University of Minnesota Athletics
Alumni Update: Gophers in the Pros
8/11/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Photo by Jade Hewitt - Courtesy of National Pro Fastpitch
Throughout the summer we have been catching up with some of our alumni. This week we checked in with our professional (NPF) players, Sara Moulton and Kaitlyn Richardson. First is Moulton who is in her third season with the Chicago Bandits. She also runs a business and has gotten into writing. Richardson is in her second year with the Dallas Charge. In the fall she will be on the coaching staff at Arizona State University.
Gopher Sports: First off how is your summer going?
Sara Moulton: My summer is going great! I can't believe how fast year three with the Bandits has gone. It reminds me of college softball and how each year goes by faster and faster!
GS: What is it like to be in your third season now with the Bandits?
SM: It's awesome being in year three with the Bandits. I'm officially a veteran and the fourth oldest player on our team! How crazy is that? I'm very fortunate that I get to continue playing and doing what I love during the summers. I wouldn't want to spend my summer months anywhere else or with anyone else!
GS: Was there any extra pressure going into the season trying to defend the championship?
SM: I don't think we felt any extra pressure to defend our 2015 championship title. We started out the season really strong and we had carried some momentum from last summer to this summer. Starting out strong was important so the rookies could get a grasp on what the expectations were and what Bandit softball is all about. With the loss of our ace pitcher to another team, it added some pressure to the remaining pitchers on our staff. It pushed us to work harder in the offseason and we have all settled into different roles this summer.
GS: How has the season gone team wise and personally?
SM: It has definitely been a learning and growing year for our team. We are a young team compared to where we have been in the past. Our goal going into this season was to make it to championships and then after we make it, anything can happen. We are one win away with four games left from making our goal as a team. (the Bandits clinched last night)
Personally, I am having a much better summer in the circle than I had last summer. Year two in the league is always tough and I struggled last summer. When I decided to come back for year three, I left year two in the past and worked my butt off in the offseason by developing a new pitch, changing planes and getting some of my speed back. It seems to have worked so far and I have already doubled the innings I pitched from last summer to this summer.
GS: What has it been like to write for FastPitchNews this year?
SM: It has been so much fun writing for FastPitchNews this summer and giving people the inside scoop of what the life of a Professional Softball player is all about. I wrote one blog post each week covering our season on and off the field, our battle of the sexes games, life on the road, making an impact in the community, training for a marathon while playing, meal prepping on the road, overcoming adversity, the return of softball to the Olympics and what it means, etc.
Catch Sara's blog here
GS: What will you be doing after season?
SM: After the season concludes I will be heading back home to Minnesota. I took a full-time editor position with FastPitchNews and will produce stories and cover all of the softball content for their website. I'm super excited to get started! On top of the new job, I will also continue giving pitching lessons at my co-owned Strike Zone Sports facility in Eagan, Minn. This will be year three of co-owning a business and I can't wait to get back to instructing pitching lessons and giving back to the game that has done so much for me.
Photo by Allie Martinez - Courtesy of National Pro Fastpitch
GS: First off how is your summer going?
Katie Richardson: Summer is going by too fast per usual. I've been able to do a lot of fun things and have great experiences with the Charge. The opportunities that we have while we play is what helps shape our experience.
GS: How has the season gone team wise and personally?
KR: Unfortunately, the Charge has had a tough season. We were just eliminated from going to playoffs last night. The competition in this league is like nothing else. These players are truly the best in the world. It is an honor to be a part of such a talented pool of athletes. Personally, the season started out really rocky for me. At bats passed by and I realized I needed to make a change. I worked on getting my swing shorter and having a compete-mode mindset and my season completely turned around. It took a lot of work but being able to work through a slump is so rewarding. We still have four games left and I know that the Charge as well as myself plan on fighting until the end regardless of our championships eligibility. (Katie recently hit a double and a home run being named the Player of the Game for the Charge in a win over the Bandits)
GS: Now that you are getting more involved in coaching what is the best being a player and the best thing about being a coach?
KR: The best thing about being a player is being able to play!!! I miss playing for the Gophers every day but I am so grateful that I am still able to put on a jersey and enjoy the game we all love so much. The best thing about being a coach is knowing that you can make a difference in a player's life. It's an extremely rewarding job and to be able to make any kind of lasting impact on another person is overwhelming. I will forever be grateful for my Minnesota coaches helping me shape into the person I am today and I can only hope to do that for my future players as well.
GS: Congrats on the ASU coaching job! What are you most excited for? How weird will it be not to be back at Minnesota this fall?
KR: I am so excited to be on the staff with Coach Ford at ASU! I have heard nothing but great things about her and I think it will be an awesome experience. Being able to coach in the PAC-12 and be around my family is something that I couldn't resist. With that being said, not returning to Minnesota this fall is going to be extremely hard. Thankfully ASU has similar colors so I will still be rockin' the maroon and gold. In all seriousness, Minneapolis has become home to me and I feel like I have a second family that lives there. Although I won't be living there, I plan on visiting when I can. Minnesota will always have a piece of my heart.
