May 30, 2025 • 32 mins
In this episode of the OGX Podcast, Isabella Vega shares her journey as a college softball pitcher at the University of Central Florida. From redshirting her freshman year to throwing a shutout against Florida and a no-hitter against Kansas, Isabella opens up about the ups and downs of her development. The conversation explores how OGX’s training tools, biomechanics assessments, and coaching support helped her rediscover confidence, trust her skills, and master what already made her great. It’s a powerful story of growth, resilience, and learning to play free.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:04):
We are back for another episode and I will say I think these are
becoming my favorite to talk to athletes because it's super fun
to hear actual stories about player development and in this
case of a big success story. So we have Isa Vega on today.
And why don't you just like start by just telling everyone
where you play, maybe a little bit about your journey, Anything
(00:24):
you want to share from your backstory?
Yeah, hi, I'm Isa. I play at the University of
Central Florida. I'll be a red shirt sophomore
this year and I red shirted my freshman year and I use that
time to grow and develop as a player and as a teammate.
And I did OGX over the summer and it really helped me come
(00:45):
back stronger and be able to do the things that I did my
freshman year. Yeah, go ahead, ask I.
Was going to say we could probably go on and on about your
accolades this year. Can you share a little bit?
I mean, this is like AI think one of the reasons the story's
going to be so powerful is you redshirted.
So it was kind of like, you know, coming in Ground Zero this
year and you just exploded the scene basically with what you
(01:06):
accomplished. Obviously up for, you know, a
ton of accolades, including Upper National, you know,
freshman of the year. Tell us some of your like
biggest moments this year, the ones that had the biggest
impact, whether it was like receiving a certain award or
certain games. What do you feel like were some
of the biggest moments for you this year?
I would say the shutout against Florida, that was like a big
(01:30):
moment. We played Florida in the fall
and then we also played at at Florida in the spring, I think 2
weeks before. And we lost.
But it was a very close game. And like we knew that we needed
to like like show out and that we could do it and have
confidence in ourselves. So like being able to like get
my team to like the seven innings without any runs and
(01:53):
being able to put them in a great position so they could
score some runs. And it's like it was a full team
effort. And like, I'm not just proud of
myself in that moment, I'm proudof like, that team.
Yeah. Sure.
I would also say Missouri. That was like one of our first
ranked opponents of the year andbeing able to overcome that
deficit that we were in, it was just such an exciting moment.
(02:16):
Yeah. And then I would probably say my
no hitter against Kansas. That's like, there's a lot of
really. A lot here.
That's what I'm saying. Like let's just not pretend that
this is just like, and then you had a good year, like you blew
it up. So I think that's that's
obviously worth mentioning here.So yeah, yeah, it's huge.
It's really great. I think last summer, Isa, your
(02:39):
story was like one of my favourites of the summer.
You know, we always, I, I yeah, I really, you know, as Krista
said, these podcasts are really powerful because it's important
to know like behind every playerdevelopment story is a person is
a human. Our emotions is a like a young
woman and her family and the things that are tied to that.
(03:01):
And I think when I met you, you,you came to us because you knew
there was like some disconnect. And you can obviously jump in if
if you feel like this is maybe not quite on point, but there
was a disconnect between your identity and who you felt like
you were before you went to college.
(03:22):
And then maybe just like feelinga little bit like, can I do
this? Am I good enough to be able to
do it on this stage? And I do think that happens to a
lot of players just because all of a sudden you go from being
the best in wherever you come from and now everyone is great
and you're looking around and it's so easy to doubt yourself
and life has flipped upside down.
You're doing, you know, your whole world has changed.
(03:44):
And there was this like, deep sense of like, am I good enough?
Which I think, you know, really resonates with with a lot of
athletes. Most athletes go through some
stage of like, OK, I've just nowgone to a bigger stage, like,
can I do this? And I think that your story was
just so powerful because you, you really brought that
(04:05):
vulnerability, you and your dad,he was like one of my favorites.
And so you really brought that vulnerability when you came to
OGX over the summer. Like this is like how you know,
I'm feeling. And I just, it was, it was more
of a like, are my tools good enough?
Can they do it? And so, you know, we obviously
spent that time. I think most of the summer was
(04:26):
really not about like giving youso much more than what you
already had, like tools wise. The, IT was really about getting
you to understand like we have this opportunity where we know
what tools scale at different levels to, for, like to, for you
to like, look at us and say, like, listen, I know you met us
(04:47):
like today or yesterday, but youhave to see, look at our eyes
and say, like these tools are good enough.
You just have to understand thema little bit deeper.
You have to understand how to leverage them.
You know, like when you're working with a lot of backspin,
understanding how to manipulate it through different parts of
the zone, understanding how to throw it through different
speeds. Like you have to think about
leveraging to the Max. It's not that the tool's not
(05:09):
good enough. So, you know, I think there was
just like so quickly I felt, andI'll obviously want to hear from
you, that between you, me and your dad, there was like this
like, I don't know, like this real powerful.
Like we've got to trust each other in this process.
You've got to trust each other on that journey.
And and then you really left there and I felt so confident
(05:29):
that you were like bought in to go for it all summer in your
training and just to be able, I think by the end of the summer,
seeing you feel like much more confident in yourself that
alone. And we had no idea.
Obviously it was going to be like your very first year
pitching in college. No idea what type of what that
was going to pan out to be like.But I could tell that you you
(05:52):
had shifted be from the beginning of the summer to the
end of the summer just in feeling like, no, I know my
identity now. I know and it really hasn't
changed that much. I had to just like recenter
around who that person and is and how to maximize that person
out in the circle. So then to see the story come
full circle and this year for you to just have like such an
incredible season. I think to me like I felt like
(06:14):
your story was one of my favorites before knowing what
your season was going to be like, right?
I just was like, I think we had this conversation like recapping
the summer programs. I'm like, I have a favorite.
It's Isa and that was like in August.
So to come all the way now, we're like a full season down
and to see what you turned that into, you know, in my mind,
you're like, like a damn near superhero.
(06:34):
You know, to go from what you did and how you felt and how you
just pulled yourself up and committed to, you know, who you
are and what you do. And then to like legitimately
make sure it translates. So I am so happy for you and so
proud of me. But that's my recollection of
your story over the summer and really how it impacted me.
(06:55):
Obviously, chime in. That's only my perspective of
what you feel like the summer was and how it went down for
you. No, you pretty much said it how
it how it is. Like I didn't have much
confidence in my pitching over the summer.
I mean, I red shirted, so I was really trying to figure my stuff
out and it's like I feel like I was trying to always do
something new, like during the fall and the spring of my red
(07:17):
shirt year, instead of just really focusing and honing in on
the stuff that I already had. Because I just felt like, what
is it going to take for me to pitch here?
And I didn't know what what I had.
I was going to be able to. So being able to go and do the
summer program and like you guystell me like it is good enough
and actually give me like these drills and all these tools to
make me become like the best version of myself.
(07:39):
That was definitely very helpful.
And you're right, there was trust and like an understanding
in that. So that was very, very helpful.
I feel like just knowing that what I have is good enough to be
here and being able to compete against those hitters and then
just making that so much better,that definitely set myself apart
(08:00):
from what I was my red shirt year to my freshman year.
Yeah, sure. I was just going to say, well, I
was just going to say I think like there's so many themes and
this is really like, yes, the OGX experience, it's the player
development experience. It's like this like gaining
knowledge, which is everyone comes for their assessment and
the process, You know what, whatgets delivered to them is
(08:22):
different. Sometimes what gets delivered to
them is like this tool needs to get better in this way for you
to be successful at this level. And I think, but the, the theme
of it always is and I think goesto exactly what you're sort of
describing in the year leading up to it, which is like getting
the information so that whatevercomes out of that assessment is
(08:43):
like very targeted and specific to you and how you're going to
have success at the next level. And sometimes as Ashley and you
guys are describing, it's not somuch although you might have
gotten like variations of your tools or maximize your tools or
things like that. Sometimes it's not about
necessarily like what's change things.
And I think so much of what development when it doesn't come
(09:05):
from this like base of knowledgeis when it doesn't come from the
assessment process and and all of the data of like what is
actually successful. So much of development becomes
focused solely on like, let's change this person.
Let's like, let's, let's keep trying to chit like what you're
saying, like I just kept trying to do something different.
Let's keep trying to change thisperson.
And sometimes when you have the information, it's really not
(09:28):
about change. And that's what's so powerful.
It's like, let me just be myself.
This is what my tools are good. They, you know, they got me here
for a reason and let me just maximize myself.
And so I think that's such a powerful saying for people to
know about development. Obviously in high school, you're
continuing to try to grow and develop, but it's not always
let's come find information to change.
(09:48):
It's just like, let's come find information.
So I'm not just always just following the next random thing
to try to like transform myself into a box or.
Continue you know, Krista, alongthose lines, I was recently
looking at as we're preparing for this round of summer
programming went and combed through some of the programs
that we wrote for last summer. And so I was looking at yours,
(10:09):
Isa, and I'm like, like the the number of tools, the number of
like pitches was very low through the whole summer.
Like, and I think this is like what's so interesting.
There are so many athletes, especially the youth level, and
you were like right in that in between from like high school to
college, obviously, who are like, I need more right to be
(10:30):
good. I need more tools.
I need to add more things. I need to because you were
saying you get stuck like chasing.
You know, we use the phrase all the time.
So I'm sure I used it in your debrief.
Like you, you got to stop chasing who you're not.
You have to lean into who you are.
And as Krista said, sometimes who you are is just at the level
you're playing or want to play. It's not it's not quite there.
(10:51):
So we still lean into that, but we've got to get more out of it.
And you were just I think this like this unique case where you
really needed the information. This wasn't like Issa, Hi, my
name's Ashley. Please trust me that I think
you're good enough, right? Like that's not how we deliver
the story. This is like like, no, we see
enough enough data and in game data to know what makes tools
good. And you have something really
(11:13):
special. You had an outlier pitch, you
had a pitch that we didn't. It's not common in the game.
And so it's like, how can we literally just understand how to
manipulate that pitch in as manyways as possible, whether it's
through speed variations throughout the zone, different
heights, arm side, glove side, and knowing that you can just
own people with a single tool. All right, and then and, and
(11:35):
make sure that you like just maximize that.
So I think, you know, hearing you say, I don't think I realize
that your freshman year, what you felt like you were doing was
just trying to add more. It makes a lot of sense because
we see a lot of athletes who aredoing that.
Like I what I have is not enough.
We're like, how could I just have one or two tools, you know,
like, and so I have to do more, more, more.
(11:55):
And I think I don't ever remember you questioning
throughout last year when you were following programming, like
can I add more things into this?Like, can I start throwing this
versus this versus this? So yeah, now that you're saying
that, I think like that's a piece.
I know 'cause it's just like a few weeks ago I was looking at
your programming. I'm like, I mean, we focused on
like 2 really solid concepts foryou.
(12:17):
And it doesn't mean you might not eventually call them
different pitches, but they weretwo solid concepts and and you
trained your ability to like ownthem all summer long.
For sure. I feel like being able like to
own my rise ball and being able to like locate them really well
and like through the zone, out the zone, I feel like that was
(12:38):
adding like that made my game like so much better.
Like I didn't need a new pitch. I just needed to like be good at
what I did have. Right, right.
And this isn't like you might have a teammate next to you that
also has a rise ball. There's a difference between an
average rise ball and an outlierrise ball, right?
So like what we identified in your assessment is like, no,
this pitch is not average, Isa. Right?
(13:00):
That's why I was like, look intomy eyes.
Like I decided this is a really,really good pitch.
And what we started talking about last summer was like,
sometimes when it comes to up pitches, we only think that like
hard, hard, hard Velo, like super high Velo is what allows
pitches to be successful. So we really talked about having
like different like variations in speed in that up pitch.
(13:23):
Like don't let them get on time with it.
It's going to be hard enough forthem to get on plane with it.
But then if you also add the element of not being able to get
on time with it, there's just somany things there.
So yeah, I think you're right. I think that's in a very
important lesson for for athletes to understand.
It's like when you just don't feel like you are enough, it's
important or what you have is enough.
(13:44):
It's important to literally get the information.
Is that true or not? Like sometimes it is true and
your tool is not enough. And we've got to start working
to expand. And, and your case, I think is
so special because the answer was no, you've got exactly what
you need. You just have to, you have to
understand that and, and learn to leverage it, as we talked
about. So it's pretty unique story.
(14:05):
It's really, really, it's a really neat story, I'd say.
Yeah. And then also going off of that,
so over the summer, like when I was doing the OGX, I also played
for the FCL summer League, right?
And I played for the Puerto Riconational team.
I got to go to Spain and Italy, so I was also doing the program
at the same time. So being able to see like
results come from that. I kind of just like see like
(14:26):
game examples and like situations and like use the
things that I learned from OGX. I think that definitely gave me
more confidence like not just inmyself, but also in my program.
Like it want, like it made me want to keep going and to keep
getting better and just see likethe work that I am doing is
paying off. Yeah, right.
Yeah, I think that is important.We have a lot of athletes that
(14:46):
do that. They're kind of like walking
both worlds or doing training and they're using games to like
just, you know, get that feedback.
And so we would have calls or wewould, you know, talk about like
when you're locating it here, when you're throwing it through
here, what are your swings and misses?
What does this look like? You didn't have data, you didn't
have objective data. You couldn't like bring me your
yakker tech data or something, your Trackman data.
(15:06):
But we were able to just like sit down and talk through some
of those things. And you're right, that is buy in
and that's kind of like what we based it off of.
This isn't in the very beginning, a very initial
discussion. I might be like, yes, I know you
don't know who I am yet, but yougot to trust me.
This tool is is where it's at. But we typically don't ask
athletes to just like trust us. We're like, let's let the data
(15:29):
speak for itself. Like let the data be what you
trust. Let the results be what you
trust. And I do think that was really
helpful for you. The buy in piece was not just
because I was having you like trying to see inside my soul
when I was telling you, you got to trust this.
It was more than that. You were starting to see like,
wait, I am. I feel like I like last year.
Last summer you were telling me like I'm feeling more like me
(15:49):
for. Sure.
You know, you're like, I'm not like, oh, I'm a better version
of me. It's almost like you were like,
no, I returned to me, right. And that's why we might have had
this conversation before we hit record for the podcast.
But I was like, Oh, I loved yourdad meeting your dad so much
because you know, like you felt like you had separated or like
(16:11):
you were disconnected from the version of you when you like
felt like, I'm ESA. I'm a bad ass pitcher.
Like you're like, I like lost that.
But and you're and you're but your dad was like this
representation of who that person was.
I couldn't really see that version of you when I met you,
but I could like see it from your dad, you know, like he was
like, she would do this and thisis what she would throw and this
is what she would look like. And he was like, and then I'd
(16:31):
watch her like in the bullpen orin training or I would catch
her, whatever. And I'm like, that's not my ESA.
Like, that's what he was saying,you know, And I felt like that
was important. It was important for him to,
like, be there and say those things because it was really
clear to me that, like, we've got a journey here of like,
returning to, like, who you really, who you already are.
And so it was so rewarding to even watch you over the summer
(16:53):
just in your summer league to belike, I'm starting to feel like
me out there. Yeah.
It's very powerful. I was going to ask based on
that, either in your kind of initial assessment process when
you had that, you know, you got all the information or sometime
during the summer last year and you and you kind of reference
like locating your rise ball andthings like that.
But what were some of the moments where you were like,
(17:16):
like, yes, like, either like, that really sunk in with you or
where you felt like, OK, like I got this, basically, this is,
you know, these like, aha moments, I guess, that you had
over the summer. I would say, like my favorite
drill, I still use it now, is like the heavy balls and the
light balls. And then like seeing that.
And like when I was starting with like a regular ball and
seeing like feeling earlier and like later with my hand, that
(17:40):
like really stuck out to me. And like seeing the difference
between the pitch, like being lower and then being higher and
then seeing that in game work. That was a huge starting point,
yeah. For sure.
That's a good one. Yeah, a good one.
This that probably goes to a little bit of like sort of my
next question, which is like as you were going throughout the
year, what were the like some ofthe concepts that you could OK,
(18:01):
I learned this about me. I worked on this about me in the
summer. You know, maybe either like a
time that got like hard during the year or where you were like
I got to get back on track or a time that you were really like,
maybe it was all pot, you know, maybe it was more of a positive
experience, but where you were, you were like tapping into that
knowledge or the understanding about yourself.
Yeah. So like say out like throughout
(18:21):
the year, like it's not always like up, like sometimes like you
go through the ups and downs. So like if I was struggling a
little bit, I'd go back to the tools that OGX like gave me.
If it was my rise ball, I would go back and do like the heavy
and light balls for a change up.I'd go back and work on like
locating and stuff. And also just trusting my
(18:41):
coaches at UCF, like they have taught me so much and they have
helped me become like the athlete I am.
So like relying on the information that I learned in
the summer along with like what they're teaching me at school.
And then I was able to like get through like the moments.
And I also knew that all my teammates, like all the pitching
staff, they have my back. Like if I didn't have it that
day that I knew that like Caitlin Felton or Yosenia Lopez,
(19:04):
like they had it that day. So just trusting in all those
pieces for sure. You know, Isa is a good example,
Krista of like we always say, man, really where the game needs
to get to is where we're watching the game, at least in
postseason. But we're watching the game and
data is reflecting back to the spectators, like for us, anyone
(19:25):
who's like fans. And so you can see the different
ways that athletes are being successful.
I think you would be like such agreat you would be, it would be
so great for for pitchers and you know, even like coaches,
anyone that's like prepping for their athletes at high school
level to go to the college level.
Like you are such a high variability pitcher, right?
(19:47):
High variability meaning and like how much like vertical
spread you can create at different speeds.
It's not this traditional like, oh, I have this hard drop and I
have this hard rise. It's not a totally traditional
approach, meaning like the way people think you have to work
down, up, etcetera. It's really manipulating through
variability like I said in in different speeds of being able
(20:09):
to work through, you know, change up versus rise.
And I think it would just be like the lens we see you
through, right? It's like, I see, I see Isa.
I can, you know, I see your story and then I like see your
data, you know, because like we're so data based that I see
your data and how you're able todo it.
And I just think, man, that would be such a great
(20:29):
opportunity for pitchers to see like, do you see you can use
this tool and this tool and manipulate it like this and this
at a speed like this and this, you know, it's just, it's a
really, you know, it's like a like a little like niche profile
pitch profile that would really benefit other athletes to see so
they don't find themselves chasing some cookie cutter
(20:50):
traditional look that it doesn'thave to be, you know.
Yeah, just like having like, youdon't need to have every single
pitch in the book to be successful.
Like I did it with a couple of pitches and then it was just
like being able to like really hone in on those and really be
good at what I have. That definitely really helped
me. And like across our pitching
(21:12):
staff, it's like not just like our pitching staff, but I feel
like it's very like pretty rare for pitchers to have like all
the pitches like you usually seelike college pitchers, like they
have like a few pitches that they're really good at and
they're very successful. Yeah.
Well, it's I like that you said manipulating the rise while at
different heights was, was the more because it's like when
(21:32):
you're when you're chasing the wrong more, It's like then you
would have spent your time in the summer, like, and now like,
OK, after my rise fell a little bit, let me switch over here to
my drop. Let me switch over here to my
curve. Like that's sort of the
traditional approach of trying to grab more instead of like,
let me put my energy on a different way of thinking about
my rise and a different way of like working on my rise.
(21:54):
It's not even necessarily about more.
I'm not trying to make it better.
I'm not trying to make it betterin the sense of getting more
break. I'm literally just trying to
understand how to manipulate it better as I'm throwing it.
And that's what you're like whenyou were able to focus your
energy on that, that is what like led you to feel more like
yourself. And I think that is so great for
athletes to hear, which is like you are doing more when you are
(22:15):
narrowing your focus. It's not about doing less work,
it's just about doing smarter work that's going to make you
more successful than trying to grab a bunch of random things,
which I think is so powerful. Yeah.
And there are details in that, right?
Like it was our job to bring that information to ESA of like
why that pitch didn't need to turn into something else.
It's like, OK, it's at this break in this Velo range.
(22:36):
So it's very important. And we had this discussion that
like, sometimes more Velo is notalways better.
Like sometimes a pitch staying alittle bit more off speed can be
really powerful or being in a certain range is not.
Like we've learned this. And Krista, this was obviously a
part of my like NFCA talk this past year.
But like, there's a Velo range that is, you know, like
somewhere in these like 60s thatbecome really average, like
(22:59):
hitters see it all the time. So you want to be sort of above
that Velo range or below that Velo range to actually have more
effectiveness. So it being able to explain that
to athletes, being able to explain just generally it's
break it's spin rate. Like why the combinations of
those data points matter and make it an outlier pitch.
I think like that's the first. That's how we led the story of
(23:21):
like This is why this pitch is an outlier.
This is why it's like it is goodenough.
And so man, if you could get hitters to see it at this level
and this level and break it hereand here.
And as Isa said, it's not that simple.
It's like, no, just throw it at multiple heights.
Like, you know, especially with a rise ball, most pitchers think
like it's rise. I'm elevating it.
I'm like, there's a very traditional, it's called this,
(23:43):
it does this. And so we worked really hard to
like understand it as backspin. And that's happens a lot with
athletes. Like it is backspin.
It's not just rise. You want to call it backspin
curve. You want to call it a backspin
screw. You want to call it a backspin
rise because that's how you're commanding it, elevating it,
changing its speed, manipulatingit, great.
But if the tool is backspin, andthat's how we have to wrap our
(24:04):
brain around that concept in order to leverage it because
pitchers will kind of like, you know, force themselves
pigeonhole themselves a little bit if they only see it as one
pitch label. And that's, I think a lot of the
work that we did, you know, together in the beginning of the
summer, ESS, like understand that concept.
I remember you leaving your training session after your
assessment and like, it's not like you used overload,
(24:26):
underload balls and were like, yeah, this is perfect.
I totally get it. Like, it was a challenge for you
for sure. Yeah.
Like you. It was not like you, like,
nailed the training session withthat.
And so there was part of me, thereason I was so proud of you is
because often times when athletes stay for a training
session and the concepts don't resonate with them yet it's not
easy to buy in, you know, like it's not easy for them to just
(24:48):
be like, well, clearly this is how it's I'm going to learn to
manipulate this pitch. But you stayed with it and you
were like, I'm going to keep doing it.
And then, you know, I'll be ableto test it and gain to see it.
So that was so you could have easily made the decision to just
think like to bail on it becauseit didn't give you automatic
results in that day. And I think that's an important
concept to point out here, right?
It's just like when you, you, you have to sort of like when
(25:10):
you say you're committing to training, it's not generic.
It's like this is the concept, if it starts working, this is
what will start to happen on theball.
And this is what we should see result wise, right?
And so it's like this concept ofjust if you commit to A, we
should see B, which should lead to C And that's how data-driven
training works. And you're right, you had to set
(25:33):
up last year the programming, the training from home and then
the games to be able to like test out and watch that data
feedback loop, like really come together for you.
Yeah, for sure. I think what are OK, obviously
this is kind of like your freshman year, you know, write
your freshman. So I think this is like a big
thing in the game now. I think actually yesterday we
(25:55):
got the chance to talk to Raylenand she brought up video and the
data that everyone has on them. So what are some things you feel
like you're taking into the summer and going into next year?
Obviously we're able to have like such success this year, but
to again, like counteract this feeling of like, I'm going to
grab more, but making sure that you're kind of like ready for
this next round of hitters seeing you going into your
(26:17):
sophomore year. Yeah, so like, just like knowing
like what I throw this year and like, they've seen me.
I've got a good amount of innings.
So it's like they're going to know like and expect what I'm
going to throw next year. So being able to like,
manipulate what I have even moreand be like even more
disciplined on those pitches. And then also just to develop
something to give myself a new look, but still like honing in
(26:40):
on like what I'm good at and like they still are going to
have to beat my best stuff and like, like just still be a
competitor out there with what Ihave.
Yeah, I think that's one thing that people I always like, like
MLB, you couldn't have a higher level of data, right?
So there's like everyone knows everything about those hitters,
(27:01):
those pitchers, but at the end of the day, if you have outlier
stuff, it really doesn't matter you.
Know so I think there's. Also like.
You still show up with your stuff as you, Yeah.
Here's to the thing that, like what Ashley's saying kind of
about your pitch profile is thatsometimes it's like, Yep, this
will probably work again, You know, I just have to like be
myself and. Well, and Krista, there's a
(27:23):
difference between what he's saying and adding something to
maybe compliment it like, OK, I might not be able to create like
hard break with big sync. Like I'm not chasing a big time
like hard drop ball. But you know, this year I
learned that if I could command a pitch, even if it's a little
more bullet or something with less upgrade, like there are
other ways to add a compliment pitch.
(27:44):
It's like here's the pillar of what I do here is what I am and
what I throw. And if I added this tiny
complimentary pitch or concept that might add something for me
that's different than where Issawas last year, where she was
just like grabbing the things like trying to find the pillar,
you know, like trying to find the like, who am I?
(28:06):
What do I like? What's my foundation build off
of? Like that's way different.
Adding tools to establish your your main strength is way
different than like a minor concept that will just only
complement what you already do even more.
Yeah. All right.
Last question, if you were talking to someone who was
(28:26):
considering sort of doing OGX training, whether it's a college
athlete or it could be a high school athlete, well, there's
some things you would say to them about, you know, it doesn't
have to be why they should do it, but of like things that they
should think about or why they like that it might benefit them
based on your experience. Yeah.
I would just say like buy in, like the schools that like
(28:47):
you've taught me, like they do work and that like you don't
have to like completely like rebrand yourself to be
successful. Like just knowing that what you
have is enough, but like being able to like master those skills
and you'll definitely learn how to do that through OGX and then
the tools that they provide. And just even like all the
little things are important, like the Playa balls like and
(29:08):
how you do them, the different positions, like those are all
important and they're going to make you better.
So just like to buy in for sure.That would be what I would say.
Awesome. Well, I'm sure Ashley has a
little spiel too, but I think it's been our staff has really
just like it's been so fun to watch your journey this year and
the sort of like full circle foryou.
I think it's such a great story and also good for athletes to
(29:29):
see coming out of high school that sometimes it's not just
like you walk in the doors and it's just like, here I am.
You know, it might take you a little bit of of a journey, but
you're still able to get there if you kind of, you know, put
your energy in the right places.Yeah, I obviously agree.
I think you're such a great example for young pitchers to
see that it's not just and and we had this conversation with
(29:50):
Raymond as well. You know, a lot of times when
you commit to playing college, you think like I made it and you
don't anticipate like that. No, the when you get there, the
journey is hard, you know, and sometimes it's not.
It's not just like this linear climb up, up, up, up, up.
And so how you handled your first year to like, take that
step back, red shirt, figure outwho you are, come back is so
(30:12):
inspired firing every time. Like I feel like every time UCF
posted something on X, it was just like ESA does this, ESA
does this. I was like, you know, just feel
like a lightning bolt inside of me of like, damn it, yes, yes,
you know, and like early in the season, you know, because you
just like, don't know. I would just feel like, yes,
she's like, what? That's like such a great outing.
And then little by little I'm like, no, these are not great
(30:32):
outings. Like ESA is a freak going to be
a beast this season. I just was like very quickly
started to be like, no, these are not just like random good
performances, like ESA is just like owning this.
So thank you. That made us feel so good for
you, ESA, and you deserve every bit of it.
And like I said, when you got onthis podcast, I'm like, I bet
(30:53):
your dad is so proud of you. I know he's always so proud of
you and not just proud of you for like, and we're saying for
what you achieved and like all of the accolades and all of the
big time games and performances you had this season.
But for like, you know, this short time over a summer, like
our summer program is 10 weeks. I think we did like 10-12 weeks
together, right? So like two to three months you
(31:14):
were like, I just, you know, youreally like picked yourself back
up, like grabbed who you are andI mean, talk about taking it and
running with it. So that's what I mean.
I bet that is what he's most proud of.
And I bet he would be like, that's my Isa.
I told you, I get kind of like here I'm in my brain.
So it was really rewarding for us to like know your back story
to have obviously been a small piece of that back story and
(31:37):
then watch you just absolutely crush it this year.
So proud of you and happy for you.
And obviously this is just a start for you.
It's just like year number one for you.
So obviously we'll be we're youryour cheering section over, you
know, the OGX world, making surethat you continue to have a
really successful journey. But I have no doubt, just
(31:58):
because of the foundation of information you have, tools you
have, and the confidence you nowhave, and again, who you already
are. Thank you so much for joining
it. Yeah, thanks for sharing your
story.
We are back for another episode and I will say I think these are
becoming my favorite to talk to athletes because it's super fun
to hear actual stories about player development and in this
case of a big success story. So we have Isa Vega on today.
And why don't you just like start by just telling everyone
where you play, maybe a little bit about your journey, Anything
(00:24):
you want to share from your backstory?
Yeah, hi, I'm Isa. I play at the University of
Central Florida. I'll be a red shirt sophomore
this year and I red shirted my freshman year and I use that
time to grow and develop as a player and as a teammate.
And I did OGX over the summer and it really helped me come
(00:45):
back stronger and be able to do the things that I did my
freshman year. Yeah, go ahead, ask I.
Was going to say we could probably go on and on about your
accolades this year. Can you share a little bit?
I mean, this is like AI think one of the reasons the story's
going to be so powerful is you redshirted.
So it was kind of like, you know, coming in Ground Zero this
year and you just exploded the scene basically with what you
(01:06):
accomplished. Obviously up for, you know, a
ton of accolades, including Upper National, you know,
freshman of the year. Tell us some of your like
biggest moments this year, the ones that had the biggest
impact, whether it was like receiving a certain award or
certain games. What do you feel like were some
of the biggest moments for you this year?
I would say the shutout against Florida, that was like a big
(01:30):
moment. We played Florida in the fall
and then we also played at at Florida in the spring, I think 2
weeks before. And we lost.
But it was a very close game. And like we knew that we needed
to like like show out and that we could do it and have
confidence in ourselves. So like being able to like get
my team to like the seven innings without any runs and
(01:53):
being able to put them in a great position so they could
score some runs. And it's like it was a full team
effort. And like, I'm not just proud of
myself in that moment, I'm proudof like, that team.
Yeah. Sure.
I would also say Missouri. That was like one of our first
ranked opponents of the year andbeing able to overcome that
deficit that we were in, it was just such an exciting moment.
(02:16):
Yeah. And then I would probably say my
no hitter against Kansas. That's like, there's a lot of
really. A lot here.
That's what I'm saying. Like let's just not pretend that
this is just like, and then you had a good year, like you blew
it up. So I think that's that's
obviously worth mentioning here.So yeah, yeah, it's huge.
It's really great. I think last summer, Isa, your
(02:39):
story was like one of my favourites of the summer.
You know, we always, I, I yeah, I really, you know, as Krista
said, these podcasts are really powerful because it's important
to know like behind every playerdevelopment story is a person is
a human. Our emotions is a like a young
woman and her family and the things that are tied to that.
(03:01):
And I think when I met you, you,you came to us because you knew
there was like some disconnect. And you can obviously jump in if
if you feel like this is maybe not quite on point, but there
was a disconnect between your identity and who you felt like
you were before you went to college.
(03:22):
And then maybe just like feelinga little bit like, can I do
this? Am I good enough to be able to
do it on this stage? And I do think that happens to a
lot of players just because all of a sudden you go from being
the best in wherever you come from and now everyone is great
and you're looking around and it's so easy to doubt yourself
and life has flipped upside down.
You're doing, you know, your whole world has changed.
(03:44):
And there was this like, deep sense of like, am I good enough?
Which I think, you know, really resonates with with a lot of
athletes. Most athletes go through some
stage of like, OK, I've just nowgone to a bigger stage, like,
can I do this? And I think that your story was
just so powerful because you, you really brought that
(04:05):
vulnerability, you and your dad,he was like one of my favorites.
And so you really brought that vulnerability when you came to
OGX over the summer. Like this is like how you know,
I'm feeling. And I just, it was, it was more
of a like, are my tools good enough?
Can they do it? And so, you know, we obviously
spent that time. I think most of the summer was
(04:26):
really not about like giving youso much more than what you
already had, like tools wise. The, IT was really about getting
you to understand like we have this opportunity where we know
what tools scale at different levels to, for, like to, for you
to like, look at us and say, like, listen, I know you met us
(04:47):
like today or yesterday, but youhave to see, look at our eyes
and say, like these tools are good enough.
You just have to understand thema little bit deeper.
You have to understand how to leverage them.
You know, like when you're working with a lot of backspin,
understanding how to manipulate it through different parts of
the zone, understanding how to throw it through different
speeds. Like you have to think about
leveraging to the Max. It's not that the tool's not
(05:09):
good enough. So, you know, I think there was
just like so quickly I felt, andI'll obviously want to hear from
you, that between you, me and your dad, there was like this
like, I don't know, like this real powerful.
Like we've got to trust each other in this process.
You've got to trust each other on that journey.
And and then you really left there and I felt so confident
(05:29):
that you were like bought in to go for it all summer in your
training and just to be able, I think by the end of the summer,
seeing you feel like much more confident in yourself that
alone. And we had no idea.
Obviously it was going to be like your very first year
pitching in college. No idea what type of what that
was going to pan out to be like.But I could tell that you you
(05:52):
had shifted be from the beginning of the summer to the
end of the summer just in feeling like, no, I know my
identity now. I know and it really hasn't
changed that much. I had to just like recenter
around who that person and is and how to maximize that person
out in the circle. So then to see the story come
full circle and this year for you to just have like such an
incredible season. I think to me like I felt like
(06:14):
your story was one of my favorites before knowing what
your season was going to be like, right?
I just was like, I think we had this conversation like recapping
the summer programs. I'm like, I have a favorite.
It's Isa and that was like in August.
So to come all the way now, we're like a full season down
and to see what you turned that into, you know, in my mind,
you're like, like a damn near superhero.
(06:34):
You know, to go from what you did and how you felt and how you
just pulled yourself up and committed to, you know, who you
are and what you do. And then to like legitimately
make sure it translates. So I am so happy for you and so
proud of me. But that's my recollection of
your story over the summer and really how it impacted me.
(06:55):
Obviously, chime in. That's only my perspective of
what you feel like the summer was and how it went down for
you. No, you pretty much said it how
it how it is. Like I didn't have much
confidence in my pitching over the summer.
I mean, I red shirted, so I was really trying to figure my stuff
out and it's like I feel like I was trying to always do
something new, like during the fall and the spring of my red
(07:17):
shirt year, instead of just really focusing and honing in on
the stuff that I already had. Because I just felt like, what
is it going to take for me to pitch here?
And I didn't know what what I had.
I was going to be able to. So being able to go and do the
summer program and like you guystell me like it is good enough
and actually give me like these drills and all these tools to
make me become like the best version of myself.
(07:39):
That was definitely very helpful.
And you're right, there was trust and like an understanding
in that. So that was very, very helpful.
I feel like just knowing that what I have is good enough to be
here and being able to compete against those hitters and then
just making that so much better,that definitely set myself apart
(08:00):
from what I was my red shirt year to my freshman year.
Yeah, sure. I was just going to say, well, I
was just going to say I think like there's so many themes and
this is really like, yes, the OGX experience, it's the player
development experience. It's like this like gaining
knowledge, which is everyone comes for their assessment and
the process, You know what, whatgets delivered to them is
(08:22):
different. Sometimes what gets delivered to
them is like this tool needs to get better in this way for you
to be successful at this level. And I think, but the, the theme
of it always is and I think goesto exactly what you're sort of
describing in the year leading up to it, which is like getting
the information so that whatevercomes out of that assessment is
(08:43):
like very targeted and specific to you and how you're going to
have success at the next level. And sometimes as Ashley and you
guys are describing, it's not somuch although you might have
gotten like variations of your tools or maximize your tools or
things like that. Sometimes it's not about
necessarily like what's change things.
And I think so much of what development when it doesn't come
(09:05):
from this like base of knowledgeis when it doesn't come from the
assessment process and and all of the data of like what is
actually successful. So much of development becomes
focused solely on like, let's change this person.
Let's like, let's, let's keep trying to chit like what you're
saying, like I just kept trying to do something different.
Let's keep trying to change thisperson.
And sometimes when you have the information, it's really not
(09:28):
about change. And that's what's so powerful.
It's like, let me just be myself.
This is what my tools are good. They, you know, they got me here
for a reason and let me just maximize myself.
And so I think that's such a powerful saying for people to
know about development. Obviously in high school, you're
continuing to try to grow and develop, but it's not always
let's come find information to change.
(09:48):
It's just like, let's come find information.
So I'm not just always just following the next random thing
to try to like transform myself into a box or.
Continue you know, Krista, alongthose lines, I was recently
looking at as we're preparing for this round of summer
programming went and combed through some of the programs
that we wrote for last summer. And so I was looking at yours,
(10:09):
Isa, and I'm like, like the the number of tools, the number of
like pitches was very low through the whole summer.
Like, and I think this is like what's so interesting.
There are so many athletes, especially the youth level, and
you were like right in that in between from like high school to
college, obviously, who are like, I need more right to be
(10:30):
good. I need more tools.
I need to add more things. I need to because you were
saying you get stuck like chasing.
You know, we use the phrase all the time.
So I'm sure I used it in your debrief.
Like you, you got to stop chasing who you're not.
You have to lean into who you are.
And as Krista said, sometimes who you are is just at the level
you're playing or want to play. It's not it's not quite there.
(10:51):
So we still lean into that, but we've got to get more out of it.
And you were just I think this like this unique case where you
really needed the information. This wasn't like Issa, Hi, my
name's Ashley. Please trust me that I think
you're good enough, right? Like that's not how we deliver
the story. This is like like, no, we see
enough enough data and in game data to know what makes tools
good. And you have something really
(11:13):
special. You had an outlier pitch, you
had a pitch that we didn't. It's not common in the game.
And so it's like, how can we literally just understand how to
manipulate that pitch in as manyways as possible, whether it's
through speed variations throughout the zone, different
heights, arm side, glove side, and knowing that you can just
own people with a single tool. All right, and then and, and
(11:35):
make sure that you like just maximize that.
So I think, you know, hearing you say, I don't think I realize
that your freshman year, what you felt like you were doing was
just trying to add more. It makes a lot of sense because
we see a lot of athletes who aredoing that.
Like I what I have is not enough.
We're like, how could I just have one or two tools, you know,
like, and so I have to do more, more, more.
(11:55):
And I think I don't ever remember you questioning
throughout last year when you were following programming, like
can I add more things into this?Like, can I start throwing this
versus this versus this? So yeah, now that you're saying
that, I think like that's a piece.
I know 'cause it's just like a few weeks ago I was looking at
your programming. I'm like, I mean, we focused on
like 2 really solid concepts foryou.
(12:17):
And it doesn't mean you might not eventually call them
different pitches, but they weretwo solid concepts and and you
trained your ability to like ownthem all summer long.
For sure. I feel like being able like to
own my rise ball and being able to like locate them really well
and like through the zone, out the zone, I feel like that was
(12:38):
adding like that made my game like so much better.
Like I didn't need a new pitch. I just needed to like be good at
what I did have. Right, right.
And this isn't like you might have a teammate next to you that
also has a rise ball. There's a difference between an
average rise ball and an outlierrise ball, right?
So like what we identified in your assessment is like, no,
this pitch is not average, Isa. Right?
(13:00):
That's why I was like, look intomy eyes.
Like I decided this is a really,really good pitch.
And what we started talking about last summer was like,
sometimes when it comes to up pitches, we only think that like
hard, hard, hard Velo, like super high Velo is what allows
pitches to be successful. So we really talked about having
like different like variations in speed in that up pitch.
(13:23):
Like don't let them get on time with it.
It's going to be hard enough forthem to get on plane with it.
But then if you also add the element of not being able to get
on time with it, there's just somany things there.
So yeah, I think you're right. I think that's in a very
important lesson for for athletes to understand.
It's like when you just don't feel like you are enough, it's
important or what you have is enough.
(13:44):
It's important to literally get the information.
Is that true or not? Like sometimes it is true and
your tool is not enough. And we've got to start working
to expand. And, and your case, I think is
so special because the answer was no, you've got exactly what
you need. You just have to, you have to
understand that and, and learn to leverage it, as we talked
about. So it's pretty unique story.
(14:05):
It's really, really, it's a really neat story, I'd say.
Yeah. And then also going off of that,
so over the summer, like when I was doing the OGX, I also played
for the FCL summer League, right?
And I played for the Puerto Riconational team.
I got to go to Spain and Italy, so I was also doing the program
at the same time. So being able to see like
results come from that. I kind of just like see like
(14:26):
game examples and like situations and like use the
things that I learned from OGX. I think that definitely gave me
more confidence like not just inmyself, but also in my program.
Like it want, like it made me want to keep going and to keep
getting better and just see likethe work that I am doing is
paying off. Yeah, right.
Yeah, I think that is important.We have a lot of athletes that
(14:46):
do that. They're kind of like walking
both worlds or doing training and they're using games to like
just, you know, get that feedback.
And so we would have calls or wewould, you know, talk about like
when you're locating it here, when you're throwing it through
here, what are your swings and misses?
What does this look like? You didn't have data, you didn't
have objective data. You couldn't like bring me your
yakker tech data or something, your Trackman data.
(15:06):
But we were able to just like sit down and talk through some
of those things. And you're right, that is buy in
and that's kind of like what we based it off of.
This isn't in the very beginning, a very initial
discussion. I might be like, yes, I know you
don't know who I am yet, but yougot to trust me.
This tool is is where it's at. But we typically don't ask
athletes to just like trust us. We're like, let's let the data
(15:29):
speak for itself. Like let the data be what you
trust. Let the results be what you
trust. And I do think that was really
helpful for you. The buy in piece was not just
because I was having you like trying to see inside my soul
when I was telling you, you got to trust this.
It was more than that. You were starting to see like,
wait, I am. I feel like I like last year.
Last summer you were telling me like I'm feeling more like me
(15:49):
for. Sure.
You know, you're like, I'm not like, oh, I'm a better version
of me. It's almost like you were like,
no, I returned to me, right. And that's why we might have had
this conversation before we hit record for the podcast.
But I was like, Oh, I loved yourdad meeting your dad so much
because you know, like you felt like you had separated or like
(16:11):
you were disconnected from the version of you when you like
felt like, I'm ESA. I'm a bad ass pitcher.
Like you're like, I like lost that.
But and you're and you're but your dad was like this
representation of who that person was.
I couldn't really see that version of you when I met you,
but I could like see it from your dad, you know, like he was
like, she would do this and thisis what she would throw and this
is what she would look like. And he was like, and then I'd
(16:31):
watch her like in the bullpen orin training or I would catch
her, whatever. And I'm like, that's not my ESA.
Like, that's what he was saying,you know, And I felt like that
was important. It was important for him to,
like, be there and say those things because it was really
clear to me that, like, we've got a journey here of like,
returning to, like, who you really, who you already are.
And so it was so rewarding to even watch you over the summer
(16:53):
just in your summer league to belike, I'm starting to feel like
me out there. Yeah.
It's very powerful. I was going to ask based on
that, either in your kind of initial assessment process when
you had that, you know, you got all the information or sometime
during the summer last year and you and you kind of reference
like locating your rise ball andthings like that.
But what were some of the moments where you were like,
(17:16):
like, yes, like, either like, that really sunk in with you or
where you felt like, OK, like I got this, basically, this is,
you know, these like, aha moments, I guess, that you had
over the summer. I would say, like my favorite
drill, I still use it now, is like the heavy balls and the
light balls. And then like seeing that.
And like when I was starting with like a regular ball and
seeing like feeling earlier and like later with my hand, that
(17:40):
like really stuck out to me. And like seeing the difference
between the pitch, like being lower and then being higher and
then seeing that in game work. That was a huge starting point,
yeah. For sure.
That's a good one. Yeah, a good one.
This that probably goes to a little bit of like sort of my
next question, which is like as you were going throughout the
year, what were the like some ofthe concepts that you could OK,
(18:01):
I learned this about me. I worked on this about me in the
summer. You know, maybe either like a
time that got like hard during the year or where you were like
I got to get back on track or a time that you were really like,
maybe it was all pot, you know, maybe it was more of a positive
experience, but where you were, you were like tapping into that
knowledge or the understanding about yourself.
Yeah. So like say out like throughout
(18:21):
the year, like it's not always like up, like sometimes like you
go through the ups and downs. So like if I was struggling a
little bit, I'd go back to the tools that OGX like gave me.
If it was my rise ball, I would go back and do like the heavy
and light balls for a change up.I'd go back and work on like
locating and stuff. And also just trusting my
(18:41):
coaches at UCF, like they have taught me so much and they have
helped me become like the athlete I am.
So like relying on the information that I learned in
the summer along with like what they're teaching me at school.
And then I was able to like get through like the moments.
And I also knew that all my teammates, like all the pitching
staff, they have my back. Like if I didn't have it that
day that I knew that like Caitlin Felton or Yosenia Lopez,
(19:04):
like they had it that day. So just trusting in all those
pieces for sure. You know, Isa is a good example,
Krista of like we always say, man, really where the game needs
to get to is where we're watching the game, at least in
postseason. But we're watching the game and
data is reflecting back to the spectators, like for us, anyone
(19:25):
who's like fans. And so you can see the different
ways that athletes are being successful.
I think you would be like such agreat you would be, it would be
so great for for pitchers and you know, even like coaches,
anyone that's like prepping for their athletes at high school
level to go to the college level.
Like you are such a high variability pitcher, right?
(19:47):
High variability meaning and like how much like vertical
spread you can create at different speeds.
It's not this traditional like, oh, I have this hard drop and I
have this hard rise. It's not a totally traditional
approach, meaning like the way people think you have to work
down, up, etcetera. It's really manipulating through
variability like I said in in different speeds of being able
(20:09):
to work through, you know, change up versus rise.
And I think it would just be like the lens we see you
through, right? It's like, I see, I see Isa.
I can, you know, I see your story and then I like see your
data, you know, because like we're so data based that I see
your data and how you're able todo it.
And I just think, man, that would be such a great
(20:29):
opportunity for pitchers to see like, do you see you can use
this tool and this tool and manipulate it like this and this
at a speed like this and this, you know, it's just, it's a
really, you know, it's like a like a little like niche profile
pitch profile that would really benefit other athletes to see so
they don't find themselves chasing some cookie cutter
(20:50):
traditional look that it doesn'thave to be, you know.
Yeah, just like having like, youdon't need to have every single
pitch in the book to be successful.
Like I did it with a couple of pitches and then it was just
like being able to like really hone in on those and really be
good at what I have. That definitely really helped
me. And like across our pitching
(21:12):
staff, it's like not just like our pitching staff, but I feel
like it's very like pretty rare for pitchers to have like all
the pitches like you usually seelike college pitchers, like they
have like a few pitches that they're really good at and
they're very successful. Yeah.
Well, it's I like that you said manipulating the rise while at
different heights was, was the more because it's like when
(21:32):
you're when you're chasing the wrong more, It's like then you
would have spent your time in the summer, like, and now like,
OK, after my rise fell a little bit, let me switch over here to
my drop. Let me switch over here to my
curve. Like that's sort of the
traditional approach of trying to grab more instead of like,
let me put my energy on a different way of thinking about
my rise and a different way of like working on my rise.
(21:54):
It's not even necessarily about more.
I'm not trying to make it better.
I'm not trying to make it betterin the sense of getting more
break. I'm literally just trying to
understand how to manipulate it better as I'm throwing it.
And that's what you're like whenyou were able to focus your
energy on that, that is what like led you to feel more like
yourself. And I think that is so great for
athletes to hear, which is like you are doing more when you are
(22:15):
narrowing your focus. It's not about doing less work,
it's just about doing smarter work that's going to make you
more successful than trying to grab a bunch of random things,
which I think is so powerful. Yeah.
And there are details in that, right?
Like it was our job to bring that information to ESA of like
why that pitch didn't need to turn into something else.
It's like, OK, it's at this break in this Velo range.
(22:36):
So it's very important. And we had this discussion that
like, sometimes more Velo is notalways better.
Like sometimes a pitch staying alittle bit more off speed can be
really powerful or being in a certain range is not.
Like we've learned this. And Krista, this was obviously a
part of my like NFCA talk this past year.
But like, there's a Velo range that is, you know, like
somewhere in these like 60s thatbecome really average, like
(22:59):
hitters see it all the time. So you want to be sort of above
that Velo range or below that Velo range to actually have more
effectiveness. So it being able to explain that
to athletes, being able to explain just generally it's
break it's spin rate. Like why the combinations of
those data points matter and make it an outlier pitch.
I think like that's the first. That's how we led the story of
(23:21):
like This is why this pitch is an outlier.
This is why it's like it is goodenough.
And so man, if you could get hitters to see it at this level
and this level and break it hereand here.
And as Isa said, it's not that simple.
It's like, no, just throw it at multiple heights.
Like, you know, especially with a rise ball, most pitchers think
like it's rise. I'm elevating it.
I'm like, there's a very traditional, it's called this,
(23:43):
it does this. And so we worked really hard to
like understand it as backspin. And that's happens a lot with
athletes. Like it is backspin.
It's not just rise. You want to call it backspin
curve. You want to call it a backspin
screw. You want to call it a backspin
rise because that's how you're commanding it, elevating it,
changing its speed, manipulatingit, great.
But if the tool is backspin, andthat's how we have to wrap our
(24:04):
brain around that concept in order to leverage it because
pitchers will kind of like, you know, force themselves
pigeonhole themselves a little bit if they only see it as one
pitch label. And that's, I think a lot of the
work that we did, you know, together in the beginning of the
summer, ESS, like understand that concept.
I remember you leaving your training session after your
assessment and like, it's not like you used overload,
(24:26):
underload balls and were like, yeah, this is perfect.
I totally get it. Like, it was a challenge for you
for sure. Yeah.
Like you. It was not like you, like,
nailed the training session withthat.
And so there was part of me, thereason I was so proud of you is
because often times when athletes stay for a training
session and the concepts don't resonate with them yet it's not
easy to buy in, you know, like it's not easy for them to just
(24:48):
be like, well, clearly this is how it's I'm going to learn to
manipulate this pitch. But you stayed with it and you
were like, I'm going to keep doing it.
And then, you know, I'll be ableto test it and gain to see it.
So that was so you could have easily made the decision to just
think like to bail on it becauseit didn't give you automatic
results in that day. And I think that's an important
concept to point out here, right?
It's just like when you, you, you have to sort of like when
(25:10):
you say you're committing to training, it's not generic.
It's like this is the concept, if it starts working, this is
what will start to happen on theball.
And this is what we should see result wise, right?
And so it's like this concept ofjust if you commit to A, we
should see B, which should lead to C And that's how data-driven
training works. And you're right, you had to set
(25:33):
up last year the programming, the training from home and then
the games to be able to like test out and watch that data
feedback loop, like really come together for you.
Yeah, for sure. I think what are OK, obviously
this is kind of like your freshman year, you know, write
your freshman. So I think this is like a big
thing in the game now. I think actually yesterday we
(25:55):
got the chance to talk to Raylenand she brought up video and the
data that everyone has on them. So what are some things you feel
like you're taking into the summer and going into next year?
Obviously we're able to have like such success this year, but
to again, like counteract this feeling of like, I'm going to
grab more, but making sure that you're kind of like ready for
this next round of hitters seeing you going into your
(26:17):
sophomore year. Yeah, so like, just like knowing
like what I throw this year and like, they've seen me.
I've got a good amount of innings.
So it's like they're going to know like and expect what I'm
going to throw next year. So being able to like,
manipulate what I have even moreand be like even more
disciplined on those pitches. And then also just to develop
something to give myself a new look, but still like honing in
(26:40):
on like what I'm good at and like they still are going to
have to beat my best stuff and like, like just still be a
competitor out there with what Ihave.
Yeah, I think that's one thing that people I always like, like
MLB, you couldn't have a higher level of data, right?
So there's like everyone knows everything about those hitters,
(27:01):
those pitchers, but at the end of the day, if you have outlier
stuff, it really doesn't matter you.
Know so I think there's. Also like.
You still show up with your stuff as you, Yeah.
Here's to the thing that, like what Ashley's saying kind of
about your pitch profile is thatsometimes it's like, Yep, this
will probably work again, You know, I just have to like be
myself and. Well, and Krista, there's a
(27:23):
difference between what he's saying and adding something to
maybe compliment it like, OK, I might not be able to create like
hard break with big sync. Like I'm not chasing a big time
like hard drop ball. But you know, this year I
learned that if I could command a pitch, even if it's a little
more bullet or something with less upgrade, like there are
other ways to add a compliment pitch.
(27:44):
It's like here's the pillar of what I do here is what I am and
what I throw. And if I added this tiny
complimentary pitch or concept that might add something for me
that's different than where Issawas last year, where she was
just like grabbing the things like trying to find the pillar,
you know, like trying to find the like, who am I?
(28:06):
What do I like? What's my foundation build off
of? Like that's way different.
Adding tools to establish your your main strength is way
different than like a minor concept that will just only
complement what you already do even more.
Yeah. All right.
Last question, if you were talking to someone who was
(28:26):
considering sort of doing OGX training, whether it's a college
athlete or it could be a high school athlete, well, there's
some things you would say to them about, you know, it doesn't
have to be why they should do it, but of like things that they
should think about or why they like that it might benefit them
based on your experience. Yeah.
I would just say like buy in, like the schools that like
(28:47):
you've taught me, like they do work and that like you don't
have to like completely like rebrand yourself to be
successful. Like just knowing that what you
have is enough, but like being able to like master those skills
and you'll definitely learn how to do that through OGX and then
the tools that they provide. And just even like all the
little things are important, like the Playa balls like and
(29:08):
how you do them, the different positions, like those are all
important and they're going to make you better.
So just like to buy in for sure.That would be what I would say.
Awesome. Well, I'm sure Ashley has a
little spiel too, but I think it's been our staff has really
just like it's been so fun to watch your journey this year and
the sort of like full circle foryou.
I think it's such a great story and also good for athletes to
(29:29):
see coming out of high school that sometimes it's not just
like you walk in the doors and it's just like, here I am.
You know, it might take you a little bit of of a journey, but
you're still able to get there if you kind of, you know, put
your energy in the right places.Yeah, I obviously agree.
I think you're such a great example for young pitchers to
see that it's not just and and we had this conversation with
(29:50):
Raymond as well. You know, a lot of times when
you commit to playing college, you think like I made it and you
don't anticipate like that. No, the when you get there, the
journey is hard, you know, and sometimes it's not.
It's not just like this linear climb up, up, up, up, up.
And so how you handled your first year to like, take that
step back, red shirt, figure outwho you are, come back is so
(30:12):
inspired firing every time. Like I feel like every time UCF
posted something on X, it was just like ESA does this, ESA
does this. I was like, you know, just feel
like a lightning bolt inside of me of like, damn it, yes, yes,
you know, and like early in the season, you know, because you
just like, don't know. I would just feel like, yes,
she's like, what? That's like such a great outing.
And then little by little I'm like, no, these are not great
(30:32):
outings. Like ESA is a freak going to be
a beast this season. I just was like very quickly
started to be like, no, these are not just like random good
performances, like ESA is just like owning this.
So thank you. That made us feel so good for
you, ESA, and you deserve every bit of it.
And like I said, when you got onthis podcast, I'm like, I bet
(30:53):
your dad is so proud of you. I know he's always so proud of
you and not just proud of you for like, and we're saying for
what you achieved and like all of the accolades and all of the
big time games and performances you had this season.
But for like, you know, this short time over a summer, like
our summer program is 10 weeks. I think we did like 10-12 weeks
together, right? So like two to three months you
(31:14):
were like, I just, you know, youreally like picked yourself back
up, like grabbed who you are andI mean, talk about taking it and
running with it. So that's what I mean.
I bet that is what he's most proud of.
And I bet he would be like, that's my Isa.
I told you, I get kind of like here I'm in my brain.
So it was really rewarding for us to like know your back story
to have obviously been a small piece of that back story and
(31:37):
then watch you just absolutely crush it this year.
So proud of you and happy for you.
And obviously this is just a start for you.
It's just like year number one for you.
So obviously we'll be we're youryour cheering section over, you
know, the OGX world, making surethat you continue to have a
really successful journey. But I have no doubt, just
(31:58):
because of the foundation of information you have, tools you
have, and the confidence you nowhave, and again, who you already
are. Thank you so much for joining
it. Yeah, thanks for sharing your
story.
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