Kaitlyn Griffith (Centre, Ala.), a freshman on the University of South Alabama softball team, recently sat down with USA Athletic Media Relations to discuss her expectations for the season as well as life off the field.
Griffith led Cherokee County High School to second place in the Alabama State Tournament in 2011. She recorded 27 homeruns with a .564 batting average her senior year and notched 72 homeruns in her high school career.
When and why did you start playing softball?
“I started playing t-ball when I was four, and from then until I was twelve I played travel ball with the boys. The boys were always a year older than me so when they were in the seventh grade I was only in sixth grade. They all started playing high school ball and I wasn’t able to yet so my friends talked me into playing in a softball league back home.”
Why did you choose South Alabama?
“I love the family atmosphere. The girls made me feel welcome. The coaches made me feel welcome. The location of where South is was great. It’s close to the beach. It’s a big city. I live five hours away, but I felt at home here.”
What are your expectations for yourself this season?
“I want to make and automatic impact. I want to build up the confidence of my teammates. I want them to have confidence in me. My goal is to do what needs to be done when it needs to be done.”
What are your goals for the team?
“I want us to win. I want us to play in the big games and pull out the big wins. I want a conference championship and I just want us to build on what we had last year.”
How is playing college softball different from high school so far?
“The time is a huge difference. It consumes a lot more time than high school softball did. It’s basically like a job instead of just a game.”
What do you think will be your biggest adjustment to the college game?
“I think the competition will be a lot stronger. In high school, there are a couple of teams that are good until you get to playoffs. In college ball, you play good teams all year. No matter who you’re facing they’re going to be good.”
What do you do to get pumped for a game?
“It really doesn’t take much for me to get pumped. Just playing softball gets me pretty excited. To get myself ready I’m kind of quiet and I have to get myself focused mentally. Once I’ve gotten myself focused I worry about getting ready to play, getting excited, pumping my team up and making sure they’re ready to play.”
What have you tried to accomplish in the offseason?
“I’ve been working on fundamentals and improving my swing. I just want to use the work I’ve done in the cage and on the field during practice and put it into game form. I want to succeed with it there.”
What do you enjoy most about playing softball?
“I love my team. The girls that I play with are here to work and they love what they do. I also love getting dirty. I love sliding and diving in the dirt.”
If you weren’t playing softball, what is your next favorite activity?
“I would probably be playing some other sport. In high school I played volleyball, basketball and softball. If I wasn’t playing basketball I’d probably be playing basketball or doing some other sport.”
What career path are you thinking about going into after graduation?
“Right now I’m an exercise science major. My plan is to go to physical therapy school, but it’s still early. I also really want to coach. I’ve always wanted to coach so I want to fit that in somewhere too. There’s no telling what I’ll turn into by the time I graduate.”
Who would you say has had the biggest impact on your life, either as a person or as a player and why?
“Definitely my parents. My dad was my coach growing up, and my mom has always been my number one fan. They’re my support system. God has definitely blessed me with awesome parents. They’ve never missed a game. They own a business and it doesn’t matter what they’re doing, they’ll drop everything and make sure they’re there for me.”
