Q&A with Cedarburg softball and volleyball player Cassidy Gall
CEDARBURG, Wis. — A Q&A with Cedarburg High School junior Cassidy Gall who is a softball and volleyball player for multiple teams.
Name: Cassidy Gall
Age: 16
Years in current sport: 8
Team/s: BATS Academy 16U National, Cedarburg High School Varsity Fast-pitch
*This interview was before the 2022 softball season. The Cedarburg Bulldogs Softball team finished the season with a North Shore Conference and Sectional title, and an appearance at the state tournament.
What are your personal goals within your sport/athletic dreams?
Cassidy Gall: My goal for both high school and club softball is to be part of a team where I can call all of the girls my friends. Some of my best friends are from this sport, and I want to continue to get to know people who share the same love as me. For this upcoming high school softball season, I believe that our team is capable of winning the conference again this year. Not only just win conference, but also return to state and win it all this year. We have a ton of skilled and dedicated girls that have put in the work towards a state championship, from 6am practices on Thursday mornings to individual lessons outside of high school practices. After high school, I would love to play at a high collegiate level and be able to give back to the sport that I love.
What is your biggest challenge in your sport, and what do you do to manage this challenge?
Gall: I believe that my biggest challenge in softball is the extra work I put in being a pitcher. Don’t get me wrong, I take pride in it and wouldn’t trade this for anything. Pitching is double the lessons, double the time, and it takes time away from volleyball and other sports that I love doing as well. School is my number one priority, but when I go from after-school lifting to my pitching lesson and then drive to Waukesha for hitting and fielding, it is hard to work around my schedule. Every Monday night, I go up to Green Bay for another pitching lesson and a group lesson. I do homework on the way to and from all of these practices, so I make sure I’m not wasting any extra time that I have. The commitment is huge, but that just makes it ten times more rewarding. I manage all of these practices with the help of my parents and the calendar on my phone, which helps me keep track of my schedule.
What was the best advice you were ever given?
Gall: The best advice I have ever heard wasn’t from a person but from a movie. In one of my favorite movies, A League of Their Own, the coach, Jimmy Dugan, says to the player, Dotty Hinson, “It’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it. The hard…makes it great”.
What do you love about your sport?
Gall: Softball isn’t about individuals but more about entering competitions with your teammates. I love seeing my teammates have success and cheering them on, as they do the same for me. Putting on my uniform, tying my cleats, seeing the sunrise before 8am games or playing under the lights at night, and taking that first step onto the field are all things I love about softball. It’s the thrill of getting the walk-off hit, or making a play in the field that is Sports Center worthy. That makes softball exciting to me. It is a game of mechanics and skill, but you have to want it more than anyone on the field to win. Everything about this game makes me love it more and more every day.
Do you have a pregame ritual you follow?
Gall: My only pregame ritual is goofing off with my teammates before we step onto the field. Even though I am a terrible dancer, I usually bust a few moves to get my team laughing. I like to stay loose and have fun, enjoying the game and the friends that I have made through softball.
What do you like to do outside of your sport?
Gall: I love being outside, so in the summer, when I’m not playing softball, I enjoy going for a bike ride or playing night games with my neighbors. That includes kick the can, capture the flag, or just a nice competitive game of four square. During the fall high school season, I play volleyball, another sport I am passionate about. With that being said, nothing can beat my love for softball. I like spending time with friends and family and surrounding myself with people I love.
What has being a member of a team taught you?
Gall: Accountability. My actions on and off the field affect my teammates. No matter what, I know I have a team of girls that I can always go to for anything. Also, when I am pitching, I have eight other girls on the field that have my back.
What is the best piece of advice you received from a coach or mentor?
Gall: Right before my high school softball team traveled to the state tournament in Green Bay last year, Coach Rod Wilterdink, former CHS softball legendary coach, came and talked to us. The biggest piece of advice I took away from him was to cherish every moment of our journey because not many people have had as great of an opportunity as we did. Going to state is a big deal, and he made my young freshman self realize that we were making history.
Describe a mistake you made while competing and how you overcame it.
Gall: Making mistakes is part of the game. I have made more than one, but I don’t dwell on them, I learn from them. Being an athlete means you need to be mentally tough.
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