Carly Potts is a member of our Line Drive Softball blogging team and, in her first blog earlier this month, introduced herself and her softball background which began when she was five years old playing tee ball… click HERE to read that introduction to the high school junior from Indiana.

In today’s latest blog, Carly shares the exciting news of how she fell in love with and committed to play for the Iowa Hawkeyes softball program!

Note: if you are a player and would like to blog or write for Line Drive – perhaps to share your own recruiting or softball experiences, contact Brentt.Eads@LineDriveMedia.com.

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The highly anticipated September 1st opening day for college coaches to reach out came and went, but it was not what I expected at all; I was not at all anticipating the first few days in September to play out like they did!

I had prepared myself for a quiet day.

I was ready to support my friends and teammates, to not get caught up in the comparison game on X (Twitter), and to know that my journey was mine alone.

I actually mentally prepared myself for no phone calls—although September 1st exceeded my expectations in that sense—but it also led to a bit of panic because I truly wanted to talk to everyone and see every campus and program that had reached out to me.

I wanted to find the best fit in a city, school, and softball program.

I really enjoyed talking to every coach that reached out and had some great conversations. For me, it’s not just about the ‘stuff’ or the big name, it is finding where I am meant to be and where I can develop as a person and player. 

Over the last couple of years, I made my parents take me all over the place to camps that I thought might be a good fit. I watched YouTube videos on schools, I looked at their academic options and compared them in a notebook.

But last January, one camp stood out.

Every camp I had been to before and every camp I went to after, I immediately compared it to this one place: the University of Iowa.

It was cold, covered in snow, and my Dad and I only drove past the field but I just felt something different there. My Dad told my Mom he thought maybe it was just because I had a “good camp,” but it was something more… I just couldn’t explain it.

I loved the positive energy at the camp, how efficiently it was run, and how the coaches immediately embraced me even though it was their first time meeting me.

I found myself comparing every program to that experience, and it became pretty clear to me where I wanted to go. The city and school fit exactly what I was looking for as well. Without sounding too cliche, Iowa City has a great vibe! My mom is a Hoosier and my dad a Vol, but I knew I wanted to be a Hawkeye!!!

But…that call didn’t come at midnight on September 1st.

Honestly, I was pretty sure it wasn’t going to come at all. The main connection I had with Iowa had been with their pitching coach, and she had taken another job as a head coach.

I had resolved that, unless it was just where God truly wanted me, it was probably not going to happen. And that was okay… I had so many amazing options and was really looking forward to visiting those schools.

Then, as I was doing homework after soccer practice on Sept. 2^nd, I saw a message notification from… IOWA!

I tried to contain my excitement because it wasn’t like I had a visit yet or offer, it was just a message. The feeling I had when I saw the message was a different feeling than what came with the previous September 1 messages, though—I knew this was the one, and I could not wait to get on campus again and confirm that original feeling I had several months ago. 

Fast forward to my visit on September 14th. My mom and I drove up on Thursday night, and they had activities planned Friday through Sunday morning for us. I could not stop smiling so much, my cheeks hurt!

I was so relieved that the feelings I felt back in January were still there.

The first day was filled with learning about the school, the resources available, touring the facilities, and watching a practice. I got to hang out with a few of the girls that evening, check out their living spaces, and go get some dessert with them.

The coaches also took us to local restaurants all weekend, and the food was amazing too!

My Dad flew in on Friday night and joined us after our first full day. Saturday, we tailgated with the team and went to a football game. Going down on the field to watch the team run in was definitely an experience I won’t forget.

If you haven’t seen Kinnick Stadium, the University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital overlooks the field. It is a 14 story all-glass children’s hospital, and it towers the field.

At the end of the 1st quarter, Iowa has a tradition that no other school does. With the children lining the windows, some with Hawkeye football signs, all of the fans turn and wave to the children and they wave back.

It is the most impressive thing I have experienced at an athletic game.

Everything about this visit was what I had imagined feeling when I visited the school I would call “home.”

After dinner with everyone that night, I spoke with my parents and told them that I knew I wanted to accept the offer to be a future Hawkeye. Previously, we had agreed that I would take a few days to think about it, but I didn’t need a few days.

I had already asked the coaches and players every possible question I could think of in those two days, and there was not one answer that left me hesitant.

I think the reason I could confidently make this decision was because I had done my research over the last couple of years. I attended so many camps and met so many coaches. I knew what I wanted.

I knew Iowa had what I wanted in a city and the distance from home, the academic choices and resources, and the softball culture was exactly what I was looking for. Not to mention, it is in the B1G, which means there will likely be several opportunities for my parents to come to games, too.

It was the best fit for me and I knew it. I told the coaches in person that night and it was the best feeling. This journey has encompassed so many different emotions; the joy of success, the pain of defeat and the fear of the unknown, but at that moment every single feeling was worth it.

🖤💛IOWA CITY IS HOME!💛🖤GO HAWKS🦅@iowasoftball @CoachRGillispie @_CoachLevin @KarlGollan @TMojo2025 @FastpitchPower @softball_gs pic.twitter.com/jwPx6fgvIl

— Carly Potts (@carlypotts02) September 17, 2024

I am going to be an IOWA HAWKEYE!!!

— Carly Potts/Line Drive Softball Blogger