College Bound Jocks Player of the Month (Committed): Allie Chinchar… Accomplished MIT-Bound Outfielder Admits to Being Dam Crazy & Loving Taylor Swift

By @BruntjensElla

Allie, pictured here with her family worked hard to get into MIT where she will attend and play softball in 2024.

Working together with College Bound Jocks, Extra Inning Softball is spotlighting CBJ Players of the Month including those who have signed, committed as well as those who are on their way (not yet committed)!

Today, for July 2023’s committed spotlight, we feature Allie Chinchar, a talented 2023 grad from Ohio who plays in the Finesse travel ball organization.

Here’s more on this player who is exceptionally smart, articulate and accomplished with an article already published in The Journal of Student Research!

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Player: ALLIE CHINCHAR
Club Team: Finesse 18U – May
High School: North Ridgeville High (Ohio)
Grad Year: 2023
Position(s): OF

What factors led you to commit to MIT?

Allie in the outfield, where she’s a connoisseur of fine grass.

Academics played a significant role in my decision. MIT has everything I want and need to meet my goals, including the best academics in the world, unbelievable internship and networking opportunities and accessible undergraduate student research.

Also, it is just awesome. When I went on my overnight visit, I loved the school and team culture. I felt at home.

Additionally, I have an intense obsession with dams—my dream vacation is to see the Hoover Dam one day—and MIT’s mascot is a beaver.

I also love the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which of course had a lot of references to the institute.

When, where and how did you commit?

The commitment process at MIT is unique because recruited athletes are not guaranteed admission—they still must be accepted to the school on their own.

When an athlete “commits,” it means that MIT is their No. 1 school and, if they are admitted, they will attend and play softball.

I committed to my coach on October 10^th and I officially committed when I was accepted to the school at 12:17 pm on December 17^th (that is 12:17 on 12/17). I opened my admissions decision at my desk surrounded by my family.

What are your top individual accomplishments?

By far, my favorite individual accomplishment is my research.

I spent my junior year working on research in my desired field. It was a lot of hard work with many setbacks and life lessons. It is now published! Look up “Allison Chinchar Naked Shorting on ETS.” The journal is “The Journal of Student Research.” I’ve been told it’s a real page-turner.

Aside from that, I also graduated No. 1 in my class and finished high school with seven varsity letters. I am also pretty impressed that I got into MIT.

What are your strengths in softball?

In softball, I think I thrive in the communication and leadership aspects. I always ensure I have a presence on the field and support my teammates before, after and during every play.

I bring a lot of competitive energy and work to build team chemistry on and off the field. I have also been told I have solid outfield footwork and a cannon of an arm.

Allie Chinchar believes her strengths in softball include her energy, communication and leadership skills.

What is your favorite softball memory?

My favorite softball memory was playing at the Headfirst Honor Roll Camp at the beginning of my junior year. During the summer travel session, I was stuck on crutches due to a stress fracture in my shine. It had been so long since I’d played and I truly missed softball.

I will never forget the feeling of catching a fly ball after going so long with being able to without pain. During that camp, I also met some awesome people who I am still friends with to this day.

Do you have any softball superstitions?

I have many superstitions in softball (and in life).

Allie’s dream vacation would be to go to Hoover Dam with her family… and Taylor Swift.

If I hit well, I need to wear my hair in the exact same way the next day—same hair ties and everything. If I have an off day at the plate, the hairstyle gets switched.

I also carry around a lucky baseball in my bag. One game a few years ago, I found this ball in the outfield hidden against the fence. At the end of the inning, I brought it into the dugout and hit a home run in the next at-bat. It was definitely due to my new baseball so I keep it in my bag every time I play.

Lastly, while getting ready, I always listen to “Highway Don’t Care” by Tim McGraw featuring Taylor Swift.

What is the funniest thing you have ever seen happen on a softball field?

During my sophomore year in high school, we were preparing for a huge postseason game. In the middle of a tough practice, a random dog ran onto the field.

It was a friendly golden retriever having the absolute time of its life. It sprinted around, picking up every single ball and avoiding capture by everyone on the team. It probably ran around for a five solid minutes before someone could grab it.

My coach got frustrated and started yelling at the dog. It was so funny!

If you could meet anyone in the softball world, who would it be?

It would definitely be Oddici Alexander. She is so inspiring and is one of those athletes that you can tell just work hard every single day. Her win against Oklahoma in the 2021 World Series was one of the best games I’ve ever watched.

Odicci Alexander seen here playing last year with Athletes Unlimited. (Photo: Jade Hewitt/Athletes Unlimited)

What is one thing that you have learned from your coach that will always stay with you?

When I was 16, I had a very inspiring coach, Coach Dan Miracle. He would tell us before every game to play with energy, enthusiasm, excitement and encouragement. I keep those words in mind every time I step onto the field!

How would you say that CBJ helped you in your recruiting process?

CBJ completely changed my recruiting experience. The video was super high quality and showcased my skills well.

My favorite part of CBJ, though, by far is the efficiency of sending emails. As you may recall from above, I worked on a huge research project throughout my junior year, so I had a ton of homework every day.

My designated time to send emails was 12:30 am to 2:45 am meaning I lost a lot of sleep every time I emailed.

After getting CBJ, emails took 45 minutes max… it was a game changer!

They also have amazing connections with coaches and work to get every athlete recruited. I owe a lot of my recruiting success to the CBJ team’s guidance and continuous support.

Allie has done research on “Naked Shorting on ETF” and that has been published.

More on Allie…

What is something unique about you?

I am extremely passionate about cornbread, dams, using the ice emoji and judging the outfield grass quality on every field I play on (MIT’s field has nice grass).

Who is your hero and why?

Of course, my parents are my heroes because they raised me, supported me, etc., etc.

But it would be unrealistic of me not to mention Taylor Swift. I can relate to her music in several ways, and it brings me comfort, determination and joy. The intense atmosphere of society is cloudy, making it easy to lose your path.

Her (Swift) words help me stay grounded, committed and appreciate as I navigate the next stage of my life.

What other activities or hobbies do you enjoy outside of softball?

I have a lot of hobbies such as playing tennis, hiking, bike riding with my sister and playing disc golf with my brother. I also enjoy reading, jigsaw puzzles, listening to music, doing math—and occasionally physics, watching Hoover Dam documentaries and posting on my Snapchat private story.

What is your favorite quote or motto?

“Never be ashamed of trying. Effortlessness is a myth.” – Taylor Swift, NYU commencement address in 2022.

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