Brittany Stuive

About Me:

I am from Portland, Texas, right outside of Corpus Christi, but reside up in the Houston area. I'm currently the Head Varsity Softball and Volleyball coach at a local High School. My passion for coaching young athletes has been a life-changing experience, and I wouldn't want to trade it for the world.

My love for the game began at the age of 4, not even 5, my mom snuck me into the home town softball league, and that's where it all began. I was the oldest sibling and first to experience many things, this included figuring out what exactly it meant to be self-driven, to be a teammate, but also what it meant to compete at an expectation I was proud of.

I went off to college on a softball scholarship to Lincoln Memorial University, located in Cumberland Gap, Tennessee. Playing a sport, I loved and having an opportunity to represent the small-town kid was a dream come true. A girl who had to figure a lot out on her own was an opportunity I was and still am forever grateful for.

Off the field in the classroom, I made the Dean's list all four years of my collegiate career, as well as held the title of Valedictorian of my 2011 Undergraduate class. The awards, the opportunities, the teammates, and the coaches all shaped me into the strong, competitive, and confident person I am today.

The recruiting process was something I had to learn all on my own, neither one of my parents played sports, I was the firstborn, and had to figure it all out on my own. My dream of playing collegiate softball was the fuel to my fire; I was determined to be the next athlete out of only five other softball players in the history of my High School (at the time), to go off and compete at the collegiate level. As the end of recruiting approached, I was feeling completely lost and defeated, I chose to be closer to home, and settled for an offer that I knew didn’t feel right. Over the next few weeks, all the things pointed to “this is not the right place for you.”

Little did I know a BIG opportunity was about to change my life forever. My high school coach was tough; she taught me how to handle adversity and to forever play with confidence, she was one of a few that pushed me beyond what I ever thought I was capable of. I will never forget a conversation she had with me. She sat me down and told me, “you are better than that, you settled, expect more.” It all made sense, why I felt the hardship I did, I doubted myself, my confidence failed me, and I knew I wasn’t upholding the expectation I set for myself. With that conversation replaying in the back of my mind continuously, I was only two weeks in of being at the local community college, moved in and all. I received a phone call from the Lincoln Memorial University coach, “My pitcher quit, how soon can you get up here?”

This was my second chance to prove not only to those around me, but most of all, MYSELF, that my expectation hadn’t been met, and this was my chance to make it right and relight the flame that had gone out. To make everything I had been working for since the age of 4 worth it, to show those that doubt me along the way, including myself, that I can do something great and make myself proud. I took that blessing and opportunity, and the following weekend I was in Tennessee playing for an NCAA Division II program, where I became the starting pitcher, as a Freshman, and the four-hole hitter, for Lincoln Memorial University.

What I learned from this...Don’t ever settle, be able to handle adversity, and capitalize into your best self when things don’t go your way, and hold yourself accountable only to reach greatness!