The Fearless Warrior Podcast

061: Bringing a Resilient Mindset in New Environments with Sydney Stewart

• Amanda Schaefer

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For this week's episode, we are sharing the guest speaker call with Sydney Stewart! Sydney is a current collegiate softball player, who started her career at the University of Washington. While at UW, she made an immediate impact as a freshman, starting 44 games at catcher. This summer, she transferred to the University of Arizona where she will represent the Wildcats in the 2025 season.

Episode Highlights:

  • What it was like transitioning from High School to D-1 Collegiate softball
  • How she helped lead her team as a freshman
  • What her experience at the College World Series was like
  • Which mental skills have helped her the most

Connect with Sydney
Instagram: @sydneyystewart

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Speaker 1:

Welcome to the fearless warrior podcast, a place for athletes, coaches and parents who know the value of a strong mindset. I'm your host, coach AB, a mental performance coach on a mission, former softball coach, wife and mom of three. Each episode, we will dive deep into all things mental performance, mindset tools and how to rewire the brain for success. So if your goal is to gain the mental edge and learn the secrets of mental performance, mindset tools and how to rewire the brain for success, so if your goal is to gain the mental edge and learn the secrets of mental performance, you're in the right place. Let's tune in to today's episode.

Speaker 2:

Good evening everyone. We are excited for our new guest speaker tonight. We've invited Sydney Stewart to come and speak to you, ladies. Uh, sydney is going into her junior year. She played her first few years of college at the University of Washington and she just this summer transferred to Arizona. She's gonna have a new team this season, um, down south in Tucson, going from rainy northwest down to Tucson. So that's quite a transition. I don't know if I said she plays catcher and she's already had a stellar collegiate career at UW. She started 44 games as a freshman, which is no small feat. So that's pretty awesome. And she has a really cool stat that I found she is the third player in program history that hit three doubles in a single game against Utah, so only the third person ever to do it at the University of Washington. So that's some good consistent power hitting there to get girls in a single game. So welcome, sydney, and we'll go ahead and turn the time over to you to introduce yourself to the girls.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, thank you so much for having me. I'm super excited to talk to you guys and answer any questions that you have and just tell my story. So, as she said, I'm Sydney. I'm from San Jose, california. I've played softball for about 15 years now 16 years, which is like a little crazy to say. I feel like time's gone by so fast. But yeah, um, I spent two years at the university of Washington and I just transferred over to um university of Arizona and I catch. I've caught for about um. Let's see, I think I started catching one in 12 view, play the positions as everyone does pitcher, third base, outfield, everything but but, yeah, started getting more serious about catching during around 12U and now I'm actually starting to work first into my to my position. So, yeah, I'm excited for today.

Speaker 2:

So that's awesome. Expanding into the other positions in the infield, that's great. Why first base?

Speaker 3:

I think just having it's important to have more than one position, just because you know the more you have, the more you can play. And also pretty tall too, I feel like first basemans tend to be taller and just starting to mix it in, I feel like they catching and first kind of work off of each other. You're always involved catching, you're always catching the ball first, you're pretty much making the play, um, no matter what, but um, yeah, I think that having multiple, multiple positions is really important, um, just to have in, like your, like an, your arsenal, you know just having, yeah, tools yeah, I think I feel like it's less usual.

Speaker 2:

Those pitchers catchers tend to be very much specialists, so I think that's awesome that you're out and giving yourself more options.

Speaker 3:

That's great I will say, though I will say it's been. I've been learning the position. It's probably taken me like I'm just getting into it, but over the summer I took reps with my dad at first just learning the footwork. Being taller, it's kind of hard, like just to get down there. But I will say, ever since being here at the University of Arizona we've been we've been doing about like two weeks of individuals before 20 hour week start and I feel like with the coaching instruction I've improved so much and I'm just super excited just to get on the field with the team and just to play some softball yeah, so you mentioned 20 hour weeks.

Speaker 2:

What do you mean when you say that, yeah, so?

Speaker 3:

20 hour weeks. Basically it's like something with compliance, where you have only a certain amount of time. So right now we're in eight hour weeks, so we're in smaller groups, individuals we're lifting as a team together. But then once we get to drill work, softball work, it's ranging around like and you have like an hour every day with your coaching staff, so we'll usually go like 30 minutes with infield drills and then we'll go 30 minutes hitting, so you're kind of in and out, whereas 20 hour weeks is like full practice. You're in your full gear pants, socks, everything the team can all get together, you still have weights, you still have all that stuff. So basically 20 hour weeks is like more in depth. That's how it is during season two, like when the practices are a little more rigorous.

Speaker 2:

So, yeah, that's, that's what 20 is kind of yeah, so it's like the maximum amount of time you can be together as a team, so that it makes it even across the board all teams, that's as much time as you can spend together, so that not just like forcing the student athletes to be on the field for eight hours a day.

Speaker 3:

Gives you. Gives you some time to relax and get some time off and do other things than softball.

Speaker 2:

Right, maybe a little schoolwork spring. Yeah, exactly, kind of important. That's awesome. So you did a pretty impressive thing where you kind of jumped straight from high school right into that starting role in in a division one, a top division one school. Uw is a, is a perennial I mean a perennial powerhouse. So what was that like? What was that jump like going from high school straight? It's like literally the big league yeah, it was.

Speaker 3:

I'm not gonna lie, it was very intense. I didn't know what to expect as a high schooler, like I kind of had this idea of what college was, but based off of, like, my friends experience, my old teammates experience, but I didn't really know what it truly like, what the college setting was like, um, my. So the summer in between my senior year of high school and then freshman year of college, I actually did this program that you can go. So I went to school for a month and, um, I got to work out with some of my teammates, I got to um, do school, some of my classes, I got some extra credits for it and it was kind of like a transition, um, help with the transition into college, but um, so that really helped.

Speaker 3:

But I would say that, going into from my from high school to college, just for me, the biggest piece was to just take in as much information as possible and just have my listening ears on. I asked a lot of questions. Don't be afraid to ask a lot of questions, even though you may feel like that. You're like bugging your teammate or you keep reaching out to them, but all my teammates were so nice and they helped me so much with just my transition and answering any questions asking if I needed any help with things to help me move into my dorm. So yeah, I'll say asking questions really helped.

Speaker 3:

And once you start getting into the flow of things, you kind of you start getting used to it and kind of get acclimated, so yeah. So once you start doing those things it comes easier and easier and then it's kind of just like day and night, like you just you just know that's like a part of your routine, is part of your schedule and you learn a lot of things, like along the way. I will say my senior year of high school, like I kind of just went with the flow, like I had practice, I had school, like I just I was where I needed to be. But I will say, going into college I didn't realize how much time management you need. I was running in my planner every day like I got to be here 15 minutes early. So it's definitely a lot, but you do get used to it and it's kind of just like engraved in your brain, like your body. I honestly felt like I just knew where to go.

Speaker 2:

Like like after class I was like okay, time for my treatment, then I have my nutrition, then time for practice and yeah, so it comes easy the more you do it yeah, yeah, it's like that that not only are you trying to transition to like a higher level of your sport, but you're also transitioning to that like higher academic level and trying to. You know, and a lot of people it's their first time living alone, you know, living away from home and um, so yeah, all those things kind of run into. One can kind of throw you for a loop. I'm curious to know what is your background with mental skills? You know, here at Phyllis, where you teach those mental skills, did you get any of that in high school or in your club ball, or has it been mostly in college that you've been introduced to that?

Speaker 3:

So growing up my so my dad played. He played for the Braves. He was drafted. After college he went to Sonoma State or went to San Diego State that transferred to Sonoma State and got drafted. So I'll say I was pretty close with him about just like my whole softball career and growing up with softball. So he really helped me with skills. But I never really like tuned in on them until my freshman year of college.

Speaker 3:

Just because you have so many resources whether that's from your coaches, whether that's from the school, whether that's from your teammates and the mental skills part I did not realize how big of a role it plays into not only just like like your how you play as a soccer player on and on the field, but also off the field, like when I'm doing school or just having time to myself or hang out with my family, like um, I think it was, we had a specialist come in actually my freshman year and my sophomore year too, but kind of just describing like how these tools can help you. And they gave, they gave us like all these tools and I was kind of overwhelmed because I'm like OK, like I didn't know my routine yet, I didn't know which ones suited me the best. So I kind of during fall, which is kind of your time, to like try things out, see what, see what works, see what doesn't work I I kind of tried all of them. So I think, like once I started building my routine, I really liked the taking a step out and finding a focal point so that can be like anywhere on the field. So I know, for, like Bailey Klingler, hers was the left foul pole. She, she would always step out, take a deep breath and look at the left foul hole.

Speaker 3:

For me it was stepping out and looking at my bat, so and just taking a deep breath, because the game moves like moves so fast and it's just going to get faster and faster and faster, so you have to take the time to slow it down yourself. So for me my routine is still changing, like you have to find what works best for you. But I'll say the main things that I do is taking a step out of the box and looking at my bat and taking a deep breath, trying to slow down the game and know that I'm in control, because even though things seem like they're moving fast with the new clock you got 20 seconds, I believe, in between each pitch. So you want to utilize all the time that you have, because the more you're sped up, the more you're out of your process and then, um, you're not at your best. I feel like so. Yeah.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, that's awesome. Yeah, we call that grounding. Same idea. Like focal point is like finding something to focus on outside of what you're doing. Re-centers you into what's going on. That's awesome. What so catcher is like? Like pitcher is a unique position in that when you make a mistake, it's not if I get another ball, it's like I have to have this next ball. So what? What would you say for you if you make a mistake behind the plate? Um, pass ball or whatever else? What do you do to be able to get yourself ready for that next bit? What's your failure recovery routine that you go through?

Speaker 3:

Um, I think, as I like mentioned before, the game moves so fast that it's almost like you don't really have time to think about the pass or the ball that I didn't catch or that got past me. Sometimes it does eat at you, right, but for me, just like knowing that there's seven innings in a game and there's going to be so many like other balls that you're going to catch, there's going to be so many more instances in the game where, like you, can't be focused, focused on that one pass mistake. So I think, for me, like just the game doesn't really let me, it doesn't allow me to really hyper fixate on that one mistake. Because I got, I have my pitcher to worry about, right, I have to make sure that she's good. I have the team to worry about, like making sure that I'm doing my job for my team. I have hitting to worry about, like there's two sides of the game.

Speaker 3:

So, for me, the tools that I use, I try to think bigger picture, right, like there are so many more games in your season, right, that's just one mistake. Everyone makes mistakes. That's just one one of them, right? Um, and yeah, I just try to focus on the different things and I my like what I tell myself is like, hey, get the next one, right, get the next one. So it's trying to move on to the next instead of being so much about the past.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, that's awesome. That's great advice. It can um and also so a catcher is a big time. Just by virtue of the position, you are in charge of a lot of things. Right, you're a leader, you're moving people around, you're telling them what to do. How did you navigate that as a freshman, coming on or coming around your infield and your outfield when you know they're seniors and you know, yeah, you're a freshman, how did you, how did what skills helped you be able to do that? Like how? How are you able to be a leader in that way?

Speaker 3:

on your side. I think the biggest like piece was my confidence like you, being out on the field, you can be a totally different person and you are off the field. Like me personally, like I'm like goofy, funny, but like I'm not someone that's like as a catcher, you have to be big, you have to be out there, right, you have to be loud, like off the field, like I'm very casual, I'm just, I just do me, I do sit. And on the field, though, you have to like, you have to channel like this alter ego, almost like and I will say too, just getting that instruction.

Speaker 3:

Like as a freshman, I was kind of like, ok, trying to find my place on the field, trying to find my place just seeing how the team flowed and because it was mostly seniors out on the field and I like didn't want to be overpowering because they were, they're seniors and I'm a freshman.

Speaker 3:

But as I got closer with them and built a relationship with them and got more comfortable, like it wasn't a matter of fact of, oh, like I'm a freshman, you're a senior, it's like no, we're all, we're all equal, we're all the same, we have just as much of a voice as one another and, um, I think building that trust aspect like really helped me, because I was comfortable with telling my innings like, hey, let's time out, let's meet in the middle, like let's slow it down or just any other like example too.

Speaker 3:

But, um, yeah, I will just say, like just the confidence piece and making sure that you build the trust with your, your innings, because, and your outfield too, I guess. But at the end of the day, like it doesn't matter how many fans are out there, who's who, the other team is, who you're playing against, just as long as you're focusing on the things you need to focus on, which is, one, your teammates, putting your teammates first and then, two, the things that you need to do in order to be successful and, like doing things the right way, you're going to be just fine.

Speaker 2:

That's awesome. So you got to go to the World Series as a freshman. What was that like? What was that experience like? What do you take away from it? How was it being on that stage?

Speaker 3:

That was. If someone asked me what is like my top memory so far in my 20 years of being alive, I'll say like going to the. The whole like post-season experience was one of the best experience I've ever had. My freshman year just going, starting from regionals when we played McNeese and we were down seven runs or six runs and we scored seven in the last inning. That was a crazy experience. Then going to super regionals, we beat Louisiana Lafayette. It was just a crazy atmosphere we hosted so it filled out.

Speaker 3:

And then getting to go to the World Series, it didn't hit me until I got there I was like, oh, we're going to the World Series, oh, my gosh. And then we got there and I remember we had practice before, we had our games and I'm out on the field and I'm looking at the stands and I'm like we're at the World Series right now. Not a lot of people get to say that they went to the world series and it was just, it was awesome. I like it was crazy because I wasn't even nervous for some reason. I was more nervous when I was, um, when we were practicing, when the stands weren't filled out.

Speaker 3:

But I think our first game was against Utah.

Speaker 3:

And I step out there and I see all these fans and I'm like, I think, just because of the experience that I had with the season and just getting used to it, like I wasn't really phased, because I knew that I trusted my preparation, I trusted my team's preparation and I knew that at the end of the day, it's just a game.

Speaker 3:

Even though there's 15,000 people in the stands and there's cameras on ESPN and everything like it's on live television. Like, at the end of the day, it's just the game that we've all played and it's just, yeah, just the game of softball. But yeah, that was a crazy experience, just, and also like for my family too, being being able to see my family out there to come support me. It was just, it was awesome and I always watch it back on YouTube because it's like clipped on YouTube and I'll watch our games back and I just like to reminisce and look back at it and it's cool to think that, like, I have two more years left and that, the end of the day, that's the goal to get back to the world series. So super excited.

Speaker 2:

That's awesome, all right. Well, we've got like 10 ish more minutes. We'll open up to the girls that are here on the call. If any of you have a question for Sydney that you'd like to ask, you're welcome to unmute if you want to, or you can type it in the chat and we'll go ahead and ask her some rapid fire questions. What do you want to know from Sydney?

Speaker 3:

Can you see that? Yeah, recruiting phone. What is your advice for recruiting phone calls? I remember September 1st of my junior year being so, so, so nervous. Right, because it's the big day. Everyone's been waiting, um, it's just the anticipation.

Speaker 3:

But my biggest advice is just to be you. I know it's cliche, a lot of people say it, but at the end of the day, like coaches want to see who you are truly, like you don't need to change yourself for anything and they're already interested in you if they're calling you. Um, so I'd say, just to be one. Of course, be respectful, because they're coaches. But two, yeah, just answer any question, answer the questions that they have about you.

Speaker 3:

But also, I would advise you to come with questions because this is your recruiting journey. Like you shouldn't rush into it. It should should be a thought out process. I know some people make the mistake of like it's just the hype, like okay, like this school is reaching out to me, this school is reaching out to me, like there's all these shiny things. But truly, you should do your research, go on your visits, ask the questions, because at the end of the day, it's going to be your home for the next four years. Maybe next four years, maybe four plus years, because after college some people come back, some people will live out there or live out there after college. So my yeah, my advice is just to do your research, come with questions and just be yourself. At the end of the day, yeah, awesome.

Speaker 2:

And Lauren asks asks. I play catcher in first. Any tips or advice for those positions?

Speaker 3:

yeah um see, I just advise you just to have the utmost confidence in yourself and, um, everyone's. I know people say like get, get your work in, get your work in. But confidence comes from preparation. And I'll say like, at first base last, my sophomore year, last year, I kind of just got thrown into the position. I didn't really have too much what's the word? Too much like experience at first and I kind of I didn't have a lot of confidence there and I kind of I didn't have a lot of confidence there. So this past summer I told my dad, hey, like literally hit a hundred straight balls at me with the worst hops ever and it at first it was really hard because I just didn't know the footwork Right. But the more you do it, the more you get comfortable. Um, for catching, like I said, um, just just know that the presence that you have like behind that plate, like you command the field, you have that role of being a leader and just take ownership of it. Like for me, catching, having confidence in my catching leads to confidence in my hitting. And then confidence in my hitting leads to confidence in my catching, and it's kind of this this cycle. So just yeah, trust yourself and yeah, awesome, yeah, and then I know there's um. Those were the two questions asked.

Speaker 3:

But another piece of advice I'd say is to embrace the failure. I know that's kind of weird to say, but everyone has gone through slumps. Everyone knows what a slump is, but you have to realize that, like, while you're in your slump, it might be like the worst thing, you might think it's the worst thing ever, but you're going to get out of it. Like you've been through a slump before, you've gotten out of it and everyone knows the feeling of getting out of slump. It's the best feeling ever. Once you get you get that hit, it goes through and you're like, yes, I got that. Finally the slump's broken.

Speaker 3:

But I'd say, embrace it, because no one wants to just ride the highs, right? Because when you ride the highs, then once you hit the lows, the lows are going to feel like the worst thing ever. So try to stay consistent and just to trust your capabilities and be like, hey, if I'm in the slump, I'm going to get out of it. I trust myself that I'm going to do the work. I trust I've gone out of a slump before and I'm going to do it again. So just try to approach it with that mindset.

Speaker 2:

Awesome. Any other questions you got?

Speaker 3:

ladies, there's one more. When you strike out, what is your mindset at your next at bat? Yeah, so, when you striking out, everyone does it Softball. Softball is a game of failure, unfortunately. But I'd say, when I strike out, just knowing that I'm going to get to this next one, kind of the same thing with, like we talked about catching like, if it's a pass ball, like that's in the past, I'm onto the next, and it might feel like the worst thing ever in the moment and you might, might just keep eating at you, but, like I said, like trusting in your preparation, like, hey, I'm gonna get to this next one.

Speaker 3:

Normally, how I think about is like, normally in a game, you get three at bats on average, depending on the length of the game or how many innings it goes into. It could be less, it could be more, but all you have to do is beat her once, right. So say, you strike out your first at bat. You have two more at bats, right, you strike out your second bat. Hey, you got one more at bat, right. So just trying to like think of it in a different way. It's all about perspective, kind of. So I challenge you guys to like approach it, even though in the moment it might, you might not be able to like. Think about that. Try to approach it in a different way, like, hey, okay, she got me this time, I'm getting hurt this next time yeah, it's awesome.

Speaker 2:

So many things in there self-talk and you know, recovering from failure. Yeah, exactly. It is crazy that we that this game, that you have to fail so many times exactly to succeed a few times. It's rough. Uh, any other questions? No, no, pre-game meal question. I'll go ahead and ask it for you guys. So you guys always ask that question what? What's the? It's a pre-game food. What do you like to eat? Pregame, pregame food.

Speaker 3:

Well, one depends on what's being like catered from the school, but for me I just like I don't like to eat too much because then I like. I feel like we're running around a lot catching gear. Could be hot, could be cold, but my pregame routine is I listen to um, it's my walk-up song. I'll listen to it before the game. It's tell me when to go by e40. So that's a part of my routine and then I'll go through like my hitting routine, of course, but that's my like. Off the field. Pre-game routine.

Speaker 2:

any other questions, girls, or I'm gonna ask my last, my final question, the final question that we always like to ask is if you were a time traveler and you could travel back in time to talk to previous Sydney, whenever that is for you high school, junior high, 10 year old, whatever, whatever you want to travel back to, what advice would you give yourself? What advice would you give your former self? Would?

Speaker 3:

you give yourself. What advice would you give your former self? I'd tell my former self to just embrace the time that you're in now because it's going to go by so fast and the moments that my old, my little self is in right now. It's times that you're going to build your foundation on, whether that's your friendships, your softball skills, your position, traveling, everything. I'd say embrace those times.

Speaker 3:

I wish I could go back and re-experience, like my high school was one of the best times. Don't get me wrong. College is amazing. I love being in college and experiencing life outside of softball too, like just adulting. But I look back and I still keep in contact with my old friends that I played with in high school and even in rec ball. So I'd say, be where your feet are at and just embrace the moments that you're in now. Even though you may not want to travel somewhere on the weekend for your travel ball tournament, you've been there, however many weekends in a row, or you've been in that tournament almost every year. Just, yeah, just live in the moment and, yeah, embrace it.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, that's such good life advice. It's so easy to think, oh, when this happens, then I'll be happier, when this happens, then I'll be happy. But yeah, to live life where you are now, find joy where you are now. I think that's such good advice, Sydney for joining us, and thanks girls that were here for um for your questions and for your participation. Uh, we'll we'll definitely be cheering you on and watching you do great things out of Arizona, so that's going to be super fun. Thank you so much.

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