May 5, 2025 • 34 mins
This week, AJ is joined by Maya Brady, a three-time All-American and Team USA softball player. The conversation delves into Maya’s softball journey, highlighting her competitive family background, the pivotal moments that shaped her career, her struggles, and the hard work that led to her success. Brady discusses her motivational quotes, her experiences growing up, and the influence of her family, including her famous uncle Tom Brady. Together, they explore themes of manifestation, mental resilience, and the importance of enjoying the journey while striving for success.
Looking for more diamonds? Follow AJ on Instagram and X.
Share the diamonds you received from this episode by leaving a rating and a review!
Dropping Diamonds with AJ Andrews is in partnership with the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL).
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Dropping Diamonds with Aj Andrews is an iHeart women's sports
production in partnership with Athletes Unlimited Softball League and Deep
Blue Sports and Entertainment.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Before every single game, I wrote player of the Year
in my journal. For me, just writing those in my
journal every day, I was able to that year be
in the top three for player of the Year.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
All right to welcome to Dropping Diamonds with Me, aj Andrews,
where we dive headfirst into the world of softball and
joining me today is a superstar. She's a three time
All American back two back PAC twelve Player of the
Year who is signed to the AUSL Talents and not
(00:49):
to mention, she's also a Team USA Softball amazing talent.
Welcome everyone, Maya Brady, I feel really.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Have to get like a sound effect.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
Well, Maya when we're talking dropping bombs and diamonds, which
you do both very very well.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
We're gonna start off because you know, as we have
to lead things off. We like to have a good
momentum in softball, So start things off dropping a diamond
of my own. So one of my favorite quotes again
is impossible is a dare not a declaration? And affirmation
I'm gonna pull from that is there's no goal to
hide for me to reach today. When you think about
(01:34):
softball and you just think about growing up, I know
your family's very competitive. Did you have a quote or
saying that's really stuck with you throughout the times.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
I love quotes and like stuff like that, Like my
mom is into it, and like I feel like we
make quotes a really big part of just our motivation
and stuff. But I had a quote my senior year.
Senior Day, we had like these banners with our favorite quotes,
and it's a Maya Angelo quote and it's just about
basically I know, it's just basically about a butterfly. At
(02:07):
the end, you see the butterfly, but like you didn't
see all the stages that it went to to get
to that point. And I feel like, growing up, I
never thought that I would be where I am today.
Like I always dreamed about going to UCLA and being
an All American and playing for USA and all that stuff,
and maybe playing professionally. And so it's just funny because
(02:29):
through every single stage it was my evolution until what
I feel like I am now. And I still feel
like I'm not even at my full potential. Yet I
feel like I'm still not that butterfly at the end.
But I think just thinking about growing up and playing
softball and just thinking about, you know, the impossible and
what I thought was impossible at you know, this stage
is different than what I see now. So I just
(02:51):
think that quote just like really sticks with I think
both of our quotes combined.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
I love that right.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
At the end of the day, you will become a
boutterly and if you're not there, you're still just going
through the stages to get where you want to be.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Yeah, when you.
Speaker 1 (03:05):
Feel like throughout your involvement and you're blossoming into this butterflies,
you're continuing to grow. What do you feel like was
one of the stages that was maybe the hardest that
you had to overcome.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
I feel like I've had two really hard stages. I
think one was ages probably ten twelve U that stage,
which it sounds ridiculous now thinking about it. At that time,
I was thinking that it was a hard stage of
life because that's such like elementary scho But at that time,
(03:38):
like that was when you could get recruited at any age.
So for me, at that time, I was living in
Bakersfield with my mom and my sister. We had just
moved from the Bay and we were living there. We
were commuting down to Orange County for me to play
softball with the Batbusters, And at that time, I feel
like at that age, you were either like getting recruited
(04:00):
or you weren't. Just crazy yeah, which is crazy, which
is like so crazy like, but for me that was
just a rough stage because I feel like that was
the stage where I had to decide. And I actually
quit softball for six months at that stage, yeah, because
I was just so over it and the commitment, you know,
just commuting that far and it just being so intense
(04:22):
and the recruiting process and all that stuff. So I
feel like for me, that was the time where I
had to decide. I quit and I started playing travel
club soccer actually, And so for me, I think that
was just a hard time and with me and my
mom because she was like, I don't want to waste
my time, but this is your hus been your dream like,
so that was I think a rough time and just
your like self confidence of why am I not getting recruited?
(04:43):
Not in like a jealousy way, but just like am
I good enough to play in college just that, and
then another hard time. I would say it was twenty
twenty two was my red shirt sophomore year because I
had the COVID year. That year was like my sophomore slump.
I was not doing well, and then I ended up
kind of like heating up towards the end of the
(05:03):
World Series. But at that time I had to really
reflect in and be like, am I doing the work?
I want to be great? But am I putting in
the time to be great? Like every day when I
go to practice, am I doing the extra reps? Am
I putting my best foot forward every time I step
on the field. And so when I got back to
school in the fall of twenty two, I decided I
(05:26):
was like, every single day, I am literally every before
I hit I'm doing ten minutes twenty minutes of tea work.
I am doing one arms in out like up down,
like I really like wanted to put that time in.
And then I ended up having the best year of
my college career, I think. But those two times are
like two times where I had to look inside and
(05:47):
be like, girl, your funny is up. You need to
get your money up. At the end of the day
like you are you funny? Is Bundy of your money
up ridiculously being one diamond one diving? Yeah, but yeah,
those were two two rough times. Definitely.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Yeah, even when going through, especially at a young age,
when you feel so many people around you are being
seen and you're not, the pressure that gets attached to
you and the confidence.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
That can kindle.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
I tell people all the time, I feel like confidence
is like a muscle, and if you don't work it,
just like you don't work out your muscles, you begin
to lose it. You have to work out that confidence.
When you took that time off and came back, how
did you work towards feeling more confident, even knowing that
you weren't recruited yet but it's coming. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
I think it was just that kind of letting go
of what pressure I was feeling, and just from recruiting
or my coaches or my family, just letting go of
that pressure and just understanding why I was playing the
game and why I wanted to potentially pursue this in college.
And so I think just bringing the fun back into softball,
(06:50):
I think, especially at that time you're so young, like
I mean, to this day, softball to me is still
about my teammates and my friends and those relationships. And
that's when I know I'm in a good place. Is
when I'm joking and laughing and being silly in the dugout.
That's when i know I'm at my best. And I
think that's something that when I came back from that break,
I really kind of dove into the fun part of
(07:13):
it and my teammates and just those relationships, like staying
down in Orange County and going to Knotsbury Farm or
like just hanging out with my friends down there. And
so I think just bringing like that aspect of fun
back into the game. And I think then from that
point on I was pretty good and I was locked
in and I ended up committing I think at fourteen,
(07:34):
so like two years later. So I think it just
made the world of a difference just having that fun
part of it.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
What made you want to go to UCLA to commit that?
Speaker 2 (07:46):
Yeah, I was obsessed. I was a freak and I
will look back at photos of me, like at that Halloween,
I was not a room frawling, but we had a
dog named Broom. Okay, I look back at photos I'm
in ucill like pajamas sweatshirt, like I'll never forget my
first ucil A game I ever went to. We were
(08:08):
living in Bakersfield and I came home from school and
my mom had decorated my room blue and yellow and
had streamers and like flags and like everything like that.
And then we ended up going to the game with
my travel coach Mike Stith because he had a lot
of players at UCLA, so and I got to like
go in the clubhouse and take a picture with the
(08:28):
team and stuff like that. So I was obsessed. But
I fell in love when I was ten years old
or eight years old watching the World Series and my
mom had just called me and was like, turn on
like the TV, like this channel, like it's the Championship.
So I turned it on and of course Hecily was
in it. At that time is when they were like
so hot, and so they ended up winning, and then
(08:49):
I was obsessed. I just I feel like it's when
you're a kid and you like just see like a
good team and you're like, oh, that's my team. Yeah.
It had nothing to do with anything. And then I
just heard the stories go up because my mom played
against coach I and coach Lisa when she was in college,
so I just always heard the stories of the goat
and actually I think they played in travel Wall too
(09:12):
against each other. Yeah, so I've heard stories for a
long time and then just that moment of watching on TV.
And then I lived thirty minutes from UCLA, so it
was just I don't even know. Yeah, a storm, everything.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
A thing.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
Obsession, just pure obsession. But yeah, I loved it.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
Your mom played softball at Fresno Stage and she was
also an All American pitcher.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Yeah, she couldn't get you on the mound.
Speaker 3 (09:35):
That wasn't happening.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
The thing about it is I wanted to be on
the mound so bad when I was younger in wreck ball,
when I made the All Star team, I always wanted
to be a pitcher and they were like, you're not pitching,
you're playing shortstop. And I was like, I don't want
to play shortstop. I want to pitch. So I tried.
I tried, I was denied. I really put my best
foot forward. I think I was like throwing the ball
(09:57):
over girls' heads and on the ground like I was.
Isn't good. But the passion was there. The town it's
not okay. They were like scoot back a little bit
right there, you're good.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
Yeah. I wanted to be a pitcher so bad to
my My high school coach every year would let me
pitch one inning stop, yes, one inning, oh, like against
a bad team that you know we were going to
be by a lot. She would let me pitch one
inning every year. And my senior year, so let me
pitch two stop.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
Yeah, I dream it really would.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
I walked quite a few people, but I walked them
throwing very fast period you know, period inning go over
the plate.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
But the gun. Yeah, I think I was like, yeas
were there. That's all right, That's what it matters.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
There's more to cover, but first, let's take a quick break.
Who do you think about your time? And you see
how that you talk about that turning point when you
really began to work hard, and you saw the difference.
I read something the other day and it said, if
somebody were watching your life for twenty four hours, would
(11:05):
they believe in what it was that you wanted to do?
Like would the work show yeah, that your goals where
you're doing what it is you need to do. I
don't know that just like changed something in my brain, chemistry,
you know, little bit it's like, oh, I don't know
if they would agree at a certain point. And growing up,
my dad used to always tell me like this, there
may be you may want to be successful. There's always
going to be somebody better, so nobody better work harder.
(11:29):
Was there a certain moment for you that really kind
of changed your perspective that said I'm going to stay here,
I'm gonna go hi low in out, one arm out.
What was that shift that made you start working more.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
It's so funny because I normally try not to pay
attention to like social media and stuff like that, but
there was a moment before that season. It was in
the fall, since we're quarter we start in September, so
I think it was maybe like August, like right when
other schools had gone back, and I was though, did
the thirty something best player in the country. And it's
(12:04):
so funny because it's like from the outside, people would
probably be like that, aren't in the sport. Maybe you're
like a high level athlete. They're like, you know how
many softball players there are? Like thirty, Like that's that's
good me. I was like, oh thirty thirty thirty, Oh okay, period,
So for me, it was that moment that I was like, Drake,
(12:28):
that's why I kind of came out that's so fun thirty.
For me, it was that moment where I was like,
oh wow, and I'm not really a person that's like
fueled off of disrespect, Like that's not something that I've
ever like, that's not the realm I tap into. Like
(12:50):
I said, I'm very like silly goofy. That's how I
know I'm playing good. So for me, this was something
a little different where I was like, dang, like thirty,
Like that's pretty crazy. So I think for me when
I saw that, I was like, oh, no, I'm not thirty. Yeah,
I am not thirty. I know I'm not thirty. So
for you to say I'm thirty, it's crazy, but it's okay.
(13:11):
So from that point on, it was just literally about
proving that I was not thirty. I took that as
a sign of disrespect, and from that point on, before
every game day, I wrote the same exact thing in
my journal. We do a journaling thing at UCLA. I
don't I'm sure other programs do that too, but it's
in our routine before a game, we meet and we journal.
(13:33):
Before every single game, I wrote Player of the Year
in my journal and FTR, which is like a batbuster thing,
and so I think for me it was just it's
not appropriate for this podcast.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
It's fine, is it.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
Yeah, I can cuss, Yes, Okay, it's just fuck the
rest he Yeah. And so for me, just writing those
in my journal every day, it just allowed me to
like tap into that headspace and remember of disrespect that
you know, they had me at thirty at the beginning
of the year, and then I was able to that
(14:06):
year be in the top three for Player of the
Year and then win Player of the Year at pat twelve.
So for me, it was just, yeah, using that moment
as a fuel for the work and for you know,
kind of the way that season went along. And so
it was like my favorite season ever. It was.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
It was so fun. It was so fun, baby. No, literally,
do you believe in manifestation? Yes, because I feel that
it's so powerful. Things that you write down, how they
come to fruition.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
Yeah. When you think about you wrote.
Speaker 1 (14:38):
Down player of the Year, what other things are you
writing down in your journal, whether it be in pro ball,
going to play in Japan, or just future.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
Yeah, I actually did the same exact thing the next year,
you know, I just try to prove my theory twice, Like, yeah,
that's manifestiation. Yeah, but it's just interesting because we worked
this past year a lot with like a sports psychologist
like therapist, and we talked about just getting into this
mental headspace of having extreme detail with your manifestations or
(15:15):
just your visualizing. Plus the work brings in such great results.
So I think for me, using that formula, I think
is going to allow me to just continue what I started.
And I'm definitely going to be journaling in my notes
app or maybe I'll get a physical journal. I don't
know yet. This is my first time playing pro, so
we'll see. But yeah, I think just carrying that with me.
(15:39):
The quote I've now kind of developed is with you
and I want to get like tattooed on me because
I love it. Yeah, like with you, that to me
is like a new phrase. Then I'm like, I like that.
It brings in just some different aspects of my family, God,
and just with me continuously. So I don't think we
have Player of the Years in a US. I'm not sure,
(16:01):
but like maybe like FTR with you something else, and
then that'll continue my little journaling legacy.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
Yeah, that fr with you was with you something that's
always been meaningful or did it kind of develop at
a certain stage.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
It just developed this year through like one of the
exercises that we did with like our guy, doctor Mondo guy,
our guy. He's just he's literally the best. Like I swear,
he changed my life. I literally tell people all the time,
I'm like, if you have that luxury of working with
someone like that, I feel like it just changes your
game so much. You don't realize the stuff that you've
(16:41):
dealt with off the field affects you on the field.
I feel like we try to separate the two, but
how could you? And so I think just doing that
this past year and just kind of developing that phrase
and then playing from that space that remembering that phrase
kind of put me in. That's why I want to
get a tattooed on me. I would love to be
struggling one game and then I would love to struggle,
(17:03):
but I would love to not be having my best
day and then look at it and be like, and
its you back in and then I'm back to reality.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
What do you feel like is a moment at UCLA
when even though you didn't have the tattoo. Yeah, you
kind of took a step back and you felt the
with you and it was maybe one of the most
impactful moments or biggest moments or turn around moments in
your career.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
Yeah. I think going into last year, right before regionals,
because the year prior we got upset at our own
regional and so I think going into regionals it was PTSD.
I think regionals is already hard. I think it's harder
than Super Regionals. I don't know if that's a hot take,
(17:49):
but I think that going into that, just in the
feelings and the anxiety that came up with having to
play and like coincidentally, I think two of the teams
from the year before, we're in our regional again and
we had to play one of them like opening games.
So just the anxiety and the pressure and kind of
that trauma from like cause it was really traumatic, Like
(18:12):
after we lost that game the year prior, we stayed
for three hours after, like the whole team, the coaches,
like everybody, We just stayed for three hours and we
just reminisced, cried, what the hell just happened? WHOA, And
we went to and barbecue. We just were flat and
so dealing with that anxiety going into the next year.
(18:35):
That was the moment that I had to look inside
and be like, no matter how I perform on the
field or like at bat to at bat, I know that, like,
the people that truly loved me for me are gonna
be with me. And I imagine when I'm at shortstop,
I turn around and I'm visualizing, like everybody that I
think that truly loves me is surrounding me and cheering
(18:56):
me on. No matter what I do, whether I make
a great player, let it go between my legs. The
people that are in my corner are gonna love me regardless,
and they're with me regardless. So when I go up
to the plate, imagining my family like everybody I love
just cheering me on, and then like what that does
for your like mental health? And so I think that
was the biggest moment that I had to be like,
(19:18):
fuck it, I'm laying it all out on the line,
like this is what it is. Like We're gonna go
through this weekend and we're gonna thrive, and we're gonna
go back to Supers and hopefully the World Series, or
we're gonna flunk, but I'm gonna like, go all out
because I know my people are gonna love me regardless.
Speaker 3 (19:35):
You're always gonna have people which you no matter.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
What with me, always we'll be dropping more diamonds.
Speaker 3 (19:41):
After these messages, you ultimately went to how many More?
Speaker 1 (19:52):
Series?
Speaker 2 (19:53):
Three?
Speaker 1 (19:54):
Three? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (19:54):
Three, it's hard to do, guys.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
Three D.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
I know it's very very hard where I'm very jaded
because I'm like, should have been four the hell but
three it's it's hard. Yeah, it's hard, so hard.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
Oha twice and definitely felt like what's crazy is the
year I really felt like we should have gone, which
was my sophomore year. We lost in regionals. Our team
was stacked. There was no reason we should have lost
that year. And that's the testament to how hard it is,
Like you were so good in my sophomore year, Yeah,
and it didn't happen.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
No, That's what we had that twenty twenty three year.
We had Megan, we had Brookianez, we had Aleah Jordan
for seven year. We had our freshmen were fied like
we had this super team, Like I think on our
roster we had twenty six, twenty eight girls on our roster.
(20:52):
I was like, oh, I'm seeing us at the World Series,
like it's gonna be five given. Yeah, it's a given.
And then that rug got pulled on us quick quick.
Then last year I was like, we had the worst
start in UCLA history, m and we ended up going
back there yet like what, but no, it's second hard.
I think people don't realize truly how hard it is
(21:14):
to get back.
Speaker 1 (21:15):
Really, and then what it takes in the fortitude and
coming back and the mentality. When you think of the
mentality that you have that you and all your teammates
with UCLA, who do you feel like that derived from?
Because I know your family is so competitive. Your mom plays,
obviously your uncle tom.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
We called Uncle Tommy, right, Uncle Tommy?
Speaker 1 (21:34):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (21:34):
And then yeah, and.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
Then also your uncle Kevin also play at MLB. There's
so many people in which you just have the competitive spirit.
Where do you feel like you get your drive the
most from.
Speaker 2 (21:46):
It's definitely my mom because I think just from a
young age, she just instilled in us like and our family,
like I tell people all the time, well, the one
family vacations and it's not relaxing. Every day we're playing
some super competitive of course boys versus girls game and
(22:06):
it gets raunchy like it gets competitive, like it's not relaxing,
it's not fun. Kids are crying, we're playing kickball, and
like my uncles are like fully kicking the ball at
like my ten year old cousin. It's like you're a
grown man. But I think for me, like that competitiveness
was definitely fostered with my family at UCLA. I don't know.
(22:30):
I feel like we're kind of like giggly, like we're
not super like. I don't know. I think we have
a good balance of like crazy and like fun but
also like competitive, like when you see Megan stomp and
like her braid is whipping and like we're all just
like screaming our heads off. Like that's super fun too,
And I think brings out a different competitive in me,
(22:50):
Like the Brady family vacations is like nasty competitive, like
me versus you, like let's go right now, Like oh,
like I'm out here with my Rood's like ye period,
But yeah, it's it's fun. I don't know, I'm a freak.
I'm competitive.
Speaker 1 (23:05):
Well, I feel like you have to be. It was
that your bread for that, Like you're no, it's bad
your uncle one plays in Major League Baseball. Your mom's
an All American from Fresno, and then your other uncle
is arguably the best quarterback of all time. So it's
like it just seemed inevitable that you would probably become
extremely competitive and one of the greats and whatever sport
(23:28):
was that she shows.
Speaker 2 (23:29):
Yeah, people will ask me who's the most competitive in
our family, probably assuming that I would say Tommy, But
it's I think it's a tie actually between Tommy and
my mom. For like one A and one B. Is
actually my grandma? Really, yes, she is souch my mom's mom,
(23:50):
Tommy's mom. Yeah, No, she's so competitive it's insane. But
she like played tennis and like golf. She still golfs
and stuff like that. Even until I was like a
little kid, I remember her playing tennis and like going
to her matches and stuff like that. So she's actually
(24:11):
super competitive, and I think that's where they all get
it from. Yeah, is my grandma, not my papa, Like,
what's her name, Galen, Grandma Gaalen. She is, She's a killer.
I swear, I swear, but yeah, I think, yeah, everyone
in my family's super competitive, even the little kids. It's weird.
Everyone comes out like, yes, everyone comes out like wanting
(24:34):
to be like the ben Yeah, competitive animal. So I
don't know, but yeah, I think my mom is like
the one that put it in me for sure.
Speaker 1 (24:43):
I watched a video and in your home it says
it has you have science as a Brady bunch and
it's like, so.
Speaker 3 (24:49):
A little bit of love, a little bit of after
a little bit of a.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
Little bit a little bit of that love love yeap.
Speaker 1 (24:56):
What would you say is the Brady way like a
little a little bit is a little bit of that,
but a whole lot of.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
What ooh, that's a good question. I would say a
little bit of tears okay, everyone's super emotional, a little
bit of crazy okay, slash like competitive, and a lot
of love.
Speaker 3 (25:22):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (25:22):
From my understanding, a lot of people don't have like
group chats with their whole family in it, Grandma, cousins, aunts, uncles.
Like whenever people see like Brady family on my phone,
they think it's like, oh, me and my mom and
my sister, Like, no, that's like everyone in my family.
We're always like sending videos or like inspirational quotes or
(25:43):
like just stuff like that. Basically every day we text
in it. I'm pretty sure.
Speaker 3 (25:47):
Oh wow, you have inspirational quotes.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
Yeah, I know.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
It's sometimes it gives me because a lot of my
family really sometimes it gives me cringe vibes going, Yeah,
I'm like every time, my sister and I will look
at each other and laugh sometimes when like my mom
is like trying to give.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
Us some motivational speech because we're like, who do you
think you are? Like you you literally are acting like
you know that like teammate that like comes in and
they're like, come on, guys, like we got a fight
till the end. Yeah, and you're like, okay, no, no, no, no,
not the vibe, but like that's my mom and you
just like laugh because we're like do you believe it?
Speaker 3 (26:24):
Then Uncle Tommyson see something though.
Speaker 2 (26:28):
Yeah, But like honestly, honestly though, like a lot of
the quotes are more so like love your neighbor and
my really yeah, like they're very that vibe. Some sports stuff,
but like not really it's pretty much like the kids
video is playing soccer and stuff like that, and then
like a quote from like Gandhi, you know what I mean.
(26:50):
It's like it goes back and forth. So I think,
like I think like everyone kind of like brings their
own thing to like the Brady family group chat. Wait,
that's so it's mostly good vibes.
Speaker 1 (27:01):
Though, Like I would imagine it being something super motivational,
like if you were to obviously something outside, if you're
thinking Tom Brady's sending his knee something super something inspirational,
you're like, okay, like the best, the best do this,
Papa body like no, peace be with.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
You, yeah, no said yeah, Catholic mass like father son,
holy Spirit type vibe. Like it's it's all good vibes
because I think people don't realize that even though we're
all very like crazy and competitive, Tommy is obviously the
most recognizable person in our family and he seems like
a psychopath like crazy competitive, like he's always like wanting
(27:37):
to be the best, but like he is one of
the sweetest people you will ever meet. So it's like
I think we all kind of have two sides to
us where it's like on the field, like I get
told all the time, like you seem so mean, like
you you're so serious, you never smile. But I'm like
one of the most sensitive people like on the planet,
Like I'm very shy like whatever. So it's funny like
(27:58):
I think, yeah, you would think it'd be like I
don't even know, and then it's really like like always
like love yourself, you like put yourself first. Like it's
just it's a good little what is it, jackal and hide?
Two sides? Yeah, yeah, I read that in high school.
I think, but two sides of the personality, which I
(28:18):
think is a good balance.
Speaker 1 (28:20):
When we think of two sides personality, but also two
sides of the field. You are utility, whether it's infield outfield.
So we're in going to my favorite segment of no
fly zone segment because you can really turn the infield
and the outfield into a.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
No fly zone.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
When do you think about your favorite play that you've
ever made to turn either infield or outfield into a
no fly zone?
Speaker 3 (28:44):
What is it?
Speaker 2 (28:45):
Oh that's a good one.
Speaker 3 (28:47):
Mm hmm.
Speaker 2 (28:49):
Definitely the infield no shade. Okay, Okay, I think for me,
like at UCLA we had such a good pitching staff.
There were games are when you get a ball, I'm like, guys,
show the up, Like I know you want the strikeout,
but like, just give me a little pop up. It
won't hurt. I'll catch it, I promise. Like, but I
think probably can I do two? Yeah, Okay, there was
(29:13):
one against Georgia this past year in our super Regional.
I don't even know who was up. I can't even
see it, but for some reason, I was playing like
really close to second base and this girl hit kind
of a chopper over the picture and I pick it
on the short hop tag second and turn the double play,
(29:34):
and I think, just like the hype of that, I
don't know. We were just in like it was just
so I don't know, you know, like and it's just
like two crisp and you're like, whoa.
Speaker 3 (29:43):
That was so good.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
Wowa, that was crazy. Okay, that one. And then another
one we were at Washington. It was also this past
year and a girl. It was on Sunday and a
girl hit a ball up the middle. I got it
behind second base, almost up the middle, and I lived
(30:05):
at a little spin. I threw her out of first
base and it was like I was like one of
those things where it's kind of like out of body,
Like I'm sure you had that where you like make
a crazy plane. You're like, did I just do that?
Speaker 3 (30:16):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (30:17):
That was crazy, Like I'm just me and I just
did that, Like that's weird like sometimes I don't know,
I had that moment and it was just really fun. Yeah,
it was good vibes.
Speaker 3 (30:29):
Feeling those out of body moments.
Speaker 1 (30:30):
But you've reached those successes, and through those successes, we
all know we have to have failure. What would you
say has been your favorite failure? Yeah, that has led
to the inbody experience.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
Yes, of reaching the success I would say probably that
twenty twenty two season as a big fat failure for me,
just because it wasn't at all what I wanted it
to be. And I think that's what led me to
ultimately turn and around and like like we were talking
(31:02):
about earlier, just like put that work in and then
get kind of not the result I wanted, but just
kind of prove to myself I am who I think
I am. Yeah, it was my opportunity to kind of
show the softball world I guess this is me. Like
twenty twenty, twenty twenty one, twenty twenty two, I was
kind of like the little sister on the team. That's
(31:25):
how I kind of felt, just because we had such
dominant leaders Eliah, Jordan, Brie, Perez, Kinsley, Washington, Rachel, Like
we had all these bangers and I could just be
kind of like the little sister, Like I could come
in and like get a little hit and be like woo.
But like they were the ones that were like I'm
scared of them, and then I could come up and
like just like kind of play a little bit more free.
(31:48):
Twenty twenty two, I was that little sister still, but
I was sucking. It was bad. It was really really bad.
I would literally watch three pitches go by and be like,
I don't even know what I'm doing. And so that
to me was like one big fat failure and then
it ultimately led me to like my best year. So
(32:10):
I would say definitely that because now then I like
know what it's like to taste that success after putting
that amount of work in. And so now I've made
that a daily habit of now how I go about practice.
And like I said, I'm not at my full potential yet,
I know that, and so I'm just excited to see
where that will continue to take me.
Speaker 1 (32:32):
As we keep going to your pro career with the talent.
So excited to see what that looks like math it's
a limited softball league.
Speaker 3 (32:39):
Maya.
Speaker 1 (32:40):
Thank you so much for joining me on Dropping Diamond
thank you for having me. I feel like from the
affirmation the draymands that were dropped today absolutely is that
you will turn into a butterfly. You have to enjoy
the journey through that journey. The hard work comes from
that hard work comes to success and then you can
fly high like butterfly, three time All American USA and
(33:04):
now professional softball player like Maya Brady big partner. Also,
stop being funny and get to the money. No, that's
another major diamond up. Yeah, get the money up, the
funnies up, get your money up.
Speaker 3 (33:17):
That's how it goes.
Speaker 2 (33:18):
Yes, yes, yes.
Speaker 1 (33:19):
Well, thank you all for listening and I will catch
you next week back on the diamond till then keep shining.
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
(33:42):
executive producer is Jesse Katz. Tari Harrison is our supervising producer,
and this episode was mixed and mastered by Mary. Do
listen to Dropping Diamonds with A J Andrews on the
iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts
from Langua
Dropping Diamonds with Aj Andrews is an iHeart women's sports
production in partnership with Athletes Unlimited Softball League and Deep
Blue Sports and Entertainment.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Before every single game, I wrote player of the Year
in my journal. For me, just writing those in my
journal every day, I was able to that year be
in the top three for player of the Year.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
All right to welcome to Dropping Diamonds with Me, aj Andrews,
where we dive headfirst into the world of softball and
joining me today is a superstar. She's a three time
All American back two back PAC twelve Player of the
Year who is signed to the AUSL Talents and not
(00:49):
to mention, she's also a Team USA Softball amazing talent.
Welcome everyone, Maya Brady, I feel really.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Have to get like a sound effect.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
Well, Maya when we're talking dropping bombs and diamonds, which
you do both very very well.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
We're gonna start off because you know, as we have
to lead things off. We like to have a good
momentum in softball, So start things off dropping a diamond
of my own. So one of my favorite quotes again
is impossible is a dare not a declaration? And affirmation
I'm gonna pull from that is there's no goal to
hide for me to reach today. When you think about
(01:34):
softball and you just think about growing up, I know
your family's very competitive. Did you have a quote or
saying that's really stuck with you throughout the times.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
I love quotes and like stuff like that, Like my
mom is into it, and like I feel like we
make quotes a really big part of just our motivation
and stuff. But I had a quote my senior year.
Senior Day, we had like these banners with our favorite quotes,
and it's a Maya Angelo quote and it's just about
basically I know, it's just basically about a butterfly. At
(02:07):
the end, you see the butterfly, but like you didn't
see all the stages that it went to to get
to that point. And I feel like, growing up, I
never thought that I would be where I am today.
Like I always dreamed about going to UCLA and being
an All American and playing for USA and all that stuff,
and maybe playing professionally. And so it's just funny because
(02:29):
through every single stage it was my evolution until what
I feel like I am now. And I still feel
like I'm not even at my full potential. Yet I
feel like I'm still not that butterfly at the end.
But I think just thinking about growing up and playing
softball and just thinking about, you know, the impossible and
what I thought was impossible at you know, this stage
is different than what I see now. So I just
(02:51):
think that quote just like really sticks with I think
both of our quotes combined.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
I love that right.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
At the end of the day, you will become a
boutterly and if you're not there, you're still just going
through the stages to get where you want to be.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Yeah, when you.
Speaker 1 (03:05):
Feel like throughout your involvement and you're blossoming into this butterflies,
you're continuing to grow. What do you feel like was
one of the stages that was maybe the hardest that
you had to overcome.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
I feel like I've had two really hard stages. I
think one was ages probably ten twelve U that stage,
which it sounds ridiculous now thinking about it. At that time,
I was thinking that it was a hard stage of
life because that's such like elementary scho But at that time,
(03:38):
like that was when you could get recruited at any age.
So for me, at that time, I was living in
Bakersfield with my mom and my sister. We had just
moved from the Bay and we were living there. We
were commuting down to Orange County for me to play
softball with the Batbusters, And at that time, I feel
like at that age, you were either like getting recruited
(04:00):
or you weren't. Just crazy yeah, which is crazy, which
is like so crazy like, but for me that was
just a rough stage because I feel like that was
the stage where I had to decide. And I actually
quit softball for six months at that stage, yeah, because
I was just so over it and the commitment, you know,
just commuting that far and it just being so intense
(04:22):
and the recruiting process and all that stuff. So I
feel like for me, that was the time where I
had to decide. I quit and I started playing travel
club soccer actually, And so for me, I think that
was just a hard time and with me and my
mom because she was like, I don't want to waste
my time, but this is your hus been your dream like,
so that was I think a rough time and just
your like self confidence of why am I not getting recruited?
(04:43):
Not in like a jealousy way, but just like am
I good enough to play in college just that, and
then another hard time. I would say it was twenty
twenty two was my red shirt sophomore year because I
had the COVID year. That year was like my sophomore slump.
I was not doing well, and then I ended up
kind of like heating up towards the end of the
(05:03):
World Series. But at that time I had to really
reflect in and be like, am I doing the work?
I want to be great? But am I putting in
the time to be great? Like every day when I
go to practice, am I doing the extra reps? Am
I putting my best foot forward every time I step
on the field. And so when I got back to
school in the fall of twenty two, I decided I
(05:26):
was like, every single day, I am literally every before
I hit I'm doing ten minutes twenty minutes of tea work.
I am doing one arms in out like up down,
like I really like wanted to put that time in.
And then I ended up having the best year of
my college career, I think. But those two times are
like two times where I had to look inside and
(05:47):
be like, girl, your funny is up. You need to
get your money up. At the end of the day
like you are you funny? Is Bundy of your money
up ridiculously being one diamond one diving? Yeah, but yeah,
those were two two rough times. Definitely.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Yeah, even when going through, especially at a young age,
when you feel so many people around you are being
seen and you're not, the pressure that gets attached to
you and the confidence.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
That can kindle.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
I tell people all the time, I feel like confidence
is like a muscle, and if you don't work it,
just like you don't work out your muscles, you begin
to lose it. You have to work out that confidence.
When you took that time off and came back, how
did you work towards feeling more confident, even knowing that
you weren't recruited yet but it's coming. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
I think it was just that kind of letting go
of what pressure I was feeling, and just from recruiting
or my coaches or my family, just letting go of
that pressure and just understanding why I was playing the
game and why I wanted to potentially pursue this in college.
And so I think just bringing the fun back into softball,
(06:50):
I think, especially at that time you're so young, like
I mean, to this day, softball to me is still
about my teammates and my friends and those relationships. And
that's when I know I'm in a good place. Is
when I'm joking and laughing and being silly in the dugout.
That's when i know I'm at my best. And I
think that's something that when I came back from that break,
I really kind of dove into the fun part of
(07:13):
it and my teammates and just those relationships, like staying
down in Orange County and going to Knotsbury Farm or
like just hanging out with my friends down there. And
so I think just bringing like that aspect of fun
back into the game. And I think then from that
point on I was pretty good and I was locked
in and I ended up committing I think at fourteen,
(07:34):
so like two years later. So I think it just
made the world of a difference just having that fun
part of it.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
What made you want to go to UCLA to commit that?
Speaker 2 (07:46):
Yeah, I was obsessed. I was a freak and I
will look back at photos of me, like at that Halloween,
I was not a room frawling, but we had a
dog named Broom. Okay, I look back at photos I'm
in ucill like pajamas sweatshirt, like I'll never forget my
first ucil A game I ever went to. We were
(08:08):
living in Bakersfield and I came home from school and
my mom had decorated my room blue and yellow and
had streamers and like flags and like everything like that.
And then we ended up going to the game with
my travel coach Mike Stith because he had a lot
of players at UCLA, so and I got to like
go in the clubhouse and take a picture with the
(08:28):
team and stuff like that. So I was obsessed. But
I fell in love when I was ten years old
or eight years old watching the World Series and my
mom had just called me and was like, turn on
like the TV, like this channel, like it's the Championship.
So I turned it on and of course Hecily was
in it. At that time is when they were like
so hot, and so they ended up winning, and then
(08:49):
I was obsessed. I just I feel like it's when
you're a kid and you like just see like a
good team and you're like, oh, that's my team. Yeah.
It had nothing to do with anything. And then I
just heard the stories go up because my mom played
against coach I and coach Lisa when she was in college,
so I just always heard the stories of the goat
and actually I think they played in travel Wall too
(09:12):
against each other. Yeah, so I've heard stories for a
long time and then just that moment of watching on TV.
And then I lived thirty minutes from UCLA, so it
was just I don't even know. Yeah, a storm, everything.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
A thing.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
Obsession, just pure obsession. But yeah, I loved it.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
Your mom played softball at Fresno Stage and she was
also an All American pitcher.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Yeah, she couldn't get you on the mound.
Speaker 3 (09:35):
That wasn't happening.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
The thing about it is I wanted to be on
the mound so bad when I was younger in wreck ball,
when I made the All Star team, I always wanted
to be a pitcher and they were like, you're not pitching,
you're playing shortstop. And I was like, I don't want
to play shortstop. I want to pitch. So I tried.
I tried, I was denied. I really put my best
foot forward. I think I was like throwing the ball
(09:57):
over girls' heads and on the ground like I was.
Isn't good. But the passion was there. The town it's
not okay. They were like scoot back a little bit
right there, you're good.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
Yeah. I wanted to be a pitcher so bad to
my My high school coach every year would let me
pitch one inning stop, yes, one inning, oh, like against
a bad team that you know we were going to
be by a lot. She would let me pitch one
inning every year. And my senior year, so let me
pitch two stop.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
Yeah, I dream it really would.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
I walked quite a few people, but I walked them
throwing very fast period you know, period inning go over
the plate.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
But the gun. Yeah, I think I was like, yeas
were there. That's all right, That's what it matters.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
There's more to cover, but first, let's take a quick break.
Who do you think about your time? And you see
how that you talk about that turning point when you
really began to work hard, and you saw the difference.
I read something the other day and it said, if
somebody were watching your life for twenty four hours, would
(11:05):
they believe in what it was that you wanted to do?
Like would the work show yeah, that your goals where
you're doing what it is you need to do. I
don't know that just like changed something in my brain, chemistry,
you know, little bit it's like, oh, I don't know
if they would agree at a certain point. And growing up,
my dad used to always tell me like this, there
may be you may want to be successful. There's always
going to be somebody better, so nobody better work harder.
(11:29):
Was there a certain moment for you that really kind
of changed your perspective that said I'm going to stay here,
I'm gonna go hi low in out, one arm out.
What was that shift that made you start working more.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
It's so funny because I normally try not to pay
attention to like social media and stuff like that, but
there was a moment before that season. It was in
the fall, since we're quarter we start in September, so
I think it was maybe like August, like right when
other schools had gone back, and I was though, did
the thirty something best player in the country. And it's
(12:04):
so funny because it's like from the outside, people would
probably be like that, aren't in the sport. Maybe you're
like a high level athlete. They're like, you know how
many softball players there are? Like thirty, Like that's that's
good me. I was like, oh thirty thirty thirty, Oh okay, period,
So for me, it was that moment that I was like, Drake,
(12:28):
that's why I kind of came out that's so fun thirty.
For me, it was that moment where I was like,
oh wow, and I'm not really a person that's like
fueled off of disrespect, Like that's not something that I've
ever like, that's not the realm I tap into. Like
(12:50):
I said, I'm very like silly goofy. That's how I
know I'm playing good. So for me, this was something
a little different where I was like, dang, like thirty,
Like that's pretty crazy. So I think for me when
I saw that, I was like, oh, no, I'm not thirty. Yeah,
I am not thirty. I know I'm not thirty. So
for you to say I'm thirty, it's crazy, but it's okay.
(13:11):
So from that point on, it was just literally about
proving that I was not thirty. I took that as
a sign of disrespect, and from that point on, before
every game day, I wrote the same exact thing in
my journal. We do a journaling thing at UCLA. I
don't I'm sure other programs do that too, but it's
in our routine before a game, we meet and we journal.
(13:33):
Before every single game, I wrote Player of the Year
in my journal and FTR, which is like a batbuster thing,
and so I think for me it was just it's
not appropriate for this podcast.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
It's fine, is it.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
Yeah, I can cuss, Yes, Okay, it's just fuck the
rest he Yeah. And so for me, just writing those
in my journal every day, it just allowed me to
like tap into that headspace and remember of disrespect that
you know, they had me at thirty at the beginning
of the year, and then I was able to that
(14:06):
year be in the top three for Player of the
Year and then win Player of the Year at pat twelve.
So for me, it was just, yeah, using that moment
as a fuel for the work and for you know,
kind of the way that season went along. And so
it was like my favorite season ever. It was.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
It was so fun. It was so fun, baby. No, literally,
do you believe in manifestation? Yes, because I feel that
it's so powerful. Things that you write down, how they
come to fruition.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
Yeah. When you think about you wrote.
Speaker 1 (14:38):
Down player of the Year, what other things are you
writing down in your journal, whether it be in pro ball,
going to play in Japan, or just future.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
Yeah, I actually did the same exact thing the next year,
you know, I just try to prove my theory twice, Like, yeah,
that's manifestiation. Yeah, but it's just interesting because we worked
this past year a lot with like a sports psychologist
like therapist, and we talked about just getting into this
mental headspace of having extreme detail with your manifestations or
(15:15):
just your visualizing. Plus the work brings in such great results.
So I think for me, using that formula, I think
is going to allow me to just continue what I started.
And I'm definitely going to be journaling in my notes
app or maybe I'll get a physical journal. I don't
know yet. This is my first time playing pro, so
we'll see. But yeah, I think just carrying that with me.
(15:39):
The quote I've now kind of developed is with you
and I want to get like tattooed on me because
I love it. Yeah, like with you, that to me
is like a new phrase. Then I'm like, I like that.
It brings in just some different aspects of my family, God,
and just with me continuously. So I don't think we
have Player of the Years in a US. I'm not sure,
(16:01):
but like maybe like FTR with you something else, and
then that'll continue my little journaling legacy.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
Yeah, that fr with you was with you something that's
always been meaningful or did it kind of develop at
a certain stage.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
It just developed this year through like one of the
exercises that we did with like our guy, doctor Mondo guy,
our guy. He's just he's literally the best. Like I swear,
he changed my life. I literally tell people all the time,
I'm like, if you have that luxury of working with
someone like that, I feel like it just changes your
game so much. You don't realize the stuff that you've
(16:41):
dealt with off the field affects you on the field.
I feel like we try to separate the two, but
how could you? And so I think just doing that
this past year and just kind of developing that phrase
and then playing from that space that remembering that phrase
kind of put me in. That's why I want to
get a tattooed on me. I would love to be
struggling one game and then I would love to struggle,
(17:03):
but I would love to not be having my best
day and then look at it and be like, and
its you back in and then I'm back to reality.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
What do you feel like is a moment at UCLA
when even though you didn't have the tattoo. Yeah, you
kind of took a step back and you felt the
with you and it was maybe one of the most
impactful moments or biggest moments or turn around moments in
your career.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
Yeah. I think going into last year, right before regionals,
because the year prior we got upset at our own
regional and so I think going into regionals it was PTSD.
I think regionals is already hard. I think it's harder
than Super Regionals. I don't know if that's a hot take,
(17:49):
but I think that going into that, just in the
feelings and the anxiety that came up with having to
play and like coincidentally, I think two of the teams
from the year before, we're in our regional again and
we had to play one of them like opening games.
So just the anxiety and the pressure and kind of
that trauma from like cause it was really traumatic, Like
(18:12):
after we lost that game the year prior, we stayed
for three hours after, like the whole team, the coaches,
like everybody, We just stayed for three hours and we
just reminisced, cried, what the hell just happened? WHOA, And
we went to and barbecue. We just were flat and
so dealing with that anxiety going into the next year.
(18:35):
That was the moment that I had to look inside
and be like, no matter how I perform on the
field or like at bat to at bat, I know that, like,
the people that truly loved me for me are gonna
be with me. And I imagine when I'm at shortstop,
I turn around and I'm visualizing, like everybody that I
think that truly loves me is surrounding me and cheering
(18:56):
me on. No matter what I do, whether I make
a great player, let it go between my legs. The
people that are in my corner are gonna love me regardless,
and they're with me regardless. So when I go up
to the plate, imagining my family like everybody I love
just cheering me on, and then like what that does
for your like mental health? And so I think that
was the biggest moment that I had to be like,
(19:18):
fuck it, I'm laying it all out on the line,
like this is what it is. Like We're gonna go
through this weekend and we're gonna thrive, and we're gonna
go back to Supers and hopefully the World Series, or
we're gonna flunk, but I'm gonna like, go all out
because I know my people are gonna love me regardless.
Speaker 3 (19:35):
You're always gonna have people which you no matter.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
What with me, always we'll be dropping more diamonds.
Speaker 3 (19:41):
After these messages, you ultimately went to how many More?
Speaker 1 (19:52):
Series?
Speaker 2 (19:53):
Three?
Speaker 1 (19:54):
Three? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (19:54):
Three, it's hard to do, guys.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
Three D.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
I know it's very very hard where I'm very jaded
because I'm like, should have been four the hell but
three it's it's hard. Yeah, it's hard, so hard.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
Oha twice and definitely felt like what's crazy is the
year I really felt like we should have gone, which
was my sophomore year. We lost in regionals. Our team
was stacked. There was no reason we should have lost
that year. And that's the testament to how hard it is,
Like you were so good in my sophomore year, Yeah,
and it didn't happen.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
No, That's what we had that twenty twenty three year.
We had Megan, we had Brookianez, we had Aleah Jordan
for seven year. We had our freshmen were fied like
we had this super team, Like I think on our
roster we had twenty six, twenty eight girls on our roster.
(20:52):
I was like, oh, I'm seeing us at the World Series,
like it's gonna be five given. Yeah, it's a given.
And then that rug got pulled on us quick quick.
Then last year I was like, we had the worst
start in UCLA history, m and we ended up going
back there yet like what, but no, it's second hard.
I think people don't realize truly how hard it is
(21:14):
to get back.
Speaker 1 (21:15):
Really, and then what it takes in the fortitude and
coming back and the mentality. When you think of the
mentality that you have that you and all your teammates
with UCLA, who do you feel like that derived from?
Because I know your family is so competitive. Your mom plays,
obviously your uncle tom.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
We called Uncle Tommy, right, Uncle Tommy?
Speaker 1 (21:34):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (21:34):
And then yeah, and.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
Then also your uncle Kevin also play at MLB. There's
so many people in which you just have the competitive spirit.
Where do you feel like you get your drive the
most from.
Speaker 2 (21:46):
It's definitely my mom because I think just from a
young age, she just instilled in us like and our family,
like I tell people all the time, well, the one
family vacations and it's not relaxing. Every day we're playing
some super competitive of course boys versus girls game and
(22:06):
it gets raunchy like it gets competitive, like it's not relaxing,
it's not fun. Kids are crying, we're playing kickball, and
like my uncles are like fully kicking the ball at
like my ten year old cousin. It's like you're a
grown man. But I think for me, like that competitiveness
was definitely fostered with my family at UCLA. I don't know.
(22:30):
I feel like we're kind of like giggly, like we're
not super like. I don't know. I think we have
a good balance of like crazy and like fun but
also like competitive, like when you see Megan stomp and
like her braid is whipping and like we're all just
like screaming our heads off. Like that's super fun too,
And I think brings out a different competitive in me,
(22:50):
Like the Brady family vacations is like nasty competitive, like
me versus you, like let's go right now, Like oh,
like I'm out here with my Rood's like ye period,
But yeah, it's it's fun. I don't know, I'm a freak.
I'm competitive.
Speaker 1 (23:05):
Well, I feel like you have to be. It was
that your bread for that, Like you're no, it's bad
your uncle one plays in Major League Baseball. Your mom's
an All American from Fresno, and then your other uncle
is arguably the best quarterback of all time. So it's
like it just seemed inevitable that you would probably become
extremely competitive and one of the greats and whatever sport
(23:28):
was that she shows.
Speaker 2 (23:29):
Yeah, people will ask me who's the most competitive in
our family, probably assuming that I would say Tommy, But
it's I think it's a tie actually between Tommy and
my mom. For like one A and one B. Is
actually my grandma? Really, yes, she is souch my mom's mom,
(23:50):
Tommy's mom. Yeah, No, she's so competitive it's insane. But
she like played tennis and like golf. She still golfs
and stuff like that. Even until I was like a
little kid, I remember her playing tennis and like going
to her matches and stuff like that. So she's actually
(24:11):
super competitive, and I think that's where they all get
it from. Yeah, is my grandma, not my papa, Like,
what's her name, Galen, Grandma Gaalen. She is, She's a killer.
I swear, I swear, but yeah, I think, yeah, everyone
in my family's super competitive, even the little kids. It's weird.
Everyone comes out like, yes, everyone comes out like wanting
(24:34):
to be like the ben Yeah, competitive animal. So I
don't know, but yeah, I think my mom is like
the one that put it in me for sure.
Speaker 1 (24:43):
I watched a video and in your home it says
it has you have science as a Brady bunch and
it's like, so.
Speaker 3 (24:49):
A little bit of love, a little bit of after
a little bit of a.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
Little bit a little bit of that love love yeap.
Speaker 1 (24:56):
What would you say is the Brady way like a
little a little bit is a little bit of that,
but a whole lot of.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
What ooh, that's a good question. I would say a
little bit of tears okay, everyone's super emotional, a little
bit of crazy okay, slash like competitive, and a lot
of love.
Speaker 3 (25:22):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (25:22):
From my understanding, a lot of people don't have like
group chats with their whole family in it, Grandma, cousins, aunts, uncles.
Like whenever people see like Brady family on my phone,
they think it's like, oh, me and my mom and
my sister, Like, no, that's like everyone in my family.
We're always like sending videos or like inspirational quotes or
(25:43):
like just stuff like that. Basically every day we text
in it. I'm pretty sure.
Speaker 3 (25:47):
Oh wow, you have inspirational quotes.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
Yeah, I know.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
It's sometimes it gives me because a lot of my
family really sometimes it gives me cringe vibes going, Yeah,
I'm like every time, my sister and I will look
at each other and laugh sometimes when like my mom
is like trying to give.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
Us some motivational speech because we're like, who do you
think you are? Like you you literally are acting like
you know that like teammate that like comes in and
they're like, come on, guys, like we got a fight
till the end. Yeah, and you're like, okay, no, no, no, no,
not the vibe, but like that's my mom and you
just like laugh because we're like do you believe it?
Speaker 3 (26:24):
Then Uncle Tommyson see something though.
Speaker 2 (26:28):
Yeah, But like honestly, honestly though, like a lot of
the quotes are more so like love your neighbor and
my really yeah, like they're very that vibe. Some sports stuff,
but like not really it's pretty much like the kids
video is playing soccer and stuff like that, and then
like a quote from like Gandhi, you know what I mean.
(26:50):
It's like it goes back and forth. So I think,
like I think like everyone kind of like brings their
own thing to like the Brady family group chat. Wait,
that's so it's mostly good vibes.
Speaker 1 (27:01):
Though, Like I would imagine it being something super motivational,
like if you were to obviously something outside, if you're
thinking Tom Brady's sending his knee something super something inspirational,
you're like, okay, like the best, the best do this,
Papa body like no, peace be with.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
You, yeah, no said yeah, Catholic mass like father son,
holy Spirit type vibe. Like it's it's all good vibes
because I think people don't realize that even though we're
all very like crazy and competitive, Tommy is obviously the
most recognizable person in our family and he seems like
a psychopath like crazy competitive, like he's always like wanting
(27:37):
to be the best, but like he is one of
the sweetest people you will ever meet. So it's like
I think we all kind of have two sides to
us where it's like on the field, like I get
told all the time, like you seem so mean, like
you you're so serious, you never smile. But I'm like
one of the most sensitive people like on the planet,
Like I'm very shy like whatever. So it's funny like
(27:58):
I think, yeah, you would think it'd be like I
don't even know, and then it's really like like always
like love yourself, you like put yourself first. Like it's
just it's a good little what is it, jackal and hide?
Two sides? Yeah, yeah, I read that in high school.
I think, but two sides of the personality, which I
(28:18):
think is a good balance.
Speaker 1 (28:20):
When we think of two sides personality, but also two
sides of the field. You are utility, whether it's infield outfield.
So we're in going to my favorite segment of no
fly zone segment because you can really turn the infield
and the outfield into a.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
No fly zone.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
When do you think about your favorite play that you've
ever made to turn either infield or outfield into a
no fly zone?
Speaker 3 (28:44):
What is it?
Speaker 2 (28:45):
Oh that's a good one.
Speaker 3 (28:47):
Mm hmm.
Speaker 2 (28:49):
Definitely the infield no shade. Okay, Okay, I think for me,
like at UCLA we had such a good pitching staff.
There were games are when you get a ball, I'm like, guys,
show the up, Like I know you want the strikeout,
but like, just give me a little pop up. It
won't hurt. I'll catch it, I promise. Like, but I
think probably can I do two? Yeah, Okay, there was
(29:13):
one against Georgia this past year in our super Regional.
I don't even know who was up. I can't even
see it, but for some reason, I was playing like
really close to second base and this girl hit kind
of a chopper over the picture and I pick it
on the short hop tag second and turn the double play,
(29:34):
and I think, just like the hype of that, I
don't know. We were just in like it was just
so I don't know, you know, like and it's just
like two crisp and you're like, whoa.
Speaker 3 (29:43):
That was so good.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
Wowa, that was crazy. Okay, that one. And then another
one we were at Washington. It was also this past
year and a girl. It was on Sunday and a
girl hit a ball up the middle. I got it
behind second base, almost up the middle, and I lived
(30:05):
at a little spin. I threw her out of first
base and it was like I was like one of
those things where it's kind of like out of body,
Like I'm sure you had that where you like make
a crazy plane. You're like, did I just do that?
Speaker 3 (30:16):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (30:17):
That was crazy, Like I'm just me and I just
did that, Like that's weird like sometimes I don't know,
I had that moment and it was just really fun. Yeah,
it was good vibes.
Speaker 3 (30:29):
Feeling those out of body moments.
Speaker 1 (30:30):
But you've reached those successes, and through those successes, we
all know we have to have failure. What would you
say has been your favorite failure? Yeah, that has led
to the inbody experience.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
Yes, of reaching the success I would say probably that
twenty twenty two season as a big fat failure for me,
just because it wasn't at all what I wanted it
to be. And I think that's what led me to
ultimately turn and around and like like we were talking
(31:02):
about earlier, just like put that work in and then
get kind of not the result I wanted, but just
kind of prove to myself I am who I think
I am. Yeah, it was my opportunity to kind of
show the softball world I guess this is me. Like
twenty twenty, twenty twenty one, twenty twenty two, I was
kind of like the little sister on the team. That's
(31:25):
how I kind of felt, just because we had such
dominant leaders Eliah, Jordan, Brie, Perez, Kinsley, Washington, Rachel, Like
we had all these bangers and I could just be
kind of like the little sister, Like I could come
in and like get a little hit and be like woo.
But like they were the ones that were like I'm
scared of them, and then I could come up and
like just like kind of play a little bit more free.
(31:48):
Twenty twenty two, I was that little sister still, but
I was sucking. It was bad. It was really really bad.
I would literally watch three pitches go by and be like,
I don't even know what I'm doing. And so that
to me was like one big fat failure and then
it ultimately led me to like my best year. So
(32:10):
I would say definitely that because now then I like
know what it's like to taste that success after putting
that amount of work in. And so now I've made
that a daily habit of now how I go about practice.
And like I said, I'm not at my full potential yet,
I know that, and so I'm just excited to see
where that will continue to take me.
Speaker 1 (32:32):
As we keep going to your pro career with the talent.
So excited to see what that looks like math it's
a limited softball league.
Speaker 3 (32:39):
Maya.
Speaker 1 (32:40):
Thank you so much for joining me on Dropping Diamond
thank you for having me. I feel like from the
affirmation the draymands that were dropped today absolutely is that
you will turn into a butterfly. You have to enjoy
the journey through that journey. The hard work comes from
that hard work comes to success and then you can
fly high like butterfly, three time All American USA and
(33:04):
now professional softball player like Maya Brady big partner. Also,
stop being funny and get to the money. No, that's
another major diamond up. Yeah, get the money up, the
funnies up, get your money up.
Speaker 3 (33:17):
That's how it goes.
Speaker 2 (33:18):
Yes, yes, yes.
Speaker 1 (33:19):
Well, thank you all for listening and I will catch
you next week back on the diamond till then keep shining.
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
(33:42):
executive producer is Jesse Katz. Tari Harrison is our supervising producer,
and this episode was mixed and mastered by Mary. Do
listen to Dropping Diamonds with A J Andrews on the
iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts
from Langua
Popular Podcasts
Are You A Charlotte?
In 1997, actress Kristin Davis’ life was forever changed when she took on the role of Charlotte York in Sex and the City. As we watched Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte navigate relationships in NYC, the show helped push once unacceptable conversation topics out of the shadows and altered the narrative around women and sex. We all saw ourselves in them as they searched for fulfillment in life, sex and friendships. Now, Kristin Davis wants to connect with you, the fans, and share untold stories and all the behind the scenes. Together, with Kristin and special guests, what will begin with Sex and the City will evolve into talks about themes that are still so relevant today. "Are you a Charlotte?" is much more than just rewatching this beloved show, it brings the past and the present together as we talk with heart, humor and of course some optimism.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.