All American Replay

Transcript

0:02

Softball sound off with Chris and Mike. Hey, good evening, everybody. Welcome to Softball Sound Off. I'm your host, Chris. I'm here with Mike. How are you? And we are here with our second guest of our podcast. This is Elise Angelo. How are you doing, Elise? Good. How are you? Good. Before I start, you can find us on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and Spotify. You can send us your uh topic requests at saltballsoundolf at gmail.com. Uh get on the socials, Instagram, Facebook, uh, give us a follow. Uh feel free to comment. Um so Elise, uh, you how long have you been in the area of where we're located? Uh probably about five years now. And you came from Ohio, correct? Yes. Um, what brought you to Pennsylvania? Um, I was getting recruited by Millersville, and I came to campus. I like the program, I like the campus, and I walked off campus and decided to commit. And you played four years at Millersville? Yes. Uh give us a little background of what your softball was like in Ohio, um, and then give us a little bit about your college playing time. Um, so in Ohio, I played 13 weekends from June to August. Um, we played a ton of travel ball. Um I've been on as many travel teams as you could think of. I've been on low-level travel teams, high-level travel teams. Um I'd say comparing travel ball in Ohio to here, um, like Ohio is just another different breed out there. Um, the facilities that they have compared to out here, there's this one complex I played at with 32 turf fields. So and we'd go there probably like two or three times a year. And we would go out to like Indiana, down to Kentucky, and you just see all those like Midwest teams that play all year round, and you get that kind of level of competition out there. So, what do you think? Um, like high school type ball, what's what's the biggest differences, or how do you compare the two from there to here? From where I'm like where I was located, I'm located in a small town outside of Cleveland. Um, I'd say uh high school ball is a whole different level here. Like everybody takes it way more seriously than they did back in Ohio. Now times have changed, now it's like really serious. But back when I played, like, of course we wanted to win, the conference title was huge, but it's not any level of what it was, what it is now. Like when I coached last year, like all the lifts and all that stuff, like that's not really much that like we did. Right. Um, so you came to Millsville. Uh, give us a little background of uh your achievements and and what you did for uh to Millsville program. So um when I came in as a freshman, it was a little bit of a different circumstance. I graduated during COVID. I lost my senior high school season of softball, and I didn't go my first semester. So all of my teammates were already pr pretty much bonded. They all knew each other, and I was the lone wolf, kind of still in Ohio and taking classes out there. So I came to campus in the spring and I had to fight for blood for a spart starting spot. Um, I ended up getting a starting spot out in the outfield, which I never really played before. Um, that was really humbling. The first game I ever played as a freshman, I basically lost the game for us at a ball roll right under my mitt. Um, so but it was really different as a freshman. We played the same team every weekend. So, how the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference does, uh, you play one team on a Friday or a Saturday, and then you'll play two games, and then you'll play a different team on Saturday, and you'll play two games, or vice versa. Um, and we played the same team the whole weekend, all four games. So then sophomore year things started to go back to normal. And um I think like me personally, I didn't really get like a college experience my freshman year. So, of course, I decided to go and get that college experience as a sophomore, and my mental health and everything struggled. And as a sophomore, I really struggled at the plate. I led the conference in strikeouts. I had, I think, 37, 38 strikeouts, and so that was really tough for me. And then all summer I ended up guest playing all over the place. Um, just 18 or 20, 23 U. I ended up meeting some really cool teammates. One of my pitchers that I caught for is in the the Athletes Unlimited League. So that's pretty cool. I played unreal competition that summer and I worked really hard. And my junior year, I ended up getting a ton of records. I was an all-American, all region, and then um I did the same thing my junior year the over the summer. I played as much as I could, saw as many live at bats as I could, and senior year, I ended up ended up having another really successful year, and I was conference athlete of the year. So nice. Sounds like a successful career. So back on that that part where you said you you had some mental health stuff, was it be the outside of the game that you were bringing into the game? Yeah, definitely. And I also think I really doubted myself as a player. Like I was comparing myself to what I could be doing or what I maybe used to do in high school, and not realizing that this is just a totally different level of play. And um when you get to college, the th there's a lot of mental battles. There's a lot of people that want to take your spot, and it's really hard. You have to like as a player, you think that you always have to constantly perform, and sometimes that's just not the case, like you're gonna get in slumps, and I just never really understood that until I was a junior. So um before I turn over to Mike for some questions, what would you what advice would you give to uh a girl that's in high school that wants to go play in college? What is the biggest change or mindset change you need to make in order to be successful? Because in high school, you know, it's it's you're being you're basically told what to do, practice is all set up for you. You basically everything is set up for you where college you have to work yourself and put in the time. Like, what's the biggest advice you would give for somebody that wants to play in college of how to change their mindset? I would say like don't give up and continue to get as much work as you can get in outside of practice. Uh, you might be going to a college team now, rosters are getting bigger, is what I'm noticing, where you have 27 girls on a roster at one time. Like, there's not gonna be as much one-on-one coaching. So you show up to practice, you give 150%, and it really matters what you do outside of practice. That's where I got a ton of my reps. Um, in college, I only got maybe 15 swings off of front toss, which that's a huge difference from high school. Like sometimes we were doing like two, three buckets at a time. Right. And so you just gotta work outside, study as much film of yourself as you can, of your teammates who are succeeding, and talk to them about that success and where their mindset is, and um lean on your teammates, lean on yourself, be confident in yourself, and just go out and get some work in outside of practice. So, is am I wrong to assume that once you get into college, the onus of developing and training like lies heavily on yourself? I'd say yes. Um, I my coach was very supportive during practice. She was always giving us tips and tricks of what to do during practice and how to fix swings, and like they're always there for you. Like, I was I had the um fortunate case where I could text my coach and be like, hey, this is what's going on with my swing. Can you help me out? Um and she would she would respond and give me some tips and tricks, which was really nice. Um so I guess it depends on the kind of program you go to. Um, some programs have hidden coaches, which is even better, but it all just depends on the school that you choose. All right, Mike. I feel like I have a whole like list of questions for you. No, so so you know, obviously, you know, I've become close with you and known you over the past few years as you coach, you're a coach at our program. So just to kind of give you that, everyone, that perspective of you. So you're going into year two of coaching, uh 14U, uh competitive team. Um, and uh so you know, I I Chris's questions kind of led up to your beginning and you know the whole you know that part of it. And you know, I I obviously would want to dive into um you know the coaching part of it. What you know, I know I know how you got to our program, um, but what what was your really like what was your your driver? Like, did you have an actual interest beforehand? Did it ever like occur to you like, oh, I want to coach one day after college? Or did someone say, hey, this program's looking for coaches, any interests? Like, where where did that go for you? So I had the opportunity to go play softball overseas uh before, and um it was a money factor of why I didn't do it and I want to finish my degree. So I had a really big void after finishing softball my senior year, and um, as soon as I got the opportunity to coach at the program, I jumped on it. I felt like this would fill the void. Alright, cool. So, you know, your first year, um, you know, some ups and downs. You know, I always like to, you know, kind of ask people, you know, what was a high moment, you know, in your first year coaching, and what was a low moment? Um, I think the high moment was getting the team sportsmanship award at uh nationals. Um that made me feel really good just as a coach, knowing that my girls all love each other and they have each other's backs. Um so I was really, really proud of them for that. Um and then I think a low moment would be just parents. Parents really give coaches a hard time. And us coaches, we wear a lot of hats. We wear big sister, sometimes parent, um coach, personal trainer, all of those things. And I think there's a lot more of what parents don't see that goes on behind the scenes. And um, I think that was just like a really low moment for me. So, I mean, look, that's probably, you know, I mean, that that's an issue across the country. That's not a local issue. You know, ESPN just did a whole story on that. So it's it's obviously an issue across the country. Um, so you know, with something like that, you being a young coach, and and look, there's no secret here. Most programs look for young college, former college players to coach. I mean, we see it advertised all the time. After one year under your belt and our program that you're a part of, we we see we've got new people coming in, getting ready to come in. What advice, what would be one piece of advice you'd give to new coaches coming in? I would trust your gut, don't change your coaching philosophy, philosophy for anybody. You're getting hired for a reason, and you can relate to the girls more than anybody being fresh out of college, um, and just stick to your gut, go with you what you know is right, and trust your process because if you coach the girls with love and positive positivity, they're gonna give that right back to you. So to touch on that, what um what was the biggest adjustment transitioning from a former player to a coach? Expectations, 100%. Um expectations on you, like what you thought people expected of you? I think it was more just how I ruled out my expectations. Um your expectations, expectations to your players. Yes. Okay. So um for me coming off of playing college, I forgot what it was like to be 13, 14, 15 and playing travel ball. So at first, like I was like, had like, you know, expectations. Come to adjust to realize they're not college players. They're young teenagers. Yes, and that was honestly like something I didn't really think about to start. And um it took me a little bit to kind of figure out how can I touch each one of them personally and how can I um how can I make sure that I'm meeting their needs? Because a lot of times it's our job as the coach to teach the girls all the philosophy, the hitting, the IQ, everything that goes into how to play the game. And like I assumed that they just knew that because that's what I'm used to. Yeah. So I had to break everything back down again, and it was a great process. Like, I wished I would have done it while I was playing because it would have benefited me so much. I'm like, oh, so this is why this is done this way. And I learned so much from it, and I like I said, I wish I would have done it when I was playing selfishly. Yeah, it's awesome. Um, you know, so so kind of to keep elaborating on that a little bit, you know, how you adjust to the players. What do you look for in players? Now you've been fortunate to have a core group, you know, from the beginning, staying around, you know, staying with you. And yeah, but there's always, you know, what kind of one or two spots, or you know, you're always looking at your players. What do you what are some of the key things you look for in either a player just playing for you every day at practice? Um, it we'll just we'll start with that. Like, what what do you look for out of out of the girls every single day? Um, effort. I look for communication and um eye contact is like a really big thing for me. Um, I look for players who respond to what I'm telling them. Like, yes, coach, or I don't get this. I love the players that want to ask questions that want to know why I'm coaching them that way. Um, and I look for players that just want to put it all on the line and leave it all out on the field. So again, I obviously know that your players, your team, and you're you're fortunate you've got a a really just a good group of of young women. Um but let's say one day you have uh, you know, someone that becomes a disciplinary, you know, issue or or you know, just a horrible attitude. How would you handle that? I would personally now, year two, I would pull the player aside and talk to them and see what's going on and try and figure it out. Um to me, after being on so many teams, nothing is more important than culture, and nothing is more important than the girls getting along. This is supposed to be the best years of their life. I miss Travel Ball every day, and I would do everything I can to keep a good culture on the team. But it always starts with the conversation and kind of finding out the bottom of things and figuring it out. So you've got you're at the 14U level, which is you know probably one of the bigger age group levels in Travel Ball, 12, 10, you know, 12, 14 year have, you know, pretty large numbers of players in them. Um what if you have an issue along those lines at this level, and Chris, you and I have spoken to before, you know, like do you speak to the player? Do you speak to the parent? I guess my question is when do you engage the parents? When do you think you need do you engage the parent? You know, you you've you're you're mostly half your girls are in high school, the other half are gonna be going there soon. Um, you know, what what's your what's your philosophy on do you when do you engage the parents? When do you want the parents to engage you? When would you rather hear from the player? Um, so I mean, the second I would start to get parents involved is if I notice there's tension between either me or the player, the player and me, um, I always think that that's the best move. I mean, a lot of times as a parent, of course, they're gonna side with their kid. Like if I had kids, I would absolutely side with my kid. But um, I just think communication on all levels now is the best that the best that a coach could do, and we're all trying our best. And um for when I would want a player to approach me is injury. Um, or if the player's not gonna speak up, I absolutely welcome parents to approach me if it's about injury. Um, the only thing I really don't like when parents approach me about or I don't prefer is playing time. Like there's a reason that um the players are out on the field that are out there, and there's a reason for that. And if playing time is gonna be an issue, have your player come talk to me about it, and I will absolutely welcome that, but they have to be willing to hear what I have to say and willing to know that there's work that needs to be put in. I th I think we can all agree that her specific uh circumstance is gonna be very very beneficial to Elise, is where she was a player, she's a coach, eventually she may have kids, and now you may have a different perspective on you know what you said about you're gonna have your your kids back, but now from the coach's side, you see both you'll see both sides and and you may be like, all right, is it really that way, or is the coach real actually right? And is he he or she, you know, you know what I'm trying to say is if you were never in this seat you don't see the other side of it. Now you're gonna have the unique opportunity to potentially see both sides of it. Yeah, and that's like what I like try to realize is that these the adults that approach me, they have kids. I don't understand that yet. I mean, yes, I'm a school teacher and I'm like starting to learn how much like I I love and care for kids, but um like I'm starting to learn that, but I don't fully understand, and I won't fully understand until I have my own. Yeah, and then when potentially your your child child comes up to you, oh the coach said this or said that. And a lot of times parents are like right after the coach. Instead, you're more likely, as I was, is that all right, there probably more to this, and there's more to the story than what my child's telling me. Do you know how many times I ran to my mom and said, This coach said this, this coach said that, and there was so much more to the story, but I just I felt defeated and I was I not I guess kind of a little embarrassed of what like maybe my playing, like how I was playing, and and there was so much more to the story at that at that point in my life. So one question, uh you know, kind of elaborating on the coaching. So you know, you work pretty closely with me in the program, um, and we've we've got a little bit of a variety of coaches, college players, parents. From your perspective, do you what's your perspective on a parent coach? Do you like think that it should be all college co play? Like, you know, like you, former players, do you see some benefit to parents? What's your just being a coach in the program, or you know, a large program um with a mix? What's your thought on that? I mean I support parent coaches, I do, but me, if I was a parent, I wouldn't, one, I wouldn't want to coach my kid regardless of my coaching background. I just feel like that could, I don't know, just me personally, I wouldn't want to do that. But um, maybe once I have kids, I will want to do that. But um I I wouldn't want my kid to play for myself. I feel like I would be way too emotional, could be too hard on my kid. And there's some parents that are absolutely great at it, especially in our program, that are great at um coaching their kid and you know, making it seem like that that that's not even their kid. Um I I just think there is so much value in having a former college athlete that's young as your coach. Um, I think Chris mentioned this a little bit earlier, just how well we can reason with the girls. Like it was maybe just two years ago that I was going through sumps and crying after games and experiencing, you know, my first home run and how great that felt and all the highs and lows and having to manage all of that. And that's something that I feel like if you're if you haven't played the game of softball or baseball, that I feel like that's something that you can't really relate to. And it's it's I that's me observing you with the program, that's one thing. Like, and I've had other coaches, other people notice it and say it was they want to get their players or they want to have a coach to have the players respond the way they do to you when you walk in. When you walk into that training area, I think they'll be all kind of sitting, hanging out. You walk in, they all get up. Like they know, like Elise's here, it's time to work. Like they respond to you, you've you've earned their respect to at a very high level, um, which is amazing to see. And and you create that culture. And I always look at it as you, you know, you're you're teaching them a skill set that I could never teach them. Um but to me it's more of them seeing the sport through your eyes of what you've recently experienced. Like that's what I uh you coach my daughter, and like that's what I always one of the things I look for her to take away from playing for you is yes, the skill and all that jazz, but more importantly getting your perspective and your feel for the culture of like what you've experienced, like the highs and lows as a player, like almost like prepare her for what it's gonna be like if she does choose to play in college. She she has a little bit of an understanding, like she she she knows the culture she's walking into, and that to me is like that's that's the benefit I see with somebody like you in the program. Yeah, it's they're they're basically getting a head start. Correct. Like they're not going in blind to college, they have somebody who's expressed what it's like and how you should act and and you know perform and and things like that. So they already have a mindset of preparing for it. Yep. So well, Elise, we appreciate you coming in today. Um, it's been really great having you kind of give a little bit of insight into what it's like to be a former college player, travel ball player, college player to now coaching a uh college team. And uh we appreciate you having here and we appreciate everything you do for the program. Thanks for having me on here. Yeah, it was great to see you. Um uh going away advice for the young player, young girls out there. Um, don't give up. Never give up. If you love the sport, just keep playing it and give it your all, no matter what level you play at, no matter where you end up, high school, college, don't give up and keep playing if you love it. All right. Well, thank you. Thanks guys for listening. Remember, you can hit us up on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music. Uh, send us uh an email at softballsoundoff at gmail.com and just shout out to our sponsor, Carusos. Uh, hit him up for some pizza, some subs, salads, whatever you like. Um, but go out and see Alex and uh he'll hook you up with some amazing food. All right, everybody, have a good night. Take care.