Caitlyn Murray Interview: Sticking to Softball

Caitlyn Murray had one busy summer. "This summer I traveled to Disney's ESPN in Florida while placing second in the World Series and I received the "offensive MVP award" for the tournament," Murray said,  "In Delaware, we placed second also, which ended the summer season, which then led to tryout season."

By tryout season, she was referring to playing for the NJ Breakers U18 team. While she did play softball on a travel team all summer, that wasn't the best part of all.

"The best part had to be traveling to Florida for softball and being able to spend time with my older brother while I was there and spending my birthday with both my family and softball family," Murray said, "at every high school game I played in the past two years, home or away, he was at supporting me from right behind the backstop. He does this thing to get my attention while I'm pitching to give me a sign and most of the time, the pitch works. 

"Even when I switch positions and I'm hitting he's my biggest supporter but biggest critic, so I try and hit a home run every time he's around. His tradition is being the loudest one to yell "goodbye" once I make contact and he knows it's gone, then go get the ball and sometimes argue with a little kid just to make sure he gets the ball for me," she went on, "It's going to be really hard this season without him especially since it's a big year for me, but like he said he just needs to yell louder now." 

I went to ask her about how she was preparing for the upcoming Carteret High School basketball season, but she threw a fastball at that. 

"There's been a slight change in plans these past few months. I've realized how much I need to be focused and committed to softball if I want to keep striving to get better," she said, "the decision I made was to take a break from basketball this upcoming season and focus on my studies and softball." She will practicing for travel softball during the fall. Traveling will begin again in May. 

"I've talked to my parents and coaches about this decision a lot. Junior year is always the most stressful one with school, sports, jobs, and the whole college stuff going on. And I want to be able to fully focus on my studies as much as I can while being commited to a team," she added, "playing basketball, I wouldnt be fully commited to both teams, I would have to skip or leave practice early to be able to make it to the other practice. And it's not fair to my teammates."

While she isn't playing basketball during her junior year, she isn't counting it out for her senior year. "Id love to play basketball but it all depends on what's going on when the season comes for tryouts. And if the opportunity allows me to I will try and take it," she said. If she is unable to play during her senior year, she may never play again. She will not play basketball in college, as she wants to focus on softball and her studies.

No matter what choices she makes as far as what sports she does and does not play, she thanks two of her coaches, Christian McDonnell and Deanna Thomas, for their contribution to her success. "They both have been a huge help since I've known them, and without them I wouldn't be half the athlete I am today," she said.

"Caitlyn's passion for and dedication to softball is refreshing. I personally believe that the new generation of athletes is of slightly less caliber than those in the past two decades and further, but she is the type of athlete that reminds me of those "older" generations. She plays on multiple teams year round, umpires younger girls softball, and is also a pitching coach. She is completely submerged in the sport and isn't interested in being a "regular" kid," McDonnell said on Murray's behalf, "this level of interest and dedication will take her very far in her career, in addition to the facts that she is extremely coachable, naturally talented, and has a great attitude."

During the offseason, McDonnell had Murray go through what she called High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). This included weight training, which Murray had never done before. McDonnell said she responded well to all the training.

"Caitlyn is dedicated to improving and mastering her skill (offensively and defensively) and reaching a level that will allow her to compete at the next level," Thomas said about Murray, "she has a positive attitude and has shown increased maturity over the years I have known her. I'm looking forward to coaching Murray the next two seasons and after that she will be a great asset at the college level."