S3E30-Future HU Softball Player Danielle Gidley

My first question, just to kick things off here, Danielle, is when did you first get involved into softball and what made you fall in love with the sport that you're still going to continue collegiately at the next level?

So I first got involved in softball when I was in third grade.

I was about 9 or 10, started playing Little League, and then I got into travel ball.

What made me fall in love with softball was just the friendships that I made along the way that will last a lifetime.

And I just love competing and getting better one day at a time.

And there's nothing I'd rather do than spend my time on the field with my best friends.

It wasn't like always competing, though, at the high school level, but after you're done, when the spring season is over with, you go over to Huntington University and compete at the collegiate level with some of the other softball players.

How exciting is that to get that opportunity there, Danielle?

It's great.

I'm super excited.

I've met a couple of the girls already, most of them, and they're great people.

My next question that I got for you, Danielle, is what influenced your decision to come to Huntington University and continue your softball career on the campus of HU with Tim Avery alongside you?

Yeah, so a big influence on my decision was Kaylee Bishop.

She's a freshman on the softball team.

And I saw her at a tournament over the summer, and I knew a little bit from playing against her in high school.

But I just felt like something was telling me, like God was telling me to go talk to her and stuff.

And, well, it turned out while I was talking to her, her and her dad and Coach Tim were like right behind us the whole time.

Afterwards, I got to talking with Coach Tim, and he just ended up inviting me to a camp, and then he watched me play a couple weekends later.

And it just kind of really fell into place.

And, like, HU was never really a school on my radar before.

But it just, when I went to visit, everything was perfect with the nursing and the softball program.

And I also love the faith aspect.

I know you just mentioned about being a nursing major for next season.

I know that's going to be a tougher challenge, though, with balancing all these classes.

And then on top of it, you're going to have softball.

My first question, just to kick things off here, Danielle, is when did you first get involved into softball and what made you fall in love with the sport that you're still going to continue collegiately at the next level?

So I first got involved in softball when I was in third grade.

I was about 9 or 10, started playing Little League, and then I got into travel ball.

What made me fall in love with softball was just the friendships that I made along the way that will last a lifetime.

And I just love competing and getting better one day at a time.

And there's nothing I'd rather do than spend my time on the field with my best friends.

It wasn't like always competing, though, at the high school level, but after you're done, when the spring season is over with, you go over to Huntington University and compete at the collegiate level with some of the other softball players.

How exciting is that to get that opportunity there, Danielle?

It's great.

I'm super excited.

I've met a couple of the girls already, most of them, and they're great people.

My next question that I got for you, Danielle, is what influenced your decision to come to Huntington University and continue your softball career on the campus of HU with Tim Avery alongside you?

Yeah, so a big influence on my decision was Kaylee Bishop.

She's a freshman on the softball team.

And I saw her at a tournament over the summer, and I knew a little bit from playing against her in high school.

But I just felt like something was telling me, like God was telling me to go talk to her and stuff.

And, well, it turned out while I was talking to her, her and her dad and Coach Tim were like right behind us the whole time.

Afterwards, I got to talking with Coach Tim, and he just ended up inviting me to a camp, and then he watched me play a couple weekends later.

And it just kind of really fell into place.

And, like, HU was never really a school on my radar before.

But it just, when I went to visit, everything was perfect with the nursing and the softball program.

And I also love the faith aspect.

I know you just mentioned about being a nursing major for next season.

I know that's going to be a tougher challenge, though, with balancing all these classes.

And then on top of it, you're going to have softball.