Conch Pride with Marina Goins

Pressure situations don’t create a clutch player, they reveal one. That’s why sitting down with Marina Goins feels like getting a real look at what makes a Key West athlete rise when the moment gets loud. Marina is a Lady Conchs softball standout who took her game from the Backyard to college softball, first through the JUCO route at Pensacola State College and then to NCAA Division II at Lynn University, and she’s honest about what each level demands.

We get into the differences between JUCO and D2 softball, from the “no restraints” grind of junior college practices to the NCAA limited hours that force you to develop discipline on your own. Marina also shares what she tells herself in the batter’s box, how she reads the field, and why her goal is always to “produce,” no matter what that looks like. If you care about leadership, mental toughness, and becoming a better teammate, her definition of a great teammate is simple and strong: communicate, stay humble, bring grit, and ride for your team.

The conversation goes beyond stats. We talk about balancing academics and athletics, building confidence through mentoring younger players, and how girls weightlifting helped her get stronger and hit with real power. Marina closes the loop on what Conch Pride means, why Key West community matters, and what she’s doing next with a biology degree and the start of chiropractic school.

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Transcript

Welcome To Conch Pride

Joy Nulisch 0:00

Thanks for tuning in to the conks, a Bring Joy podcast. I'm your host, Joy Nulisch. I'm a first generation conk raised by a fourth. What does that add up to? A whole lot of conk pride. And that's what this show is all about. Celebrating the incredible people of Key West and their stories from every corner of our conk community. So sit back and relax, cuz. Let's do this thing. Shout out to Randy and Ambrass Aveda for supporting the show and keeping Conch Pride alive.

Lani Barns 0:28

Hi Marina, I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate you. You have been more than a sophomore mentor. You have been like a big sister to me. Everything you have taught me and the way you believed in me means the world to me. Thank you for everything. Love Lonnie.

Lynn University Commentator 0:42

And now, number 12, Marina Goens. She's exploded by her mom, dad, and brother. Goans has been a consistent contributor for the Fighting Knights, bringing versatility, toughness, and leadership to the lineup. This season she hit 265 with 27 hits, 18 RBI, and 9 doubles. Highlighted by a four RBI game at Barrie. At US Native, Marina has been a dependable presence for Lynn and a true team first player throughout her time in the blue and white. Ladies and gentlemen, number 12, Marina Goins.

unknown 1:19

Woo! Woo!

Joy Nulisch 1:24

How

Meet Marina Goins

Joy Nulisch 1:25

are we doing, Conch fans? I got a good one for you today. We're talking with Marina Goins, a Lady Conch softball legend. Welcome to the show, Marina. Hi, thank you for having me. I'm excited to have you. I know you're super busy right now with everything going on. You're finishing up your uh college career, your softball career. So I appreciate you taking time to hang out. Thank you, of course. I'm glad. And you

Her College Softball Path

Joy Nulisch 1:51

know, let's start right there at college. You've been playing, um, been in college for four years now, playing college ball for four years. Let's start with your college softball journey. Tell me about it.

Marina Goins 2:02

Well, I've played softball for as long as I can remember, from 8-U travel ball now to my senior year of college. Um I've been in and out of travel ball, rec league, you know, Key West High softball. And then I went to Pensacola State College for JUCO and did my first two years there. And then I went to Lynn University now in Boca for my last two.

Joy Nulisch 2:31

Yeah, that's great. And uh, what what positions have you played in college? Because I know you play a lot of first base and outfield as a Lady Kong.

Marina Goins 2:39

Yeah, when I went to college, I I kind of stuck with both of those. I did a lot of first base and outfield. I did more first base, I would say, between Pensacola and Lynn, but a lot this year has been in the outfield because we needed a canon out there.

Joy Nulisch 2:57

I've seen some video which may end up in this episode once I do that post-production. I'll I'll say that. Um, good stuff. And talk about some of the milestones and moments that you've had in your college career.

Marina Goins 3:11

There's just so many things I could say. Uh, for starters, when I was in Pensacola, they had just come off of a conference win the year before. So when I got there, we didn't get our conference win, but we were runner-ups. So we still got to go to States, which was an amazing experience to make it there, especially my first year of college. It was so exciting. Lynn has been a roller coaster, you know, being able to go to a Division II NCAA school was an adjustment, but even that, it's been such an amazing experience now getting to see what different level programs are in the college softball world.

Joy Nulisch 3:52

Yeah,

JUCO Versus D2 Reality

Joy Nulisch 3:53

that's that's um, that's really interesting because one of your former teammates, Jay Castillo, who's now a part of the lady coaching staff, she had a question for you. I'm gonna go ahead and ask it now. She wants to know um, what were some of the biggest differences you noticed between JUCO and D2 in terms of games, practices, and workouts?

Marina Goins 4:16

Yeah, so in JUCO, there is no rules, right? So you go in there and you're like, wow, I've made it to college. I'm playing college softball. And then you go out there, practice day one, and I was there all day. All day. There was no restraints, limits, time limits, anything on practices. You sometimes I didn't even know what time I was gonna have to be at practice until the morning of. So JUCO definitely keeps you on your toes, but the work ethic is unmatched. We were grinding out as a team, having to go through all the things together, not knowing. And I feel like that is what makes JUCO amazing because you almost have to fight and struggle a little bit more, but it makes it so much more worth it in the end. And then going to NCAA, now you come in and there's uh limited hours. So when you can practice during a week and especially in the difference between in-season and out-of-season play. Um so yeah, when you're in the NCAA level, now it's like you have to be able to put in the work outside of practice because you only have your set amount of time to get the work in with your team and your coach.

Joy Nulisch 5:42

So she had a follow-up question. She says that a lot of players overlook JUCO. Um, what would you say to someone who thinks that that route isn't worth it?

Marina Goins 5:55

I would say that you are completely wrong. I, if anything, I think when it came to college ball, JUCO is the one that made me who I am for the throughout the rest of my college career. I think I learned the most in my JUCO years than I have now. Not to say anything bad about being at a higher level. Being at a higher level is fantastic, but when you're in JUCO, it's a grind. And obviously all levels of college are a grind. But when there are not as many rules in JUCO, you figure out how to stay tough.

Joy Nulisch 6:35

And that's part of the process, right? Is that I think for most players in JUCO, is you want to go to that next level. So you're willing to grind and go through the walls and and all those things. What are some of the other experiences that softball gave you in college? Did you get to travel outside of Florida and see some other states and other venues?

Marina Goins 6:56

Yeah, when I was in Pensacola, obviously, we're further up in Florida. So we would kind of drive out and we'd play games in Alabama. We played LSU freshman and sophomore year. So we were kind of traveling all around that area. And then this year and last year, being in Boca, we actually flew to South Carolina for our kind of kick-off the season tournament. Uh so that's awesome having the experience to fly with the team.

Joy Nulisch 7:26

I had Bella Perez on a um a couple of months back, and she said that when they're in the airport, everybody's looking at them like, where are all those girls going? So if they were private planes or commercials, she said no, they were commercial. Same for you. A hundred percent. We are on commercial with everybody looking. Where's Lynn? Oh, very good, very good. Well, I I mentioned that Jade had a question for you. I put out there on social media that I was going to have you on the show, and I asked if anybody wanted to ask any questions. Well, let me just say, kid, you got a lot of fans because we got a lot of questions. So if you don't mind, let's get to some of those right now.

What A Great Teammate Does

Joy Nulisch 8:09

One of the other things that Jade mentioned, she wanted to say was she says, I only got to play with Marina for one year, but she's still one of my favorite teammates I ever got to play with. She also goes on to talk about a moment that you walked it off. She was on second base, I believe, and and scored the run that you knocked in. So that was a moment that that both of you always share. And we'll talk more about that later. She talks about you being a good teammate. So my follow-up question is what does a good teammate look like?

Marina Goins 8:43

In my opinion, I think a good teammate is someone who's a leader, somebody who's going to ride or die with the team. I think it a good teammate is somebody who communicates well. I feel like one of my biggest things throughout the years has been communication, being able to be loud on the field, but still be humble and but have the same type of grit and strength when you play without it being cocky. So I think a good teammate kind of encompasses all of that.

Joy Nulisch 9:16

So um, speaking of uh your fans, one of your younger fans, Ari Blanco, she sent in this question: What's the best advice for younger girls who want to be where you are one day?

Marina Goins 9:28

I would say practice. Practice, work hard. You know, a lot of the times when you're young, you don't know what you want to do. You might have this growing love for softball and not even know what to do with it yet. Uh, so I would say just keep working hard, go outside and go hit some balls or throw a ball up against the wall by yourself without anybody telling you to do it. Because in the end, like those are the moments that are gonna make you stand out from other people. Good stuff right there.

Joy Nulisch 10:01

Her mom Ashley also sent a message. She wanted to thank you for always showing up for the girls when they're the way tournaments, when they're on the road, you show up. When you come home to visit from college, you stop by and check in on them. And she wanted you to know that really builds a confidence. And she says you're one of a kind. Thank you.

Marina Goins 10:23

I love you guys.

Joy Nulisch 10:25

There's another fan of yours, Leilani Barnes. Yes, ma'am. Ma'am. Yeah. Miss Leilani, she asked, she asked a bunch of questions. Um the first one is what do you tell yourself when you're up to bat?

Marina Goins 10:39

When I get in that batter's box, all I can think in my head is I'm going to produce. Whatever the circumstances may be, depending on where the runners are on base. My thought always is go be productive because that's how you score runs. Whatever it looks like, whatever your hit looks like, I always think I'm gonna go do something next, rather than watching everything happen in front of me.

Joy Nulisch 11:10

She also asks, what keeps you motivated to keep improving?

Marina Goins 11:14

I would say my motivation definitely comes from my girls, my young girls that I work with all the time. I have so many, I can't even count on my finger how many I work with back at home in Key West. But I've even gotten the opportunity to do lessons with some girls up here. And I just feel like working with them gives me the love for everything on top of the love I already have for the sport. But my girls are what keeps me going. I gotta do it for them now.

Joy Nulisch 11:47

They're probably screaming right now when they watch this. Very, very good. Leonani also asked, would you ever coach a team? And if you could start a softball camp, what ages would it be?

Marina Goins 11:59

I would definitely coach a team. I I already have the love for it. Right now, it's kind of just been with the time that I've had with playing, you know, that I that's not something that I could do right now. But I would definitely want to do it in the future, and especially in Key West. Like, that's how I learned. That's how I grew. So the thought of being able to give back, especially to my own community, is something like I would do it 100%. And for camps, all ages, if anybody wants to come, I I will do it. Sounds good. Any chance you'll be home this summer? I uh am starting chiropractic school this upcoming week. So I don't have any definite dates yet of when I'll be home, but I definitely will have the time to be able to come down on the weekends now that I won't be playing anymore. So there'll be plenty of weekends coming in the near future for me to be able to do something like that again.

Chiropractic School And Next Steps

Joy Nulisch 12:58

And let's back up because I I had that question to come up to ask you what did you study when you were in school? I know you've earned your degree. Um, and what is next for you? You mentioned chiropractic school, so talk a little bit more about that, because that's a big deal.

Marina Goins 13:11

Yeah, so I have gotten now my uh bachelor's in biology, which has been a whirlwind because I was not I had expectations. Getting a bachelor's in biology exceeded those expectations. So, um, but it's just an achievement to have. It's not easy getting a bachelor's degree in a science like that. So I'm very proud of myself for that. Which brings me into um me starting chiropractic school now, which is so exciting. I cannot wait to start. It's always kind of been something I always said I wanted to do, and then I started working for chiropractors in a couple places, and it just fostered my love for being hands-on with people, helping people in a holistic way rather than throwing medications and stuff. Being able to get the body moving, I feel like is what matters.

Joy Nulisch 14:11

I also had Dr. Michael Stern on the show. He has Southernmost Sports Chiropractic here in Key West. We did an episode um a couple weeks back. So um sounds like that's a great career. Yes. And I'm trying to hold my posture up as I'm talking to you because I I feel self-conscious now. So I'm gonna get the body moving. Let's go.

Marina Goins 14:32

Uh yes, ma'am.

Joy Nulisch 14:34

Let's get back to the questions. Miss Annie Garcia, she wants to know what's the number one rule to play any sport at the next level.

Marina Goins 14:44

Say to love it. To love it on the hard days, to love it on the good days. If you're gonna do it, you're gonna go all out, right? You're not gonna go halfway on anything. If you're gonna play at the next level, you're gonna do it and you're gonna do it good. Because you're gonna make sure that you put in that time and effort to do it.

Joy Nulisch 15:04

Uh she also less left a comment. I wasn't sure if I was gonna read it um or just send it to you later, but I'm gonna go ahead and read it to you now. She says that you are the definition of perseverance and hard work. Never scared to fail. She knew she could stand up and go again and keep fighting. It's good stuff. Yeah. I love Miss Annie. I think a lot of people here in Key West love you too, kid. So speaking of that, I think this might be one of your former teachers, uh, Miss Kim Widener and Angela Ewing also sent in questions, and theirs were similar, so I'm pairing these up.

Balancing Sports School And Life

Joy Nulisch 15:43

What advice would you give to upcoming college students to balance academics, sports, and still have a social life?

Marina Goins 15:51

I would say one of my biggest things going through this whole process has kind of been keeping everything separate, which isn't something that a lot of people might view it as. But when I'm at the softball field, I'm at the softball field, I am focused, I'm all in on softball. And then when I'm in the classroom, all of my attention then goes to my school and my studying, because the second you start interlocking those, like all of the different things, is when you'll start to get overwhelmed and lose yourself. Um, I also think that one of my biggest things is being able to have hobbies outside of your sport. So again, you pour so much into the sport that you're playing or even your schoolwork. But I think being able to have hobbies outside, whether that's journaling, whether that's going for a run, even working out, like that's something that just makes you better without it having to be your school or your sport.

Joy Nulisch 16:54

Really good. Great responses right there.

Lady Conchs Legacy And Coach Tribute

Joy Nulisch 16:58

Let's change gears a little bit. You know, on the intro, I said you were a lady conch legend. So let's talk about your lady conch softball career. You were a big part of the era that raised the bar, paved the path to the state finals, and the team since have continued to press. And that's now the baseline, right? Regionals, you know, district championship, regionals becomes the baseline. Then you know you got a winning program. I've got a message here for you. I want to play. Coach Jason Garcia left you a message. He's um he's in the middle of regionals as it is, so um, I really appreciated him taking time, and I I think you're gonna love this message.

Coach Jason Garcia 17:46

Marina, we as a program and a coaching staff were so lucky to have you as a player from 2019 to 2022. It was our pleasure to coach you. It was an experience I will never forget. When we talk about hardworking, relentless players to our young lady conks, your name is at the very top of the list. The commitment you made as a two sport athlete, lifting in softball, was unless in our eyes. You would come to practice after working out or me and never complain. Even though you were tired and sore, you would always take extra BP, extra infield, or even outfield to get better. Your play on the field, your hustle, your refuse to lose attitude is something hard to explain. On the field during the games, we as coaches always knew we were getting everything you had. Be it by diving, running into the fence, taking the extra base, sliding in hard, whatever it took. You did it. You and I know one of your brightest moments came as a young freshman in one of the biggest games in Lady Conch history. Coming through in walk-off fashion with a base hit to secure the game and propel us to a regional championship in 2019. I remember telling you relax. You will be fine. You're gonna walk it off right now. What happened? You did exactly that. You and I joked that whole year about your bad and average. Nobody remembers that. What they do remember is the base hit to win it. You always be a standard of hard work, dedication, and hopefully your next chapter in life will be filled with happiness and success, which I know it will be because of the person you are. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the great memories we shared and all the amazing victories that we won.

Marina Goins 19:19

Love that man. Made me cry when he sent it to me. Oh god. You're talking about me. Oh, I can't say enough good things about him. He has been the best coach ever, I've ever had. He loves a program. You you could see it, and when I reached out and let him know that I was going to be talking to you, right away he said, Don't worry, I got something for you. When you hear him talk about the program and what you mean to the program, the impact that you had on the program, what impact has Kunk Softball had on you? I think that conch softball honestly changed my life. Um, being in a small town, you know, you don't really have much expectations other than because of how amazing our community is, you know that even though you're playing high school, it feels like you're playing in the big leagues because of everybody standing behind you all through the years. And, you know, when you're younger, I used to go and watch the games myself, and I would just see them playing out there like, oh my gosh, I want to be out there. Like, that's what I'm going to do. Um Key West softball is unmatched. I can say that without a doubt. I have so much love for my community. I'm so grateful for for all four years of softball that I was able to do there. Um I think that that is literally, that's made me who I am.

Joy Nulisch 20:59

That's good stuff.

Big Hits And Clutch Mindset

Joy Nulisch 21:00

You mentioned uh your freshman year. Um as I said, Jade shared that memory also. She was a senior that year. That was your freshman year when you walk it off in this, I think it was semifinal regional game, right? Mm-hmm. So, what are some of the other big moments that that you had at the backyard or being part of that team and uh that that you still think about when you can't sleep at night, it might pop into your head.

Marina Goins 21:30

Well, I always think about that one for starters. It was as a little freshman at the time, it was so scary, like there were so many things going through my head because not only was it that high of a level game, but we were playing Gulliver, right? So when I was a freshman, you hear all these stories about we're playing Gulliver, you know, like this is no joke. We made it this far and on top of it. Of that, look at who we're playing. So I don't think I'll ever forget that because not only was it like I'm going in at this moment of the game, but it was like, I have to do something or else, like, this is going to be remembered in my head as the worst day of my life. So that always is a memory I'll never forget. But even going all the way up through senior year, um, gosh, now I'm not gonna remember the specific games, but it was when we were in our final stretch and we had just one districts, and then I think we were in the regional quarter semifinals, and I had hit a grand slam out of the park and ended one game, and that one was insane. And then there is another one where I had hit two home runs back to back, both at bats, in one of those ending games, too. And those those are moments I'll never forget.

Joy Nulisch 23:01

Yeah, I I hope you don't. I think I still have some of the newspaper articles from from those games. I know your mama probably does have a whole scrapbook of them. Talk about being talk about being in a moment and responding to the moment. Not everybody can do that. Some some take, you know, never get the bat off their shoulder. How how do you become that clutch player?

Marina Goins 23:26

I think I think it's all about not letting the moment get too big. Because when you're on deck, you have every single opportunity to sit there. You know, you can be stressing about it in the in the dugout before you get out there, but the second you're on that field, especially when you're like going up to hit, when you're on deck, I always use that as my okay, collect myself, get it together, and then I just watch. Like I watch softball when I play. And I feel like watching, you know, you you pick up little things that the pitcher is doing, you pick up little things about like, well, I know that that shortstop has made a couple errors already, so they're probably not feeling too good right now. Or, you know, you I just read whenever I'm in or on deck, and then the second I walk up into the box, I I just I feel like I put on my armor and I step into the box and I again all I think is I'm gonna I'm gonna produce. There is no second thoughts. You can have second thoughts when you finish the game, whatever. But the second you walk into that box, it doesn't matter. You're going to do something. And that's I feel like having that mindset is what makes me be able to produce.

Joy Nulisch 24:51

That's fantastic. That's really good. That's that's like I got the chills right now, kid. Good stuff. I because I actually wrote down one of the things I wrote down is watching you play, the tenacity, the strength, all that comes out. But the word that I wrote down, what always jumped out at me is your intention. And you just said that. I I felt like you were intentional with everything you did, whether you were at the plate or on the field. There was intention and and purpose, and um that that's tremendous. So hearing you say it is really cool. Um catch your breath for a moment. I talked about all the little fans you have. Who were some of the players that played before you, or even some of your teammates that pushed you and motivated you? Can you drop some names for me?

Marina Goins 25:41

Well, freshman year, I I can always say Jade Castillo and Maddie Garcia, those two have were were the biggest inspiration to me when I was a little freshman because they were both seniors. And just hearing their stories, uh being able to kind of live through some of their their experiences playing the past three years before I came. Um those two were definitely ones who brought this excitement and a higher level of playing mindset.

Joy Nulisch 26:17

Coach Jason had a question also. He says, What should future Lady Conchs expect and look forward to?

Marina Goins 26:25

I think that any future lady conch should expect to be dedicated. You have to be dedicated because when QS High is not a joke, you know. When you when you get there, you're now fighting, whether you're fighting to get on varsity freshman year or you're fighting to prove yourself on whichever team you end up on. Um I think that you need to realize that you're also playing for something that's bigger than yourself. So you need to have the mindset of I'm I'm here on this team and I'm gonna prove myself, but I'm gonna play for the name on the front of the shirt and not the name on the back. That's another mic drop moment.

Joy Nulisch 27:11

We can do like a whole motivational uh YouTube video, just do some separate clips and have it have it go. That's that that's fantastic.

Weightlifting Built Her Power

Joy Nulisch 27:22

Um, you mentioned sport, Lady Clunk, right? Besides softball, you were a two-sport athlete. You were part of the weightlifting program. Talk to me about weightlifting, the challenges, um, your time there, because you you were, I don't know, you competed at a very high level, right? You you've got a state medal somewhere. You got it, or your mama or daddy's got it, but I know there's a state medal there, right? Talk about weightlifting and how you got involved with that, who are your coaches, and yeah, how how did that help shape you um into the athlete that you are?

Marina Goins 28:00

Yeah, so uh uh freshman year in high school, I come in and they're talking, there's like rumors going around that we're gonna have a girls' weightlifting team. And when I first heard it, I was like, hell yeah, like let's do it. Like, that sounds awesome. Are you kidding me? Why not go be stronger? Because in my head, I was gonna be getting stronger for softball season to come around. So I walk into like the interest meeting for girls' weightlifting in the beginning, and there was like four girls in there, and it was like me and three other girls, and we're all in there looking at each other like, is this gonna happen? Like, are are we even gonna have a weightlifting team? Um, and Coach Stacy Pilari, she was my weightlifting coach, um, and she was there, and she just had this joy for um for lifting, and I I know it was a joy for um helping us or giving us a strength inside of us that we didn't know we needed, and that I didn't even know that I was gonna get from weightlifting until afterwards. Um, but I yeah, I went throughout all the years. I worked my butt off. You know, it was hard. Weightlifting is not easy. You're pushing weights, you're you're thinking that I can't lift this weight, and then you go and lift that, and then you go and lift 10 more pounds, just because you can, even though you didn't think you could. So I did that. I made it to districts freshman year, and then came around sophomore year, and I had gotten a couple more people to come. I was like, you have to do weightlifting. Like it really, just because we're wearing the singlet doesn't mean it's all weird, you know? Like, I swear, like this is bad ass. You have to do it. And so I'm getting all these people to come do it. And the next thing you know, we have like 15 girls on the team now, and we're all lifting. And I mean, I could just go on and on about weightlifting. I think it is a hundred percent something that you should do. It's so good for your body to be moving, to be lifting weight. And then when it um switched over to softball, I was going out for batting practice with Coach Jason after finishing a workout. And I was just hitting balls over the fence, like it was nothing. And I was like, where did this come from? And so once I realized that, I was like, oh yeah.

Joy Nulisch 30:38

Way live a month. And so what year was it that you went, was it your senior year that you ended up um competing at State?

Marina Goins 30:46

My junior year and senior year, I actually made it to States. Um junior year, I got fifth place in clean and jerk. And then senior year I ended up getting third place in Snatch. And what'd it feel like stepping on that podium? Oh, it was so nice. It was so freeing.

Joy Nulisch 31:04

The hard work had paid off. What would you say to any girls out there that are thinking of playing multiple sports? I would say do it.

Marina Goins 31:13

When you're young, that is your chance to explore, to try out sports. Like, you never know. You never know what you're gonna end up holding on to. Um, plus, it makes you more well-rounded as a person. I think being on different teams rather than just like one team that you kind of stick with your whole life, it makes you learn how to adapt to different people, different environments. And then you're able to take things that you learn from every single sport that you play, whether it's lifting a little bit more or just learning how to interact with maybe some people that I wouldn't normally hang out with, but making me grow as a person and then being able to carry that on to the next sport, I think it's 100% something that everybody should try out.

Early Days With Dad

Joy Nulisch 32:03

Very good. It's got Marina's stamp of approval. And you were, you were, um, you mentioned earlier when we first started, you you played um softball at Rosa Hernandez Field. You were an athlete since you were a little kid. Talk about some of those younger days um on like playing softball. Who were some of your coaches back then? And um, did you play any other sports as a young kid?

Marina Goins 32:26

Yeah, so growing up, I have this vivid memory of I don't even know. It was as early as you could get in to play softball. I was there. And um, I just remember I would throw with my dad during um like our warm-up time because a lot of the girls were still trying to hit their partner in the chest. They were still trying to learn how to throw in general, and then I just have this memory of me and my dad. My dad would be the one to warm up with me because I would be launching it back at him. And whenever I had thrown with my other teammates, I would be knocking them in the head, and then it was just a hot mess. So I would always throw with my dad, and then the girls would look at me and he'd be throwing me pot flies and stuff during the warm-up. And I was, at the time, I was like, okay, dad, like, what are you doing? We're supposed to be throwing, but now looking back, like, I'm so grateful for like moments like that, you know, with at least my dad, he would, he would always push me more than I ever thought I needed, come to find out. It it paid off.

Joy Nulisch 33:41

Yeah, your dad's a good good guy. What's up, Duke? I I know, he'll be the first one watching. You him and your mom, big fans. I don't think they've ever missed a game of yours. If they did, it wasn't for a lack of trying, that's for sure. That's for sure. And your brother Noah. Hopefully, Noah's gonna be watching this out there. Did you play any other sports? Starting out, I did. I was more of a dance factory girl, did some ballet, tap jazz. Um, I did a lot of cheerleading because my brother played football. So I kind of just went in there. Um, but then it was kind of just when I started playing softball, it was like, wait, I can like, I can be a baller. Like, I don't have to put on the pantyhose anymore. I could trade that in for some pants and cleats. So it kind of just all whenever softball kind of became my thing, there was no chance for any other things. You're you're to the point now where you're gonna officially hang up your cleats here soon. Um, I mean, maybe you're going to coaching. You could bring it back. But in terms of a player, what has softball given you? Gosh. What will and what will you miss? Softball has given me everything. It's given me um a new found self or sense of confidence. It's given me um friendships that'll last forever. It's given me amazing coaches and mentors to look up to outside of the sport when it's over. Um, it's given me so many personal things like being able to be adaptable and being a team, a team player, even if you're not on the field, you know, but being able to work with people around you, even if you don't always agree with them. Learning how to kind of rise above and overcome things that I feel like I never would have learned if it weren't for being on a softball team. Awesome.

Conch Connections And Key West Home

Joy Nulisch 35:44

So we're gonna go ahead and and go into the final segment that I like to call conch connections. You're you're a conch, true conch. Right? I think like me. You're a first-generation conch? Yes. Yeah, same, same here. But tell me about your family. Let's give your family a shout out, and some of the other conks on the island that you're you're connected to. Yeah, well, obviously, my parents are, they will always be my home. My home, my rock. They are they are my people, and I'm so blessed to have them as parents. Um, another big uh person in my life is Chloe Knowles. Actually, she's been my best friend for as long as I can remember. Um, and she's always been the person who's been by my side walking down the halls in school, they'd always ask, uh the teachers would always ask, like, where's your other half? Whenever we weren't together, um, she's always been, she's been that shoot, seventh generation conch that brought me in like I was meant to be. But honestly, the whole town, like, as soon as you're in it, you know, like everybody's room for you. So I could thank a million people from Key West just for, you know, being home, being a home that you can call home. I love that. And when you when you've uh traveled and and been away from home and you tell people you're from Key West, how do you describe Key West to them? You've talked about community and that, but how do you describe Key West to them? I feel like, well, obviously you always have to start out with saying, you know, Key West is very small, as you know, and no, I don't have to take a boat to get to school. Like all the things that you always get asked, um, but I I always just explain how like it's so small that again everybody is like family. Like you go to the grocery store and you're running into so and so and so and so. There's no going out and you're PJs anymore, you know, like you're gonna run into somebody. And now that I've lived outside of Key West, that's something that I really miss a lot because, you know, you can just smile at somebody when you're crossing paths with a stranger when you're not in Key West, but the second you're home, it's you can't get out of the grocery store now. Uh, that's good stuff. All right. And the final question: what does Kong Pride mean to you? Kong Pride to me is it's family, it's community, it's it's home for real. Um, Kong Pride is something that I had heard, you know, when I was younger, but when you're younger, you don't really know it. You're just like, yeah, Kong Pride. And then you get older and you see it everywhere. You know, like you go watch a baseball game, you come out to a softball game, you go to any sport, you know, the stands are always filled. And it's it's always cheering. Like, you will know when you have met a Key West Conc fan because their energy is unmatched, you know. So I even take Kunk Pride with me when I coach uh my girls up here because that's just like it's in me now. Like I have that spirit and that passion that came from where I'm from, you know? So Kunk Pride is just it's it's home, it's purpose, it's everything.

Conch Pride Closing And Thanks

Joy Nulisch 39:27

That's beautiful. That's really good stuff. Thank you for spending time with me. I really enjoyed hanging out and having this conversation. And I'll say this on behalf of all of us Crazy Kong fans, right? All over, from all over the island, all over the country. Um, we're crazy about you. We're so proud of all the accomplishments, the tone that you set here back on the island, but also the path that you paved for all the little young ladies that are gonna go up there, the young lady conks that are gonna go compete one day at the next level because you did it first and with such dignity and pride and success. So we wish you all the success and happiness that you could possibly stand. Thanks so much. We're always rooting for you, fans for life. I'm Joy Newleich, and I appreciate you tuning into my podcast. My purpose is to bring joy into my life and the lives of others. If you enjoyed this episode, drop a review, share, and subscribe because there's a lot of good stuff on chat. You can also follow BringJoy on YouTube and Instagram, or check my website at joynoolish.com. Now go bring joy to the people in your world. Until next time. Watch out.