,
with like building relationships with your picture and kind of
figuring out what they know about how they can get
batters out themselves, and just listening to them and where
they're at in their journey of pitching and evolving as
a picture and being that like tool for them to
(42:31):
really shine on the field. I think every picture is different,
their personalities are different, but it's definitely a trust game
with what they feel comfortable throwing and kind of if
you guys are on the same page mentally. But I
think doing film, we do a lot of film on
the talent, and we have like picture catcher talks in
(42:55):
groups and we say, Okay, this girl this hitting four hundred,
and she's someone who we want to avoid, and if
we have to picture her, what does that look like
and what does that look like for each and every
one of you. And so just having those open discussions
and really being able to hear each other out is
(43:16):
very important. And then going into the game and trust
that the preparation of films the day before. I think
that that's really helped us as the talent. But I
think that's how a lot of programs should be run.
I know that in college they call the game for
the catchers, but I really think that it would be
(43:38):
helpful if the coaches talked with the pictures and the
catchers about why they're they're calling the way that they're
calling instead of just throw it like because I said so.
And then when they're they're graduating college and they come
play in the Pro League, they are like, I've never
called a game before in my life, and then the
pictures like, oh, I don't want to throw to you,
then if you never you know, called the game and
(44:00):
you don't feel confident. So just probably educating those kids
at that time would really be helpful to the trust
in the game as well, like the game that they're
playing in college, but also after college in the pro
league could really help them out.
Speaker 1 (44:15):
So if you are, let's say in travel ball, and
you don't have film right or you're playing a different
team each day or each you know, hour, when it
comes down to understanding like what is you want to throw,
just kind of getting together and saying, okay, well, if
this batter, if maybe she is leaning more towards outside pictures,
(44:38):
is what we're gonna do more inside what she canna
do based off her last day, be like, have a
game plan set regardless of who it is you're facing,
so that it's kind of a rent and repeat method.
Speaker 2 (44:48):
Yes, and I hear a lot of travel ball girls
pictures saying like I only throw this page and I
and my coach doesn't let me throw this page and
I have to do this, and like I don't want
to and that's not who I am. And they're kind
of fighting with their coach about their evolution as a
pitcher and who they want to be, and also the
(45:09):
coaches like, well, I just want to like, we got
to win these games. You know, we're not trying to
pull out a new pitch. But I think that that's
where the conversation needs to happen. And the trust in
your player and the trust in you know, their work,
and so I think that that's that's a huge thing
I hear all the time with travel ball kids. And
(45:31):
just know that coaches are just people too, you know.
They they just want to win. They want the best
of the team. And when you come at a coach like, hey,
I really want the best of the team and I
want to win too, And I think that we need to,
you know, have trust within each other and I want
to show you what I can do for real. I
(45:54):
think that they'll respect that. Not just the basketball tanged
up no more.
Speaker 1 (46:00):
I think I can do it all, do it all
as a catcher. What do you think is the most
important thing to work on in order to be the
best behind the plate.
Speaker 2 (46:11):
At a pro level? I would definitely say calling a
game is is the number one skill that you have
at a college level or a travolt ball level. I
would say if you're younger. Blocking is key, and that's
what I learned when I was younger, Like because runners
(46:33):
move up if you can't block, and they'll score if
you can't, you know, block a.
Speaker 1 (46:37):
Pack years I was like, okay, girl, you better get that.
Speaker 2 (46:41):
You're young. You're twelve, right, If you're twelve, you should
be able to block the ball. Because the pitching, I
mean they're twelve as well, they're learning to so pitching.
Don't worry, girl, the pitching gets better. Okay. So when
I was a young catcher, I would be wearing balls
left and right and like, I don't know if I
want to do this, but they get it under control eventually.
(47:04):
And then I would say, like sixteen or in college,
I think receiving and throwing runners out is really important
because like.
Speaker 1 (47:14):
Receiving, I know that at LCUA worked a lot, a
lot the transfer to throw. What is the key to
having like that quick transfer, to being able to throw
a runner out a.
Speaker 2 (47:23):
Second moving your feet while you haven't like while the
ball is still in the air. I would say that,
And if you throw on your knees, because I did
in college. I threw on my knees. Now I don't
at all but if you throw on your knees, just
really making sure the ball gets deep before, like you're
(47:44):
not going out and grabbing it and then taking it back.
Just making sure that the ball is turning your body.
But now that I'm older and I'm I don't know,
a lot of the batters try to get in the
way I throw on my feet. Definitely an international play,
I'll be like stepping across the plate, and if I
throw on my knees, I was like pegging in the head.
(48:05):
So now I focus on moving my feet like I'm
standing up and turning before the ball is coming to me.
Four balls in my glove. That's key, t ky key.
If you want to get down your pop time, girlies,
you have the ball, That's exactly what you have to do.
A transfer takes the time off of your throw.
Speaker 1 (48:29):
Thanks for stacking us from first to second phase. We'll
be robbing third after the breaks. You've played so many
different levels and literally all over the world, playing in
Japan with it being such a culture shock and the
(48:50):
practices of eight hours a day, how do you feel
like that has helped develop you as a player? And
I catch her in.
Speaker 2 (48:58):
Every way it has challenge me in every single way
of who I am as far as a softball player
and a lot as a person as well. I think
that mental toughness was huge my first year. This past
year was better. So I've been there for two years,
(49:19):
but my first year in Japan getting used to the
routine and not knowing what they're saying, and I'm like,
if you're talking about me, like you know, like like
do they like me as a teammate, and like I
just got to focus and you know, like all these
things that you're just like you're new again, right, It's
like your brand new. The hard days, like the days
(49:42):
I would come home crying because I'm like I'm sacrificing
so much and I feel like I'm not getting a
lot in return. I would just say, like, this is
a mental toughness day. This is making me mentally tough
and I and I need to get through this. And
when I get through this, I'm going to be such
a better person, not just a softball player. Like I
(50:04):
think that's the change in the mindset. I'm not thinking
like this is going to make me better on the field,
this is gonna make me hit five hundred, like no,
but it will help me when when I have a
hard day as a mom someday, or when I have
a hard day at work someday, Like this is going
to help me throughout my entire life if I just
(50:25):
can see this as a mental toughness like day. And
I think that that really helped me get through the
grind of Japan because it literally is a grind. And
and I love hard things, and I know you love
hard things too, like hard practice, like let's let's get
(50:48):
after it day in and day out. You will come
to a plateau of like another hard day, like.
Speaker 1 (50:57):
Maybe like two times a week in our practice. I mean,
unlike anybody when we got to the field, like okay,
we're just hitting today. Oof, thank god, you know what
I mean, Like we've all had.
Speaker 2 (51:07):
Those days, yes, and yeah, that's exactly how it was
when it was boom boom boom. Yeah, every day every day.
Speaker 1 (51:16):
What's the craziest thing you've ever seen in Japan as
far as practice games, it's just like completely abnormally you
would never see in America. If there is anything, it
might not be.
Speaker 2 (51:27):
I would say the fans are different in you know,
from America to Japan because the fans, like we're sponsored
by a company, so like Honda Toyota. I'm sponsored by
Tote Medics, Like there's a medical company. So our fans
(51:48):
are like all like they're always in like suits and
ties and like they work for our company. Like they
they're like doctors and nurses and like people in the
medical field, and they're just out there like come on,
come on. You know, it's like so cute, and you
like you meet these people and you become close to
(52:09):
them and you're like, man, they really want us to win.
And they're like die hard fans, you know. So I
think that that is different. And each team has their
own fan base and it's it's fun to watch. And
sometimes they have cheer wars, you know in the stands,
like they bring speakers with microphones just to be louder
(52:31):
than the other teams tears squads, and I'm like get them,
get them.
Speaker 1 (52:36):
Like, oh, we had the the drums and stuff, and
they had those little megaphones that they not don't like
it people have in the dugouts. But we had all
the things.
Speaker 2 (52:45):
I remember, we had all the pros. Yeah, so that
is funny. Like the cheer wars, I'm just like.
Speaker 1 (53:00):
Japanese Wars for the tea.
Speaker 2 (53:02):
You're going to win the tear war and we're gonna win.
Speaker 1 (53:04):
The game and the game. I imaginally've learned some Japanese
since being there.
Speaker 2 (53:09):
Huh yes, yes, like a good.
Speaker 1 (53:11):
Bit or a little bit.
Speaker 2 (53:14):
I would say, a good bit.
Speaker 1 (53:15):
Oh nice, nice, say something.
Speaker 2 (53:20):
Okay, ohio Ima, Hello.
Speaker 1 (53:28):
How you doing? My name is Savannah something something something.
Speaker 2 (53:32):
Nice to meet you.
Speaker 1 (53:34):
See, I'm good at context like, I mean, I know
what it's being said. But I'm good at like I
think you're inducing yourself. Hi, you know what I mean?
Like I can't pick up on things.
Speaker 2 (53:45):
Yes, And that's how you pick up on the language.
That's how you pick up on the language. That's what
I'm doing too. I'm like, sometimes I get it wrong.
I'm like, she said my name? Why she said my name?
Speaker 1 (53:56):
I believe when I lived in Italy. That's what I
played in Italy, and I quickly got the language because
I was around it so much and I had to
figure out what they were saying. Right when you had
to figure it out, that's when I feel like you
are on the easiest because you have no choice but
to like figure it out. Okay, this is what this is?
This is what this is. And you begin to relate,
things begin to click, like, ah, that must mean field,
(54:18):
Ah that must mean water off that much?
Speaker 2 (54:21):
You know what I mean? It's not that course up, yes,
And then they need to start adding vocabularies here to
your stuff. The hard thing is like I know some
Spanish as well, Like I know a lot more Spanish
than you do Japanese. But when I went over there,
I was mixing like my Spanish and my Japanese. I'd
be like, oh see see see I mean high high high.
Speaker 1 (54:45):
It's just try lingual, you know, try lingual.
Speaker 2 (54:51):
No, I'm not that I wouldn't say fluent at all
in Japanese, but I'm learning at a like rapid rate
because yeah, just in there, Savia.
Speaker 1 (55:00):
I'm so proud of you and all things that you've
done within softball and beyond saying true to yourself and
saying true to your identity. I would be remiss though,
if I didn't ask before I let you go, what's
your favorite AJ moment from playing with me?
Speaker 2 (55:19):
My favorite AJ moment? Oh my god, there's so many.
I would say. Your sassiness that you would bring, and
remember that best friends dance that we did.
Speaker 1 (55:32):
Oh yeah, my best friend.
Speaker 2 (55:36):
Go best friend.
Speaker 1 (55:37):
That's my best friend. That's my best friend.
Speaker 2 (55:39):
Yes, please put please tag that video in here so
that you can just at the end of Damore everyone
needs to see, just to let you know that was
one take that.
Speaker 1 (55:52):
At the World Series. First take Drake, that's you.
Speaker 2 (55:56):
That's first take. One take a j Alice he needs
is one take because she is it and you just
got to capture it on a film. So that's my
favorite Agam moment, just that sassiness that you would bring,
like yup and I was like period, you know, like
behind you, like what what my friends said? What my
(56:18):
friend say?
Speaker 1 (56:19):
So also I have to note earlier when Savannah called
me Za that is a nickname that only LSU softball from.
It's it's such a funny. No one else knows that
unless you played with me. And it's because my freshman
year Alison Falcon and Cassie Tross Clayer seniors at the time,
(56:43):
they're watching some video of some little boy going crazy
and his name was Jase on YouTube and I'm in
the gualkie to the like it's a training room to
get treatment or whatever, and they're like a j jay z,
hey say say say this, and then they just started
calling me Zay. I was like, yo, what the like,
(57:05):
I don't even understand it, and I knew it stuck.
Once Mel who was our strength coach, started calling me Zay,
I was like, all right, well there's something I can do.
The nickname is here today, Zay. Now hope people that
came after me. This was my freshman year and this
is still being said my junior year by Savannah who
was a freshman at the time. So they it is,
(57:30):
it lives on, It lives on, Cassie Falcon. Now we're
going into my favorite segment, the no fly zone segments.
Before we go, I have to know your favorite play
you ever made.
Speaker 2 (57:46):
I think my favorite play I've ever made was catching
a foul ball in like foul territory au and like
going over the foul zone at third base, like going
over this and getting the ball. I was like, I've
practiced that so many times and like for that to happen,
it was just like, let's go, let's go the highlight.
Speaker 1 (58:11):
What would you say is your favorite failure that's led
you to your best success.
Speaker 2 (58:18):
I would say, yeah, my first year in Japan, I
failed a lot and you know it could have it
could have really kept me down and could have you know,
took me to a bad place mentally, like oh am
I really still who I think I am or that
I can be, And just getting back out there the
next this past year and working hard and seeing success.
(58:41):
I think that that was, you know, a reflection of
like failing and not giving up on who I am
and still having this love for the game and wanting
to learn and then having a great year. My team
was first place and we got to we made history.
We've never been first place before in our our section,
in our side of the league, and then getting to
(59:03):
the Diamond Series, which my team has never gone to,
so that was pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (59:08):
Savannah, thank you for what else also lives on is
your talent and your reminder to be yourself and to
play confidently, and in those moments where you don't feel confident,
go back and really check in with yourself to remember
who you are and refine that identity. And my favorite
(59:29):
diamond that you drop today is go and meet those
enemies of yours, which are the fear, the doubt, the failure,
so that when you meet them, you get acquainted with them,
you know how to put them in line and so
the next time that it comes up, you know how
to deal with it a lot easier, a lot quicker,
and it doesn't affect your identity. Getting back to our affirmation,
(59:52):
Savannah of be yourself today each and every way, the
right people will come to stay, and I'm gonna add
don't conform from yourself. Don't stray. Savannah, thank you so
much for joining me on Dropping Diamonds and Dropping your Diamonds.
Speaker 2 (01:00:10):
I'm so happy to be here. Thank you, Zay.
Speaker 1 (01:00:13):
To my listeners, thank you so much for listening to
today's episode. Let's continue this conversation on Instagram at Dropping
Diamonds pod, and remember to always remember who you are.
Be yourself today in each and every way, and the
right people who come to stay, don't conform from yourself,
do not stray. I'll meet you here next week back
(01:00:34):
at the diamond 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.
(01:00:55):
Tari Harrison is our supervising producer in 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 Unlimited Softball League and Deep
Blue Sports and Entertainment. Welcome to Dropping Diamonds with Me
aj Andrews, where we dive headfirst into the world of softball.
(00:22):
Today we are joined by USA Gold medalist Lsu All
American and catcher for the AUSL Talents, and my former teammate,
Savannah j Quished. Welcome to the show.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Girly Pop, Hey, glad to be here.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Hey, Hey, so I'm so happy here. She's got her
Bobby on on for those that can't see. Yeah, and
it is an astiff period. She's got on a Richard,
not a Bob. I love that. I love that, Okay,
with Savannah as we start my podcast, I love to
start with a good affirmation, a good quote. You know
(01:01):
more than most how much that really has pushed me
throughout my softball career and just my life, and so
one that I really thought of today talking to you
as someone that is a thousand percent herself, no matter
the circumstance, no matter who she's dealing with, her she's
talking to and I think that this is a great quote.
So it says I think the reward for conformity is
(01:23):
that everyone likes you except for you. Never conform because
at the end of the day, the only person that
matters is you, and when you conform to everyone else,
everyone might like you except for you. Because I think
you got to just find your tribe. What do you
feel like is a good affirmation we could grab from
that quote?
Speaker 2 (01:42):
When you said that, quoter reminded me of something that
I read today about like if you have no enemies,
you've never hit a trader on the hip, or you've
never slapped a cut from Perga's lips, And I was like, wow, Like,
if you don't stand for who you are are, then
you can form to what everyone else wants you to be.
(02:05):
So I totally agree with that quote. I think that
you just have to be yourself and not everyone's gonna
like that, and the people that do that's your that's
your circle, that's your tribe.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
I love it. Okay, so we're gonna do Let's see,
I said, probably like if I'm gonna wake up this
morning and say an affirmation, I love a good rhyme
for yourself today, each and every way, the right people
will Cinday. Oh, I've liked that, right, people will come
(02:36):
to stay boom.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Are we gonna write a song? Yes?
Speaker 1 (02:44):
No, I honestly I'm gonna put all these together and
maybe make like a full song or a book or something.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Oh wow, Yes, yes, girl, that's what I'm talking about.
I'll buy it. I'd buy your book.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
I love you. Do you have a quote that you
feel like you've lived by throughout your illustrious and grand
softball career, something that's really kept you pushing in those
times that really got rough.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
I definitely have been recently, just like my mantra, and
I'm sure that some college kids have heard this, but
it's really like ringing true. Is control what you can control.
I feel like I start getting like anxiety and like,
oh my gosh, what about this? What about that? And
(03:32):
it's totally out of my control. And I need to
be a good steward of what I can't control and
what I already have, And I think that that pushes
me through to the next day and to be open
and willing to learn the next day. So control what
you can control.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
Can you think of a moment where you've really had
to put that to the test where you was really
whether it's in softball and things were really getting hard,
or things were really trying you, or you felt like
you were feeling and you really had to bring back
to your mantra of this is just not something I
can control. Get back to the things that you can control.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Yeah. I think that one thing that really stands out
to me is in twenty twenty when the Olympics were
names and I wasn't on the roster. I felt like
I had put my identity and like, this is what
I want to do, and this is my goal and
this is my dream. And then when that wasn't for me,
(04:29):
I had to figure out, like why I still play
And it's not for anyone else, it's for me. It's
for the joy that I have when I play, and
that's what I can control. And I think that I
had one of my best years because I was like, Okay,
that's gone, that's out of my control. What am I
going to do now? Who am I going to be now?
(04:51):
And that lesson honestly was like I think it grew me,
like in fast forward modes. So I think that that's
just one of the biggest moments that I've had where
that rang true, definitely.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
I maybe there's so many moments where a lot of
softball players can relate where whether you don't make a team,
or things won't go your way, or you didn't start
in college, whatever it is, where you kind of have
this identity crisis because your entire life you've been the
best or one of the best, and for the first time,
you don't feel like that, or you feel like you
don't know who you are as a person or a player.
(05:26):
When you felt like that in those moments, and you
said it drove you to having the best your best career,
what was the switch in your mind? Like, what did
you tell yourself, Okay, this is not something I can control,
get back to the controllables. How did you realize you
need to check yourself in order to get back to
that good mental state.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
I think it's the fact that the future that I had,
this future that I envisioned, isn't going to be a reality.
And I think that I needed to like bury that
and really be where my feet were and be in
the present and be grateful for what I had at
the present moment. And I still had a season to
play with AU And I think that just being grateful
(06:08):
and being present really shook me out of that mentality
of like reaching for the future so much. If I
just like stick to who I am and stick to
like bettering myself and my character, then what's going to
be for me is going to come and if it's
not for me, then it's going to pass me by.
(06:29):
And I think that after that big heartbreak, then I
was like okay with kind of everything that wasn't for me,
Like Okay, that's not for me, that's not for me,
and then I'm gonna just worry about my character and
whatever is meant something's going to happen.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
I'm a firm believer that what's meant for you does
not pass you, and you have to be kind of
in alignment with the things that you that you want
in order to get them. And so, you know, we
always say how the game doesn't know who's supposed to win, right,
the better team doesn't always win because the game doesn't know,
and it just comes down to who put in that
(07:04):
effort or who put in the knowing that this isn't
something like control, Now what can I what can I control?
And getting back to what you can control and getting
that to a place to where you reach success and
you talked about you feel like you lost your identity.
What did you in those moments when you felt like
you lost your identity? Where did it go?
Speaker 2 (07:25):
Like?
Speaker 1 (07:25):
What did you think of yourself? And that time?
Speaker 2 (07:28):
Yeah, So after I wasn't named to the roster, all
of those sponsors, they all withdrew their support and I
was like, okay, so if I'm not this person, then
there's that doesn't help them out. If I'm not this Olympian,
doesn't help out their brand or their products. If I'm
not this person, and if you're not willing to stick
(07:50):
with me as an athlete, then the affirmation that I
put in you is like declined. I think I put
my identity and things that weren't reciprocating that like support
for me as a person, and that's a huge thing
for me, and it was a huge thing for me
to see at that age too. I was like, Okay,
I understand now that if I can't do something for
(08:11):
their brands, then they don't want me instead of supporting
the person that I am, And I need to support
the person that I am and that's important to me.
And so when all those things were stripped away and
you're kind of just left to yourself. You have a
decision to like love yourself in that moment and trust
yourself and believe in yourself and really get down to
the root of it. And when I sat down with myself,
(08:34):
I was like, when I was a little girl and
I was nine, I would just throw the ball against
the wall till my dad would come outside and be like,
you better do your homework, you know, and like I
was like, but I want to throw the ball against
the wall and like just be outside and play. And
when I got to that core of myself, I was like,
this is why I play soft well, not for the brands,
(08:58):
not for the accolades, not for the title, not for
anything else, but the love that I have and I
have always had. And that's when I like, sall on
my center.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
Finding your center can It's like it's one of the
most important things, but it's also one of the most
difficult things. And not like something that really sticks out
to me is where they say like other people's opinions
are only heavy if you choose to carry them, and
so many of us choose to carry sometimes unconsciously, right
(09:31):
like we just allow the thoughts or whatever the things
that people are saying to kind of just stick to
us rather than brushing it off. Because we don't brush
it off, it begins to weigh and we're choosing to
carry it. And I think when it comes down to
like being yourself and understanding your identity, I think it's
one of the best examples that I can think of.
(09:52):
Someone like that would be you as far as just
being able to a thousand percent, you are yourself, no
matter who likes it, who doesn't like it. Meet Savannah
came in to LSU my saw junior year, my junior year,
and she was I like, that was little miss her
(10:12):
issued in stink. Okay. She had a pep in her
step and she had this I remember when she first,
like her first ball softball game, her routine at the
plate she did on her little one two and then
she would point the bat and then she would do
a little swipe across the bridge of her helmet and
(10:34):
it was it was a whole performance. And you know,
sometimes you have people that like hate it on it,
didn't like it. I was like, okay, girl, like, if
this makes you feel good, go up and do what
makes you feel good. You go up and do you.
And I'm so curious because especially as young athletes and
you talk what we're talking about, as we're talking about
identity and finding your identity and being confident in your
(10:57):
identity something that you always were, and even in the moments,
like you said, when you felt like you lost it
and you're able to kind of reconnect to get it back,
how do you stay when you get it back? How
do you keep it? How do you keep that strength,
that confidence in your identity when you have so many
different people that you don't like it, want to change it,
(11:18):
or are doing things to kind of strip it away
from you? How do you keep it intact?
Speaker 2 (11:24):
I think that's one of the hardest things as like
a human being and especially an athlete, just you're because
you're changing, you're evolving as well. You're going through experiences
that are that you're deciding like, hey, I don't really
like that anymore, or so I think that you should
(11:44):
really just have like your non negotiables, like your value,
like this is what I value, this is what I
stand on. But man, I feel like I'm finding myself
in every season. I feel like I'm you know, I
did find myself in twenty twenty and that was like wow.
And then you go about life and you're trying to
(12:05):
evolve as a human and your you know, life happens
and you're back to you feel like you're back to
ground zero again. But I think that you should always
be okay with being back to ground zero and having
the confidence to be like, Okay, I remember these experiences
I had, and I'm going to stand on this and
(12:26):
I remember that I value this. And it's just like
refining yourself, putting yourself back in the fire and bringing
yourself back out. And every time you bring yourself back
out from ground zero, you're shedding the things that aren't
of you anymore. So that's kind of how I look
at it now, because it's hard to hold on you,
(12:47):
don't you And especially this last season, I didn't do
as well as I wanted to, And yeah, my mind
went back to, like why can't I just hit like
I did, you know in twenty twenty one and twenty
pointy two, and like you kind of want to chase
the past and the best version of yourself, But the
best version of yourself is forward. It's always forward. And
(13:08):
I think that you have said that since we were
in college, like say if you fail, like fail forward,
fail forward. You would always tell us that because there's
nothing back there that's gonna help you. Now you know that,
like you can look back and be like, wow, it
was great and I made these adjustments this way. But
(13:29):
as far as evolving into the human you want to be,
that's in front of you. So that's like fail forward. Girl.
If I make the Olympic team, I'm gonna be like, yeah,
you need to do your.
Speaker 1 (13:46):
I got to do the whole thing somewhere, a whole
one too. But when you came in, I know, like
what were the things people were saying? I don't like
see you when you do. I always thought I was
like what have let her do with saying? But what
would other?
Speaker 2 (14:01):
You're too much? You're it's taking too long. That's what
coach would say. Coach is like, girl, it's taking too long.
I think I invented the ten second rule, like getting
the box in ten seconds because but so it's too much.
But to me, I was like a different person, like
becoming a different person, like when I was a player,
(14:24):
and then when I was off the field, like I
had I wasn't confident off the field, I was insecure
and I thought it was like chubby, you know. I
was like, oh my gosh, this is all weird. But
I think that when I would play the game, that
was my chance to be as big as I wanted
to be. And too, I was a freshman playing in
the SEC like batting force. I was like, I was
(14:48):
already imposter syndrome, right, so I had to help myself
out and give myself some confidence. And I'm like, well,
if I practice like this routine and like even before practice,
then I'm getting myself into the zone. And it was
very young mindset at that time, like my routine's gonna
help me get into this zone. This this being that
I want to be. Obviously that's refined, thank thank goodness.
(15:14):
But I knew it was a lot, that's why. And
then I was like, Okay, I'm a lot, So what like,
are you still gonna You're still gonna be my teammate,
You still gotta be around me, you still gotta like
because I'm a lot, you don't like me, Like that's
what you're choosing to be my friend or not based
off my routine, not off my character, like all right,
Like it didn't really bother me because I had real
(15:35):
ones like you too. So it also helps to have
real friends who don't judge you. But also you You
looked at me and you're like, Jay, that's a lot
like when you're gonna, you know, cut out three of
the swipes, and I was like, all right, Like, this
person has good intentions for me, and I can see
(15:56):
their love for me and they want to help me out.
I'm gonna listen to them because I saw your heart
and your intentions.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
A girl, you were good. Are good, We're good coming
in starting as a freshman. You did your one two
and my thing was like, look, that girl has a
home run every other at bat Like if she wants
to do a backflip at her approach, I had her
to do a damn backflip. Who cares? My god, Let's
take a quick break to hear a word from our sponsor.
(16:33):
When it comes to starting as a freshman, the pressure
that comes with that, how did you handle it and
how did you get around? I'm sure like the obvious
nerves that initially came in but then allowed yourself to
settle to understand this is where I belong. I'm I
am very good and I deserve to be batting forth
and to be in the line of the way.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
I am so Beth's gonna kill me because I'm gonna
say exactly how it went down. It was my freshman
year at LSU, and we were it was like a
week before our first game, and we were all excited,
like we've been training the whole entire time, like the
fall season, like training hard. And she takes like all
(17:16):
the freshmen into the batting cages and she blatantly just
tells us like, hey, none of you guys are gonna
play this year, Like you guys aren't you know, you
guys are freshmen. You need experience, like just just know.
Like she's like telling us like we're not don't expect
to play the first game, and some of them started crying,
(17:39):
and I was just livid. I was actually mad, and
I was like, you're wrong, like we deserve to be
out there, like some of us are better than the
upper classmen. Like I was just bitting it all out.
And I think back, like when I was growing up,
my mom would say, like I'm disrespectful, right because I
(18:00):
challenge authority so much, But I think that it was
misplaced boldness, like looking back at him, like dang, girl,
you were like almost borderlining disrespectful to your authorities, right
to your coaches, like you shouldn't speak out like that.
But it turned into like no, like give us a chance,
like let us show you what we can do. And
(18:23):
that game that we played, I was the only one
to get in that bat and I hit like a
jam shot to the right side and that was my
first hit ever at LSU. And I think that I
was like going toe to toe with like an All
American pitcher and I ended up getting a hit. And
I was like, that was not just for me. That
was for the mindset that you have, like about underclassmen
(18:46):
and ignorance is bliss, Like yeah, I don't know them,
but they don't know me, so I could be as
dangerous as a senior, you know. So I think that
was my mindset and now besting a place freshman if
they're good.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
Enough, period. I just do want to know that I
did play my freshman year too though.
Speaker 2 (19:06):
Okay, well did, but but that was also that.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
Was also coach Rina's first year coaching at LSU, so
I'm sure she just was like figuring it out, you
know what I mean. At the same time, but I
mean your class.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
Was didn't you guys go to the World Series?
Speaker 1 (19:22):
We did, but that was that was off of pitching solely.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
No, didn't you tag on all? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (19:31):
Yeah I did.
Speaker 2 (19:32):
I was.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
You know, there's some epic things that came out from
that year, but getting there was definitely due to Brittany
Mack and Rachel Fico. Absolutely. But you know, we did
our We did our one twos. I mean we had
to score runs, right, so we made it work. But
the pitching how is down for sure. But what are
(19:53):
my senior year? I think that was the best LSU
softball team. I don't know, maybe, I mean, they have
good teams now, but like our team my senior year,
your sophomore year, we were like the Avengers. I mean me, you,
Bianca Bell, Kelsey Claus, Bailey, Landry, Connie Quinn, Sandy.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
My sophomore year, I kind of get mixed up with
all the teams.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
She's so good, she's played on so many games. She
can't even think. I know, I was thinking of the
I know I was thinking of our actual lineup though,
But yes, Ali Carly Hoover. So we have a picture
that threw really hard and threw up and then we
have a picture that could mix speeds really well and
through a great drop ball. Like we just had all
(20:44):
the things. We had speed, power placement, we had great defense, like.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
We've heard ran number one. Yeah, we went to Florida.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
It was a time. And that goes to show when
we talked about earlier the game isn' who was supposed
to win and we if we were winning World Series,
that was going to be the year we won the
World Series. Like we were just that good. We were
number one in the nation for a good portion of
the year, like and it just didn't happen. We got
to the World Series, but we didn't win it.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
Ugh rough we were We got third place.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
I know, and a bost Michigan. Yeah, trust me, I
will never forget it. Yeah, Like when my entire body
started itching, I hated it. Golly. What was your favorite
memory at lsu mm hm.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
The first thing that popped in my head is when
we had a run. Like I just only think about
like the tribe.
Speaker 1 (21:44):
Because we got punished. We got punished all the time, Oh.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
My gosh, because we were little rebel children. We didn't
want to follow the rules. We're like, no, you know, all.
Speaker 1 (22:00):
What if I say there's like three that kind of
pop up in my head. The first one, I remember
what we were in trouble for. But remember, like the
entire staff came out and we had to run from
pole to pole, and then every time we had a break,
someone would come up and tell us how disappointed they are, and.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
Then and why we're running the next rep.
Speaker 1 (22:19):
Yes, and all of us were like, I'm positive every
last one of us didn't know what was being said.
We're just like, get it all out, though, that's the
longer the break, get it all out, talk as long
as you need so we can go a longer rest.
Speaker 2 (22:33):
Can you remember we could? We weren't even wearing our jerseys.
Remember they made us change into our like Mary Nutter
tournament shirts, and like we had to come down and
we had like Mary Nutter Classic like tournament shirts on
and that's and they were like making us run. Oh
my gosh. And even our like director of ops was
(22:55):
down there like telling us why we're running. I'm like, wait,
Like they had people that weren't even coaching, people that
weren't even coaching, I think, why we should run?
Speaker 1 (23:05):
And I was like our freaking video guy, like we had.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
Anyone bringing anyone and tell us why we stuff together.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
Another time I think is funny. I don't know if
Coachery is gonna think it's funny. But when like we
used to kind of go a little bit over on
the practice when we were practice and Connie went and
told and then we hads like monitored practices, and then
people would come out to the practice. Oh my gosh,
(23:38):
our team. We should have made a documentary because that
was like the funniest group of individuals from all over
the world, California, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana. Like we were just
all is that's so funny. It was so fun Okay,
but what was your favorite moment? Do you have one?
(24:00):
Mm hmm.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
I think my favorite moment was going in the World
Series the first time. That was like my favorite moment,
like my pophomore year. It was like a wow, we
actually we did it, like everything that we said that
we were gonna do, like we're here and then yeah,
(24:21):
like just like the funny things that brought us together
as a team, like the dancing in the locker room
or I think me Connie and Randy's like little singing
group like that. That was funny to me. When I
was like at LSU and then running three like snakes
(24:44):
in the in death valley in the football stadiums, like three,
running three of them, like even running one. We were winded,
but running three, I was I think that was last.
It was like me and like Ali Wadasker was in
front of me, and I was like, I'm the last person. Yeah,
I couldn't do it. It was so funny. We hadn't
run three of them. I don't remember what was after me.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
Or would have been like after my time, I don't remember.
Speaker 2 (25:08):
I think so yeah, I think your sister was like
first every time.
Speaker 1 (25:12):
Okay, girls, low down, this is a savanna. Oh. But
when it comes to being able to play at LSU,
compete professionally, compete overseas, compete in a us L. You
(25:35):
played for the Talents this past year and you guys
won the inaugural season of a us L. What was
that experience like being able to be I mean making
history one, but then being able to be on the
Talents for that inaugural season.
Speaker 2 (25:53):
I think that it was such a great first year
just for the staff to establish it's like culture. I
think that's really hard to do. And I think that's
kind of overlooked. When you win a championship, it really
comes down to like the culture of the team and
from everyone from the teammates to the trainers to the staff,
(26:15):
like the coach, the coaching staff. I think that we
all really supported each other and it was just a
release to come back from Japan, you know, kind of
feeling isolated and I don't really speak the language, so
I'm just kind of figuring things out over there, and
really the isolation to go coming into a team that's
(26:37):
brand new and everyone's just like feels supportive and like
a family. And I think that you could kind of
tell that from our team how like bonded we are.
We like to hang out off the field too, So
I think that was a huge part of why we
won because our culture.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
If you would describe the culture in one word, what
would it be the talents.
Speaker 2 (27:05):
Genuine, nice, such genut, genuine, genuine.
Speaker 1 (27:14):
Being a genuine is going to get you to a championship.
Right on, tay Hey, playing at the championship was at
Alabama where we played many times playing in the SEC
that championship series. What was the energy like and what
do you feel like really propelled the talents to winning
it all.
Speaker 2 (27:34):
I think the energy was just electric, Like Alabama is
always really fun to play at. I don't know what
it is.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
They love softball there nice.
Speaker 2 (27:48):
And I and I like don't even mind it, like
and they're in like a respectful way, Like even when
we were playing at LSU, Like in LSU against Samma,
we were friends so cool and I was like, yeah
we would. We would literally go back to Bama just
to hang out with the Bama girls. And I'm just like, anyway,
(28:11):
just now being a pro and what it was last year,
it just really brought back those memories of like, man,
this is such like a good fan base and so
happy to see the game growing. And I think, man,
it was just a great softball game too. It wasn't
like a blowout game. It was like a one run game.
It was like a pitching duel and Fid hit that
(28:34):
one home run of defense and we all just went crazy.
So it was it was a great game as well
as the great atmosphere.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
Why do you think the talents won? Like, what is
it about your team that you guys that you feel
like is what made you better than the bandits?
Speaker 2 (28:49):
I think it was just everything added up throughout the year.
Just that consistency that we had throughout the year of
getting to know each other and getting better together, like
knowing each other's styles play and also yeah, like it
genuinity of like yeah, let's go, like I hope you
do get a hit, I hope you make a play
(29:10):
or And I think a lot of that stem from
the girls on the team. Number one person that comes
to my head is Tory Dallas, like how she just
made everything so fun even though like even if someone
was struggling, she was like when you get a hit,
like you gotta do this white girl dance like at
second base, and everyone was just like bought into to
(29:30):
everyone's ideas. We had shirts with like Montana fouts and
we all wore like Montana Fout shirts to like support
her and her debut at Alabama, you know in the
Talents and Briella's shirts, Like we all just kind of
really genuinely were pulling for each other and happy that
the game was growing. And I think that consistency throughout
(29:51):
the year showed up when it needed to, and against
a tough team like the Bandits, like where they I
don't know what their culture is, but they have great,
great players. They had the hitter of the year, the picture,
the you know, the first round pick picture. And so
I think that both of us coming together and you
seeing that duel, what edge just like out on top
(30:13):
was just our consistency with the camaraderie.
Speaker 1 (30:16):
I forgot coach Dobson is also your coach.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
Yes, yes, he is great. I think he was meant
to coach professionals because he just like tops it up
with us and you know, kind of gives us what
we need in like a dad way. So I think
it's like, it's great, the dynamic is great, it's funny.
Speaker 1 (30:39):
Oh, Dobby. There's more to cover, but first let's take
a quick break. First season championship. What do you feel
like it's going to take for the talents to win
(31:00):
in twenty twenty six, especially after the new allocation Draft
and the expansion Draft.
Speaker 2 (31:05):
I think really keeping the culture is important and then
not chasing who we were. But I think Patty Gasso
said this to our team, you know when I played
at TEMSA, and it really like struck true. She's like,
culture is your non negotiables, like what you're not willing
to waiver on. And I was like let me write
(31:28):
that down right, So I think that that's going to
be huge, And like, I think what made us win
was our camaraderie, our culture, like who we are as
people and and how we show up as a team.
But we're not trying to chase who we were. We're
gonna we're going to accept new players and a new
type of vibe, but we're definitely going to like stick
(31:50):
to like being good people. And that's what is going
to make us win at.
Speaker 1 (31:55):
The end of the year, being good people, being genuine,
but also the hard work and talking about hard work.
I mean, I don't know we've knew of that song
is like he wasn't wait to shooting in the gym,
Savannah very much. So was with me shooting im the gym.
Every single night we would have practice and then we
(32:18):
would go do our thing, whether it be study, hall weights,
and then we would be back at the field promptly,
like eight, nine, ten pm, hitting for another hour or two.
What is it that makes us work so hard? Why
is it hard work so ingrained in you?
Speaker 2 (32:37):
I think it's a way that I was brought up.
You know, my parents like told us, like me and
my two other sisters like, we don't have the money
to put you, like into college, so you're going to
get there through a scholarship and that's the only way.
That's there's no plan B. Like there's there's no plan B.
(32:58):
And when my older sister went to Notre Dame on
a full scholarship, I was like, okay, like this is possible.
This is like what's gonna get me to where I
need to be. And then boom, it's just like as
soon as I envisioned it and like it like manifested
in front of me. And a lot of that was
(33:19):
like the drive that I had. And I also loved
the hard work, and I think that was like easy
for me to love love the hard moments, love to
do things I don't want to do, love to practice
what I'm bad at and see it get better. And
(33:40):
I think that that just like I don't know, it's
just in us, they it's not in in a lot
of people. That's why we were the one percent of
the one percent of the one percent. And that's what
I'm gonna lay like that's that will never change in me.
I think that's what a characteristic that I really cherish
about myself is like love the hard love the hard work.
(34:04):
That's how I'm going to be to the day I die,
to the day I die, for sure say and that
you too, like even in your field, like that goes
for everything that you do, not just softball, Like when
your career is over, like I was actually having this
conversation with my dad like yesterday, when when my career
is over, like that's going to be a sad day,
(34:25):
but it's also going to be an exciting day to see,
like what else I can do that's great and how
I can implement like the lessons that I've learned into
my next great thing.
Speaker 1 (34:34):
And look at you, my next I like the way
I like the way you think my next great thing
because everything touch is going to be great. What would
you say is the value of hard work and how
you feel like it has placed you where you are today?
Speaker 2 (34:49):
I think that when you work hard, it's a lot
about like preparing yourself for the moment. In our sport
has a lot of like you have to do a
lot of repetition for our sport because you're trying to
like create the same movement. So it's a lot of
like muscle memory, got to train your body. But when
(35:11):
you're in it right when you're working out and you're like,
I am so tired. I don't want to do this.
Like your your self talk really like you can heal
it here. Your self talk magnified, it gets louder, and
just training that and training your mind and like, no,
I am strong enough for this next rep, Like I am,
(35:34):
I am ready? What if it was like the fourteenth
inning and I'm tired? And so you're like training that,
like sharpening that tool, that mind set, and also you're
getting to know yourself. You're getting to know yourself on
an intimate level. I think that that is what gives
me the itch to meet my doubts, to meet my insecurities,
(35:57):
like to do hard things. I have the opportunity to
meet my enemies, which is my doubts, my insecurities, and
I get to put them in line. And when I
meet those things again, when I'm playing against Waino in
Japan or you know, I'm in a tough situation and
(36:18):
I meet those doubts, I'm going to be like, no,
I remember you, I conquered you five days that they
can do in a gym. Yeah, Like I would think
that that's what gives me the it to work hard.
Speaker 1 (36:30):
The reflection amazing, ding ding ding ding ding. That's a
diamond being dropped.
Speaker 3 (36:36):
Drop diamonds, dropping diamonds, getting getting excited or getting used
to meeting your enemies, which are maybe fear and doubt,
and when you when you come across them, put them
in their place and overcome it.
Speaker 1 (36:52):
That way, when you meet them again, it's not something
that stops in your tracks or shocks you. You say, oh,
I've I've been here before, and I know how to
conquer it. I like that because oftentimes we stray away
from the things we fear or we try to avoid
failure without realizing if we just went up and shook
its hand, we would know how to navigate it the
(37:13):
next time we encountered it, because it's going to come
across again. And so I like that. I think that's amazing.
I mean, when it comes to the hard work and
meeting your fear or figuring out how to navigate these things,
it can be easy, especially in softball or in sports,
where at a certain point in your life it becomes
(37:35):
your whole life, and it's easy to be misunderstood, especially
if you don't navigate it the way maybe other people
do or it looks unfamiliar to the way other people
handle certain situations. Have you ever felt misunderstood in the game.
Speaker 2 (37:50):
Yeah, all the time, all the time. And I think
that I'm understanding myself as well. I mean, I think
I've a clear vision of who I am, Like I said,
like identity, right, that was like where we started with
this conversation. And I just have a clear vision of
(38:11):
who I am to the core, and I know I'm
going to change, but I definitely hear what people say
about me, and I'm like, hmm, that's not right, Like
that's not why I'm doing that, or that's not why
I'm you know, acting that way, Like when I have
my breakout year, like I feel like at Au and
I was leading in every category and do and I
(38:32):
told you because I refound this love for the game
and this love like within myself. But I heard a
lot of commentators be like, well, she has a chip
on her shoulder, like you know, she's upset, And I'm like,
that's not true, Like that's what you see and if
you want to make it like that, then that's fine.
But I know why I'm doing the way I'm doing,
(38:55):
Like I know why I'm playing well, and it's because,
like I stripped myself down to my core and I
found something special. But if you want to make it
like me versus whatever, then that I can't control that.
I can only control what I do and my character,
and it's going to be misunderstood sometimes and I'm not
(39:16):
going to get it right all the time either. Like
I also do things where I'm like, I shouldn't have
done that or shouldn't have said that, And that's just
a part of being human and a part of like
people will forgive you if they know your intentions and
they know your heart truly, and those are the people
I want to stick around. Everyone else they're just passing through.
(39:40):
I think that if what they're saying kind of hurts
you in a way that you feel like that's completely
not true. I feel like that should be like that
should kind of roll off your shoulders and you just
keep showing that that you're self and like I said,
(40:02):
like you're improving your character, you're improving your intentions. Like
but then if they can't see that eventually, I think
that through time they'll be like, oh, no, okay, she's actually,
you know, not what I thought she was and that
happens a lot. But if if that what they're saying
about you hurts you in a way that you're like,
oh that kind of like yeah, it wasn't a good
(40:24):
thing that I did, then you address it, I think
with that person and just say hey, you know, I
feel like I wronged you in this way and I'm
really going to try to work on myself. And if
trust is later on in the relationship for us, and
that's you know, I hope that you can forgive me
for this, and I'm really going to work on it
(40:45):
because we're not going to get things right all the time.
Like there's things that I say and I'm like, dang,
that was kind of hurtful to people that I love,
and thank god they just give me another chance and
they they see my intentions and they're like, well, I
hope you do grow and you know that wasn't okay
what you said. But I think that's that's going back
(41:07):
to like life, life is. Life is difficult. It's hard,
and it's hard being a human, but you got to
work on yourself and who you want to be one
percent every day, try to be that person.
Speaker 1 (41:23):
Get better at one percent after one hundred days you
one hundred percent better, Yesta.
Speaker 2 (41:29):
Goes, that's the days. That's the days, and you're gonna
fall some days and you just gotta get right back
up the next day. If you just throw yourself a
pity party, you're gonna stay down there for a while.
Speaker 1 (41:41):
Yeah, because we all love a party. Listen, A party
loves to be thrown, no matter who is throwing it.
So throw and upbeat one. Don't throw a pity because
either way you're going to stay awhile. So find find
the party you want to be at. When you talk
about trust and you talk about being able to build
those different relationships and understanding as a catcher, how do
(42:04):
you build relationships with your pictures?
Speaker 2 (42:09):
That is where I'm at in my career right now,
with like building relationships with your picture and kind of
figuring out what they know about how they can get
batters out themselves, and just listening to them and where
they're at in their journey of pitching and evolving as
a picture and being that like tool for them to
(42:31):
really shine on the field. I think every picture is different,
their personalities are different, but it's definitely a trust game
with what they feel comfortable throwing and kind of if
you guys are on the same page mentally. But I
think doing film, we do a lot of film on
the talent, and we have like picture catcher talks in
(42:55):
groups and we say, Okay, this girl this hitting four hundred,
and she's someone who we want to avoid, and if
we have to picture her, what does that look like
and what does that look like for each and every
one of you. And so just having those open discussions
and really being able to hear each other out is
(43:16):
very important. And then going into the game and trust
that the preparation of films the day before. I think
that that's really helped us as the talent. But I
think that's how a lot of programs should be run.
I know that in college they call the game for
the catchers, but I really think that it would be
(43:38):
helpful if the coaches talked with the pictures and the
catchers about why they're they're calling the way that they're
calling instead of just throw it like because I said so.
And then when they're they're graduating college and they come
play in the Pro League, they are like, I've never
called a game before in my life, and then the
pictures like, oh, I don't want to throw to you,
then if you never you know, called the game and
(44:00):
you don't feel confident. So just probably educating those kids
at that time would really be helpful to the trust
in the game as well, like the game that they're
playing in college, but also after college in the pro
league could really help them out.
Speaker 1 (44:15):
So if you are, let's say in travel ball, and
you don't have film right or you're playing a different
team each day or each you know, hour, when it
comes down to understanding like what is you want to throw,
just kind of getting together and saying, okay, well, if
this batter, if maybe she is leaning more towards outside pictures,
(44:38):
is what we're gonna do more inside what she canna
do based off her last day, be like, have a
game plan set regardless of who it is you're facing,
so that it's kind of a rent and repeat method.
Speaker 2 (44:48):
Yes, and I hear a lot of travel ball girls
pictures saying like I only throw this page and I
and my coach doesn't let me throw this page and
I have to do this, and like I don't want
to and that's not who I am. And they're kind
of fighting with their coach about their evolution as a
pitcher and who they want to be, and also the
(45:09):
coaches like, well, I just want to like, we got
to win these games. You know, we're not trying to
pull out a new pitch. But I think that that's
where the conversation needs to happen. And the trust in
your player and the trust in you know, their work,
and so I think that that's that's a huge thing
I hear all the time with travel ball kids. And
(45:31):
just know that coaches are just people too, you know.
They they just want to win. They want the best
of the team. And when you come at a coach like, hey,
I really want the best of the team and I
want to win too, And I think that we need to,
you know, have trust within each other and I want
to show you what I can do for real. I
(45:54):
think that they'll respect that. Not just the basketball tanged
up no more.
Speaker 1 (46:00):
I think I can do it all, do it all
as a catcher. What do you think is the most
important thing to work on in order to be the
best behind the plate.
Speaker 2 (46:11):
At a pro level? I would definitely say calling a
game is is the number one skill that you have
at a college level or a travolt ball level. I
would say if you're younger. Blocking is key, and that's
what I learned when I was younger, Like because runners
(46:33):
move up if you can't block, and they'll score if
you can't, you know, block a.
Speaker 1 (46:37):
Pack years I was like, okay, girl, you better get that.
Speaker 2 (46:41):
You're young. You're twelve, right, If you're twelve, you should
be able to block the ball. Because the pitching, I
mean they're twelve as well, they're learning to so pitching.
Don't worry, girl, the pitching gets better. Okay. So when
I was a young catcher, I would be wearing balls
left and right and like, I don't know if I
want to do this, but they get it under control eventually.
(47:04):
And then I would say, like sixteen or in college,
I think receiving and throwing runners out is really important
because like.
Speaker 1 (47:14):
Receiving, I know that at LCUA worked a lot, a
lot the transfer to throw. What is the key to
having like that quick transfer, to being able to throw
a runner out a.
Speaker 2 (47:23):
Second moving your feet while you haven't like while the
ball is still in the air. I would say that,
And if you throw on your knees, because I did
in college. I threw on my knees. Now I don't
at all but if you throw on your knees, just
really making sure the ball gets deep before, like you're
(47:44):
not going out and grabbing it and then taking it back.
Just making sure that the ball is turning your body.
But now that I'm older and I'm I don't know,
a lot of the batters try to get in the
way I throw on my feet. Definitely an international play,
I'll be like stepping across the plate, and if I
throw on my knees, I was like pegging in the head.
(48:05):
So now I focus on moving my feet like I'm
standing up and turning before the ball is coming to me.
Four balls in my glove. That's key, t ky key.
If you want to get down your pop time, girlies,
you have the ball, That's exactly what you have to do.
A transfer takes the time off of your throw.
Speaker 1 (48:29):
Thanks for stacking us from first to second phase. We'll
be robbing third after the breaks. You've played so many
different levels and literally all over the world, playing in
Japan with it being such a culture shock and the
(48:50):
practices of eight hours a day, how do you feel
like that has helped develop you as a player? And
I catch her in.
Speaker 2 (48:58):
Every way it has challenge me in every single way
of who I am as far as a softball player
and a lot as a person as well. I think
that mental toughness was huge my first year. This past
year was better. So I've been there for two years,
(49:19):
but my first year in Japan getting used to the
routine and not knowing what they're saying, and I'm like,
if you're talking about me, like you know, like like
do they like me as a teammate, and like I
just got to focus and you know, like all these
things that you're just like you're new again, right, It's
like your brand new. The hard days, like the days
(49:42):
I would come home crying because I'm like I'm sacrificing
so much and I feel like I'm not getting a
lot in return. I would just say, like, this is
a mental toughness day. This is making me mentally tough
and I and I need to get through this. And
when I get through this, I'm going to be such
a better person, not just a softball player. Like I
(50:04):
think that's the change in the mindset. I'm not thinking
like this is going to make me better on the field,
this is gonna make me hit five hundred, like no,
but it will help me when when I have a
hard day as a mom someday, or when I have
a hard day at work someday, Like this is going
to help me throughout my entire life if I just
(50:25):
can see this as a mental toughness like day. And
I think that that really helped me get through the
grind of Japan because it literally is a grind. And
and I love hard things, and I know you love
hard things too, like hard practice, like let's let's get
(50:48):
after it day in and day out. You will come
to a plateau of like another hard day, like.
Speaker 1 (50:57):
Maybe like two times a week in our practice. I mean,
unlike anybody when we got to the field, like okay,
we're just hitting today. Oof, thank god, you know what
I mean, Like we've all had.
Speaker 2 (51:07):
Those days, yes, and yeah, that's exactly how it was
when it was boom boom boom. Yeah, every day every day.
Speaker 1 (51:16):
What's the craziest thing you've ever seen in Japan as
far as practice games, it's just like completely abnormally you
would never see in America. If there is anything, it
might not be.
Speaker 2 (51:27):
I would say the fans are different in you know,
from America to Japan because the fans, like we're sponsored
by a company, so like Honda Toyota. I'm sponsored by
Tote Medics, Like there's a medical company. So our fans
(51:48):
are like all like they're always in like suits and
ties and like they work for our company. Like they
they're like doctors and nurses and like people in the
medical field, and they're just out there like come on,
come on. You know, it's like so cute, and you
like you meet these people and you become close to
(52:09):
them and you're like, man, they really want us to win.
And they're like die hard fans, you know. So I
think that that is different. And each team has their
own fan base and it's it's fun to watch. And
sometimes they have cheer wars, you know in the stands,
like they bring speakers with microphones just to be louder
(52:31):
than the other teams tears squads, and I'm like get them,
get them.
Speaker 1 (52:36):
Like, oh, we had the the drums and stuff, and
they had those little megaphones that they not don't like
it people have in the dugouts. But we had all
the things.
Speaker 2 (52:45):
I remember, we had all the pros. Yeah, so that
is funny. Like the cheer wars, I'm just like.
Speaker 1 (53:00):
Japanese Wars for the tea.
Speaker 2 (53:02):
You're going to win the tear war and we're gonna win.
Speaker 1 (53:04):
The game and the game. I imaginally've learned some Japanese
since being there.
Speaker 2 (53:09):
Huh yes, yes, like a good.
Speaker 1 (53:11):
Bit or a little bit.
Speaker 2 (53:14):
I would say, a good bit.
Speaker 1 (53:15):
Oh nice, nice, say something.
Speaker 2 (53:20):
Okay, ohio Ima, Hello.
Speaker 1 (53:28):
How you doing? My name is Savannah something something something.
Speaker 2 (53:32):
Nice to meet you.
Speaker 1 (53:34):
See, I'm good at context like, I mean, I know
what it's being said. But I'm good at like I
think you're inducing yourself. Hi, you know what I mean?
Like I can't pick up on things.
Speaker 2 (53:45):
Yes, And that's how you pick up on the language.
That's how you pick up on the language. That's what
I'm doing too. I'm like, sometimes I get it wrong.
I'm like, she said my name? Why she said my name?
Speaker 1 (53:56):
I believe when I lived in Italy. That's what I
played in Italy, and I quickly got the language because
I was around it so much and I had to
figure out what they were saying. Right when you had
to figure it out, that's when I feel like you
are on the easiest because you have no choice but
to like figure it out. Okay, this is what this is?
This is what this is. And you begin to relate,
things begin to click, like, ah, that must mean field,
(54:18):
Ah that must mean water off that much?
Speaker 2 (54:21):
You know what I mean? It's not that course up, yes,
And then they need to start adding vocabularies here to
your stuff. The hard thing is like I know some
Spanish as well, Like I know a lot more Spanish
than you do Japanese. But when I went over there,
I was mixing like my Spanish and my Japanese. I'd
be like, oh see see see I mean high high high.
Speaker 1 (54:45):
It's just try lingual, you know, try lingual.
Speaker 2 (54:51):
No, I'm not that I wouldn't say fluent at all
in Japanese, but I'm learning at a like rapid rate
because yeah, just in there, Savia.
Speaker 1 (55:00):
I'm so proud of you and all things that you've
done within softball and beyond saying true to yourself and
saying true to your identity. I would be remiss though,
if I didn't ask before I let you go, what's
your favorite AJ moment from playing with me?
Speaker 2 (55:19):
My favorite AJ moment? Oh my god, there's so many.
I would say. Your sassiness that you would bring, and
remember that best friends dance that we did.
Speaker 1 (55:32):
Oh yeah, my best friend.
Speaker 2 (55:36):
Go best friend.
Speaker 1 (55:37):
That's my best friend. That's my best friend.
Speaker 2 (55:39):
Yes, please put please tag that video in here so
that you can just at the end of Damore everyone
needs to see, just to let you know that was
one take that.
Speaker 1 (55:52):
At the World Series. First take Drake, that's you.
Speaker 2 (55:56):
That's first take. One take a j Alice he needs
is one take because she is it and you just
got to capture it on a film. So that's my
favorite Agam moment, just that sassiness that you would bring,
like yup and I was like period, you know, like
behind you, like what what my friends said? What my
(56:18):
friend say?
Speaker 1 (56:19):
So also I have to note earlier when Savannah called
me Za that is a nickname that only LSU softball from.
It's it's such a funny. No one else knows that
unless you played with me. And it's because my freshman
year Alison Falcon and Cassie Tross Clayer seniors at the time,
(56:43):
they're watching some video of some little boy going crazy
and his name was Jase on YouTube and I'm in
the gualkie to the like it's a training room to
get treatment or whatever, and they're like a j jay z,
hey say say say this, and then they just started
calling me Zay. I was like, yo, what the like,
(57:05):
I don't even understand it, and I knew it stuck.
Once Mel who was our strength coach, started calling me Zay,
I was like, all right, well there's something I can do.
The nickname is here today, Zay. Now hope people that
came after me. This was my freshman year and this
is still being said my junior year by Savannah who
was a freshman at the time. So they it is,
(57:30):
it lives on, It lives on, Cassie Falcon. Now we're
going into my favorite segment, the no fly zone segments.
Before we go, I have to know your favorite play
you ever made.
Speaker 2 (57:46):
I think my favorite play I've ever made was catching
a foul ball in like foul territory au and like
going over the foul zone at third base, like going
over this and getting the ball. I was like, I've
practiced that so many times and like for that to happen,
it was just like, let's go, let's go the highlight.
Speaker 1 (58:11):
What would you say is your favorite failure that's led
you to your best success.
Speaker 2 (58:18):
I would say, yeah, my first year in Japan, I
failed a lot and you know it could have it
could have really kept me down and could have you know,
took me to a bad place mentally, like oh am
I really still who I think I am or that
I can be, And just getting back out there the
next this past year and working hard and seeing success.
(58:41):
I think that that was, you know, a reflection of
like failing and not giving up on who I am
and still having this love for the game and wanting
to learn and then having a great year. My team
was first place and we got to we made history.
We've never been first place before in our our section,
in our side of the league, and then getting to
(59:03):
the Diamond Series, which my team has never gone to,
so that was pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (59:08):
Savannah, thank you for what else also lives on is
your talent and your reminder to be yourself and to
play confidently, and in those moments where you don't feel confident,
go back and really check in with yourself to remember
who you are and refine that identity. And my favorite
(59:29):
diamond that you drop today is go and meet those
enemies of yours, which are the fear, the doubt, the failure,
so that when you meet them, you get acquainted with them,
you know how to put them in line and so
the next time that it comes up, you know how
to deal with it a lot easier, a lot quicker,
and it doesn't affect your identity. Getting back to our affirmation,
(59:52):
Savannah of be yourself today each and every way, the
right people will come to stay, and I'm gonna add
don't conform from yourself. Don't stray. Savannah, thank you so
much for joining me on Dropping Diamonds and Dropping your Diamonds.
Speaker 2 (01:00:10):
I'm so happy to be here. Thank you, Zay.
Speaker 1 (01:00:13):
To my listeners, thank you so much for listening to
today's episode. Let's continue this conversation on Instagram at Dropping
Diamonds pod, and remember to always remember who you are.
Be yourself today in each and every way, and the
right people who come to stay, don't conform from yourself,
do not stray. I'll meet you here next week back
(01:00:34):
at the diamond 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.
(01:00:55):
Tari Harrison is our supervising producer in 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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