Valarie Cagle essentially grew up on a diamond as her siblings played baseball and softball. Practicing with her father, she learned how to become a player before becoming a pitcher. Her approach to the game translated to the collegiate level where she played and excelled at multiple positions at Clemson earning awards as a pitcher and hitter. Throughout her collegiate career, she became a 4X All-American, 4X All-ACC honoree, and ACC Player of the Year in 2021 and 2023. In 2023, she was also named as USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, NCAA D1 Softball Player of the Year, and Rawlings Gold Glove award winner.

Despite her tremendous success on the field, she struggled with her identity and faced several challenges that impacted her mental health off the field. She was so focused on being the player others needed her to be that she lost sight of the person  she wanted to be. By learning to give herself permission to take care of herself and prioritize things she enjoyed doing, she redefined her relationship with the sport including her role on the field.

Valarie candidly shares that while we may see athletes smiling on the field, it does not show their entire story. She also explains that while others often remember us for what we did, it’s much more important to be remembered for who we are.

@val_cagle