Catching You: A Dad and Daughter's Dive into Softball
Misfits, Diamond Queens, Sweet Heat, and the Cotton Candy Crushers. Team Mizuno, BatBusters, Athletics Mercado. Those of you in the softball space will relate to team names like these. All have their stories. We have ours.
Our goal is to tell our story in hopes the next generation of softball players and parents, along with other sports, will be able to navigate through those ups and downs in a positive way.
Catching You: A Dad and Daughter's Dive into Softball
82 | REPLAY Episode 30: From Petaluma to Arizona: Sam Banister’s Softball Journey & Beyond
Two-time NCAA Champion. Travel ball veteran. Softball lifer. Sam Banister joins Rusty and Lacie Ham for a brutally honest and hilarious ride through her softball story—from backyard fields in Petaluma to the national stage at Arizona.
In this special Part 1 of our Catching You conversation, Sam opens up about:
Getting scouted at age 3 (yes, really… a fairground throwing contest!)
Playing for her dad… and why her mom finally said “enough”
Don Ford’s “order of importance” tryouts (you’ve got to hear this)
How a VCR-era recruiting video landed her in front of Coach Candrea
Winning two national championships—and the injuries no one saw coming
The reality of being sidelined with a collapsed lung as a freshman
Why post-college life was so disorienting (and how softball saved her)
We also dive into the evolving recruiting landscape, the rise of mental health awareness in sports, and how Lacie and Sam compare notes on life after softball.
💥 Raw, relatable, and ridiculously fun, this episode is for every softball player, parent, and coach navigating the highs and lows of the game—and life.
🎧 New episode next week: Part 2 – Coaching, Mindset, and What’s Next for the Game
👇 Follow & Subscribe for more real-deal father-daughter softball stories.
#CatchingYou #SoftballPodcast #SamBanister #CollegeSoftball #MentalHealth #FatherDaughterPodcast
A couple of years ago, as a family, we created family core values. One of them is, "We face challenges with optimism while displaying a growth mindset." We wanted to tell our story so others, who relate, can navigate through these challenges better. Contributing to our Podcast will show we're on the right track and we're making a difference to those who have similar stories. Buy Us A Coffee
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