Hot 100 2019 Brooke Marquez plays in Marty Tyson's Corona Angels' organization and attends high school at Hart High in Valencia, California.

Brooke is also a standout student with a 4.67 GPA and, even though she's just in the ninth grade is already taking mostly 10th grade level honors/AP classes and hopes one day to be a Pediatrician.

So how good is she? Two Pac-12 head coaches have already told her she could play in college today and another National Championship coach has said she's the "glue of any infield."

In a first-person account, Brooke tracks her journey from youth softball through the exciting verbal she made...



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LEAVE YOUR TANK EMPTY

Well, when I was given a chance to tell the story of my journey from the beginning my first thought was OMG! I have so much to say, so many to thank, so many stories and so much to be thankful for.

I can remember my 8th grade English teacher telling me you need a theme woven through your paper when writing. After a day and half, my theme popped in my head and it was "thankfulness. "

My first memory of softball was when I was 7. I remember being scared. I couldn't catch, hit, throw and I felt out of place. The tight pants and getting dirty didn't feel good to me. So many girls were so much better and moved so much faster.

I remember not liking that feeling.

As early as I can remember, my parents would always tell me that whatever you do give 110 percent effort. My dad would always tell me even then, "Leave your tank empty." I had no idea what he was talking about and I didn't want to ask.

I come from a family with five kids and we are an extremely competitive and athletic family, and I love it! Mom and Dad thank you for starting the expectation of giving my all from the start…

The next season when I was 8, my brother--who's three years older than me--was a great baseball player and my brother a year young was already dominating too. My father was always busy with them in elite level travel ball.

"GOOD PLAY" COUNTS

Every Sunday we would review our weekend and count our hits and great plays. The boys always won and I hated it. Looking back that feeling drove me to want to be the best in our family. As the season went on, I was fortunate to have Coach Dee who taught me the basics, helped me fit in and open up on the field.

By season end I was selected to be on the "Gold" tournament team. In our area softball is huge and extremely competitive, so it is a badge of honor to be selected and I was so proud. I was most proud to feel like I achieved and that feeling is still in me to this day. Coach Dee (Dennis Dominguez): thank you for believing in me!

Over the next few years, I continued with local Rec Leagues and eventually travel ball with the 10U Bulldogs. Again, I was proud but had to work hard. My brothers were already National Champions and I wanted the same success. I also wanted to win the "good play" counts on Sunday nights.

This is when I believe I began to love the game. I loved traveling. I loved waking up early. I loved the pressure of homework, practice, and needing to perform. Until this time I played outfield and was the odd one out in our house as both my brothers are middle infielders.

No matter, my Dad always said, "Where you play means nothing… baby, you're a shortstop and one day you will be the best." I always trusted him, but really never thought I could be great.

Little did I know that my 10U Bulldogs coach, Coach Rainel Caranto, played baseball in the Nippon League and was a shortstop. Of course, my Dad asked him to coach us and that was it. We learned basics and advanced fielding techniques. We would practice daily until dark most weekdays and hit at night. From then until now, the art of fielding is what I love most in softball.

On my little Bulldogs team there was another future college recruit in Ally Shipman, the sister of Tennessee All American shortstop Maddie Shipman. Maddie was still in high school, but I remember the Tennessee orange at practices and games. I remember the feeling I got when I saw how proud her family was. That would become big later for me.

THE SOFTBALL FIRE IS LIT

As I thought back to when I first wanted to play in college, it was very easy to remember. It was the WCWS in 2010, the one where Megan Langenfeld hit the walk-off to win it all. I didn't see it but I was there that weekend. We were in Norman, Oklahoma for the baseball Regionals.

My uncle went to Cal and that was their region, in Oklahoma. We planned to be there for the entire weekend, but it was two games and done for his baseball team and we had nothing to do. So, off to Oklahoma City we went to the WCWS and it was amazing!

Two days of softball and it would change me forever. I have vivid memories of the colors, vibe, smiles, the smell of kettle corn and, especially, the crowd's energy. We were watching one of the early games and I remember having the feeling that, one day, I want to play on that field; one day I want to see my parents in the stands with those smiles.

I soaked it all in and I finally looked up at my Dad then tapped his knee and said, "Daddy I want to play here!' He smiled and said, "Then you will one day!'

I remember the feeling that, if he says I will, then I will. I remember trusting him… I'm thankful for that memory!




WATCHING--AND LEARNING--FROM THE BEST

Now, my Dad is a planner big-time! He researched the path I would need to take and what we needed to do: everything from physical training, the number of scholarships available, the best bats, the best organizations for travel ball, other players paths… I mean everything!

It was a juggling act--since my brothers played, my parents would make no excuses. They always found the time for me and I never felt in need. It was great, I was able to sharpen my skills next to my brothers and we built an amazing bond, which continues and always will.

Our plan was simple: get better and sharpen my skills until my first year at 14U, then tryout for a top club organization. My Dad chose teams on which I would get as much playing time as possible. We knew I needed to put all of our hard work on the field.

During this time, I began training and developing my athleticism. We would go to Los Angeles Dodger games and study middle infielders, not even watch the games. We would critique everything MLB players did. We started to realize there are differences between baseball and softball, so we looked for players to aspire to be like.

That was easy because, when I was 12 years old, Sierra Romero arrived at Michigan. She was a perfect fit! We were both from Sothern California, I looked like I'd end up similar in size to her, we both played the middle and hit righty. I thought if I could copy her then I would be all right. She set an extremely high bar and I wanted to reach it.

We had a plan and a ton of goals to reach. Now we had to realize what I was good at and what I needed to improve. Being small in stature, my Dad always said I needed a way to stand out when the coaches were around. We were familiar with recruiting and scouting in baseball, but softball was different. At the time, 9th grade was when early recruiting hit big in softball, but baseball wasn't like that.

Around that time, I was at the So Cal Athletic 18 Gold invitational. When I saw the passion of Jenna Lilly, current Oregon standout and former Beverly Bandit star, on the field I realized I was not showing my inner passion the way I needed to.

I realized she was able to put her passion into action at the plate and on defense and I could feel her energy. I wanted to be like that too. Wow! When I Googled Jenna I found out she was the No. 1 ranked recruit in the FloSoftball 2014 Hot 100. I read several stories how she copied an NPF player also. I felt good about adding her to my copying list too.

IMPROVING PASSION ON THE FIELD

Watching and copying Jenna helped me believe I can achieve greatness too. I worked hard, but didn't know how to show my passion on the field, it felt fake and rehearsed. Players looked at me weird and said I was showing off. My dad reminded me that when that happens I was doing something right because people noticed and felt my energy, it just was not the right kind. With the help of my family we created a way to practice energy on the field.

Believe it or not it went like this for my "energy practices:" my brothers played on defense, my mom would be in the stands cheering with my younger brother and sister (a future softball great!) and my dad would hit fungoes yelling out situations.

My goal was to take charge, lead my team and make the plays.

We would be at a park where people would be walking their dogs and kids playing at the jungle gym. We'd begin with my Dad would yell, "More heart! Who's on the field with you? Who you are playing? It's PGF finals and there are 500 people in the stands and you're on TV! There are 40 schools watching and it's two outs with the winning run on third… make the play!"

That escalated to him calling out our current players' names and even simulating competition. Sometimes we'd even do this without a ball, but I was able to fully understand who I wanted to be on the field and my game started to become mine.

So thank you to my family, Sierra Romero and Jenna Lily for helping me develop!

Since then I have had the privilege of meeting both, and I am still honored to play the game they play so great.

A CORONA ANGEL

"CA All Day!"

That's what we say as Corona Angels. That means we are who we are and we don't change. We are always in a competitive mindset and we push others to become better.

The day I met Coach Marty Tyson was a day that would forever change my future. I had worked with various coaches and with my family, but it wasn't until I was an Angel that it all come together.

Marty is my softball Dad. He in no way takes the place of my Dad, he just assumes the role of helping me get to my softball dream. It actually took a few months for both me and my family to realize how to process this new strong personality in our lives.

It clicked with my Dad and he helped me build complete trust in Marty. One day we were at a hitting lesson and it was 100 degrees I was doing poorly and Marty was pressing me. I was struggling. My dad stopped me and said, "Baby, I completely trust Marty and you need to also. Listen to him and give your full effort in all he says. No excuses!"

When he said that, I looked around saw the names of the countless college players that had hit in that backyard; Dena Tyson, Stephanie LaRosa, Taylor Edwards, Amber Freeman, Kylie Reed, Nikki Udria, Jessica Hall, Kaylyn Castillo and on and on.

As I was listening, and seeing their names I wanted my name to be along theirs. I also realized I had a ton of work to do and a long way to go. Good thing is, I was only 13-years-old and in the 7th grade. Today, I am a proud Corona Angel and thankful that Marty Tyson is my softball Dad!

THE RECRUITING PROCESS

As an Angel, the recruiting process starts from Day One. I realized what Marty was teaching immediately, that college recruiters look for certain traits in a player. Of course talent is big, but they also look for character, heart, recovery after failure, skill and softball IQ amongst other things. It was difficult!

I was a part of a very talented team and sometimes wondered if I was good enough. Our team was the PGF National Champions in 2014 with several high profile talented players. What a privilege it was to hold the trophy with my team and watch Marty's proud smile. It was the best I have ever felt on a field… Ever!

I knew if it felt good here I couldn't help but think how it would feel to win multiple club championships, do the same in high school and one day the ultimate college prize at Oklahoma City.

Not long after PGF title, the whirlwind of recruiting began. As prepared as I was, it was difficult at first. We had years of preparation, but here I was now talking to coaches on the telephone, visiting campuses, and going on the field before football games--the full recruiting experience. Again, wow!

It was overwhelming, to say the least, but everything I asked for.

I attended OnDeck National Elite Camp in 2014 and did very well both on the field and in the testing phase. I attended the D9 Camp and Showcase in Florida and that went well. I attended the PGF Early Thanksgiving Showcase Camp and felt I did my best there. I actually received an offer while at the camp.

I was humbled again and again as various colleges made serious inquiries and/or offers. I was an 8th grader and it was impossible to think of where I wanted to go. This is where my family and Marty come in big time.

Marty keeps the information so I didn't need to write emails or letters. We would show up at hitting lessons and we would discuss what schools liked about my game, what they didn't and where I needed to improve. We talked early about the "dream" school. I had three schools and none had yet reached out, but it was very early still--not even 2015--and I had multiple offers from great programs.

THE IRISH ENTER THE PICTURE

We created a six-month plan to get ready for the start of recruiting in June of this year. During that time, more offers arrived. My dream school offered, but to my surprise and everyone else's, I wasn't ready to commit.

Marty thought it would be best to wait through fall and see how the cards fell. We agreed with that as a family. I received college invites through emails, letters and more phone calls but at that point not one school gave me that special feeling I've read and been told about. Everyone says you will know.

This is where my faith in Jesus Christ helped me through this process. For the first time I couldn't control anything. I had to wait for the Lord to open the right door and open my eyes. I stayed patient while still working and leaving it to Him! I am thankful for my faith…

As it turns out I am part Irish through my father's grandmother. Yup, by the "Luck of the Irish," the University of Notre Dame came calling. The door was open but at the time I hadn't considered going to the Midwest, not once.

I turned down visits to top Big Ten and SEC schools and initially didn't seriously consider any of them as a real opportunity. My Dad always told me, "No matter the opportunity, we should look at everyone closely because all opportunities are from the Lord."

We did our research looking at everything from rankings to campus life, the softball program to bio's of each coach… anything we could Google.

Once June arrived, I was ready physically and mentally. The first time the Irish coaches could show up, they were there and they never left! They followed me from Hemet, California to New Jersey to Colorado back to California and through PGF Nationals. It was a steady rotation of coaches and a steady rotation of blue, green, white and gold. Under Armor sure looks good in all colors I thought!

After New Jersey, Marty told me to leave the weekend of September 5th open saying, "Notre Dame wants you on campus." We had a busy schedule planned and many others knocking, but Notre Dame built a bond of trust which, honestly, I hadn't even yet realized. My Dad said no matter what, we will finish our planned visits and so we did.

GETTING THE FEELING

I didn't think I would ever feel "that feeling" everyone talks about. I was fortunate to go on eight unofficial visits over five states and get the entire experience of football games and campus tours.

Not until I arrived at Notre Dame, however, did I find my college home: it was meant to be! At that time I was nervous and didn't give in to the emotion. My parents would always tell me to step back and analyze the situation because you're making an adult decision and you just entered high school.

Over the next few days, the foundation of my future was being set. Coaches Gumpf, Ganeff and Ristano all welcomed my family and we felt a part of their families. I immediately made connections with fellow recruit Alexis Holloway and already had a very strong bond with commit Alex McManus.

We talked about winning for Coach Gumpf and our futures. Our families bonded and discussed potential arrangements if I committed. Everything fell into place. We toured the Dome, Basilica (the best place on earth!) and my favorite place on campus, the Grotto. Each step was as if I was walking towards my future with my future classmates and lifelong friends.

MAKING IT OFFICIAL

I was concerned about the distance but was never really concerned about weather.

My family is and will always be a big part of my life. Coach Marty and the Tyson family are a big part of my life. Notre Dame was a long ways away and not a four-hour drive from my comforts. On the plane ride back my parents said the much-needed words to comfort my fears, "Don't let this plane flight stand in your way!" I was set now we needed to finish our visits and it was going to be hard.

My parents stated at the start of the process that they preferred I commit in person. We would eventually look the Irish coaches in the eyes and hug it out after I committed, but first I had to meet with Marty and my parents and explain to them why Notre Dame. I told the people I trust most about the biggest decision in my life so far and they all were overjoyed.

So off we were to Notre Dame again weekend of November 14. We arrived early and toured ourselves without bells and whistles. We raided the famous bookstore and were prepared for the weekend. I felt a connection with the Grotto and wanted to commit there. I feel it's a special place and lighting a candle for my future with my coaches in attendance would be a perfect ending to a journey, which started years before.

The softball coaching staff was on hand the morning of November 14th and met us out front at Melissa Cook Stadium. We drove across campus on a football weekend to the Grotto in freezing temperatures.

Anxiously I walked from the car towards the Grotto wondering if they had a clue. Also with us was my dear friend Alex McManus and I couldn't wait for her to hear my words and give her a hug.

Finally, we made it and I turned to the coaching staff and said, "I would like to be part of the Notre Dame Family."

They all shouted with joy and were completely surprised. I asked them to light a candle for my future and we all revealed our Notre Dame gear. Yes, I'm Irish and I was teary eyed trying to take my Dad's advice and step back and soak in the experience.

We took dozens of photos and talked about the process. We spent the remaining part of the day together watching an Irish football victory over Wake Forest.

What a day and an experience to remember!

Through all of this I have only to say thank you to my family, Marty Tyson, the Notre Dame coaching staff and friends.

I couldn't have asked for a better experience even though this journey is proof we all don't land where we thought we would originally.

I discovered Notre Dame is my dream school and, more importantly, I realized my dream of getting to play softball and have the college experience! I am excited to say I will wear Irish Green and wear No. 3 in honor of Marty Tyson!

Finally, one of my favorite scriptures: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will make your paths straight." --- Proverbs 3:5-6

Brooke Marquez
Notre Dame Class of 2023
Go Irish and "CA All Day!"