“My countdown (to the start of the softball season) that started at 190 days, has now dropped to just four,” Jenna Lilley, our top rated recruit in the senior class, says as she gets ready to kick off her final year of high school ball.

Jenna is an infielder for Hoover High in North Canton, Ohio—currently rated by StudentSportsSoftball.com as the No. 5 team in the nation—which has its opening game on April 1.

The Buckeye State star will lead the Vikings in its quest to capture a fourth straight state championship after going 32-0 last year.  The lefty hit .697 as a junior and was named the Ohio State Player of the Year and a MaxPreps All-American. 

She has committed to the Univ. of Oregon and is also excellent in the classroom with a 3.9 GPA.

In this blog, she talks about the excitement of game day and what she does to prepare the day before and the day of competition.

Click here to read Jenna’s earlier blogs and those from our other standout players!

Learn more about Jenna and her athletic family in this piece by her mother, Debbie, called A parent’s perspective: softball sacrifice

See our video interview of mother and daughter shot this summer at PGF

 

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It’s almost that time of year again for me in Ohio.

This offseason has flown by and I’m so excited and ready to see what this season is going to bring my teammates and me. My high school team is supposed to have several scrimmages this week, but with the weather still in the mid 20’s and sometimes snowing, I’ m not sure if we’ll get those scrimmages in.

Hopefully it will warm up a little by next week, as we have our season opener Tuesday, April 1. I have my three layers of Under Armour, sweatshirts, winter headbands, gloves, and hot hands all prepped for this season.

My countdown that started at 190 days, has now dropped to just four. I couldn’t be more pleased with this offseason and the tweaks I have made.

Now that we can all say that it’s actually “season,” Brentt had asked me what pregame rituals or superstitions I had. I can’t say that I have any pregame “superstitions,” but I will say that I do enjoy doing several things on and around game day to prepare myself to be at my best.

The night before games, I try to get as much sleep as I can! I feel so much more mentally focused after a good night’s sleep of 9-10 hours.

Game day starts with a nutrient-filled breakfast and is followed by healthy meals and snacks throughout the day.  I always make sure to pack a good lunch, snacks, and plenty of water for the school day. If I’m not fueled properly, my game won’t be at it’s best.

At school, I really just try and focus on school. I make the most out of all of my study halls and free periods to get as much work done as I can. The more work I do at school, the less I have to do after school and after my game. Staying focused in school also prevents me from thinking too much about the game that day.

School ends at 2:00 for me, and at that time I head down to the locker room to put my uniform on, eat any after school pre-game snacks and start to dial down my focus for the game.

From then, my team and I begin hitting warm-ups in our cage and then head to the field.

For away games, our bus rides tend to be about 20 minutes, so my music helps to keep me focused and ready. I have a good “Pre-game Jams” playlist on my iPod and I like to listen to songs like “Remember the Name” by Fort Minor or “Lose Yourself” by Eminem to get me pumped up.

Some time between after school and pre-game, I always make sure to apply my eye black!

The last and final thing I do before games is to step away from all the commotion, relax my shoulders, take a very deep breath, and remind myself there is no reason to be nervous. I don’t think about (or believe in) “pressure,” I just go out, do my thing, and remember that I play because I LOVE the game!

I finish that long breath. And then, it’s go time.

I am so excited for this high school season. I just want to hit and play the game I love! Good luck to everyone in their respective high school seasons this year too!

As always,

Jenna