Children making decisions

may as well give them a liquor drink and send them off to war while you're at it...

 

Hey all Happy New Year....

The stats are all sitting in plain site for you to see...

Go to any college softball website and look at the roster changes from year to year... If your not investigating retention levels at a school that your daughter wants or hopes to attend, then shame on you... Be a parent.

The system is broke... but until we admit it is broke, it will continue....

 

What are the thoughts on this one?

I thought she was a local girl but(Carmel) but not the case once I read the article.

Carmel softball phenom, 13, snags full ride to Division I college



Stormy Kotzelnick is the first Class of 2020 softball player in the nation to verbally commit to a college. They also want her for basketball.

635846519009454115-stormymain.jpg
(Photo: Photo provided by John Kotzelnick)
A stopwatch clocks Stormy Kotzelnick from home plate to first base — 60 feet in 2.64 seconds.

That's almost 16 mph. That's almost as speedy as Caitlin Lowe, a former U.S. Olympic softball player who ran that same stretch in 2.55 seconds and was dubbed the fastest softball player in the world.

Inside the weight room, Stormy dead lifts 240 pounds. She squats 185 and could easily do more but trainers don't want to mess with her growth plates.

Which brings us to, perhaps, the most impressive number to ponder about Stormy: She's 13.

Colleges, major Division I softball colleges, have been eyeing the Carmel eighth-grader for more than a year. Arizona State. Oregon. Washington.

"I really didn’t understand how this would come to me very early," said Stormy, who goes to Creekside Middle School, "how I get this opportunity."

By the time Stormy was 12 and in seventh grade, she was being courted by all three schools — and plenty more — flying out for unofficial visits.

In September, Washington made an offer to Stormy and her parents that they couldn't refuse.

Come and play as a Washington Husky and Stormy would not only get that full-ride scholarship for softball, but she could play basketball. Stormy's almost as good on the court as she is on the field, though softball is her true love.

Stormy Kotzelnick, 13, of Carmel, is a national softball
Stormy Kotzelnick, 13, of Carmel, is a national softball standout. (Photo: Photo provided by John Kotzelnick)
​"When they called us in, they said, 'Hey, we've done our homework. We already know about her basketball skills, and if you sign here, she can play basketball, too,' " said John Kotzelnick, Stormy's dad. "No top D-I school does that in the country. That's what won the battle. That put an end to any other schools."

With that offer, Stormy verbally committed to Washington. And the 5-4, 132-pound softball phenom became the first player nationally to make a commitment for the Class of 2020. Verbal commitments are non-binding and players and programs can — and often do — change their minds.

But her college recruitment is a rare feat for many reasons. Not just because of her age, but because of her position. Most early recruits in softball are pitchers.

Stormy is a position player. She's played shortstop, second base and outfield, but recently she's been taking third base for her elite softball team the Beverly Bandits out of Chicago.

Stormy also is a killer hitter. At a recent tournament in California, Stormy led her team in hitting, going 11-for-16 at the plate — .688.

"Whenever I'm out on the field, I feel like I am in total control and taking leadership," Stormy said. "I just get in this zone where I feel like no ball is going to get past me. No ball is going to get past me. No ball is going to get past me."

BORN INTO SOFTBALL

Stormy's mom and dad met on the softball field at Indianapolis Sports Park on the Far Southside.

John Kotzelnick was pitching and Kathy Miller was playing left field. The two didn't know each other until the coed team came together and when it did, sparks flew.

"It all started right there on the softball field," said John. "Stormy didn’t have any chance to bring the pom-poms home — ever."

Miller was a star softball and basketball player at Carmel High School, graduating in 1988. While there, she broke the career scoring record in basketball and hit over .500 in softball, according to John.

John played basketball at Lincoln College in Illinois and St. Leo’s University in Florida. Since then, he's been a softball standout of his own, playing for decades in men's adult leagues and headed for induction into the Indiana Amateur Softball Association hall of fame.

Stormy Kotzelnick, 13, plays for the Beverly Bandits,
Stormy Kotzelnick, 13, plays for the Beverly Bandits, an elite softball team out of Chicago. (Photo: Photo provided by John Kotzelnick)
Stormy is the couple's only child and, of course, they were clamoring early to get her involved in sports.

"I always thought it was important for girls to be in athletics," said Kathy. "Whether they were good or not, it really didn't matter."

So at 4, Stormy started playing basketball and softball.

The realization that the Kotzelnicks might just have a star athlete on their hands didn't come as clearly as you might think.

"At 6, 7, 8, she still stunk," said Kathy. "She just stunk better than everybody else. She was just a better stinker."

Off the field, Stormy was getting intense training, learning proper technique from special coaches, learning fundamentals. By 11, she had started Crossfit training to gain strength.

"It seemed like she took a big turn when she was 12," said Kathy. "It just started clicking."

Colleges took notice.

"She’s so strong. She’s already built better than (UFC fighter) Ronda Rousey as an eighth grader," said John. "That strength, that power had a lot to do with why Washington made the offer."

Stormy Kotzelnick, 13, started Crosssfit training at
Stormy Kotzelnick, 13, started Crosssfit training at 11 years old. (Photo: Photo provided by John Kotzelnick)
Huskies coach Heather Tarr can't talk about Stormy until she signs a national letter of intent. For Stormy, that will be during her senior year at Carmel High School.

The Kotzelnicks were concerned that committing to a college as early as Stormy did could mean a complete program change by the time she arrives. That's far less likely at Washington. Tarr has 11 more years on her contract.

STAYING DOWN TO EARTH

With her recruitment, Stormy could, arguably, be called the top softball player in the nation for the Class of 2020.

Stormy Kotzelnick poses in her University of Washington
Stormy Kotzelnick poses in her University of Washington gear at the school. (Photo: Photo provided by John Kotzelnick)
But the Kotzelnicks don't use those words much.

"We try to keep Stormy very humble about stuff," said Kathy. "We feel like God gave you certain talents, but stay humble because he can take it right back."

Nothing is given to you, her parents tell Stormy. You have to work for everything.

And work she does. Softball never stops. It's seven days a week. Her Bandits travel team practice starts in January and the season runs April through November.

Meanwhile, Stormy tried out for her eighth grade basketball team at Creekside this week. She made the "A" team.

And another big day is about to hit — Stormy's 14th birthday is this month. Her advice for other young people:

"Always strive for something you don’t think you would accomplish. I honestly didn’t think I would come this far this soon. Just keep working hard and follow where you want to go. Aim really high."

 

My Thoughts

One word comes to mind........ IRRESPONSIBLE


Now we have gone from 14 year old 9th graders doing this now down to 13 year old 8th graders doing this. That's parenting at its best....... NOT!!!!

 

What a joke.
Just reading this article and the parent's quotes tells you all you need to know that it is all about THEM.

The quote above just goes to show that they are also a little bit delusional.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcPsq-3ez0Y

Wow!!! I just watched a youtube video of this girl. Totally awesome!

Haven't seen anything like that since watching the Auburn softball workouts!

 

68 out of the top 100 players in the Class of 2019 are committed.

 

And the parents should be committed as well. Irresponsible people and irresponsible action, enough said