Alabama Softball Newcomer Q&A: KB Sides
1/22/2018 11:44:00 AM | Softball
We will be posting Q&A's with each of the six newcomers on this year's Alabama softball team heading into the 2018 season. The first Q&A is with KB Sides, an outfielder from Dora, Ala., who was named the state's Gatorade Player of the Year in 2017. At Sumiton Christian High School, she was a three-time Max Preps All-American and led the team to back-to-back state titles in 2015-16. She played club softball with the Birmingham Thunderbolts and played in the 2017 PGF All-American game last summer.
How did you get your start playing softball?
"My sister Katlyn plays softball and she's a senior at UAB now. I always wanted to follow what she did so I started playing tee ball when I was around three and then that eventually transitioned to softball when I was around six or seven."
When did you realize you could take the sport to the next level?
"Probably my seventh-grade year when I started playing for our varsity team. They won a state championship the year before. In eighth grade I ended up playing with my sister's team and they were three years older than I was, so we played travel ball together. That's when I started getting recruited and that's when I knew I could continue to play somewhere and do more than just play it for fun."
Being an Alabama native, was the school high on the list when looking at colleges?
"Pretty much my whole family are Alabama fans. My cousin [Brian Bostick] played football here. I definitely wanted to come here. I have a picture of me and [former UA pitcher] Kelsi Dunne from when I was around eight years old at a game they played at UAB. My dad and I used to come to games together. I started going to camps here around eighth grade."
When did you first reach out to Alabama?
"Around fall of my eighth-grade year, Coach [Patrick] Murphy came to watch me in Watkinsville. He told my coach to give him a call and he watched me play in some high school games too. I had an unofficial visit in October of my ninth grade year and committed on the visit. I visited a bunch of other schools, but I always wanted to go here. My parents always used to tell me not to put all my eggs in one basket. Alabama's program is just a lot different than anywhere else. They really mean what they say with the family atmosphere. It was closer to home too than most other schools I was looking at."
What other schools were you looking at?
"Florida was high on the list for a long time and I also looked at Ole Miss. UAB was the first school I visited since my sister was going there and they were trying to get me to come too. I think I already knew I wanted to be at Alabama though. It felt like a quick decision process. My sister, having already gone through the process, really helped me keep my head on straight and with getting my recruiting profiles together and all of that."
When did you decide to verbally commit?
"I think I knew I wanted to commit before I took the unofficial visit. At the end, we were in the press box and they asked a bunch of questions and then they asked if I wanted to wear No. 8 here and I said yes. It was October 5th of my freshman year. I'll probably remember that day forever."
What is the significance of No. 8 for you?
"I've always worn No. 8. [Four time All-American] Brittany Rogers was the main reason I picked that number. I knew Haylie [McCleney] growing up so I got to see her play in high school and college. Brittany was the main reason though."
Was it a relief to commit so early on?
"It was a big weight lifted. It wasn't really stressful though honestly, it was a fun process. I could see it being stressful if the school you want to go to doesn't offer you. I would have been crushed. I am so blessed to be able to come here though. It was a relief to be able to say I was coming here."
Now that you've spent a semester here, what has the acclimation process been like?
"I came here with an open mind. My sister told me not to expect it to be easy. Once we started practicing on top of classes, I really had to learn how to manage my time. It's like working a job, it's not easy."
How have you blended with the team so far?
"I love everyone. I love our seniors. Demi [Turner] and I have become really close. If the whole team goes 110%, she's always seems to be going 200% and I'd love to be just like her. When she moves, everything is so smooth and all-out."
Was it surreal to be on the field wearing the Alabama jersey for the fall games?
"Last summer I played in the PGF All-American game on TV and if you watched, you could tell I was nervous. My mom and dad told me I looked more relaxed playing that first time at Rhoads Stadium. I don't know if it's just the setting because we practiced there so much or what. It was really cool and there were a lot of fans there. I can't wait to see what it's like in the spring. It's good to get the nervousness off your shoulders early though. It was neat to look in the mirror and see the jersey and realize this is real."
What are your goals for the upcoming season?
"One thing I learned from my sister is that if you don't have big dreams, then you're not dreaming big enough. I would love to be an All-American here, or even just to be on the field as a freshman would be amazing. We had a lot of freshman play last year and obviously it's possible but it just depends on how you perform. Everyone at this level is very good. As a team, we obviously want to go to the World Series. I'd like to win the SEC this year too, especially for our seniors. They work so hard and they're awesome people too. That would be great for them."
