One player who will make the 2016 Hot 100 list when its revealed this summer will be Bubba Nickes, a pitcher/utility player from Merced, Calif.

We got a great write-up on her from her club coach, Bryan Merrida of All American Sports Academy, who talks about Bubba realizing her goal she set before she even started kindergarten!

Here’s his info followed by a profile we did on the standout athlete last September…

 

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She was only five years old and was at her kindergarten orientation.

Her new teacher asked her what she was looking forward to during that year. The little girl answered that she wanted a full ride scholarship and that she wanted to play softball in college. The little girl had no idea of what college was as she hadn’t even started kindergarten yet.

She had only played T-ball and coach pitch but she knew what she wanted.

Fast forward 11 years and the little girl is not so little anymore. She goes by the nickname of “Bubba.” Most of us might envision a big, burly football player type—not this Bubba. She’s tall and lean with her hair braided back into a long ponytail, when she’s on the softball field.

And she’s seen her dream come true with a commitment to UCLA, even though she’s a sophomore and only halfway through high school.

Outward appearances are not what define Madilyn “Bubba” Nickles. She looks like any softball player, but it’s what you don’t see that sets her apart .

Her inner drive is second to none, as she is always looking for an advantage. That advantage is something that she seeks, either through time spent in the gym, the classroom and on the softball field.

” I just love the game of softball,” says Bubba, “I always have. The one-on-one competition between the pitcher and batter is awesome. I also love the team atmosphere and the flow of a softball game. I think it is the most compelling sport.”

“Time is moving quickly. It’s amazing to me that so many players that I have played with and against are now committed to schools. I’m very excited about the future but right now I just want to focus on getting better as a player and person. I just want to enjoy this time with my teammates, coaches and parents.”

 

Click here to read a profile on Bubba’s club team, All American Sports Academy

 

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*** The following profile was first published on StudentSportsSoftball.com on Sept. 25, 2013 ***

PLAYER PROFILE: MADILYN “BUBBA” NICKLES

You don’t find too many “Bubbas” in softball—football, maybe, but not softball—but we found one and she’s pretty darn good.

“Bubba” Nickles is a Northern California pitcher with an intense work ethic who loves nothing better to be between the lines playing softball.

Here’s a closer look at the future Bruin who’s just started her sophomore year of high school…

High School: Merced (Calif.)
Club: All-American Sports Academy (Woodland, Calif.)
Pos: P/UT
Grad Year: 2016
GPA: 3.83
Nickname: Bubba
College: UCLA

OK, gotta ask… where’d “Bubba” come from?
My Dad used to call me Bubba and a travel coach started calling me that and now everyone calls me Bubba. I love it, though.

When did you commit to UCLA?
The beginning of my freshman year. I was being recruiting by Oregon State, Washington and Oklahoma, but UCLA was my last visit and my No. 1 school for a long time. I fell in love with it and committed on the visit, which was October of last year.

Where did you first get seen by UCLA?
They saw me at quite a few showcases down south but probably the biggest thing was when I went to the 2011 OnDeck Showcase as an eighth grader. That opened up a lot of doors for me.

What is you liked about UCLA enough to commit that early?
I really liked the academics—it’s one of the best in the country—and it’s a chance to play at one of the most decorated schools in the country in softball. I’m excited to play for Kelli (Inouye-Perez) and Lisa Fernandez. They have the most national championships in history and I love their Hall of Fame, where you see the trophies of all the titles they’ve won—all 109 of them. I think it’s so cool because few schools, if any, have that and can compare.

When did you realize you had the ability to play at the college level?
I don’t know of any one moment, I just play the game because I love it and I kept moving up. When I was 12, I played 12U in the spring, 14U in the summer and 16U in the fall. I started playing for my 18U Gold team when I was 14. It’s fun to compete against girls who are aggressive and who are older.

How old were you when you started getting recruiting?
I really noticed coaches were watching me when I was in the 16U showcase. My coach was telling me then that coaches were interested; that was when I was 13 or 14.

What did the coaches see in you then?
Every single coach I’ve talked to said he or she liked how I’m a competitor and that I keep fighting. That’s what they told me. They said they saw me as an all-round player. A lot of coaches call me a “baller” because I love to play everywhere. They love that I enjoy playing every single position.

What’s your favorite position to play, then?
I don’t have one, I just love playing! As long as I’m on the field, I’m happy.

What do you do to hone your skills?
I have a weekly hitting coach and us a pitching coach when I need critiquing. My Dad and I work a lot together, we work on pitching, fielding and hitting and at the end of day I have to do condition and weight training. It’s a lot of hard work but it’s worth it. I put in probably 3-4 hours each day. I work out in the mornings with my mom, do my exercises at school and when everyone leaves I work out with my dad who’s a P.E. teacher and assistant softball coach at my school.

What do you like to do off the field?
Typical teenager stuff, like hanging out with friends, but I’m happiest when I’m playing softball. I’m sacrificing a lot, I know; for example, I haven’t been to one school dance and only gone to one football game, one basketball game and one baseball game this pas year. Still, I don’t feel like the sport is holding me back, it’s helping me get to where I want to go.

Some “odds and ends” questions:

How many pairs of shoes do you own: more than a dozen
Would you rather play chess or a board game? a board game, definitely. I like to play Sorry
Favorite musician: IZ, the Hawaiian singer [editor’s note: the late singer’s full name is Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwoʻole]
Favorite candy: I do like candy… any sour candy
Foodwise, do you prefer salty or sugary? salty
What would you rather be—a professional singer or an actor: actor
What’s something unusual or different about you that most people don’t know? I’m actually pretty shy
What would scare you more, speaking in front of 200 people or diving 30 feet off a cliff? standing and speaking in front of 200 people
What do you want to major in? Medicine or Sports Commerce