Emily Conroy '20 Recruiting Profile

       I have been playing ball since I was 3 years old.  There wasn't much to offer for a little girl, so I played on the boys t-ball team in my local New Jersey town.  I didn't care that I was the only girl, and was always happy that I could make my dad proud to wear his number 12.  I continued to play baseball, growing from t-ball to coach pitch, until finally regular games.  As a girl on all boys teams for over 4 years I felt no different than the others, and was treated the same.  At the age of 8, however, I was forced to switch to softball, and it was there that I truly learned the love of the game.  I learned not only the basic skills and rules of the softball diamond, but I learned about comradery amongst women, that was different than with the boys.  I learned how to be a teammate, and to play in whatever position my coaches needed me to play in.

       It was at the same time that I joined my first travel softball team.  This is where I honed my skills as a player.  I had dreamed of being a catcher (a position my dad played as a child), but unfortunately the team already had a first string player.  I practiced to prove myself as a catcher, and played in many other positions first.  The greatest advice I ever received was to learn all parts of the game, because you never know someday when you play in college, what the team will need you for.  So I learned to play first, and I begged to go into the outfield, when no one else wanted to.  These experiences built a strong foundation that I maintain today.  In high school,  I began as the starting catcher as a freshman for the Junior Varsity Team, and then moved on to play Varsity as a sophomore.  I earned a starting spot for first base, but the coaches learned quickly I am adaptable.  So I am moved wherever needed.  I pride myself in that; that I am a strong player that is extremely coachable. 

     I consider my college years to be the most important years for personal growth as a self-sufficient, independent citizen.    My goal is to study a science major that will afford me the opportunity to work with animals, perhaps in the field of Marine Biology. On the field, I plan to use my skills to be an asset to my team, as well as to use my interpersonal skills to support my teammates. As I grow both physically and mentally throughout my college softball career, I will continue to train hard to be a part of the batting rotation, as well as serve in the field in the position most needed to help our team win.   Most importantly, I take the greatest pride in being a role model both on and off of the field, and will always present myself in the manner that both a team and a college would want in their candidates.