Rachel Uyemura is officially a college softball player at Northeastern Junior College.
Family, coaches, and Athletic Director Andrew Skari join Senior Rachel Uyemura as she signs to play softball at Northeastern Junior College. Photo by Tori Wallace
On March 15th, Senior Rachel Uyemura headed to Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colorado to sign her letter of intent to play softball, but on April 17th, National Signing Day, she also signed in room 108 at Thomas Jefferson.
Come Fall, Rachel will be a student athlete at Northeastern, and she says she’s a little nervous about the transition from high school athletics to athletics at the collegiate level. “I’m nervous because I’m not going to have the same coach, I’m going to have different teammates, and I’m basically going to have to start all over,” Rachel explained. “Juggling school work and college athletics is going to be a lot different than in high school.”
Although it will be different, Rachel is looking forward to playing college softball. “I’m excited to play softball in college because it’s something I have always wanted to do since I was little. I’m also looking forward to meeting my new team and seeing how they play and seeing how the season goes.”
Rachel believes going to Northeastern will be a good start for her. “I know that after I complete my two years there I can go somewhere else. The fact that it’s also a small school makes me not as worried as if I were going to a bigger school,” Rachel commented.
Once Rachel steps on the softball field at Northeastern, she will be playing third base and occasionally catching. Although she was the catcher for the TJ Spartans during her senior year, Rachel believes she will adjust to being the third baseman. She got her third base position when she went up for a visit in the fall, and the coach pulled Rachel aside and told her she would be playing third. “Although I’d rather catch, I like playing anywhere and I’m still playing college softball, so that is what is important to me,” said Rachel, who adds that she is nervous about playing third, but excited for her overall softball experience.
