Vimy Baseball/Softball Q&A with Maerin Dartnell
Why Softball?
I started playing softball when I was 13, as an off-season sport while I was playing hockey and I instantly fell in love with it. I love that softball is a team sport with a ton of individual components with lots of opportunities offered to attend Universities. The second I stepped on the field, I never wanted to leave and started seriously training towards making softball a career.
Why Valley City State University?
I got the chance to visit a few schools while I was in the recruiting process and now, Valley City had everything I was looking for in a University. It’s a small University which allows them to accommodate to each student’s needs. Every person I met with there was incredibly helpful and welcoming, including the softball coaches who made the time to meet with me one-on-one for dinner. North Dakota isn’t far from home which has made the transition to college a lot easier. In the winter, the team travels to an indoor dome to get games in and has great gym facilities for continual improvement in the winter. I plan to pursue a degree in Business & Education (Teaching).
Why Vimy Ridge Academy?
Although this is my first year at Vimy, I have seen gains in not only my numbers but also my ball sense and confidence on the field. The coaches are incredibly supportive on-and-off the diamond and their commitment to each player’s development, is unwavering. Coach Jamie has helped me in all areas of my life, from the classroom to the field and has helped me develop my leadership skills. Coach CJ has helped me improve the technical side of the softball, as well as taught me that it is a mental game. Coach Rhonda, a former Division 1 & Team Canada Pitcher, has also allowed me to see new spins and speeds that I wasn’t seeing in my leagues. All three of these coaches devoted time to getting me numbers I needed to compete at the Collegiate level whilst helping me with the recruiting process and taught me how to round out my game.
