Chloe Explains How She Chooses Pitches And Stays Calm Under Pressure

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Today's guest is only 12 years old.
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She's a softball player from Texas and her name is Chloe.
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Now, before you meet her, I want to give some context into today's interview.
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Because the sport Chloe is growing up in has had a pretty rough ride, but I've always been fascinated with softball.
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Softball joined the Olympics in 1996 in Atlanta, and then in 2005 the IOC voted it out.
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Softball needed a simple majority to stay.
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The vote came back in in 2005 at 52-52, a tie.
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But a tie was enough to remove it, and the reasons were all messed up.
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Baseball and softball were seen as one American package, and the MLB wouldn't pause its season for the games.
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And also its drug testing wasn't trusted overseas.
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So unfortunately, softball got dragged down with it.
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And one American IOC member said it really plainly.
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She said she couldn't understand how a body claiming to champion women in sport would take away a women's sport as great as softball.
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So softball disappeared, gone from London, gone from Rio, back to Tokyo, and then dropped again from Paris.
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And now it's going to be back in LA in 2028.
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And by that stage, our guest this week will be 14.
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But there's also a bigger reason why I wanted to have young guests on.
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All athletes will know is that when you have a media interview, they're always chasing a headline.
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So it's important athletes to get experience in a safe environment.
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And that's what we do right here on the Plan B podcast.
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Now I'm super excited about this because we actually haven't had a softball player on the Plan B podcast, and we have Chloe with us, and Chloe is a rising star in softball, and she's here with her mum today, Ashley, which is great.
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So, Chloe, tell us a little bit about yourself and tell me when did you start playing softball?
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I started playing softball when I was around eight.
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It wasn't really it was just kind of a random start.
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My mom came one day, she was like, Hey, do you want to play some softball?
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Like, okay.
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It just kind of started there.
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And before that day that mom said, Hey, you know, why don't you try softball?
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Had you been playing like other sports?
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No, just staying at home all day.
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Really?
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And what did you like about softball?
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I really like the people and like the culture around it.
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Which is great.
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So when did you realize that, hey, I think I actually want to become a softball player?
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Like when was the moment?
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Because you know, when Mum first took you and he went there and he thought, hey, the people are cool and I kind of like this sport, but I'm guessing there's probably a lot of practice involved.
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And when did you really start thinking, I think I I'd really like to put some time and effort into this sport.
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It was around tenure at the time.
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When I really started getting into it.
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I was practicing a lot of more often.
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Putting more effort into it.
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So I really started picking it up.
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Yeah, that's great.
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And so if I was to look at Chloe's week right now, how many days a week do you play softball?
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It kind of varies.
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Sometimes it's three days, sometimes it's four.
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Yeah, and well, I guess you'll be playing your weekends.
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Are you playing travel ball as well?
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Mm-hmm.
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Some tournament this weekend.
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Oh, where were you played this weekend?
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Uh we're just in the Dallas area.
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We're in Dallas.
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Okay.
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And so mom and dad and you are just like traveling around.
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So softball all week, a couple of nights a week, or three, three, four nights a week, and then weekends are pretty much softball.
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Yeah.
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Well, yeah, super busy.
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Okay.
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And now the softball's on TV as well.
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Do you watch that?
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I do watch softball on TV.
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Every once in a while when I have free time.
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And who's your favorite team?
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Is there anyone in particular that you kind of like or some players that stand out for you?
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My favorite team?
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I think the vault.
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No really stands out to me though.
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And I've seen some pictures of you, and I went and checked out your Instagram page, which Mum runs, which is super cool.
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And so I've noticed that you are a pitcher.
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Is that your favorite position?
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Or and sometimes I know that you know softball baseball players they can play multiple positions.
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Do you are you a batter as well as a pitcher?
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And you does coach move you around?
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Or tell me a little bit about uh Chloe on the field and Chloe on the pitch.
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I can really play anywhere.
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Not catcher though.
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Can't play catcher.
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But he does my coaches do move me around a lot.
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I'm mainly in outfield though.
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They put you in outfield because you've got a bit of a a a strong arm on you.
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Yeah.
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I'm one of the more fast faster girls on my team.
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So it when they have different types of pitches, are you a fastball pitcher?
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More of a change-up pitcher as far as what I'm good at.
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Can you as somebody who it only played softball like in elementary school, and I gotta say, I loved it.
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And I was a pitcher, but I was like a if if if you were to watch me, I wasn't very good, but if you were to watch me, I was like, you know, the wheel the windmill kind of like roundup pitch that I told me.
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Can you tell us the difference between a change up pitcher and like could you tell talk us through all the different types of pitches that you can have in softball?
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Well obviously first we got the fastball pitcher.
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That's just what they're mainly good at.
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I mean they could be good at other things, but that's just a go-to.
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Change up pitchers from my yeah, from my experience.
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Change up pitches aren't really the fastest, but they have good speed control.
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You're like very speeds a lot.
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You're like very speeds a lot.
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Yeah.
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Does that mean that it's hard for like when I say say Chloe, just say I was to come up on the pitch and you were at the plate and you were to pitch against me?
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Does that mean that I have no idea what ball you're gonna throw at me?
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Yeah.
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It gives it kind of like it gives it unexpected.
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Okay.
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That's a real skill.
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So how do you know what ball to deliver?
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Is that something that you and the catcher communicate with signals, or do you just make a decision and based on looking at the person who who stands up on the plate, how do you decide what ball you're going to deliver to that athlete?
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Most of the time I pick what type of pitch I want to throw to them.
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But sometimes I get calls from my coach for what pitch they want me to throw.
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Okay.
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And is that secret signals?
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Because I'm guessing you can't, you know, yell out because they don't want anyone else to know.
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So do you have your own like little language going on?
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Yeah.
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I don't have like the band to show you, but you use numbers, a different number, a different pitch.
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And it's kind of confusing actually.
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No, it's and it sounds pretty complex.
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And and Chloe, you're only quite young at this.
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How old are you right now?
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I'm twelve?
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Yeah.
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But you're 12, but you've been playing now for like four years.
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So, you know, you're nearly like you're on your way to being a veteran.
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Is this that you think that you're gonna keep playing, like in high school and and and maybe even further?
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Yeah, I think I think I'm gonna stay in it for the long run.
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And is that just because you you love the people so much or you just it just enjoy the feeling that it gives you?
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I love the people, I love the feeling.
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Just everything about it is great.
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So what about like hard days?
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What do you do when you just the the people that have stepped up on the plate, the batters, have just smacked the ball and they've all gone like out of the park?
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What do you do on those days?
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How do you help yourself and get through those days where you've done your best pitching, but that was my dog barking in the background, but it's just, you know, added extra sound.
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What how do you get through those really hard days, Chloe, where you just haven't delivered the balls that you wanted to deliver?
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I remind myself to calm down, take a minute.
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In the end, really you kind of want them to hit the ball, it's the point.
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So sometimes you get down and you feel like you're disappointing your team, but you're doing your job.
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I just try to keep a positive mindset and relax.
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And how how do you kind of get yourself to relax?
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Do you just do you tell yourself that perhaps some words that coach told you in practice, or do you look over at mom and dad, or do you look to your favorite teammate?
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What are some ways that you kind of can can make yourself feel a little bit better when, you know, when those kind of balls just aren't coming out of your hand the way that you want them to?
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Usually I just take a second off the mound, gather myself, take some deep breaths, maybe walk around a little before getting back into it.
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I love that.
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So you really try to almost take control of the game and slow down the pace.
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So it's not really like it's like you taking charge rather than the batter kind of determining the pace.
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You kind of take control of the rhythm and slow things down.
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Yeah.
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Oh, I really like that.
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So what are some things that you're working on right now to improve your game?
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I'm working on my fielding and my base running a little.
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And what does what does that involve in training?
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Is that a lot of running?
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Has Coach got you doing a lot of suicides?
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What what kind of that look like?
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Because I mean that is something that I think every athlete hates when it comes to practice.
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I love bass running.
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It's probably my favorite part.
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But we have this kind of like own kind of game where it's like two lines.
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One line runs from first, actually no, from home to second, the other line runs to first and stops there.
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And you move two bases every time.
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So the runner that was on second goes all the way to home, and the runner that was on first goes to the third, and it just repeats itself.
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Cool.
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Yeah, well that sounds like a that sounds like a hell of a workout.
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Well, Chloe, playing softball, maybe we might even be able to rope you in and to do a little bit of track.
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I'm thinking about it.
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Hey, because I'm all for young athletes in particular doing multi-sport, because multi-sport is a great way not only to kind of balance yourself and stay uninjured, but it can actually be really complementary to your main sport.
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So if softball doesn't clash with track season, I can't remember if it does.
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My score doesn't start track until like the last few, I think last semester.
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Okay, okay.
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So if you had like a really great win, who who would be the person that you call?
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My friends.
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Cause she's in gymnastics and when they were in competitions and stuff, we would like call each other, we'd celebrate.
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We would kind of be just hyping each other up.
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It's nice, it's nice to share it with another athlete, isn't it?
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Mm-hmm.
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Yeah, and that's you know, one of the reasons when I saw your you on Instagram and and saw that you're a softball player, and I thought, you know what, I haven't had a softball player on, and I feel like it's really important that we get representation from all sports and all ages.
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So I I wanted to interview someone young like yourself to encourage like lots of athletes to get involved in sport because you know I can get on there and say play sport.
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But when it comes from someone like you and they hear someone their own age sharing how much they love their sport, do you think that's gonna be a lot more powerful?
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Yeah, I think it's gonna be a lot more connecting to younger audiences, yeah.
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Yeah, absolutely.
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Okay, and so then the there's the flip side.
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When you don't have a great game, who do you call?
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Alright, Kyla.
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I just talked to my parents.
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Is is mum one of your biggest supporters?
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Yeah, mum and daddy.
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Yeah, excellent.
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Um, does I know that when if I'd had like a a bad competition, I often was in a bad mood.
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And that wasn't like my strength.
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Uh, you know, I I used to not want to talk to anyone, and mum and dad would get me like a chocolate bar or something to like cheer me up.
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Is there anything your mum and dad do to like to lift you up when you've had one of those games?
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Sometimes they buy me stuff from the concession.
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Uh huh.
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Yeah, from like a snack bar.
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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Okay.
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Well that that's gotta help a little bit.
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So I notice with like some of the top baseball and softball players, particularly the pitchers, they have to take a lot of care of their arm and their shoulders and their elbows.
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So, how do you, as someone who's still growing a lot, how do you take care of your body?
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So before I pitch or throw, I do bands.
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So I have it all stretched out and it's all stiff together.
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And it kind of makes you more fluid when you're throwing or pitching.
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I also have rest days where I just kind of rest.
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Do you know how do you know, Chloe?
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Like it's it can be hard when you're a young athlete and you're and you love your sport and particularly when you've got friends there.
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How do you know the difference between being tired and something being wrong?
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Well, I can actually kinda reference this because it kinda happened this weekend.
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So it was our last game before you had to go home.
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And no, uh my stomach was hurting a lot.
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I was kinda like, oh, I might just be tired at first, but then it didn't go away.
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It just lingered the whole time and I was like, I don't think I'm okay.
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So Actually, I think I think I was dehydrated because I was still up there.
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Well that's there are times particularly when I mean you're down south, so it gets pretty hot.
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How do you like sometimes your games can go on for s what for an hour, two hours?
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Can they drag on?
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What's the time period that you're out there in the sun sometimes?
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And some games have gone on for like a little over two hours.
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Yeah, wow, so you've really got to be careful about being hydrated.
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So that's that's super important.
00:18:24.839 --> 00:18:35.480
So if and I know this is gonna sound uh can sound a little bit crazy, but a lot of athletes really struggle to have a day off practice.
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Is that something that you find hard as well?
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A little because I know some athletes they want to work, work, work to get better to where they want to be, but sometimes you just gotta relax.
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Especially if especially for your health.
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You just need to relax sometimes.
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Well, I think it's I think you're super smart, Chloe, because if you want to have a long softball career, you've really got to like pace it and and join and get like one shoulder and one elbow, and we've gotta look after that arm.
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And I'm guessing, are you a lefty or a righty?
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I'm a righty.
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You're a righty, okay, awesome.
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So I'm all about balance and making sure my athletes find ways to have a balance.
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So, what are some of the things that you do away from the softball kitch and away from the team?
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How does Chloe stay balanced as an athlete?
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So, when I'm at home, I usually set up the net, get some balls, either practice my pitching, going, or hit in.
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So I can just stay fluid and work on my form.
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What about some other activities that are not to do with softball?
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Do you have ways where you can like give your brain a little bit of a break?
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Like where where we could just go, okay, I'm not gonna do softball today, and I'm just gonna do what does Chloe do?
00:20:11.879 --> 00:20:12.519
Do art.
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Ah, okay.
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What part are you like a painter or are you?
00:20:18.279 --> 00:20:20.200
A little bit of everything.
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Except sculpting.
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I don't do sculpting.
00:20:24.119 --> 00:20:26.759
And do you find that art helps you to like relax?
00:20:27.879 --> 00:20:32.440
I think it's really relaxing and it just helps you take your mind off of stuff.
00:20:32.759 --> 00:20:34.039
I think that's fantastic.
00:20:34.119 --> 00:20:45.319
And I would really love you to keep doing that because, and all the other athletes listening, guys, if you don't have a hobby to balance your sport, here's why it's so, so important.
00:20:45.639 --> 00:20:53.960
Athletes, when we most of us, particularly, and even those athletes that are that are pro today, most of us start our sport at a really young age.
00:20:54.119 --> 00:20:59.399
I know I started my sport at nine and then, you know, went on to compete at pro level.
00:20:59.720 --> 00:21:07.639
When we're doing that sport, we're only ever accessing like one area of the brain, and that area of the brain is specifically the sport.
00:21:07.720 --> 00:21:11.000
So it just keeps lighting up, lighting up, lighting up every time.
00:21:11.240 --> 00:21:13.240
And do something completely different.
00:21:13.399 --> 00:21:15.399
We access a different part of the brain.
00:21:15.559 --> 00:21:22.039
And what is so important about that is that it gives the sport area a time to just like decompress and have a rest.
00:21:22.200 --> 00:21:27.960
So when you do your art, it's like not just giving your body a break, it's giving the brain a break too.
00:21:28.279 --> 00:21:37.399
And what that means is that when you return to the softball field, not only will your body feel fresh, but your brain feels fresh as well.
00:21:37.639 --> 00:21:38.759
So keep it up.
00:21:38.839 --> 00:21:40.119
So keep up that art.
00:21:40.279 --> 00:21:42.119
Is there anything else that you like to do?
00:21:42.279 --> 00:21:51.079
Anything else that helps you switch off from just, you know, all the busyness of school, homework, chores, softball, training, coach.
00:21:52.200 --> 00:21:54.039
I like to read sometimes.
00:21:54.279 --> 00:21:56.200
Uh yeah, what what's your favorite genre?
00:21:56.359 --> 00:21:59.319
Are you uh horror stories, romance?
00:22:00.200 --> 00:22:00.920
Fiction.
00:22:01.240 --> 00:22:02.920
Just any type of fiction.
00:22:04.200 --> 00:22:05.240
Excellent.
00:22:06.279 --> 00:22:10.039
So here this is a kind of a a question into the future.
00:22:10.359 --> 00:22:12.759
And if you don't know the answer, that's okay.
00:22:13.720 --> 00:22:20.519
What do you think you would like to be good at when you're 25 and not just sophomore?
00:22:21.480 --> 00:22:22.279
So that's a thing.
00:22:25.240 --> 00:22:28.680
I would really like to be good at crocheting.
00:22:30.599 --> 00:22:36.039
And and make clothing or make a blanket for mum or grandma, what what are we making here?
00:22:37.799 --> 00:22:39.160
Like anything really.
00:22:39.960 --> 00:22:41.799
I just think crocheting is fun.
00:22:42.599 --> 00:22:44.839
I think there's lots of people who agree with you on that.
00:22:44.920 --> 00:22:48.680
I and you know, Chloe, if we ever get to meet, you need to help me.
00:22:48.759 --> 00:22:52.519
And because I I have no idea how to crochet.
00:22:53.879 --> 00:23:01.960
So even though you've you've been doing this sport now for like four years, is there anything that you would have told your younger self?
00:23:03.000 --> 00:23:16.440
You know, now that you've been playing, is there anything that you would have told other kind of athletes starting softball or starting other sport now that you've been playing for a little while that that you didn't know before you started playing?
00:23:19.559 --> 00:23:21.639
It's gonna start out rough.
00:23:22.359 --> 00:23:24.440
It's always gonna start out rough.
00:23:24.839 --> 00:23:28.279
But it's gotta keep pushing and persevering to it.
00:23:29.160 --> 00:23:30.599
Practice helps, doesn't it?
00:23:30.680 --> 00:23:34.680
It it starts to, you know, help with that mastery of skills.
00:23:35.079 --> 00:23:35.879
Mm-hmm.
00:23:36.920 --> 00:23:42.359
It really Oh no, I forgot I was gonna say that.
00:23:43.079 --> 00:23:43.720
That's okay.
00:23:43.879 --> 00:23:44.440
That's okay.
00:23:44.680 --> 00:23:51.000
Hey, there was one other thing that I was reading the other day, and I thought this was really important for our conversation today.
00:23:51.240 --> 00:24:00.359
I was reading online somewhere about how a lot of sports have a lot of parent involvement, and sometimes the parents aren't a positive involvement.
00:24:00.599 --> 00:24:11.079
As someone who's young and has their parents there quite a bit, do you feel that having parents close by is positive?
00:24:11.240 --> 00:24:14.759
Or do you feel like sometimes it it can be hard?
00:24:14.839 --> 00:24:17.960
And you've got mum sitting right next to you, so it's okay.
00:24:18.599 --> 00:24:20.440
But what is it like in the softball world?
00:24:20.599 --> 00:24:30.359
Is it sometimes noisy parents, or is it and and is that the best thing for the players, or do you think that that the sometimes the parents need to be quiet?
00:24:31.879 --> 00:24:35.079
I think a lot of the time it's good.
00:24:36.599 --> 00:24:39.480
Most of the time it's just the parents turning on for the team.
00:24:39.639 --> 00:24:39.799
Yeah.
00:24:40.039 --> 00:24:48.119
But sometimes you got those parents that always be yelling or trying to coach their kid in the middle of the game.
00:24:48.599 --> 00:24:51.799
And they just need to let them play.
00:24:52.599 --> 00:24:55.720
Yeah, and let them play and let them have fun, right?
00:24:56.279 --> 00:24:56.920
Yeah.
00:24:57.240 --> 00:24:57.639
Right.
00:24:57.879 --> 00:25:00.039
Because that that's why we're doing it, you know?
00:25:00.359 --> 00:25:03.559
Even as adults, the athletes should be having fun.
00:25:03.720 --> 00:25:08.920
Like even pro athletes that I work with, I'm always telling them, hey, why did you start this sport?
00:25:09.079 --> 00:25:11.160
And they said, because I'm enjoy because I enjoyed it.
00:25:11.319 --> 00:25:14.039
If you're not enjoying it, what's gonna happen?
00:25:15.079 --> 00:25:15.480
Yeah.
00:25:15.639 --> 00:25:16.920
Yeah, you're gonna start.
00:25:17.000 --> 00:25:20.039
You're gonna you're gonna not not want to do it anymore.
00:25:20.279 --> 00:25:26.680
So Chloe, we know that we can find you and follow the page that mum runs on Instagram.
00:25:27.160 --> 00:25:30.599
Where do you think we might see Chloe in the future?
00:25:31.160 --> 00:25:39.079
If we were to like look into a crystal ball one day, where do you think we might where would Chloe like to see herself with her sophomore?
00:25:42.440 --> 00:25:44.680
Where would I like to see myself?
00:25:50.680 --> 00:25:51.720
I don't know.
00:25:54.279 --> 00:25:54.839
That's alright.
00:25:54.920 --> 00:25:57.799
You can just just keep having fun and keep dreaming.
00:25:57.879 --> 00:25:59.480
So you had a tournament this weekend.
00:25:59.559 --> 00:26:01.240
Have you got another one coming up?
00:26:02.359 --> 00:26:04.920
Uh not next weekend, but the weekend after that.
00:26:06.119 --> 00:26:09.160
I have it not next weekend, but the weekend after that.
00:26:09.480 --> 00:26:09.799
Okay.
00:26:10.119 --> 00:26:12.920
So it's is softball season all year round?
00:26:13.240 --> 00:26:17.000
Or is it just summer, fallball?
00:26:17.319 --> 00:26:18.519
How does it work?
00:26:19.319 --> 00:26:20.519
All year round.
00:26:21.160 --> 00:26:22.680
All year round, poor mom.
00:26:23.240 --> 00:26:23.559
Okay.
00:26:23.799 --> 00:26:25.079
I pick up my mum and dad.
00:26:25.160 --> 00:26:28.119
Okay, so the mum and dad must love softball as well.
00:26:28.440 --> 00:26:28.920
Mm-hmm.
00:26:29.319 --> 00:26:29.960
Yeah.
00:26:31.079 --> 00:26:36.759
What's the last thing you last advice you would like to give other athletes out there?
00:26:36.839 --> 00:26:47.240
It could be anything in regards to the one of the best ways to enjoy sport, or something that you've learned either from your coaches, or could something you've even learned from mum and dad.
00:26:47.480 --> 00:26:51.319
Maybe it's a a message Mum and Dad told you with sport.
00:26:51.879 --> 00:26:55.240
Something that we'd like to leave our listeners.
00:26:57.559 --> 00:27:02.680
Just enjoy the sport, especially for the younger people.
00:27:03.240 --> 00:27:10.200
I know sometimes it could feel like it can matter to the whole world, but you're still young.
00:27:10.359 --> 00:27:13.079
It doesn't really matter that much.
00:27:13.559 --> 00:27:18.759
But should enjoy the sport, have fun, like and still have it.