Name: Danielle Whitman

Sport: Softball

Position: Outfielder

Year: Sophomore

Hometown: Downers Grove

High School: Downers Grove South HS

Lily Goodfellow: When did you start playing softball?

Danielle Whitman: I started in first grade doing Dolls, which was the local league for little girls. It just flourished from there, and I played all throughout high school. I decided I wanted to keep playing, and I got an offer from Barry [Froehle], our head coach. So I was like, “I’ll come and play two more years here because I love the game so much.”

LG: What has softball taught you about testing your personal limits both physically and mentally?

DW: Physically, it’s really important to stay in shape. As an outfielder, you have to practice endurance. Sometimes we do lifting, so that helps a lot. But then sometimes outside of practice I’ll just run on the treadmill at the local gym. Over the years, I’ve learned that running is important, even if it’s not my favorite thing. Mentally, the beginning of this year was a little rough. There was a lot of stress with it being my last year here, and possibly my last year playing. But I’m crossing my fingers it’s not. Staying positive is very important. And being fine with making errors is important. Errors happen to everybody and you have to just let it roll right off your back and keep playing the game. In the beginning of the year I was a little negative. I was self-aware of that. I knew I needed to take deep breaths, do a little meditation before games, and clear my head before every at bat. That definitely helped me become a better player, starting from the beginning of the year to right now, which is towards the end. 

LG: You earned the team sportsmanship award in high school. What qualities do you have that led to receiving that award?

DW: In high school, I didn’t play much. But I got the sportsmanship award for cheering on my teammates all the time. I was right up on the fence cheering on both offense and defense. I never complained about anything and I was always ready to play, to be thrown in the game whenever the coach decided. So the qualities I have are always being ready to play hard and go at it. Positivity is very important in the game of softball, or really in any sport. So I have a connection with every teammate and understand what gets them encouraged and what to lay off of so they don’t get upset or in their head. I support them even if I’m not playing, or if I am on the field or on deck, I’m just always encouraging them and telling them, “you got this.” We’re at an age now where we all know what to do, so all I can really say is “you got this, I believe in you, you know what to do.”

LG: What do you think is your best skill in softball?

DW: That’s a tough one. I like to think that I get pretty good jumps on the ball in the outfield. Whenever it’s hit off the bat, I’m able to go for it very aggressively. That’s physical. Mentally, I guess my best skill is just encouraging everybody and hyping them up because when you go out on that field, you can already kind of see how the game is going to go. Before we’re even warmed up or anything, you can tell people are happy to be there – smiling, laughing, but still serious at the same time and ready to go. I think I tend to bring that energy onto the field. 

LG: How have your coaches helped you?

DW: A lot of times they’ve helped me go back to the basics of softball. Sometimes, especially with hitting, you can get in your head. The coaches are able to look at my swing and help me straighten it back out and get back in my groove. Another coach is my dad. He’s been there since I was playing in first grade and so he’s my own personal coach. He’s been there to help me clear my head and reassure me that I know what I’m doing and that I’m a good player. He can tell me exactly what I need to fix. I think all of my coaches have always helped me by being there to reassure me and help me go back to the basics. 

LG: What are your plans after you leave COD?

DW: Right now I am registered to go to Western Illinois [University], which is about three and a half hours west. I plan to major in their criminal justice studies program. I’m all set up with that, so that’s pretty exciting. And I’m actually trying to get in contact with the coaches there to see if maybe I can walk on their team and play for them. Because I think playing for another two years would be really awesome.

LG: What do you think you’ll miss most about COD?

DW: I think I miss my teammates a lot. I think our dynamic this year is fantastic. There’s barely any drama and we’re all there for each other. We know how to have a good time and every time I see them I am excited to talk to them and hang out. I think I’ll miss the big group like that when I’m gone.

LG: Your bio says that you enjoy binge watching. What do you like to binge watch?

DW: I binge watch a lot. It’s probably a bad habit. They just take you right to the next episode and I’m like, “okay, take the wheel, Netflix!” Right now I’m watching Supernatural. It’s fifteen seasons long and I’m only on six, so I think that might take me a while. I also like to watch a lot of movies, so if it’s a series, I’ll binge watch that. I binge watched the whole Twilight series with my best friend. We like to make fun of the movies a lot, so that was a good time.

LG: What is your favorite food?

DW: That’s actually a hard question, because I love food. I really love tacos. Sometimes at a restaurant if I don’t know what to order, I’ll just get tacos. And I really love dessert too. I definitely have a sweet tooth. So if there’s a cookie or cheesecake on the menu, I’ll always go for those. 

LG: What one word best describes you?

DW: This is a hard question! I’d say both encouraging and funny.

LG: Thank you very much, Danielle.

DW: Yeah, thank you!