Delanie Gilda '27 Recruiting Profile

I've loved playing sports, especially ball sports, from a young age. I started with soccer and t-ball in preschool, then added basketball and softball in elementary school, followed by volleyball and ultimate frisbee in middle school. Basketball was my original favorite, and I dreamed of following in my dad’s footsteps by playing for my high school and college teams. But that changed when my mom signed me up for our local rec softball team. At my first practice, I hit the ball far into the outfield and stood at the plate, unsure of what to do next, until my teammates encouraged me to run. From that moment, softball began to rival basketball as my favorite sport. Over the years, I focused increasingly on softball, dropping the other sports, and began to set my sights on playing in college.

Since joining my first travel team at 11, I’ve dedicated myself to improving my softball skills, learning how to be coachable, and understanding the value of teamwork. I play on my school’s fastpitch softball team, where I was surprised and honored to become the starting catcher as a freshman. My current travel team is Absolute Blast 16u (AB) – Jeske/Pettit, where I play catcher, left field, and third base. In addition to my commitment to softball, I also work hard in the classroom. I’m currently maintaining a 4.10 GPA and am taking two AP courses along with honors classes and orchestra. My goal for college is to pursue business, towards earning an MBA, while also playing on a collegiate softball team. I’m driven to give my best both on the field and academically, embracing challenges and always striving to grow.