Rachel Blades '16 Recruiting Profile

My goal is to be the best player that I can be. I want to learn as much as I possibly can. My plan is to graduate college with either a major in Elementary Education and to coach. I want to impact students and athletes the way my teachers and coaches have impacted and helped me become who I am today.

I am a natural leader. I'm extremely coachable due to my ten years in gymnastics prior to playing softball. I have a great work ethic. I spend a lot of time working out and weight lifting at my school or local YMCA.

I'm in the top of my class. I have taken and plan to take more dual credit/weighted classes. I've only taken the ACT once. I plan to take it a few more times.

I have a varsity letter for my freshman (2012-2013), sophomore (2013-2014), and junior (2014-2015), and senior (2015-2016) years of high school.  I earned First-Team All Conference, First-Team All District, and the Execution Award my junior year. My senior year I was awarded MVP, the Execution award, and the Hustle award. I also earned First-Team All Conference, First-Team All District, and Academic All State.  I play travel softball for Northeast Missouri (NEMO) Hotshots out of Vandalia, Missouri. I was converted to a slap hitter my sophomore year of high school. I'm extremely confident slap hitting. I'm still working on gaining the confidence and consistency to swing away left handed.