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I never cease to be amazed at the talent, creativity and ingenuity of the softball community.
One such example literally popped up in my email box last month when I got a well-written note from softball player Gianna Russo, an incoming junior at Providence Catholic High School in New Lenox, Illinois.
Gianna plays travel softball for the 16U Nationals – Berg/ Brzezinski Team in Joliet, Illinois and was recently ranked as a Top 300 prospect in our Class of 2022 rankings.
Let me interject that almost every day we get emails asking our staff at Extra Inning Softball how a player can get evaluated or receive exposure to be considered for our rankings and also to be recruited by college coaches.
Gianna cleverly showed one brilliant way she “grabbed the bull by the horns” during the quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic: the talented prospect created the Gianna Russo Softball softball site promoting herself and organizing her accomplishments in once central place.
“I have watched the news and know many people are suffering financially because they are not working,” Gianna explained in her initial email.
“However, what we do have is free time and lots of it! I’m writing to share my free website recruiting idea to help others so they showcase their talents for free too. I think it is very important to let you know that (my site) was made with Google sites and it was made completely free.”
The reason she did it, Gianna explained, was so coaches could “see everything they need to know about me all in one place without separate e-mails.”
Below is what she sent us which we’re sure will impress you like it did us and, as an update, Gianna wrote us this week to say she is continuing to add to the site.
“On the bright side, I am still training for softball at our house and was recently able to go to a batting cage in my friends ‘barn.’ I was so excited to be there that I even added a very short video to my site! I am really looking forward to going to our first softball tournament! I was recently chosen to be in an 18U tournament in Chattanooga, Tennessee in June and I honestly can’t wait to play!”
One thing is for sure: after her softball career is over, Gianna will have a very bright future in Marketing, PR, Communications, Sales. Entrepreneurship or whatever she wants to do!
— Brentt Eads, Extra Inning Softball
*****
Currently, in Illinois, we have a “stay at home order” in place so we are doing e-school online and our high school softball season was just cancelled. During my extra time at home, I am still working hard at my studies and with my softball training. I am doing a good job with remote learning but honestly, I definitely prefer going to actual school!
For my softball training, because everything is currently closed, we set up a hitting station in our garage and I work on my batting by hitting at least six buckets of balls each day. I also work on catching and throwing with my dad, work out in my basement gym and run a mile almost every day.
On the bright side, staying at home has allowed me to research many college websites. While reviewing them, I thought about creating my own personal recruiting site that would help coaches’ identity if I was a good fit for their college too.
I’m happy to say that I have completed a personal recruiting website, so now they can see everything they need to know about me all in one place without separate e-mails.
The site will help them get a snapshot of who I am in my profile, learn about who I am as a softball player, provide details about my high school academics/ activities, detail my club affiliations / training experience, provide schedule updates and allow them to watch videos to see how I play offense and defense.
For example, in the site, you will see that I am a Christian, I am an above average student at a very tough college prep high school with a recent 3rd quarter GPA of 4.39 and I enjoy volunteering.
I am also on an elite travel softball team, I’m considered a power hitter, and I’m a trained softball shortstop and catcher but can also play 2nd base, 3rd base and outfield. You will see this past fall that I had a .418 batting average and watch videos of me:
- hitting a walk off double scoring two runs to win the game 7-6,
- watch a three-run home run at the Colorado Fireworks,
- watch a triple at TC USA Nationals,
- watch two home runs in one day at the PGF Qualifier in Crown Point,
- watch a three-run over the fence home run in Chattanooga
- watch me hitting two stand up triples in Orlando.
Finally, you will know that last year my high school batting average was .454 with 44 RBI’s and can watch videos which include hitting two Grand Slams, two over the fence home runs in 2 innings, and other home runs.
I’m very excited to reveal my “Gianna Russo Softball” recruiting site because I know that after I send out an email with the link, I will have given access to everything a college coach will need to know about recruiting me… all in one place.
You can access the site by clicking on this main link: Gianna Russo Softball and navigate the website by clicking on the page headings or multiple page links.
For your convenience, below my name, there are individual page links allowing you to access each site page directly. I think it looks best on the computer, but you can also access the site by tablet or cell phone.
I sure hope that you like the site and are interested in viewing it.
— Gianna Russo, Class of 2022
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Individual page links to “Gianna Russo Softball ” Google recruiting site: