Gabrielle Nickerson '23 Recruiting Profile

              My name is Gabrielle Nickerson I am  a 2023 catcher/utility player and I attend Lawrence High School in Fairfield, Maine. I have been playing softball since the age of 4, and travel softball since the age of 7. I have always dreamed of playing at a high level and improving in whatever ways possible.  Although softball is a big part of my life, school is another big part. I strive to make my best efforts in every paper I turn in and every test I take to hopefully attend a great college that not only has a great softball program that will push me to be a better athlete but a school that will push me to be a better student. I work everyday, whether that's working on keeping my grades up or working on certain skills. My end goal is to play college softball and I am willing to put in the work to achieve that goal.

              When I first started playing softball it was mostly because my mom wanted me to play just to have something to do. I grew up with an umpire as a grandfather, so If I had any questions I knew who I could ask. At the age of 7 I started playing travel softball, I was younger than everyone else and I don't remember playing much. But when I played that first summer of softball, I fell in love with the game. As I got older, I continued to play both rec and travel softball. At the age of 10 I knew that I wanted to continue playing the sport I love. When I first started playing I was a pitcher, having a mom that was a pitcher in high school I wanted to be like her. It was around the age of 11-12 I realized I did not want to pitch and I would rather play in the field. I started working on skills for both infield and outfield work. In 7th grade I played shortstop, but wasn't a starter, then over the summer I played travel ball and mostly play on the corners but I continued to work on middle infield drills. Then my 8th grade year I was the starting shortstop, that is when I knew my hardwork and dedication to the sport was starting to pay off.  My freshman year of high school softball was taken away from me due to covid, but we were able to have a summer season for travel ball. My sophomore and junior seasons were very successful for our school team, we came up short of our goal of winning a state championship but we continue to perfect our craft to become a better team. 

              Every coach I have had has told me I am very coachable athlete and I have a very strong work ethic. I try to be the best possible player I can be, even though sometimes I push myself too hard. I am very competitive and I do sometimes wear my emotions on my sleeve but that is always something I am working on. I always like a challenge but sometimes I put to much pressure on myself trying to impress not only my parents but my coaches. Through out my 11 years of playing softball I have learned the roles of teamwork, leadership,  and how to focus on my goals to get where I am today, and hopefully make it further. Thank you for your time!