Jordan Pansy didn't always want to play softball.

In fact, she didn't first play the sport until the seventh grade. She didn't grow up playing on travel teams or participating in Little League or going to private training sessions.

Pansy entered high school with two years of softball experience under her belt. The late start always meant being one of the least experienced players on every team she played for, which Pansy said made it difficult to play with confidence.

It didn't take long for internal questions of confidence to meet a far greater force: passion. Pansy fell in love with softball during her first season and knew then that she wanted to play in college.

She started learning about the recruitment process during her junior year at Notre Dame East Stroudsburg, which is often the make-or-break year for college athlete hopefuls. The only problem was that her junior year softball season was in the spring of 2020.

"When the pandemic hit, it just, it shook everything that we thought we knew," Pansy said. "So we had to make a new game plan."

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On the surface, much of the new game plan would closely resemble the normal recruitment experience. Researching schools, reaching out to those of interest, introducing oneself to athletics departments and building relationships.

Balancing those responsibilities with the chaotic transition to online classes was difficult, but Pansy said after settling into it, cyber school allowed her the freedom to control her schedule. With a focus on diligent time management, Pansy built a routine that allowed her to manage a busy schedule of working out, school work and college recruitment.

"It was really nonstop — making videos, emailing, phone calls, researching schools, researching my major," Pansy said.

All of that could still be done remotely, but the puzzle became figuring out the most important part of recruitment: How would it be possible for Pansy show off her skills to college coaches?

Without a spring varsity season, Pansy had to film workouts and practices that would spotlight her strengths, just to have something to show colleges. The videos would be the only glimpse college coaches would see of Pansy that spring.

Pansy's return to play came over the summer with her travel softball team, Stripes and Strikes. The return gave her the chance to face off against legitimate competition, but opportunities to show off for colleges remained limited, as COVID-19 spectator policies prevented college coaches from attending the games and a shortened schedule meant less opportunities to show off her skill.

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The lack of college coaches' physical presences put all the more pressure on assembling as much video highlights as possible.  

"They don't know what kind of athlete you are if you don't show them," Pansy said.

And show them she did. In October, after having a chance to visit the campus in-person, Pansy committed to play Division III softball at Gettysburg College.

"The best part was definitely when I committed," Pansy said. "Just knowing that I finally reached my goal after wanting it for so long."

The commitment did not mean her schedule would lighten up, though.

Pansy's top priority has remained maintaining her grades. Her senior year also brought the return of varsity softball, practices for which she's juggled with preparing for Gettysburg.

That means attending school, then heading to varsity practices or games, and then coming home to work out and practice more.

"Everything I do from now until the day I go on campus, it's all preparation," Pansy said.

The extra work has paid off already, as Pansy had an outstanding senior season, during which she's broken school softball records for Notre Dame. During the 2021 regular season Pansy collected six home runs and 33 RBIs on 45 hits with a ridiculous .738 batting average and .768 on-base percentage — all school records. 

Pansy said all of the extra work she's done for Gettysburg boosted her confidence, allowing her to bring a more relaxed approach to the plate.

No restrictions could prevent Pansy from chasing her dream.

"I wouldn't trade this experience for the world, like as stressful as it was," Pansy said. "I grew as a person throughout this entire time."

Pansy will attend Gettysburg University in the fall, where she will continue playing softball and pursue a bachelor's degree in Business, Organizations and Management.