RANKINGS
EVENTS
I COMMITTED
COLLEGE
ABOUT
Cassadie “Sadie” Armstrong is a 5-foot-10 pitcher/infielder who plays for the Central Mass Voodoo 14U team and is an incoming 8th grader (Class of 2023) from Portland, Maine.
An accomplished fastpitch player already, Sadie’s honors already have included being named a two-time All American by USA Softball, a member of USSSA Elite Select Futures and chosen as a Pre-Season Rookie by Under Armour Softball Factory thanks to a 62 mph screwball and a 61 mph dropball with consistent ball exit velocity speeds in the high 60s to low 70s.
This summer she led her USA All American Northeast Region One team to a 5th place finish at the USA Softball All-American Games with a 0.00 ERA and at the World Fastpitch Championship she guested with Team NC and pitched well against elite competition.
In this blog, the standout multi-sport athlete echoes a recent interview with Patty Gasso who stressed balance in life and why, in the end, that led to Sadie turning down a chance to go to PGF Nationals after her strong summer performances attracted a lot of attention and even offers from teams needing pitchers….
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Oklahoma Head Coach Patty Gasso recently stated in her interview about the Empowering Girls For Life Convention that insecurity is the No. 1 problem plaguing young athletes.
Her solutions for combating that problem include achieving balance in a young athlete’s life.
This advice, though sound, is in direct opposition to the messages that most young athletes hear on a regular basis from well-meaning fans, coaches, teammates, professional athletes, celebrities, friends and family.
As a pitcher, I always have to compete to earn an “every day” spot on the field, too, or I am going to spend some more time on the bench than I want. I spend a lot of time working on my pitches, strength and conditioning, hitting lessons and team practices.
Knowing that I then have to beat somebody out for innings on the field when I am not pitching means that I also have to add in some extra fielding practice, naturally.
I can hit. I love hitting and if I had to decide whether I like pitching or hitting best, I would have a hard time giving you an answer. I was always told “If you hit, you don’t sit.”
Of course, the whole DP/Flex thing can throw a wrench in that, so that means that I have to be better than the 9th best fielder on the team or I will sit the bench (but still make the batting line up) when I don’t pitch.
Now, how am I going to be at least the 8th best fielder on the team, and definitely be the best hitter and pitcher I can be? I need to spend time on my sport. The advice I have received was “be so good that they have no choice but to play you.”
Again, that means that I am being encouraged to work harder and spend more time at my craft.
