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Goldschmeding

Women in Sport Month Spotlight: Jennifer Goldschmeding

GVSU celebrates women in sports all throughout February

02.09.2021

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Grand Valley State athletics will take the month of February to honor and recognize the growth and impact that our female student-athletes have had not only on the athletic department, but also the university through "Women In Sports."

This week, we feature former GVSU Softball player Jennifer Goldschmeding (Jackson), who currently serves as an educator and coach that passes her passion and love of sport onto the next generation of female athletes. A 2004 graduate, Goldscheding was a two-time All-GLIAC selection and earned all-region honors from the NFCA in 2003. Below is a question and answer with Goldschmeding about her time and experience at GVSU:

What did it mean to you as an individual to have the opportunity to compete in sports?
Sports have always been a major part of my life.  From a very young age, sports was one of the top ways my family connected.  It was always fun and never forced upon us.  As the seasons changed we moved from sport to sport and loved different aspects of each one.  We were always outside throwing a ball, hitting a ball, and competing in some way.    My mom would put on full catcher's gear to catch our pitching practice.  She had bumps and bruises to show for it when we threw a wild pitch, but was always an outstanding and willing catcher.  My Dad threw us countless hours of batting practice.  He threw balls until he swore his arm was going to fall off.  If we worked hard and gave it our best effort, they were proud of us. Increasing our batting averages or and making outstanding plays from time to time were a bonus.  Playing at Grand Valley allowed me to keep the thrill of the game going a little bit longer.
 
What did it mean for you to compete in athletics at Grand Valley State?
When I was growing up, there weren't opportunities to play competitive softball with other girls.  If you wanted to play, you played baseball with the boys, and so I did.  I was the only girl in our baseball youth league and didn't begin softball until 10th grade. 
 
My daughters have significantly more opportunities available to them now than I did.  I am amazed how softball, and women's sports in general, has changed….for the better.  My mom was a phenomenal athlete, but didn't have the opportunities that I had.  Looking back, playing at Grand Valley was a way to honor her athleticism and contributions to women's sports to help pave the way for me to play collegiately.  It is exciting now to watch my  young daughters enter the world of women's competitive sports and it is humbling to be part of their journey.  Playing at Grand Valley was a gift that gave me the opportunity to honor past women athletes, specifically my mom, who came before me, while also continuiing to pave the way for future girls, like my own daughters. 
 
What did you gain from playing sports, more specifically, playing sports at GVSU?
Playing softball at Grand Valley allowed me to play a high level of competition close to home.  Living less than an hour from Grand Valley meant it was easy to go home and it was easy for my family to attend games and frequently visit.  During my time at Grand Valley, I remember driving the 15 minutes to Coopersville to hit balls with my Dad in the church gym where he was the pastor.  Those hitting sessions were great for my hitting confidence, but also time well spent with my Dad.  One of my fondest memories and what will forever remind me of my playing days is hearing the phrase, "Nice and Easy," out of some corner of the ball field from my Mom when I stepped up to the plate.  It was always a reminder to go at it as hard as you can, but you need to relax in order for your best to come out.
 
How did playing sports at GVSU shape who you became as an individual?
 Life was about more than your success as an athlete.  Doc was always just as committed to our success off the field as he was to our success on the field.  I planned to teach high school math after graduation and needed to do my student assisting during my senior season.   I was initially very concerned whether it would work or if I'd have to push it to the following semester.  Doc was extremely supportive and helped smooth the rough parts so I could do both successfully.  If we were unable to schedule class around practice, Doc made sure we got to class on time.  Our academic success was important and Doc made sure we knew tha.  He made sure we were in class even it it meant missing a half hour of practice. 
 
Doc also loved to share anecdotes with us that showed he cared about us as individuals.  There were many, but one of his favorites was, "If God wanted you out past midnight, He would have put a floodlight in the middle of your forehead."  We were more than just softball players….Who we were as young ladies mattered a lot.
 
What did you take from your time as a student-athlete at GVSU?
While at Grand Valley, I received a quality education that helped prepare me to be a great teacher.  I played competitive softball at a high level and had a blast.  But the biggest treasure that I took away from my time at Grand Valley….Lifelong friends.  Our friendships began as we walked across campus from the dorms to the field that first day as very nervous freshman unsure if we would fit in or be good enough.  Doc had created an environment that fostered mentoring from the upper classman and we quickly began to feel welcomed and a part of the team.  Our friendships grew over our four years as we arrived bleary-eyed to 5 am practices, drove for hours in the team vans to games, pushed each other in the weight room, and chatted through soft toss.  We had a common love of the game and were focused on being the best, but it sure was fun along the way.  Our friendships have continued to be a sweet gift in our "grown-up lives" and I'm thankful for each of these girls.  Not only have we celebrated each other's big milestones of new jobs, moves, marriages, and new babies, our friendships have also supported each other through some pretty tough times as well.   
 
What opportunities did athletics open up for you?
COACHING. I feel coaching was something I was meant to do. After finishing my career at Grand Valley, I coached varsity softball along with middle school and JV volleyball for almost 10 years before moving on to coach my own kids' softball and baseball teams.  I specifically love working with female athletes.  I remember my own experiences, and I want them to learn the same lessons and to experience the same success.  There are two things that mean the most to me as a coach…ONE… The secret to success is doing the best that you can do.  Forget about whether you might win or lose.  By working hard and practicing the skills that you need to perform, the results will take care of themselves.  I encourage the kids that if they don't stretch their limits, then they are setting their limitations.   SECOND….Play with Passion.  When you have passion for the game and what you are doing, it shows.  You have more fun and you are more successful. 
 
What adversity did you overcome as a student-athlete or how did overcoming that adversity help you later in life?
Softball taught me that every day is a new day and a new opportunity to succeed.  Baseball and softball are unique in that you can go 0 for 4 one day and 4 for 4 the next day.  You can also be in a slump for weeks and then, all of a sudden, the slump will end and you'll be hitting like crazy again.  Nothing stands out to me about this more than when I look back on my "Sophomore Slump" at Grand Valley.  I started the season hitting everything in sight, then came the big slump….I either hit a grounder out or struck out.  It was awful and disheartening and it lasted quite awhile.  Doc, my parents, and Dustin (my boyfriend at the time, now my husband)  were so supportive and just kept encouraging me to continue swinging the bat.  Doc fed extra buckets of balls, my Dad threw hundreds of balls, and Dustin learned to pitch underhand during that slump to give me extra batting practice to help keep up my confidence.  All of a sudden, in the top of the tenth inning against Ashland in the Regional Finals, my slump ended and I hit a game-winning home run over the scoreboard to help send our team to Nationals where my slumpy hitting was a thing of the past.  It is a lesson that I will never forget and that I try to convey to my players and my own kids today….You're going to mess up and have a slump.  There are going to be highs and lows in softball, and in life, but it is how you deal with and bounce back that defines you as a player and as a person. 
 
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