University of Minnesota Athletics
Behind the Power of Lisa Parks
4/24/2007 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
In her two seasons at Minnesota, Lisa Parks has brought a new dimension to the Golden Gopher softball team with her ability to change the outcome of a game with one swing of the bat. She led the Gophers in both home runs and RBI last season and ranks tied for first in round-trippers again this season. A senior from Tucson, Ariz., Parks talked about the experience she has had at Minnesota and shared some insight into what has made her such a successful hitter.
Being from Arizona, how did you end up at Minnesota?
Lisa Parks: “It’s kind of a funny story. Coach B actually played with my junior college coach down in Arizona, so they had known each other for awhile. When Coach B expressed some interest in me, my junior college coach told her that I wouldn’t want to come up here because it’s too far away and it’s too cold. But then my mom told my coach that I had family up here, so I came up here on a recruiting visit and liked it a lot so I decided to come up here and play.”
How happy are you with your decision?
Parks: “I like it a lot. It gets a little cold sometimes when it’s below 0 degrees for multiple days, but overall it’s been great.”
What are the biggest differences between junior college and Division I softball and how have you adjusted?
Parks: “A lot more strategy and the mental aspects of the game come into play more in Division I softball vs. junior college. In junior college, everyone is pretty much on the same page as freshman and sophomores still learning the intricacies of the game. How well you do depends on how quickly you pick up those little steps. Here, you have the seniors and juniors who have already gone through that process and are more focused on constantly improving on the things they’ve already learned.”
Throughout your softball career you’ve established a reputation of being a power hitter. Where did you develop that power?
Parks: “I’ve loved to hit ever since I was little so that’s why I got into softball. I played soccer when I was in like first grade and it didn’t make sense to me because you kick the ball, you run and then you kick it again. In softball, if I hit it far enough I go from home to home and then I can sit down and get some water. Someone else is going to go get the ball, so that sounded like a great idea to me. Plus, I wasn’t very fast so hitting the ball far was the best mode for me.”
Do you remember your first home run?
Parks: “I think I hit my first home run when I was 12.”
Describe the feeling you get when you connect with a pitch and know it’s going over the fence?
Parks: “It’s fun. It’s nice to take a little jog around the bases and see all of your teammates excited for you when you touch home plate again. It’s a good feeling.”
Looking back on your career, are there any home runs that really stick out in your mind that you’ll always remember?
Parks: “The one that I had at Oklahoma this year was a big one because they were a ranked team and that put us ahead early. Also, the one at Ohio State a couple weeks ago was another big one. I don’t remember any one in particular because they’re all important in their own little way.”
Favorite music: “Top 40. I like a little bit of everything.”
Favorite class: “Sports Psychology.”
Least favorite class: “First Responders for Athletic Trainers and Coaches, because it’s four hours long.”
Favorite pre-game meal: “I have a superstition of always eating a Burger King breakfast before games. Every time I feel like I’m going into a slump I have to go out and get Burger King breakfast, even though I hate it and am sick of it by now. It mentally helps me out.”
Other superstitions: “I try to wear the same slider shorts. I have an arm band that I wear every game and have to hit it before I step in the batter’s box each time. I take a certain number of swings during pre-game. There’s to many to name. It can get ridiculous.”
Being from Arizona, how did you end up at Minnesota?
Lisa Parks: “It’s kind of a funny story. Coach B actually played with my junior college coach down in Arizona, so they had known each other for awhile. When Coach B expressed some interest in me, my junior college coach told her that I wouldn’t want to come up here because it’s too far away and it’s too cold. But then my mom told my coach that I had family up here, so I came up here on a recruiting visit and liked it a lot so I decided to come up here and play.”
How happy are you with your decision?
Parks: “I like it a lot. It gets a little cold sometimes when it’s below 0 degrees for multiple days, but overall it’s been great.”
What are the biggest differences between junior college and Division I softball and how have you adjusted?
Parks: “A lot more strategy and the mental aspects of the game come into play more in Division I softball vs. junior college. In junior college, everyone is pretty much on the same page as freshman and sophomores still learning the intricacies of the game. How well you do depends on how quickly you pick up those little steps. Here, you have the seniors and juniors who have already gone through that process and are more focused on constantly improving on the things they’ve already learned.”
Throughout your softball career you’ve established a reputation of being a power hitter. Where did you develop that power?
Parks: “I’ve loved to hit ever since I was little so that’s why I got into softball. I played soccer when I was in like first grade and it didn’t make sense to me because you kick the ball, you run and then you kick it again. In softball, if I hit it far enough I go from home to home and then I can sit down and get some water. Someone else is going to go get the ball, so that sounded like a great idea to me. Plus, I wasn’t very fast so hitting the ball far was the best mode for me.”
Do you remember your first home run?
Parks: “I think I hit my first home run when I was 12.”
Describe the feeling you get when you connect with a pitch and know it’s going over the fence?
Parks: “It’s fun. It’s nice to take a little jog around the bases and see all of your teammates excited for you when you touch home plate again. It’s a good feeling.”
Looking back on your career, are there any home runs that really stick out in your mind that you’ll always remember?
Parks: “The one that I had at Oklahoma this year was a big one because they were a ranked team and that put us ahead early. Also, the one at Ohio State a couple weeks ago was another big one. I don’t remember any one in particular because they’re all important in their own little way.”
Favorite music: “Top 40. I like a little bit of everything.”
Favorite class: “Sports Psychology.”
Least favorite class: “First Responders for Athletic Trainers and Coaches, because it’s four hours long.”
Favorite pre-game meal: “I have a superstition of always eating a Burger King breakfast before games. Every time I feel like I’m going into a slump I have to go out and get Burger King breakfast, even though I hate it and am sick of it by now. It mentally helps me out.”
Other superstitions: “I try to wear the same slider shorts. I have an arm band that I wear every game and have to hit it before I step in the batter’s box each time. I take a certain number of swings during pre-game. There’s to many to name. It can get ridiculous.”
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