I Committed: Mia Galella’s Journey to Boston College

What happens when you do everything right and then something totally out of your control occurs and threatens to derail all of your hard work?

Ask Mia Galella, a first-baseman and outfielder for the Virginia Glory 18U—Willemssen, who suffered an injury that kept her off the field during the summer leading into her junior year—the summer that matters, when it comes to today’s recruitment process.

Mia averages a .708 on-base percentage, so it’s no surprise that she’s an aggressive presence at the plate. During the first tournament of the season, she was hit by an inside pitch on her thumb, and though she played through the pain for the remainder of the showcase, a medical examination the following week revealed that Mia had a fractured thumb, which would keep her in the dugout until July.

During this time, Coach Suzy Willemssen shared only positive comments on Mia’s ability to persevere and find the best in a bad situation.

“Think back to any player in her situation— that’s your big recruiting time. You wait for that summer because in your mind, that’s when it’s all going to happen,” said Coach Willemssen of the Glory. “Mia showed remarkable character in the way she responded to the unfortunate circumstances. She was there for her teammates and kept a positive attitude. It’s a really neat story of continuing to do what you can when you are limited by circumstances outside of your control.”

July arrived and Mia got the green light to take the field at Alliance Nationals. Her whole family attended the showcase, everyone excited to watch their favorite player at the plate again.

Unfortunately, she was pitched too far inside a second time.

Coach Willemssen recalls the moment she realized Mia had been hit in her thumb yet again.

“She just stood there and I could see it on her face that it wasn’t feeling good,” shared the coach. “She hadn’t been able to participate like everyone wanted her to all summer. All season, she’d been waiting to get better, and then this happened.”

Mia was taken out of the game during the at-bat, cautious so as not to injure the athlete further.

Thankfully, she was able to make a full recovery in time for the end of summer ball, which was plenty of time to garner the attention of several programs, given Mia’s stellar performance at the plate and high softball IQ.

“When September 1st came, all the phone calls, emails, and text messages started to come in right at 12:01am,” Mia commented. “At that point, I can’t explain the excitement, but I knew something great was going to happen.”

With more than 20 programs extending interest in Mia, she began to line up visits and figure out what her priorities were going to be when it came to making a final decision.

“My preliminary plan was to take the approach that this was a marathon, not a sprint. I was planning on taking my time and going on all the visits I already had lined up,” said Mia. “When I began my college search, I knew academics had to be a top priority, as well as geography, culture, and, of course, playing competitive softball.”

However, this plan fell to nothing when Mia took an official visit to Boston College.

“Once I stepped foot on campus, I knew that nothing was going to top this institution of academic excellence. They have my major, and the network of one of the most prestigious academic institutions in the world is what that really did it for me. The athletic facilities are amazing, the building’s architectural detail is nothing like I have ever seen.”

The entire Galella family are fans of the Boston Red Sox, which was a pull for Mia as well.

On her visit, Mia and her parents were able to meet with the team’s academic advisor and learn about all that is offered to student-athletes at Boston College. They were absolutely blown away by the experience, and Mia was feeling more and more confident in her decision.

When it came to the softball aspect, Mia was instantly a huge fan of Head Coach Amy Kvilhaug and the rest of the Eagles’ coaching staff. She was able to spend quality time with the players and used the conversations to learn about the team’s culture.

“I can not say enough about the academics and opportunities which will be there for me after graduation from Boston College,” shared Mia. “I’m looking into majoring in Biomedical Engineering, and the programs and support which is available to student-athletes is another box that BC checked.”

This fall, Mia is playing with the Virginia Glory at events in South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. At each, Coach Willemssen’s team will compete in the most competitive pools with the aim of preparing her athletes for the next level.

Since committing on September 16th, Mia has found herself training harder than ever before. Year-round, she practices with a personal trainer at Athletic Republic and has the goal of deadlifting 500lbs by next spring.

— Regan Weekly/Extra Inning Softball

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