Living Like an Athlete with Jennie Ritter

To celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day, Jennie Ritter , Wilson Sporting Goods Co. team member and retired collegiate All-American softball pitcher reflects on what this day means to her and how she lives every day like an athlete. ??

Jennie is a great example to young girls and women that no dream is too big. She attended the University of Michigan where she played softball and was a starting pitcher for the Michigan Wolverines from 2003 to 2006 and led them to the 2005 Women's College World Series championship. In 2018, she was inducted into the University of Michigan Sports Hall of Fame. Jennie is our Fastpitch Business Manager for Wilson Sporting Goods Co. , SLUGGER , DeMarini Sports Inc. , EvoShield , and ATEC managing all promotional business from the grassroots level through professional. Her passion and dedication to the sport and our brands knows no bounds and she's a constant inspiration to everyone around her.

What does this day mean to you?

National Women and Girls in Sports Day to me is a day to celebrate how far we've come as female athletes. There have been many women who have paved the way to make women's sports "the norm" in today's society and that's worth celebrating. I think it's also a day to recognize how far we can go. Women's sports are incredible.?Female athletes are getting stronger and more talented each generation. We need to continue to create more opportunities for young girls in sports. The sky is the limit when we allow women's sports to grow. We just have to keep moving!

What were you feeling when you and your team won the 2005 College World Series?

Probably an unpopular answer, but my initial feeling was exhaustion. Winning a National Championship takes every bit of physical and mental strength that you had to achieve - maybe sometimes more than you thought you had. Last pitch, last out gave me tears of joy and exhaustion. My team was EVERYTHING that year. Chemistry was unparalleled, trust was the absolute backbone of our team. I would run through a wall for anyone on that team even to this day. They will forever be my sisters.

What would your younger self be thinking if she knew that in the future, she would be inducted into the University of Michigan Sports Hall of Fame?

It’s hard to put into words - I’m not even sure what my “older self” is thinking about all of this, let alone my “younger self!” I grew up just outside of Ann Arbor as a diehard Michigan fan. My dad played baseball at Michigan, and my sister also played softball at Michigan (all pitchers). So, needless to say, U of M is in our blood - we often talked about playing at Michigan and admired the Hall of Honor wall as a “dream” feat. In a surreal moment, I was inducted into the University of Michigan Hall of Honor in 2018. That moment was “my Everest” or, better put, the largest dream I could dream in terms of achievement. So when the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame called me, I can honestly say I didn’t know how to react! This isn’t something that was ever on my radar of achievements remotely possible for someone like me. I was just a girl who loved to play softball. It’s shooting for the moon and not missing. I will be standing in history as an equal next to sports GIANTS, I don’t know if that will every fully sink in. I still haven’t effectively put into the right words what each individual that has crossed my path in some form or another has done to make this moment happen. Call it stars aligning, or just a really, REALLY good support group, but it absolutely could not be done without a significant number of people both in my corner and competing against me.

What is your best advice to women and girls in sport?

Love what you do and be grateful for the opportunity! There was a time not too long ago that women didn't get the opportunities in sport that we have now. We have a long way to go, but we have come a long way too; we have to remember to be grateful so we don't take the opportunity for granted. And, with that, remember that when the times get tough, we wanted this - we earned this right to play - and we do it because we LOVE IT. That passion will drive you far!

What female athlete inspires you the most?

My coach at Michigan - Carol Hutchins, or "Hutch" as we call her. The winningest coach in NCAA softball history; she had a knack of simplifying the difficult. She taught her athletes to respect and be grateful for the game and for tradition, but also to go out and get what you want and what you deserve as a female athlete. I'm constantly pulling from the knowledge and mental toughness I have learned from my playing days and utilizing it in all walks of life. There is no doubt that my success in problem solving and handling difficult situations comes directly from my playing career.

What does living like an athlete mean to you?

Not all athletes are team sports athletes, but for me, that’s all I’ve known. Being an athlete – or living like one – is as much about you as an individual as it is about your team. You have to trust your team – whether that’s family, friends, or co-workers – that they’re doing their part to “better the whole.” If you can have that kind of trust, the focus can be on the best version of you that also helps the team, and for me, there is no other way to live than with a goal to achieve at the highest level with integrity, trust, and passion for what you do. You “win” the right way, and you do it because you love it - even when it’s hard.