Alabama Softball Newcomer Q&A: Kaylee Tow
1/26/2018 4:35:00 PM | 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 fifth Q&A is with Kaylee Tow, Kentucky's 2017 Miss Softball award-winner who also won a gold medal with the U.S. Women's Junior National Team at the 2017 World Baseball Softball Confederation Junior Women's World Championship last summer alongside Crimson Tide teammate Elissa Brown.
How did you get your start playing softball?
"I went to watch my cousin play at a local park. I had never seen softball before and I thought it was so cool. I just looked at my dad and told him I wanted to play this game."
When did you realize you could potentially play the sport at the college level?
"Not until I started getting recruited. Early on, whenever schools came to watch my freshman year, I still always felt like I was just playing for fun. I think that was one of the things that helped me get recruited. I was never focused on what coaches were out in the crowd, I just played. I never thought about if I was good enough or not good enough to play at certain places."
What schools were you looking at early on?
"I grew up loving Kentucky. I was a big UK basketball fan. They were the first school that offered me and it was my dream for a long time. That was the only thing on my mind but when the other schools came into the picture, my mom wanted me to open up and look at other schools. I looked at some other schools like Tennessee, Texas A&M and Louisville."
When did Alabama come into the picture?
"I really knew nothing about Alabama honestly. When I came on my visit, I didn't do a ton of research since I was focused on Kentucky. When I got here, it immediately became one of the top contenders. I never really saw myself straying far away from home just because that's what I grew up with, I didn't know anything else. By the time I took a second visit to Alabama my sophomore year, I was trying to close out my recruiting. I started praying about it and my dad looked at me and seemed to know this is where I wanted to go. The campus was beautiful and I really felt like I was part of the team, getting to meet everyone."
When did you commit to Alabama?
"It was the end of the day on my second visit and we were all hugging and saying goodbye. I felt like I was ready but it was stressful so I just wanted to talk to my dad first. I wanted to make sure he thought it was a good place for me and that he and my mom were happy. They immediately asked 'are we rolling with the Tide?' and I laughed and said 'I guess so'. We stopped at Target and were buying stuff and I called Coach [Patrick] Murphy and told him I wanted to play for him."
You had the opportunity to play on the USA Junior Women's National Team last summer. How has that helped your transition to playing at Alabama?
"It was great playing with Elissa [Brown] because I wasn't as nervous coming in since I already had a friend. The competition was always at such a high level and that helped when I came here in the fall, especially when I played my first game. Playing for Team USA was a dream-come-true and the emotions were so high. Getting to put on the Alabama uniform was still a fantastic feeling but I was able to control the emotions since I knew what it was like. The coaches with Team USA expected a high level of excellence from us. We played with discipline and represented the colors we wore with class and dignity. That was something I learned over the summer and it carries over to what we strive for at Alabama."
How has the transition to college life off the field been for you?
"It's been great so far. I expected it to be hard, but I've been doing well. We have a great support system. My professors have been great and having the study hall hours really allows you to do your work on time and really focus."
How have you seen the team mesh over the year so far?
"Immediately our freshman class was super close. The first couple weeks, we all hung out with each other. Once we started practicing in the fall and meshed with the whole team, it's been great. This is my favorite team that I've ever been on. Everyone has been super welcoming and helpful. It's not just with softball either, they're always there for us away from the field too."
Looking ahead to the season, what are some of your goals?
"I want to make it to the Women's College World Series and win the national championship. I want to do well in the SEC and continue the level of excellence we've built. I want us to play with passion and fire and make it tough for people to play against Alabama. Individually, I've just been focused on being adaptable and coachable. I played some different positions in the fall so wherever I'm thrown in, I want to do my job as well as I can."
Part of our schedule this year includes a three-game series at Kentucky. Are you excited about the homecoming trip?
"I think my whole town wants to go to that series! A lot of them asked 'why Alabama?' so I want to show them why I decided to play for this team and what we're all about. I always thought I'd play on that field someday but I'll be in the visiting dugout and I'm fine with that. I love where I am."
