Molly Damiani, softball standout and Class of 2018, was a 4-year varsity letterman and achieved many accolades during her time at Reagan. She earned the 2018 Offensive Most Valuable Player award; Academic All-District; Second Team Academic All-State; and, was selected to the First Team All-District 3 times.
Molly continues her success at Texas State University, NCAA Division I, as an outfielder. She is currently in her junior year and majoring in Exercise Sports and Science. Recently, Molly took time to share with us her thoughts on her high school and college careers.
Q: What has been your most exciting moment in college sports?
A: The most exciting moment in college softball was being able to play against the Olympic USA team. Our recent pitching coach, Cat Osterman, was on that team and pitched against us. Being able to hit off of her was such a privilege.
Q: What is the biggest difference between competing in high school and in college sports?
A: The biggest difference would be the amount of time you have to dedicate towards the sport. Going from two hours a day in high school, to essentially a 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. day between softball and classes. Competing in college is very different. Every day we compete we have to go in with the mentality that we are playing the best, because we are essentially playing the 1.6% best of high school softball players.
Q: How do you balance academics with the commitments of a Division I softball program?
A: Freshmen year they did a great job of requiring us to have mandatory study hours, where we would go into the Athlete Academic Center and be in an area to be able to focus and get everything done. Having this as a solid foundation of understanding how much time a week I must dedicate to studying has helped carry on into my sophomore and junior years. Reagan did a great job at giving me a similar workload as Texas State.
Q: What has your experience been like during Covid-19?
A: Ever since our season was taken away in March, we have had our trainer send monthly modified at home workouts. While we have been back at school, we have had to wear masks while inside during warm-ups and lifts. We are practicing social distancing by grouping our practice times with girls who live together. By doing this, it has kept girls in their “house bubbles” and controls the amount of girls at the field at one time. Our plans for the fall are all tentative.
Q: Which Reagan school tradition meant the most to you?
A: The most memorable tradition at Reagan was the school spirit during every sporting event. The themes for all the games made each game so memorable. Even being at Texas State, we don’t have a group of crazy students dressed in crazy outfits for our softball games. I will never forget the school spirit at Reagan.
Q: What advice do you have for Rattlers who want to compete at the next level?
A: One piece of advice I would give current Rattlers who want to compete at the next level is first, to enjoy high school while you have it. It flies by fast. Next, I would say the transition from the high school to the college level is intense. You go from being one of the best on your team to having 20 others who were also one of the best on their teams.
Thank you Molly for sharing your thoughts and advice for all Reagan student athletes. We wish you continued success in your upcoming season – Go Bobcats!
You can follow Molly’s softball career at Texas State University at https://txstatebobcats.com/sports/softball/roster/molly-damiani/8015.