Amy Gastright '21 Recruiting Profile

My name is Amy Gastright, and I believe that I am a unique addition to any team that I am on. There are hundreds of girls out there with the same stats, thousands of girls with the same collegiate aspirations. Whether they just want to make the team, or if they want to start every college ball game, there are countless available options that would all be perfectly capable of playing ball at the elite level. All of that being said, colleges these days aren't just looking for a consistent pitcher/third baseman who is going to play well with "good stats." Colleges need grit, they need a go-getter attitude, and above all, they don't just need a strong player, they need a strong person.

I believe that my unique upbringing and my passionate history for softball puts me at a prime position to play college softball. I have lived on a farm in southern Maryland all my life, which, believe me, is as amazing as it sounds. I am so blessed to have been born into the family I was. That said, growing up on a farm has been no cake-walk. I have learned the importance of diligence to my duties from cleaning my horses' stalls over and over again, even though they are just going to muck them up again by the next day. I have learned the consequences of lack of attention to detail in my work from having to chase down run away horses when I accidentally leave gates unlocked. Finally, I have learned the importance of hard work, even when no one else is doing it, from 4:00 o'clock in the morning wake-ups for chores, early morning workouts, and farm emergencies. These skills, and too many others to count, have been the foundations of my character all my life. Moreover, I believe that they have translated into making me a better, stronger person on the softball field.

Because I know the importance of completing my assigned tasks, I always do any and all outside of practice conditioning, drills, sets, workouts, or paperwork that my coaches have asked me to do. Because I have learned that I must always pay close attention to detail, I always make sure that during drills and reps for softball skills like hitting, fielding and pitching that I always take every rep seriously, being sure to check all of my mental boxes for the steps I have to take to be successful in that skill every single time. Because I know that true, hard work is the only way to get stronger, I have learned to go 100% in practice, no matter what we're doing- from warm-ups to punishment sprints, even when it is so easy to reign in my effort level a little bit to conserve energy. I believe that my upbringing has introduced the pillars of being a great softball player, and a greater person that are necessary on a college softball team from a very young age, and that because of this, I will make a fine addition to your program.