Alex Breeden (Melbourne, Fla.), a freshman catcher 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.

Breeden lettered four years in softball and one year in basketball for Viera High School in Viera, Fla. Catching runs in her family as Breeden’s father, Joseph, is a roving catching instructor for the Atlanta Braves.

When and why did you start playing softball?
“I was around five. My dad is a coach, so it was kind of ingrained in me that I was going to play some kind of sport. I played baseball with the guys until I was 10, and then I switched to softball. I’ve been playing ever since.”

Why did you choose South Alabama?
“The main reason I chose South was just because of the family atmosphere. I’m eight hours away from home and I don’t know anybody within two hours of here, so the fact that I felt like it was a family and I knew when times got tough I’d have people here to turn to really made a difference.”

What are your expectations for yourself this season?
“Any freshman coming in wants to make an impact. No matter if it’s coming in for an inning in a game and running, or starting a game, or playing a whole game. They just want to make an impact. So my goal for this year is to make an immediate impact.”

What are your goals for the team?
“Obviously we want to win. We want to do better than last year and the year before. We want to keep improving and keep getting better. If that means a championship then that’s what it is.”

How is playing college softball different from high school so far?
“It’s already so much different. It’s practices and weights all the time, even going at 5:30 in the morning and lifting weights, and then having to go to class right after that. You’re just constantly tired and constantly drained. You don’t think your body can handle it, but you really find out how much your body can handle. My first month here really tested me, showed me how much I can do and how hard it’s going to be, but I know I can do it.” 

What do you think will be your biggest adjustment to the college game?
“It’s probably going to be hitting because the pitching in college is on a completely different level.” 

What do you do to get pumped for a game?
“I listen to Taylor Swift. She’s not really pump up music, but I like her. She’s my favorite.”

What have you tried to accomplish in the offseason?
“I had such a huge summer schedule. I was traveling for probably a month and a half with my traveling team. I went to Colorado and California for nationals. I just wanted to get a lot more games under my belt this summer and have a solid base of the skills I know that I want coming in here.”

What do you enjoy most about playing softball?
“I love that feeling that you get when it’s the seventh inning and you know you’re doing your best and you know that you played an awesome game. That feeling you have when you walk off the field knowing that that day, no one was better than you and that you did your best.”

If you weren’t playing softball, what is your next favorite activity?
“I watch a lot of movies. I like movies. I always wanted to have something to do with them. I’m from Florida so I go to the beach all the time. I love skim boarding and I tried surfing, but I was horrible.” 

What career path are you thinking about going into after graduation?
“Right now I’m majoring in psychology, but I’m not sure that will definitely be my career path. I’m just really interested in that, but I’m open to anything. I love kids. I’m open to criminology. I just have a bunch of things I want to do.”

Who would you say has had the biggest impact on your life, either as a person or as a player and why?
“Definitely my dad because he’s been the one to work with me since I was a little kid. There were times I didn’t think I could do it and he still knew I could do it. There were times I wanted to quit and he wouldn’t let me. He’s worked just as hard for this as I have, so when I was signing here it was just as rewarding for him as it was for me. It’s definitely special to be able to share that with him.”

Talk a little bit about your dad’s career and how that affected you as a player.
“It helps out a lot. My younger sister is a pitcher, so I get practice from that. My dad was with the Florida Marlins when I was born, and was with them until I was ten. Since then, he’s switched around to a whole bunch of teams. Seeing the process that he went through and having him available to help me, that helped beyond anything I could say. Seeing all that and seeing how much fun he had with it, I just knew I wanted to be a part of it.”