The overlooked grind on student-athletes is not one to dismiss as Arizona’s Miranda Stoddard finds her way back to softball and enjoyment in the game once again.
There is a reality to an athlete’s career coming to an end. For some the perspective is immediate, for others it comes in a moment where they realize there is no more pursuit of a championship, no more celebrating on the field with teammates and no more day-to-day grind that is infused with frustration, fatigue and excitement all at the same time.
Sometimes that reality comes at the hands of an unexpected grind that halts the momentum of the passion of game you love. To say Miranda Stoddard is back on track on and off the field would be an understatement.
The fifth-year senior had quite the journey from a standout career at Orange Lutheran High School in Southern California to Kentucky where she played for three seasons and graduated early, deciding to forego her senior season. Bypassing your senior season on paper would seem odd to most people, but it isn’t when you’ve hit a wall that is far too common in college athletics, burnout. It can get the best of any athlete and depending on the player, it can takeaway any joy they have in the game and it did as she wrapped up her career at Kentucky.
“When I left Kentucky I had no intention of ever playing softball again… I was kind of ready to move on with my life. I had been playing since I was four. That’s a long time to be doing anything. I just felt really burnt out, I kind of just forgot why I started playing,” said Stoddard.
Remembering what it was like the first time you felt the euphoria of hitting a ball over the fence, threw a heater to strike someone out or just generally BS’ing with teammates because life shouldn’t be that serious in college is important. It’s all the little things and at times in college athletics it can feel like those little things get lost in the pursuit of perfection. Professional student-athlete is a term that can be far too accurate depending on the situation unfortunately and can result in choices that many people that haven’t been in that position would understand.
But, as the saying goes, “You want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans.” Life threw a proverbial curve ball at Stoddard.
When her father offered her an opportunity to work with him after leaving Kentucky, she did. However, one of her old pitching coaches asked if she’d be a coach in a recreational league coaching eight to 10-year-old girls. Miranda took the gig and the sheer enjoyment the little girls had just playing the game brought it all back home for her.
She recalled all the times she’d beg her parents for extra time hitting, lessons, more time in the field. In the end, the reason why we love sports is for the enjoyment it brings on so many levels. So with that, the seed was planted, but the opportunity wasn’t exactly there for her to take advantage of yet and she was unsure how to go about it.
Stoddard was hesitant to put anything out on social media because she wasn’t too sure what she was looking for, instead, she reached out to former softball Arizona alum Jenny Dalton-Hill who then put Miranda in touch with Arizona softball Head Coach Caitlin Lowe. It took less than 48 hours for the two to join forces and agree to Stoddard becoming an Arizona Wildcat. It also helps that her now husband was already living in Tucson and assisting on the Arizona volleyball coaching staff and may, wink, wink, have had an influence on her decision.
At the end of the day though, it was about the program and the reputation that she kept hearing about. A reputation that gave her the feel that it would be more about the aspects of playing softball that are enjoyable instead of it being a relentless grind without celebrating the small wins, essentially, it wouldn’t feel like a chore.
“I just felt like they were going to remember why I loved the game, even as I am going through 30-hour weeks and as I am waking up for a 7 a.m. lift. I just felt confident that I’d just enjoy playing again.”
The most recent NCAA study on student-athlete health and wellness says that up to 44% experience mental health symptoms on a daily basis. A study by Brown University said that 30% of all student-athletes won’t complete four years due to “burnout.” The phrase is a definition of cognitive-affect syndrome which is an athlete’s “emotional and physical exhaustion, sport devaluation, and reduced sense of accomplishment.” The effects can be severe and diverse from depression to alcohol abuse and more. Every athlete doesn’t have the same support system, but the ones who do are fortunate, like Stoddard.
Stoddard’s parents were excited about her choice to return, but as she was going through the process, they did their best to not bring on added pressure because they wanted to see her reap the benefits of all the years she put in but knew it was out of their control. You can only imagine that as a parent, watching your child lose the joy in something they were so passionate about at one point, how much you want to help, but know you can’t. Sometimes the words you don’t say are what matter.
Now, the newly married Wildcat is helping her No. 7 ranked Arizona squad to a 23-4 record highlighted by wins over No. 4 UCLA, No. 11 Alabama, No. 20 Stanford and No. 23 San Diego State. Stoddard also had one of the more explosive weekends in program history, hitting six home runs at the Bear Down Fiesta leading to her selection as the NFCA and Big-12 Player of the Week in mid-February. She leads the team in slugging percentage and on the mound has a 5-0 record with a 2.67 era in 39.1 innings pitched.
“Coming to Arizona has changed the trajectory of my life… I really think that just being able to enjoy my sport again and go out on a good note and have some closure on 20 years of playing softball is just going to make all the difference. I’m honestly happier than I’ve ever been and I credit that a lot to the University of Arizona and having this opportunity.”
