Emily Klingman is a 2018 middle infielder from Forest Park High in Woodbridge, Va. who plays for the Vienna Stars 16U – Adkins team.

Last fall she hit leadoff with a .453 batting average and a .535 on-base percentage. Emily also had 28 steals with her 2.7 second home-to-first speed.

In this first person account the freshman with a 4.3 weighted GPA talks about her softball life and how she ended up committing to an SEC school, including a small thing she did on the field which she thinks made a big impact on coaches…

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I started playing softball at the age of six and quickly realized how much I loved the game and competition.

At the age of 10 I made the transition to travel ball and that is when my coach changed me into a slap hitter because of my speed.  When I was in sixth grade, I started to see my hard work pay off always competing against girls two to three years older then me and that is when I decided that I wanted to play ball in college.

The same year (2012), Alabama won the Women’s College World Series, and their left fielder Kayla Braud was my idol. I had made up my mind that I wanted to play in the SEC and I would do whatever it took to get there.

My parents told me they would support me anyway they could, but I had to put in the work. I started working on my slapping everyday.  Just before the start of my 8th grade year I was fortunate enough to tryout and make the Vienna Stars team and I began to work with the best coach ever, Nichole Thompson-Andrade.

She is a former four-year starter at ASU and played also for Team USA and NPF. Nichole has completely changed the game of softball for me. She has helped me become a true triple threat in bunting, slapping and hitting for power.

Nichole has also taught me that my mental approach to the game is just as important as my ability to play well. She pushes me to work even harder and to trust in my abilities. Her husband, Luis Andrade – who played semi-pro baseball in Venezuela – has completely turned around my fielding. I wouldn’t be the middle infielder I am today without him.

My recruiting process started at the beginning of 8th grade, when I began emailing 60-70 D1 coaches before and after every tournament or showcase that we played.

I sent them my batting stats after each weekend, along with a highlight video of my at-bats.  Soon after that, coaches began showing up to watch me play. I also emailed coaches that would be at specific showcases, even if they were not on my list, as I tried to keep an open mind.

One game that I believe was crucial to my recruiting, was when we played an Alabama team at the Demarini Elite Showcase in O’Fallon, Illinois.

I slapped a triple, which caught the attention of a few colleges, but after my teammate laid down a suicide squeeze which rolled foul, I ran over, picked up the bat for her, gave her a smile and a high five and told she’s got this.

That is when college coaches really started to pay attention. I realized that when coaches say, “Colleges look for the intangibles like effort, attitude and being a selfless teammate,” they were right.

That winter I went to two of my top schools, the University of Florida and Auburn University, for softball camps. As soon as I stepped onto Auburn’s campus, I had a feeling that it felt like home.

The following spring I continued emailing and sending hitting videos to over 60 schools. In the middle of June, I was invited to the University of Florida Top Prospects Camp. Personally, I thought I did very well and the coaches seemed to think the same as I was named Camp MVP along with having the honor of the “Fastest Home to First Time” and “Wednesday’s MVP.”

This success also drew attention to myself from other coaches. I continued emailing, especially before the showcases my team and I attended.

Once PGF Nationals rolled around, I was sending out emails everyday. Once elimination started at PGF, I would send all the coaches our elimination games schedule.

By then, I had quite a few coaches following me closely and I began to narrow down my list of schools. At the end of PGF, I had my top three schools picked between Auburn, Florida and North Carolina.

After nationals, I emailed every coach on my list, thanking them for taking the time to come watch my team and me play whether they had attended our games or not.

Two weeks after PGF Nationals I was speaking with Auburn, Florida and UNC about scheduling unofficial visits.  Auburn invited me down the next week and it was for a two-day visit on an SEC football weekend.

It was my first time being back since the previous December and I had never been more excited. On the first day of the visit, we toured the campus and asked questions. The next morning, my mom and I had a private meeting with the coaches, where I received my offer. Afterwards, I experienced my first SEC football game, a truly incomparable experience. I thought I had my mind made up, but my parents urged me to take time to think it over and visit the other schools.

About a month later, I brought my dad back down to The Plains for my second unofficial visit at Auburn. The first day, we toured campus again. That night, I made my decision. I realized no other school could compare, and there was no other place I would rather spend my college years.

Auburn felt like home and family.

The next day, after getting up at 6 am to watch the morning workout, we had breakfast with the coaches. Later that afternoon, before the Tiger’s practice started, I told Coach (Clint) Myers of my decision: I was ready to be an Auburn Tiger.

After lots of hugs between myself and the coaches, my recruiting process was complete and I feel like I hit the coaching jackpot with Coach Myers, Casey, Corey and Scotty. I am so humbled that they think I will be an asset to their team.

Being coached by a Hall of Fame Coach doesn’t get any better! I’m excited for all the big things happening with Auburn softball and I’m so thankful to be an Auburn Tiger.

I called the coaches who were actively recruiting me to tell them the news. All of the other coaches I had previously emailed, I emailed again to thank one last time. I put in a little note at the bottom of my email, saying, “I would like to take this opportunity to ask you to continue watching and recruiting my 12 other amazing teammates, all of which who would be an asset to any team.”

This little note brought out coaches, who began to recruit my other teammates. If there is any advice I could give to a player working on being recruited it would be to be the best teammate possible, be an inspiration and leader for others whether you’re having the game of your life or struggling.

Effort, attitude and hustle will go a long way in the process. Coaches really do notice and look for these traits in their future players.

Also, I’d advise any player: don’t give up, work hard everyday and follow your dreams.

Now that the recruiting process is over, I feel a weight lifted off my shoulders. It is nice to know where I am going to play in college. All I need to do now is focus on becoming a better player, and getting the best grades I possibly can.