Cassandra Burke '18 Recruiting Profile

My goal is to play successfully at the collegiate level and excel academically. My academic strengths are math and science, so in college I’d like to focus on math, business and finance.

Some of the biggest influences in my life are family, karate and softball. My family is home, support and comfort. They have made sure I can keep up with my activities and stay healthy and balanced. I’ve been taking karate since I was 6 years old and am a 3rd degree black belt currently. Doing karate teaches focus and discipline, it also enforces leadership and I spend time teaching classes to younger students. Softball has taught me to persevere. It has shown me that through hard work and dedication, you can meet and exceed your goals. I also volunteer with the key club, and annually fundraise for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Finally I’ve played violin for the orchestra since the 4th grade. With all of these activities, I’ve learned to manage my time effectively.

My coach’s philosophy was always play above your level to challenge yourself and because of that I started playing U-16 tournament ball when I was 13 and U-18 when I turned 14 years. I play softball year round, work with a batting coach, and analyze videos during the off season to stay in form. I play multiple positions including middle infield, outfield and catcher.

My personal philosophy is to practice like you play, treat every ball like it’s a live game, and do your best to focus on lifting up the team.  I am very strict with myself and am continually trying to improve through practice.