A Visit to Georgia Results in Reflection on Recruiting

At the end of September, I went with my dad and my sisters Esther and Abigail to Athens, Ga., for Esther’s unofficial visit to the University of Georgia.

She went on her official visit last fall before she committed there, so this trip was just a chance for her to see her future coaches and teammates again before going there for her first year in the fall of 2024.

I hadn’t been to Athens since 2012 or 2013 when my great aunt, who worked for UGA, took me and my sisters to see the softball field and other parts of campus. As an aside, that trip was my first Olive Garden experience, and it’s now one of my go-to restaurants.

I went into this trip just excited to get to be with my family for an extended period of time. As one of the sports communications graduate assistants at Union University, I have to be at all of the home games, so I was blessed that there were no home games scheduled for the time period we were gone.

I don’t really know what my expectations were when I stepped out of the car at Jack Turner Stadium that Friday morning. There were two things that I knew were going to happen. I was going to meet all of the coaches and most of Esther’s fellow 2024 commits, and we were going to do a photo shoot.

The first person I met was assistant coach Chelsea Wilkinson, and I have to say: she, assistant coach Amber Freeman, assistant coach J.T. D’Amico, and head coach Tony Baldwin were all awesome. They were so kind and made it a point to talk to not only the commits but also their families. I already know I’m going to have a hard time when we drop Esther off next fall, but it makes me feel so much better knowing that she is going to have coaches that will look after her and help her succeed.

The other 2024’s and their families were also super sweet and fun. It was crazy to think that that trip was the first time that some of them had been around each other because they all just fit so well together. I’m excited to see the things they accomplish as Georgia Bulldogs.

The photo shoot was an experience all by itself. I had never seen a setup like that with the throne and the backdrops and the lights. I was so proud watching Esther completely own it when it was her turn to go, and I was so pumped that we got to take pictures with her. I’ll treasure them forever.

Those are the things I was expecting. However, one thing I didn’t anticipate was how much the trip was going to make me think about my own career.

Friday afternoon, we got to watch Georgia practice. As they went through various rotations for a little over two hours, I was stunned by the efficiency, focus, and attention to detail. Everybody on that field was working toward the same goal, and it was evident. No second was wasted.

On Saturday, we saw their first fall game. Once again, I was impressed. The very first play of the game was a diving catch, and from there, the intensity didn’t die down. Every single person in the lineup was hitting the ball hard. The pitchers only gave up one hit in 10 innings. It was a completely different level of softball than I had ever witnessed in person before.

Watching the practice and the game made me miss softball more than I had up to that point since I finished in May of this year. I think it was because I started asking myself the question “What if?”

What if I had tried to play at a big school like Georgia? What if I had gotten to play at such a level? Would I have been a better player? Would I have succeeded?

I don’t regret choosing to go to Union and play because I believe that God was leading me there. I met some of my best friends and got a degree learning from professors who are still mentors to me even now that I’m done. I also got to compete in the sport I love, and I was successful.

However, looking back over my entire career, the closest I believe that I have ever come to being on a team like Georgia’s was my freshman year of high school when we placed third in the TSSAA State Tournament. I was a freshman starting alongside juniors and seniors. I’m somebody that really feeds off of the ones around me. Those girls that were on the field with me were winners, knew how to do it, and brought my little freshman self along for the ride.

I wish that I had been able to experience energy like that consistently over my years of playing, and I think that’s what being at Georgia made me realize.

Legendary NBA coach Phil Jackson once said, “The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.”

I believe I saw that quote in action when Georgia was on the field. It’s amazing what can be accomplished when everyone is pulling toward the same goal, and I’m thankful that I was reminded of that on our trip.

I may not have gone to a top D1 school, which is completely fine by me, but I’m excited to have a front row seat as Esther goes on her journey and becomes part of a program where she will be pushed by her coaches and those around her and where, Lord-willing, she will rise to the occasion and accomplish great things.

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