Interview with SHS Softball Player Addi Burdick

Welcome to the Spring Edition of Off the Reels! I am so excited to wrap up my senior year by sharing the stories of some great athletes. To kick it off, we’re starting on the softball diamond. 

Meet SHS Softball Player Addi Burdick…

Softball story:

Addi started playing softball when she was five, competing on a team by the time she was eight. As she grew older and teams became more competitive, she chose to focus on pitching, saying, “I thought it’d be fun, and it looked challenging.” As the starting pitcher on the Springboro Varsity team, Addi stands by her decision from years ago. Early in middle school, coaches from local teams started recognizing Addi and inviting her to play for them. Then, it wasn’t just local; Addi pitched for a team out of Chicago. Unfortunately, this experience was mentally taxing and led Addi to take a season off, wanting to quit the sport entirely. After support from the people closest to her, Addi got back on the mound and joined a national team as well as the Panthers where she is much happier. 

Why Addi loves pitching:

If you know Addi, you know she loves competition and pressure, and there is no position that puts more pressure on a player than pitcher. In addition, Addi enjoys that she is able to set the pace of the game.

Something about softball most people don’t know:

I have a passion for sports, but I never knew how much I didn’t know about sports until I started this blog! Thanks to Addi, I now know about the unique college recruiting process in softball. Softball players cannot get recruited until they are juniors, but they have to start on their own around the age of ten to make a name for themselves. These high expectations at such a young age can be mentally and physically draining. 

Addi’s proudest moment:

In her words, Addi is most proud for “not giving up on myself, especially when I really wanted to, mentally and physically.” Addi hit a low point on her team in Chicago and wanted to walk away from softball. But after that mental battle, she has proved she is meant to play. Kudos to Addi for choosing to continue to play for herself and for her love of the sport. 

Addi’s biggest strength and weakness:

Addi’s biggest strength is her competitive spirit that pushes her to be better. However, her competitive spirit also creates her biggest weakness: wanting to play perfectly and getting in her own head when that doesn’t happen. 

Addi’s motivation:

All athletes derive their motivation from different sources, making this one of my favorite questions to ask. Addi has built a strong support system around her that helped keep her playing and continues to motivate her now. Additionally, Addi is her own source of motivation. She said, “I have a picture of me in my head for where I can be and will be eventually, and I really want to meet that goal.” 

Addi’s pregame superstitions:

Prior to every game, Addi follows the exact same warm up routine to a tee. She braids her hair with the same pattern, too!

Addi’s goals for this season:

Personally, Addi wants to raise her stats from last season and build up the confidence she previously lost. With her team, she wants to be one of the top four teams in the Greater Western Ohio Conference and go as far as possible in the postseason tournament.

Addi’s advice for softball players/athletes:

Whatever struggles athletes might be going through, Addi wants to remind you to stay rooted in why you started playing in the first place: “play for yourself, and don’t only play to meet other people’s expectations.”