Show Notes: Episode 35
CHANGE UP with Stacie Salazar, Athletic Trainer, Crossfitter, and Former Collegiate Athlete
Sometimes, life can throw us curveballs that, in retrospect, can set us off in new directions. For California native Stacie Salazar, it was a series of chance happenings and encounters centered mostly around softball early in her formative years that started her toward a life in sport. When her father was diagnosed with cancer early in her childhood, he set out to spend as much time with his family as possible, she started playing catch with him in the backyard. From there, her love of softball grew through rec leagues and early experiences on the diamond. However, when she wasn’t picked for her 12U all-star team, she decided to get serious about the sport and that pursuit eventually led to elite travel ball teams, specialized coaching, and college scholarship opportunities. Along the way, she realized that the field of athletic training was a great fit for her love of sport and medicine, eventually leading her to Texas to pursue a graduate degree and a series of jobs that have provided not just a career but a purpose. Listen in to Episode 35 with Stacie Salazar: CHANGE UP
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Episode Summary
From Chance Encounters to an Elite Future: How Softball Set Stacie Salazar on an Unexpected Path
SUMMARY
Stacie Salazar is an athletic trainer living in Austin, Texas. She graduated from the TTUHSC Masters of Athletic Training Program in 2012 and had a career as a high school and college softball player before moving to Texas. She began playing softball from a young age when her father started playing catch with her in the backyard. After she wasn’t picked for a 12-U all-star team, she decided to get serious about the sport and it eventually led to elite travel ball teams, specialized coaching, and college scholarship opportunities. Stacey realized that athletic training was a great fit for her love of sports and medicine and she eventually pursued a graduate degree in it. She has since had a successful career as an athletic trainer. On the podcast, she discussed how chance happenings and experiences early in her childhood set her off in a new direction. She also discussed how she had to pivot from athletics into a career and how she has chosen to change since then.
The speaker began by discussing the different career paths they had considered throughout their life. They eventually found themselves in the athletic training room in high school and fell in love with the profession. After high school, they knew they wanted to become an athletic trainer and nothing was going to stop them. The speaker then mentioned a favorite quote from their dad: “control the controllables”. This quote and their experience as a competitive collegiate athlete were two important factors in the speaker’s transition from athlete to athletic trainer. The speaker’s story serves as an example of how hard work and dedication can lead to a successful career.
The speaker recounts her journey as an athlete, starting with her father’s diagnosis with cancer when she was 12 years old. This resulted in her father quitting his job to spend more time with her, during which they began playing catch and her father ended up coaching a softball team. As the coach’s daughter, she became the pitcher and started getting better. To further her progress, her father got her involved in pitching lessons. This led to her eventually having an opportunity to play college softball, which was the culmination of years of work and planning.
Stacie owes much of her success to the disappointment she felt when she didn’t make the 12-U All-Star team. Her father decided to get her involved in pitching lessons and she got much better, outgrowing the rec league. They then found a different pitching coach, Bill Hobbs, who had also coached Katie Burkhart, World Series champion for Arizona State. Along with Katie, Stacie learned her curveball, and started trying out for teams. She eventually made a team and that started the spiral. Even though she was an accomplished athlete, Stacie has struggled to accept her full potential.
TIMESTAMPS
0:00:00 Interview with Stacie Salazar: From Softball Player to Athletic Trainer
0:03:16 Conversation with Athletic Trainer, Stacie Salazar, on Her Journey from Softball Player to Athletic Trainer
0:05:02 Heading: The Journey of an Athlete: My Story of Becoming a Softball Pitcher
0:06:30 Stacie’s Journey to Success: How a Disappointment Led to a Softball Career
0:10:50 Heading: Reflection on Overcoming Fear and Pursuing a College Softball Scholarship
0:12:21 Recruiting Story: How Grandpa Led Me to Vanguard University
0:14:22 “Reflecting on the Journey from Collegiate Athlete to Athletic Trainer: An Interview with Stacie Salazar”
0:20:14 Reflection on Career Path: From Graduation to Cedar Creek High School
0:22:30 Reflection on Transitioning from Athletic Training to Software Sales: A Conversation with Former High School Athletic Trainer
0:26:39 Conversation on Career Paths and Imposter Syndrome
0:28:31 Reflection on Life’s Journey: A Conversation on Resourcefulness, Passion, and Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
0:30:22 Conversation Between Dr. Brooks and Stacie Salazar on Overcoming Failure and Finding Confidence
0:34:01 Conversation with Stacey: Exploring Walk-Up Songs, Career Goals, and Giving Back to the Athletic Training Community
0:36:26 Heading: Interview with Stacie, Athletic Trainer and Red Raider in Austin
0:37:42 Conversation with Stacie: Exploring LinkedIn and Sharing Inspiring Stories
HIGHLIGHTS
And so I’m actually hoping that with this next opportunity it’ll give me more of a voice where I’m able to start sharing with the community of Austin and the surrounding areas of What it is that we do and hopefully get to a more national understanding of athletic trainers.
In addition to healing, it tells me she’s found her confidence. Who she is doesn’t need a title or an accomplishment tagged along for emphasis. I’m sure she’ll tell you about her playing days, if you ask, and she’s proud of them, but they aren’t core to who she is.
And I think that imposter syndrome is starting to kind of go away, but it’s still lingering here and there. I think a telling question that we can ask ourselves that really gets at the heart of our emotion and the heart of our motivation, probably better said, is what would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail? Oh gosh, so many things.
So how does that come about, and did you see any parallels between shifting from softball to grad school and High school athletic training into more of a non-traditional setting.
But I had such an incredible experience at Texas Tech and working with my mentors and of course, all of my professors that I really wanted to kind of test where I am out in Texas.