Carolyn Griswold '16 Recruiting Profile

I have been playing sports since I was 4 years old. I started out at tee ball, then moved to baseball.  When I was 7 I took my first pitching lesson for my 8u rec team in Garner, NC and fell in love with softball. When I moved to Wisconsin, I found that I enjoyed playing travel ball because it was more competitive which made it more fun. I realized that I could play more competitive ball and also travel to other states to play it. I feel that I am also very dedicated to the game. I practice and play year-round, whether it be high school or travel. Although I have been active in other sports over the years, I have chosen to dedicate my time to softball.  I am not afraid to do the grunt work it takes to succeed. 

I attend Elkhorn Area High School where I am the starting varsity pitcher. As a freshman, I started on JV but moved up to varsity where I pitched and played first base. By the end of the season I was the number one pitcher, starting our playoff game.  My sophomore year, I was the starting pitcher on varsity. My team won 6 games, of which I was the starting pitcher in 5 of them and got a save in the 6th.  We also got our first play-off win in 14 years. In the summer I play for the Wisconsin Sparks. I am the number one pitcher but also play 3rd base and center field. I throw 6 pitches, but aside from my fastball, my favorite pitches are change up and screwball. I would say that I am a leader on both teams and I have earned that through being a hard worker and keeping positive. Whenever my teammates are down, I try my best to pick them up. I also feel as if I am mentally tough whether I am up or down and whether I am pitching, fielding, or at the plate. I am a very coachable person as well, as I learn very quickly. 

Along with being a student of the game, I am also focused on being a student in the classroom. I have a GPA of 3.7 and take a few honors classes. One of the reasons that I feel I am such a valuable softball player on both of my teams is because I am a student of the game.

My goal after high school is to play in college while getting my degree to be a Special Education teacher. I have had this goal since I started playing competitive softball. I also want to play on a professional team or on a team that travels the world. Once I am done with my career in softball I would love to be a private pitching instructor so that I can help kids make their goals come true.