Madelyn Goode '22 Recruiting Profile

Ironically there's no I in team; through my softball career, I have learned that it takes every player on a team to make it to the championship game. As a player, I have learned what it's like to earn your playing time, and I know what it takes to be in the batting lineup. Even if I'm not in the starting lineup, I still cheer on my teammates all the way through. 

I started softball at the ripe old age of 5. From the moment I touched the ball, I was told I was a fantastic athlete. Through the years, softball had been an easy sport for me, and I thought it was always going to be this way, but as soon as I got into my first year of 14U, I learned that it takes more than natural talent to play softball. My first year of 14U was the first time I have ever been on an elite softball team, and I learned very quickly that you have to fight for your spot on the field, and boy was it an eye-opener. That experience was really good for me because I learned how to have a better mindset in the game and how to make the most out of every chance I got on the field.

I Love this game and everything that comes with it. This is a sport that stacks the odds against you, so every time I beat the odds, it gets the blood pumping and makes me fall for the game more and more! It is not just playing the game that thrills me; it's also learning the double plays and the secret codes that the coach calls without the other team knowing what's going to happen. The feeling you get when you hit a double, scoring the tying run, is just so amazing on how I made a difference in the game! I am obsessed with the feeling of adrenaline through your body when you're playing, and that's why I play the sport, I can't get that feeling from anything else. 

My academic goal for high school and college is to be the very best student-athlete that I can be. I drive myself to get good grades and excel in my academics. In my high school career, I have been in Theater, Forensics, and currently nominated for the National Honor Society. 

In Softball, I have always taken on challenges and doing things to help my team. During my freshman year, the JV team didn't have a catcher. The coach asked if anyone was willing to be one, so I stepped up for the challenge and became their catcher that season, even though I have never been a catcher.  I have taken a liking to catch, so after high school season, I worked even harder so that I could catch up to catchers my age level. I know the power to catch isn't just going to get handed to me, and I want to be a great catcher, so I'm going to work my butt off to make sure I get there. 

The Softball field is where I can take it all in. The game keeps reminding me to push myself beyond my limits and to be the best I can be and never give up on what I want to achieve, so I can be a better me than I was yesterday.