Today’s softball profile takes us to the Lone Star State where we look at one of the top all-around players in the 2016 class and someone who did her homework when it came to finding the best fit in a college program for herself!

 

Name: SHANNON RHODES
Grad Year: 2016
Pos: utility
High School: C.F. Brewer (Ft. Worth, Texas)
GPA: 3.8/4.0
Club: Team Mizuno Impulse
Stat: batting average of .485, with 11 home runs and 28 steals
Honors: 1^st Team All-District (3B), 1^st Team All-Academic (2013, 2014), District 5-4A Newcomer of the Year (2013)
College: Oregon

 

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StudentSportsSoftball.com: You can play every infield and outfield position… what position do you like to play best?
Shannon Rhodes: Third base.

 

SSS.com: You could have gone to almost any part of the country and had major schools after you from every major conference… did you enjoy the recruiting process or was it stressful, especially as you narrowed down your choices?
SR: The process wasn’t stressful in the beginning because I was in the 7^th grade on my first visit to Texas A&M.  I thought it was cool, I was star struck and wanted to commit right then.  However, my Dad would not let me because I was too young.  He knew that my ideas and wants would change with maturity.

Over the course of three years, I would visit top programs all around the country and became more comfortable with the process (research, looking at coaching styles, comparing athletic ability, competitive spirit, academic program, etc.)

I was able to ask questions as I started to formulate what I wanted from school and softball and was able to quickly narrow the field.

The stressful part happened within the last three months of selecting Oregon.  The stressful pieces were maintaining my grades, deciding not to play varsity sports other than softball for a year, preparing to compete against the best in the Fall.

All of this happened quickly but I knew that I wanted a chance to play in the College World Series, to be part of something that felt like family, and to be with desired teammates who would die for each other no matter what the challenge was—all in the process of getting my education. In short, my parents, coaches, and senior teammates helped in the process making my experience was great and less stressful.

 

SSS.com:  What advice would you give to someone who’s being recruiting since you’ve gone from beginning to end?
SR: Don’t do visits too close together so that you can have a chance to absorb each experience.  Write down what you liked and disliked right after each visit.  Review all your notes before and after a visit and think about it.  “Know thyself”… truthfully!  When you think you have it, wait a day and confirm it within yourself and if you’re still good with it, GO!  Call your future coach, confirm the offer and let them know that you’re committed to the future!  You will get an education but what matters is the type of experience do you want to have and pick the one that answers that question in your gut.

 

SSS.com: What campuses did you actually visit and what did you see that you liked?
SR: Here’s a list of the universities and what I liked about each:

• Texas A&M – Family atmosphere, personable and mother-like coaches, pride!
• Florida State – Knowledgeable coaches, tradition, nice field and hitting facilities.
• Kansas – Best student athletic dorms, nice softball stadium.
• Houston – Best academic advisor presentation of all!  Nice softball field, good coaches, good diversity.
• Arizona State – The cafeteria and airport.
• Oklahoma – Excellent coaches, future athletic dorms will be excellent, nice softball stadium, tradition, Student Academic Center.
• Oregon – Excellent coaches, training facilities, treatment facilities, dedicated student-athlete educational center, beautiful green scenic campus, gig town without the big city, Bio-chem Program, team focus and waffles with an “O”!

I was also going to visit: Oklahoma State, Indiana and Northwestern.

 

SSS.com: Tell us how you were first seen by the Oregon coaches, then how it came to be that they offered you?
SR: It was my during my 7^th and 8^th grade year in national tournaments on my 16U team that took 3^rd at the PGF that year.

 

SSS.com: When did you decide to commit and what led into the decision?
SR: After speaking with the coaches and all of the visits, Oregon felt right and I was comfortable.

 

SSS.com:  How hard was it to tell other schools… were they cool about it or did some give you a hard time?
SR: It was easy for me to call the coaches and tell them.  ASU didn’t answer the phone after multiple calls and I didn’t leave a message… I guess they knew.  The most difficult one was calling Houston because I really liked the coaches and loved the academic counselor.  The academic counselor at Houston was by far the best among the schools I visited!

 

SSS.com: How did you tell the coaches, in person, on the phone, on an unofficial visit?
SR: On the phone.

  

SSS.com: Any concerns about being halfway across the country in college?
SR: No.  I’ve been getting prepared since the 7^th grade when I would travel without my parents during summer ball for weeks at a time.  That was the most difficult time but has prepared me for the separation and to ready myself for the task at hand.

 

SSS.com:  What do you think (or have others said) are your strengths as a softball player?
SR: I think my strength is my mental game, anticipation and aggressiveness.  My Dad says it’s my calmness to focus and versatility.

 

SSS.com: What’s been the highlight of your young softball career so far?
SR: Coming off the bench in Las Vegas as a 7^th grader and hitting a home run versus a very good 18U Gold team.  I questioned myself until that moment. Since that moment, it clicked and I knew I could compete at the highest level.  I understood everything that my coaches were trying to get me to embrace.

 

Quick Hitters

 

What makes you most proud of to say you’re from Texas?
Sweet tea and my cowboy boots.

If you weren’t an outstanding softball player, what would you be doing?
Playing basketball or volleyball.

What is an issue in the nation or world that you care about deeply?
World hunger.

Favorite food:    
Anything Italian.

Least favorite food:   
Onions.

Do you have any softball rituals or superstitions?   
On offense, it’s self talk… I say a part of The Lords Prayer before stepping into the box.  It keeps me focused on the at-bat. On defense, it’s visualization of making a great play on different types of balls: fielding a bunt on a 2.7 second lefty on the run, defending the line on a rocket while playing up, etc.

What’s your dream vacation? 
Athens, Greece.

What type of bat do you use (and why do you like it)?
Demarini CF5; I love the feeling of the bat flexing when the ball strikes the bat. I feel so powerful and there is no bat like it.

If you could have dinner with any celebrity, living or dead, who would it be and why?   
Beyoncé. She came from nothing and has brought herself up to one of the highest paid African-American women in the world. Truly amazing, but then again, who wouldn’t want to sit and have dinner with Beyoncé?

What’s something unusual or different about you that few know?
I absolutely love school!

Off the field, how would you describe your personality?
Calm.

If you were stranded on a desert island and could only take one thing with you, what would it be?
A pillow.

What’s your motto in life?
Akuna Matata.

Though young, do you see yourself as being a role model? 
Yes, both of my younger cousins (Kinnis and Rhylie), ages 7 and 5 look up to me. They’ve begun to mimic many things I do. It’s a bit scary, but at the same time, I love it!