Faith Manning '19 Recruiting Profile

    When I was in the fourth grade, I attended one of my friend's softball practices. The team was short some players, so I jumped into help. I had never played before, but I immediately fell in love with the game. Every aspect of the game amazed me and became my happiness. From the first time I set foot on a softball field, I knew that this is the sport that I wanted to play for the rest of my life, and I would do anything to make it happen. The atmosphere on the field and the feeling that runs through my body while I play makes me forget about everything else that is going on in my life and makes the bad days not so bad. 

    Being the youngest out of five children, I matured faster than other kids did. I learned from watching my siblings that life doesn't always go your way and that if you want something, you have to go out and make it happen. I set high goals for myself, and I never let anything or anyone stop me from reaching them. I have been told before that I am too short to play in college and because of this, I work hard to improve not only my skills but myself as a person to be able to overcome the obstacles and the self-doubting thoughts that sneak in my mind from myself and others around me. I have been told that I am my own worst critic. I am very hard on myself because I believe that I can always be better than I am, and there is always room for improvement. My compassion for the game is overwhelming and I play with my heart.  When I first meet people, I am very quiet, but as time goes on I open up and become very outgoing. I love getting feedback from coaches on things that I need to work on because I know that once I fix the problems that they are noticing, I will be a much better player. 

    I want to be part of a team that has drive and always gives 110% even when the odds are against us. I want to feel at home whenever I am with my team, and I want to have an unbreakable bond with them. A team that is supporitve and there to pick anyone up when they are down is a team that will always stay winning. The coach has just as much of an influence on the game as the player do. A coach that has respect for their players, but pushes them to give their all is what I want in a coach.