Senior catcher Molly Staley of Shepherd University’s softball team sat down with The Picket to reflect on her time at Shepherd and what her future goals are.
Staley, a Recreation & Sports Studies major, wants to be a state trooper one day. Her passion to be a state trooper surfaced just a few years ago.
“It really formed in [the] spring semester of my freshmen year,” Staley explained. “I wanted to help people see cops as [not a] bad influence, but I want to help.”
Being a softball coach is another avenue Staley would not mind exploring. Staley believes she could start coaching at the Division III level and then work her way up in the coaching ranks. This way, she could have a nice job but still have time to hang out with her friends and family.
“[I’m] looking for [a] balance of social and softball life,” Staley said.
Some of Staley’s favorite classes while at Shepherd have been Sports Finance and Environmental Science. Staley thought that Sports Finance was interesting and she learned a great deal of information from the course that she did not expect to.
In regards to how Staley balances her school work and her duties with the softball team, Staley says that her organizational skills are extremely key.
“I have to plan everything out,” Staley explained. “I don’t procrastinate. [I] really prepare for [the] week.”
When Staley is not on the softball field, she really enjoys fishing, hunting, and being in the outdoors in general.
“[I enjoy] anything really outdoors, four-wheeling, hiking,” Staley said.
If there was one thing that her teammates and coaches did not know about her, Staley said it would be that she is crafty.
“I like scrap booking and things like that [laughs],” Staley explained.
Originally, Staley was recruited to play for Shepherd when she was in high school. Staley discussed how a few players on her travel team, Savannah Snyder, Kirsten Barsten, and Sarah North, helped her gain more knowledge about Shepherd. Once she learned more about the school, she came to the realization that Shepherd was the place for her.
On the field, Staley expects to have a good season at the plate for the Rams. Last season, Staley started 14 games for the Rams and receiving playing time in 32 total games. She batted .281, had 10 RBIs, scored two runs, posted five doubles, and recorded one homerun.
During the interview, she stressed that her familiarity with the players and coaches on the Rams’ schedule should give her more confidence at the plate.
“I plan on hitting very well this year,” Staley said.
Last season, the Rams made it to the finals of the NCAA Division II Softball Atlantic 1 Regionals, where they were knocked out by West Chester. Staley believes that this Rams team is better on paper than last season.
“I think we’re going to go pretty far [this season],” Staley explained.
In the video below, Staley discusses what she has learned the most about herself while at Shepherd, what goes through her mind when she suits up for a game, and numerous other topics.
Anthony Bracken is the sports editor of The Picket. He can be reached at abrack02@rams.shepherd.edu
