Temple University Athletics
Scholar, Athlete, Leader: The Brooklin White Story
5.7.14 | Softball
There is a lot more to Brooklin White than just softball, and she has definitely shown that during her time at Temple. The current senior has been an asset as a student-athlete by not only succeeding on the field, but also by serving as the president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
Although she has been a member of SAAC for three years, this is her first year being president.
"I've always been passionate about getting involved with Temple athletics and doing the best we could as an organization. This year as president has been great, we've done Special Olympics and have talked to schools about anti-bullying. It feels good to represent athletics and I've gotten to know so many other amazing athletes."
Even though she is president, White is quick to give credit to her executive board and their contributions to SAAC when she is absent due to the season.
"In the fall it's easier because I have more time, but during the season it gets hectic. The executive board for SAAC has been really helpful in getting involved and keeping in touch with me. It gets hard when I have to miss class or SAAC events, but I try to just prioritize what I have to do. I've learned to adjust to it and balance it out, and it helps to have people around me who understand that."
Because of that, it may come as no surprise that SAAC vice president Gabe Pickett of the men's track & field team recently nominated her for a Temple Student Activities award. And she won. On May 6, White received the Excellence in Student Leadership Award at the Student Activities Annual Awards Ceremony. But she could not be there to accept it because she was on a plane headed for Houston with the softball team to the American Athletic Conference Championship.
White is on schedule to graduate in the Fall of 2014 with a major in kinesiology, which she declared during her sophomore year. She has three classes left to complete and will be doing an internship with the University of Pennsylvania's "Wiser Project", which conducts and studies research on women who have survived breast cancer.
She will use this internship to launch her into the next phase of her life.
"I'm interested in helping people and I love the human body and how it works. I want to help others in any way I can and I know a lot of people in the field who have guided me so far so I know I am on the right track. I'm not 100% sure on what I want to do after graduation but I do know that I'm inspired by helping people."
Not only is White a leader in the classroom, earning a spot on the President's Honor Roll for a GPA above 3.5, but she is also one of three captains for the softball team. This is her first year serving as captain, and she takes on a different approach when interacting with her teammates.
"It's so much fun being captain and being a senior gives me a different perspective. I'm usually on the quiet side but now it feels good to take charge and motivate my team."
While it may seem tough to try and control a large group of girls, White knows exactly how to keep her team intact.
"The main goal is keeping everyone together as a team because we play better when we all get along. You see people get down sometimes so it's all about constantly reminding the girls to let the bad moments go and have fun on the field. Keeping everyone positive is my main focus."
White takes on a different approach as a player too. Knowing it is her last year, she is committed to not letting the pressure of winning get to her head.
"I try to just enjoy it. In the past, I was trying so hard to do well and it ended up hurting me so now I try to just have fun and enjoy being on the field with my teammates. Being relaxed without putting too much pressure on myself has helped me a lot in my last years."
Focusing on enjoying herself has been tough for White as she suffered a back injury this year, which has prohibited her from being able to pitch as much as she would like. This injury, however, has not thrown her completely out of the game, and head coach Joe DiPietro has made sure of that.
"Brooklin is an amazing player as well as person so I always try to do the best I can with helping her," said DiPietro. "Even though she has not been able to pitch as much, I put her on base so that she is still contributing to the team. She plays a big part in keeping everyone motivated and I want to keep her involved in any way I can."
Coach DiPietro's dedication to his players does not go unnoticed, especially for White. When asked who has contributed most to her success at Temple, she was quick to mention her parents, team, and coach.
"Not only have my parents been my number one supporters, but I have the best team with the best coach possible. He has been awesome. I struggled a lot with pitching my freshman and sophomore years, but he never gave up on me. So many coaches would have written players off but he has given me a lot of chances, and even now that my back kills when I pitch, he does anything he can to get me in the game. I couldn't ask for a better supporter or person to have as my coach."
She also discusses her coach's ability to be really understanding when balancing school and softball.
"It's always important to succeed but it's all about perspective too. I went to Africa and hiked Mount Kilimanjaro last summer and it just puts everything in a different light. When I don't do well in softball and I'm upset, I just take a step back and I think about how many other issues are going around in the world. My coach gets that too. He knows that academics come first and he's so understanding. Last year when I wasn't doing well, he wanted me to go to Africa and take a break from it all. It helped me to refocus and realize how thankful I should be for what I do have."
White definitely has a good group of people helping her do well, but even with the support of everyone, balancing school with athletics sometimes gets tough.
"During the season it gets really hard, and I have to try to just prioritize what I have to get done. Not getting too stressed out is key and I've been doing a lot of yoga to relax and take my mind off things. If I think about it then I get anxious and it's emotional to think about softball ending so I just live in the moment. I've learned to adjust to it and balance everything out."
Although the softball team has had some struggles, White is positive about the American Athletic Conference Championships, which will be played May 8 to May 10 in Houston, Texas.
"If we stay relaxed and not get too negative then we will be fine. We need to have fun and not worry too much about the results because we play better that way. We were picked last in the conference and so that gives us more of a motivation to do well. We have nothing to lose so I'm just going to enjoy being with my team and play the best we can."
As she reflects on softball and her upcoming future, White talks about how lucky she has gotten by having a team who sticks by her through the good and the bad.
"The best thing to happen to me while at Temple was how well the team got along.
We are all so close and no one turned on me when I was injured. Everyone has been so supportive and it's been a really great experience having them by my side. Even though we are all so different, our team just works. I've met some of my best friends and so many other great people while playing softball."
White also gives credit to Temple for allowing her an opportunity to do so much while being here.
"I've had my ups and downs but I wouldn't change anything about Temple or go anywhere else. I've gotten more independent coming here from California, and I have met people and had experiences that I know I will always carry with me."
White has had an extremely successful run, and by the looks of it, she will continue to succeed for the rest of her life.
Although she has been a member of SAAC for three years, this is her first year being president.
"I've always been passionate about getting involved with Temple athletics and doing the best we could as an organization. This year as president has been great, we've done Special Olympics and have talked to schools about anti-bullying. It feels good to represent athletics and I've gotten to know so many other amazing athletes."
Even though she is president, White is quick to give credit to her executive board and their contributions to SAAC when she is absent due to the season.
"In the fall it's easier because I have more time, but during the season it gets hectic. The executive board for SAAC has been really helpful in getting involved and keeping in touch with me. It gets hard when I have to miss class or SAAC events, but I try to just prioritize what I have to do. I've learned to adjust to it and balance it out, and it helps to have people around me who understand that."
Because of that, it may come as no surprise that SAAC vice president Gabe Pickett of the men's track & field team recently nominated her for a Temple Student Activities award. And she won. On May 6, White received the Excellence in Student Leadership Award at the Student Activities Annual Awards Ceremony. But she could not be there to accept it because she was on a plane headed for Houston with the softball team to the American Athletic Conference Championship.
White is on schedule to graduate in the Fall of 2014 with a major in kinesiology, which she declared during her sophomore year. She has three classes left to complete and will be doing an internship with the University of Pennsylvania's "Wiser Project", which conducts and studies research on women who have survived breast cancer.
She will use this internship to launch her into the next phase of her life.
"I'm interested in helping people and I love the human body and how it works. I want to help others in any way I can and I know a lot of people in the field who have guided me so far so I know I am on the right track. I'm not 100% sure on what I want to do after graduation but I do know that I'm inspired by helping people."
Not only is White a leader in the classroom, earning a spot on the President's Honor Roll for a GPA above 3.5, but she is also one of three captains for the softball team. This is her first year serving as captain, and she takes on a different approach when interacting with her teammates.
"It's so much fun being captain and being a senior gives me a different perspective. I'm usually on the quiet side but now it feels good to take charge and motivate my team."
While it may seem tough to try and control a large group of girls, White knows exactly how to keep her team intact.
"The main goal is keeping everyone together as a team because we play better when we all get along. You see people get down sometimes so it's all about constantly reminding the girls to let the bad moments go and have fun on the field. Keeping everyone positive is my main focus."
White takes on a different approach as a player too. Knowing it is her last year, she is committed to not letting the pressure of winning get to her head.
"I try to just enjoy it. In the past, I was trying so hard to do well and it ended up hurting me so now I try to just have fun and enjoy being on the field with my teammates. Being relaxed without putting too much pressure on myself has helped me a lot in my last years."
Focusing on enjoying herself has been tough for White as she suffered a back injury this year, which has prohibited her from being able to pitch as much as she would like. This injury, however, has not thrown her completely out of the game, and head coach Joe DiPietro has made sure of that.
"Brooklin is an amazing player as well as person so I always try to do the best I can with helping her," said DiPietro. "Even though she has not been able to pitch as much, I put her on base so that she is still contributing to the team. She plays a big part in keeping everyone motivated and I want to keep her involved in any way I can."
Coach DiPietro's dedication to his players does not go unnoticed, especially for White. When asked who has contributed most to her success at Temple, she was quick to mention her parents, team, and coach.
"Not only have my parents been my number one supporters, but I have the best team with the best coach possible. He has been awesome. I struggled a lot with pitching my freshman and sophomore years, but he never gave up on me. So many coaches would have written players off but he has given me a lot of chances, and even now that my back kills when I pitch, he does anything he can to get me in the game. I couldn't ask for a better supporter or person to have as my coach."
She also discusses her coach's ability to be really understanding when balancing school and softball.
"It's always important to succeed but it's all about perspective too. I went to Africa and hiked Mount Kilimanjaro last summer and it just puts everything in a different light. When I don't do well in softball and I'm upset, I just take a step back and I think about how many other issues are going around in the world. My coach gets that too. He knows that academics come first and he's so understanding. Last year when I wasn't doing well, he wanted me to go to Africa and take a break from it all. It helped me to refocus and realize how thankful I should be for what I do have."
White definitely has a good group of people helping her do well, but even with the support of everyone, balancing school with athletics sometimes gets tough.
"During the season it gets really hard, and I have to try to just prioritize what I have to get done. Not getting too stressed out is key and I've been doing a lot of yoga to relax and take my mind off things. If I think about it then I get anxious and it's emotional to think about softball ending so I just live in the moment. I've learned to adjust to it and balance everything out."
Although the softball team has had some struggles, White is positive about the American Athletic Conference Championships, which will be played May 8 to May 10 in Houston, Texas.
"If we stay relaxed and not get too negative then we will be fine. We need to have fun and not worry too much about the results because we play better that way. We were picked last in the conference and so that gives us more of a motivation to do well. We have nothing to lose so I'm just going to enjoy being with my team and play the best we can."
As she reflects on softball and her upcoming future, White talks about how lucky she has gotten by having a team who sticks by her through the good and the bad.
"The best thing to happen to me while at Temple was how well the team got along.
We are all so close and no one turned on me when I was injured. Everyone has been so supportive and it's been a really great experience having them by my side. Even though we are all so different, our team just works. I've met some of my best friends and so many other great people while playing softball."
White also gives credit to Temple for allowing her an opportunity to do so much while being here.
"I've had my ups and downs but I wouldn't change anything about Temple or go anywhere else. I've gotten more independent coming here from California, and I have met people and had experiences that I know I will always carry with me."
White has had an extremely successful run, and by the looks of it, she will continue to succeed for the rest of her life.
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