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2017 Free Agent C/EH/P Josh Collins

 

 

 

Josh Collins

USSSA Playing History

USSSA Playing History 2011-2014

GoSoftball.com Player Page

Interview conducted on 10/11/2016

Who are you playing with in 2017?
Free Agent (coachcollins13@hotmail.com)

Why do you like the game of softball?
I like playing softball because it allows me to keep my athletic mindset alive.  I like playing in the conference because it is true competition.

Who is the best softball player you have ever seen play?
Pitching I must go with Andy.  He is the only pitcher that I see that consistently dictates the outcome of games.

Hitting, it is a toss-up between Lepo (Lee Powers) and Connell.

Who is the best up and coming player in softball and why?
There are too many to name.

What is your nickname in softball?
ICE.  A nickname recently given to me by Joel Ramos.

What is your height and weight?
6'2 275

Where do you call home?
Ahoskie, NC

What's your favorite way to spend an off weekend?
With my beautiful wife, getting into whatever trouble we can find :

What do you do for a living?
I am the Head Trainer for a local gym, Vidant Wellness Center.

Did you play sports in High School / College / Pro?
Baseball and Football in High School, then football in College.

How did you get your start in softball and how did you get to the upper level?
My wife worked at her local Recreation Dept. and overheard some guys needing a player one night and told them I could hit, they asked me to play so I did.  As far as getting to the upper levels…Steve Johnson gave me my first opportunity, 2 seasons ago, to come pitch for his 1st year conference team RDU/Crossfit so I was able to get my foot in the door.  As soon as their conference schedule was finished my former team Bad Draw called me and said they needed a pitcher so I left Crossfit (on good terms) and jumped over so I could finish out my 1st full season as a conference pitcher.  This past season I had the honor of backing up Danny Lopez for a very talented team Broughton Pharm/Bad Draw/Worth. 

What was the most surprising difference between Conference play and non-Conference play when you made the jump?
Defense.  Plays that have 0% chance of being made locally are made 80% of the time in Conference.  That changes your outlook as a hitter.  When I'm pitching, there are 0 holes in an offensive lineup.  Everyone can hit!   

What was the best advice you were ever given?
On offense:  Stop thinking and just hit.

KJ once told me, "Throw strikes, field the middle, and be prepared to get hit." (And getting hit happens often LOL) 

What positions do you play and what is your best position?
Pitcher, C, EH.  Pitcher.

What batting grip do you use?
Pinky Drop

What ounce bat do you use?
28.5 oz End load……28 oz balance

What do you do in the offseason to prepare for the next softball season?
I work in a gym so I'm constantly working out.  

What is your favorite sports team?
Atlanta Falcons & Atlanta Braves

What is your favorite sport other than softball?
Football

What is your most memorable softball moment?
This past season at the Dual in Maryland we were playing Smash It in the Final 4 of the winner's bracket.  I was coaching first base.  Without giving me any heads up, DLo come up to bat with bases juiced, Cash yells at me across the field, when DLo steps into bat, to come pinch hit for him.  Needless to say I hit a HR on the first pitch from Clark but, the HR is not what is most memorable to me.  The most memorable part was that I proved to myself and my teammates that I could step in to a high pressure situation without any warning and come through for my teammates.  This was the birth of my nickname, ICE, from Ramos.  It changed my outlook about what my role was going to be for the remainder of the season.

What would be your "at bat" music selection?
Centuries, Fall Out Boy.

What is the best improvement upper level softball could make?
They seem to have it under control.  I haven't been around enough to make a complaint yet.

What is your favorite non-World tournament?
I personally like THE HALL OF FAME DUAL.  It's a chance to get away from work and just have 5-6 days of focusing on nothing but softball.  

What is the best softball field you have played at and why?
Nothing beats the fields and atmosphere of Disney.

Where is the best place to eat on the road after a game?
Rosie's Bar-B-Q in Kissimmee.  Or any wing place.

What is the funniest thing you have ever seen on a softball field?
My first year playing tournament ball one of my best friends was up to bat.  He had 2 strikes on him and pitcher throws him a cookie.  He swings as hard as he can, throws the bat to the top of a 20ft back stop, and in a whirlwind of dust falls right onto his butt on home plate.  If that wasn't funny enough, our very next batter comes up and pops out somewhere in the field at which point my same friend who just struck out swinging yells from the dugout, "Can someone please hit the damn ball," haha…that was classic.
 


Added Oldscout interview questions 1/25/2016

Have you ever missed tournaments unannounced, team jumped, quit, etc?
Jumped teams my first year in conference because Crossfit had completed their conference season and Bad Draw needed a pitcher for about 4 more tournaments.  So I talked with Crossfit and they were 100% cool with it.  Crossfit did not want to win anymore games and get bumped so they were gonna lay low the rest of the season.

Name one mistake you've made in upper level softball and what did you do to correct/learn from it?
Getting on the Free Agent page too early in the off-season.  ðŸ™‚

Are you willing to sacrifice your average for the betterment of the team?
Yes.

Do you read and/or post on theoldscout, why/why not?
Yes I read.  I rarely reply because most people running their mouth do not even play this level so your arguing with people that have no dog in the fight so to say.

Are the anonymous bashers the reason why more upper level sponsors and players don't post on oldscout?
See comment above.  Why argue or put yourself into a position with someone speaking on something they do not even participate in.

What do you do after the tournament is over?
Go home unless i'm in Florida, waiting on a flight, or waiting on my ride.

Have you knowingly used altered equipment?
Absolutely not.

What sort of unusual training methods have you used to improve your hitting?
I hit good pitches and do not swing at everything in BP.  Also, Bp is batting practice, not a homerun derby.  So take game swings.

What kind of practice do you do to get better?
I take BP as I feel my swing needs it.  Other than that I may only get 20-30 good swings a week to get ready if I feel in-sync with my hitting.

Are you a good teammate?
Yes.

Do you think Worlds should be rotated around the United States each year? Which state(s) would you like to see them be in?
Not personally.  I like going to FL because of the facilities and it can serve as a vacation get-a-way days before or after the tournament.

How many divisions do you believe softball should have? (Currently M, AA, A, B, C, D, E)
In conference you should be ranked Major or TBD.  Set a date of July 1st for final placings based on performance with roster points being taken into consideration. Out of conference should just be basic B, C, D, E.




  

 

5 responses to “2017 Free Agent C/EH/P Josh Collins”

  1. Bobby Snow says:

    Josh is a good teammate and will make any team better. He will not disappoint.

  2. Stacy Mizelle says:

    Good up and coming pitcher that deserves a shot. Puts in the work during the week to be prepared to play at a high level on the weekend.

  3. Rock #4 says:

    Josh Collins played a lot of the year as a role player this past year and was perfectly okay with it. This shows patience and team sportsmanship big time. Big guy can mash and is a pretty solid pitcher. More so a hitter in my opinion. Def worth a shot picking up. Guy mashes and has a great eye at the plate. He also is willing to learn and get better always which makes any guy a better player instantly. Real talk #bye
    Rock

  4. EBY11 says:

    No mention of the Winfall Worlds, really disappointed!!! One of the many talented players from NC, someone needs to pick him up, can hit the long ball when needed but can also keep it down. Good luck to you and the rest of the NC guys this season.

  5. Tindell#99 says:

    Great teammate and very good dude. He would be a great addition to any team. Good luck Josh!

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