As we’ve assembled top players for the 2019 Hot 100 class, one name we’ve heard of from multiple sources is that of Macy Simmons, a tall catcher who earlier this month committed to Auburn .

Photo: Showcase at Big League Dreams

We first heard about Macy from a Georgia club coach… which wouldn’t be too unusual, except this tall freshman is from Arizona and plays for a Southern California team.

In other words, Macy is so good she’s been noticed by club and college coaches from coast to coast!

In her first year at Hamilton High in Chandler, Arizona, she also shows great dedication to the sport she loves by driving 11 hours round-trip to practice and play for her club team, the So Cal A’s coached by Ken Briggs who also gives her private tutoring in all areas of her game.

Back home in Arizona, Macy works with top coaches like former Arizona State head coach Craig Nicholson to improve her hitting while getting catching instruction from Kaylyn Castillo and Jen Broderick.

“Macy has the rare ability to be an outstanding athlete at 5-foot-10, even at 15 years old (and likely still growing!),” says Nicholson.  She has a big-time arm, is very good behind the plate and keeps getting better offensively every day. Macy has raw power and already has the ability to hit for a high average. I think she projects as a catcher but is athletic enough to play outfield and possibly third base. Macy is also one of the hardest workers I've ever seen.”

FloSoftball asked the catching standout to talk about her background and recruiting journey as well as to give pointers to young players just starting into the recruiting process… here’s what Macy had to say:

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“Your only competition is yourself.”

“Strive to be better every day.”  

… these are things my parents consistently tell me, and I have learned to believe in them and embrace them.  Every time I step onto a softball field I push myself to get better… every single play.

I love the game of softball.  I love the dirt, the strategy, competing, my teammates and coaches, hitting, catching, everything!  When I step onto the field, I let everything go and just play hard.  

My love for softball has driven me to work hard, not just on the field, but off the field, as well.  I also love a challenge.  That is the main reason I have always played up.  I went straight from 12U to 16U, where I played for one fall, then jumped to 18U Gold.  

This season is the first time that I am playing in my age group, with the exception of playing 14U spring ball when my team went dark for high school ball.  
This is also my first season playing for a team in California.  Last season, I was playing 18U Gold in Arizona.  My coach accepted a college coaching position after PGF, so our team dissolved.  

I had opportunities to play in Arizona this season, but, decided to play in California for Coach Ken Briggs with the So Cal Athletics 16U.  I really enjoy playing for former catchers—  my previous coach was a D1 catcher in college, and Coach Ken was a catcher for the Minnesota Twins.  

We had researched Coach Ken and I knew that I wanted to play for him because, not only was he a catcher in the pros, but also because he is a great teaching coach.  I am so fortunate that my family is 100 percent supportive of me and my softball goals!  

When my parents and I were discussing my playing in California, we all knew that if I was going to make this commitment, then the whole family was making this commitment with me.  My team practices every weekend that we are not playing.  So, one of my parents drives me 11 hours round-trip (5 1/2 hours each way) to practice every single weekend.  I have not missed one single practice, showcase or tournament, unless I was away at a college camp or on a visit.
The fall of 2014 is when I first started my recruitment process. 

In September, I attended an OnDeck tryout in Phoenix and was then invited to the OnDeck Phoenix Jamboree in November of 2014.  I also went to the D9 Fall Sun Classic where I played in the 18U Gold division.  I remember thinking, and my mom telling me, that I was probably too young for colleges to be looking at.
 
Believing this allowed me to relax and play freely.  A couple of weeks later, after the D9 event, I attended the OnDeck Jamboree in Phoenix.  Almost immediately after these two events, I started getting invitations from colleges to attend their camps.  

Also, some of the top programs in the country started following me at this time.  I went on my first unofficial in January of 2015.
The summer of 2015 was a huge one for me.  I had a large number of head coaches come out to watch me play at the Independence Day 18U Gold Tournament in Colorado, as well as at the 18U PGF Premier Tournament.  

I also attended a few select camps and went on several more unofficial visits.  I was blessed to have had interest from a number of the top 25 nationally ranked programs, including schools in the SEC, Pac-12, Big Ten, ACC, and AAC, to name a few.  

By September of last year, I had decided that I would make a decision and a commitment by the end of January this year.  I had a few more visits and camps to go to, and I felt that I would have a good understanding of where I wanted to commit once I had completed those visits.

On January 2, 2016, I made my decision: I committed to Auburn University!  

When I stepped onto the Auburn campus I knew that was where I belonged.  The campus and the facilities are gorgeous, the coaches are of the highest caliber (and several of them were catchers, too), and their softball program will help me achieve the goals I have set for myself during, and after college.  

I am really excited to attend Auburn University and represent their program!

I have been asked, “What worked for you?” and “How did you get the interest you got?”  I have given these questions a lot of thought and I believe that it comes down to the following things:

1.    Believe in yourself.  Walk humbly, but with swagger.  In order to succeed and do your personal best, you need to believe and trust that you are capable of achieving that level of success.
2.    Work hard, every single day.  Make it a goal to be better than you were yesterday, and practice harder than you did the day before.
3.    Make a list of the college programs that you may want to attend.  Then, research them and narrow down your list.  Once you have narrowed your list, email them and let them know where you are playing.
4.    Choose to play for coaches that believe in your talent and work ethic.  I have had wonderful coaches who, knowing my work ethic and seeing my potential, felt confident in talking to college coaches about me, saying, “Keep your eye on this kid.  I think you will like what you see.”
5.    Attend OnDeck events!  A  lot of colleges go to OnDeck events to watch kids.  The process of evaluation and quantification that the Allister’s use legitimizes you as a player.  It gives you a realistic evaluation of where you fall within the ranks of other athletes.  The Allisters are wonderful people who care about us girls and have a great knowledge of the game.
6.    Finally, as my dad always says, the two things that you can always control are your effort and attitude.  You control the effort you put forth and the attitude you portray, on and off of the field.  Coaches look for positive players, who are good teammates and who show hustle and effort.

Also, for the uncommitted girls out there, the best piece of advice I can give you is to continue to work hard and have patience.  The right school is out there for you.
Having committed doesn’t mean that I don’t have to work as hard as I have been.  This is actually when the real work begins!  

I am going to do the best I can to prepare myself for my coaches and future teammates, so that I can be the best player I can be.  

… WAR EAGLE!  GO TIGERS!

Macy Simmons, 2019