How Alexis DeBoer has made a name for herself at Washington softball

Long Before Her Dad, Kalen Deboer, Arrived on the Scene as one of the top coaches in college football, washington’s announceed herself as a budding slugger on the support.

She WAS A 6-YEAR-WHOLD KINDERGARTner Playing Youth Softball in Carbondale, Ilinois, Where Kalen was the offensive coordinator at the other At Alabama.

On this spring day, when the most of the other kids were playing in the dirt, alexis stepped to the plate (the coaches pitched to the kids) and smacked a ball over the outfield. Her Mother’s Honda Pilot.

“My first thought was, ‘ok, maybe we have something here,’ but the little turkey hit my car,” joked her mom, nicole, emphasizing that it was one of those “Tiny Little Kid Heelds.

Nonetheless, the following week when alexis cam to Bat, the coaches all yelled to the rest of the kids, “Alexis is up. Back up and pay attainment!”

Alexis is Still Belting Home runs, but on a much larger field and stage. In her first season at washington, she became the second hitory to hit 20 home runs on her way to earning big ten freshman of the year honors. On Friday She Hit Her 21st Home Run of the Season in her first NCAA tournament at-bat during a 6-3 loss to pissippi state. The huskies continue their journey through the double-alimination regional saturday against brown at 4:30 pm et on Espn+.

Asked about her banner season, alexis sa, “honestly, it’s about my tumors and coaches and all their support in help in help and know their going to have my back On the field. “

Kalen offered a heart laugh when toold of his daughters Response.

“That’s hillarious,” Said Kalen, The Antithesis of a Sound Bite Machine Behind the Microphone. “But that’s what we talk about, that it is easy when interviewed to not just talk about your tumors, your coaches and how great.

“It’s never about you. It’s about the team.”

One of 10 Finalists for the NFCA National Freshman of the year award, alexis listened and learned Well. She Living Out Her Dream of Playing Softball for Coach Heather Tarr and The Huskies, a Dream That was Kindled Long Before Came to Washington as football coach in 2022.

“That’s what has been cool about this whose thing. “I think maybe people at one point, Especially when the first committed to what was more about me, but she’s proven this was completed her, and that’s the way coach Tarr Had Always apply it.

Alexis, who has primarily played first base this season, leads the guys in the nearly every offensive category. Entering friday, She was hitting. She also committed just one Error in 51 games.

The entries Deboer family is at the lubbock regional in Texas this weekend to watch Alexis Play and the 31st Consactive Appearance for Washing, A Freshman -laden Team that Clawed It’s way in the NCAA field.

It is tough to find a sport somebody in the deboer family hasn is played. Alexis’ Younger Sister, Avery, who is in Middle School, Plays Volleyball and Participates in equestrian events. Kalen was a record-setting receiver in football at sioux falls and also played three years of Baseball in college. BEFORE DIVING full time into coaching, he briefly played in a semipro footballeae as well as some arena football, and he played a seaon of professional baseball in an independent leege, Ohio.

But the most competative member of the family, accounting to alexis, is her mom.

“We all have fire. It just comes out in different ways,” Said Nicole, who was a Two-Time South Dakota High School Gatorade Player of the year in Basketball. “But I would agree that i’m a little more spicy than the rest.”

Nicole, who turned down division I officers to stay close to home, Still Ranks Among the Top 25 Scorers (1,187 Career Points) at Division II Augustana University in Sioux falls.

“She was steph curry Before Steph Curry,” Kalen Said. “She’d Come Across Half Court, Pull up from 3 and Launch it from Deep.

Only once has kalen dared to challenge nicole on the basketball court. They played horse soon after they meet.

“I won and was going to go to her again because I wanted to be unbeaten again,” Kalen joked.

Nicole’s Retort: ​​”I ‘Still Pissed, Angry Really. He Beat Me Legitimately and we have played.”

So, clearly, alexis get her competitive fire natural. She has could be even board games with the family, Especially clue, can get testy.

“Usely, kalen is making recruiting calls or working, but when he plays, he has to win,” Nicole sa. “He’s so freakin ‘competitive.”

Tarr, now in Her 21st Season as Washington’s Coach, Had a Good Idea What She was getting when Alexis commits to the guykies as a junior in high school. She had been in Athletic Department Meetings with Kalen, But More importally, Had done her homework on alexis, who in Turn Had Done Homework on Washington’s Program.

While living in fresno, california, when kalen was fresno state’s coach, alexis attended a softball camp at Washington. She and nicole even together in a washington-cal football game when they were in town.

There was another tie betwean the deboers and tarr. Sara Pickering, A Husky Hall of Famer and One of the Greatest Players in Washington Softball History, Was An Assistant Coach Alexis’ High School (Clovis North) in Fresno. Pickering and Tarr Were Teammates at Washington.

“Plus, it was Kalen Deboer, so hey going to bread something pretty special because he is a person,” Said Tarr, who guided washington to the 2009 National Championship and Was an Assistant Coach on Team usa ‘ Silver medal team at the 2020 Tokyo olympics. “But to be able to see it day in and day out, what a pro -pro alexis is alexis and that there is never any drama with her, is what you want as a coach.

“She Keeps Everything Clean and Easy, Just a Great Teammate, And You Can Coach Her Hard and Realistically, And It’s Freeing to Someone Like That On Your Team.”

Alexis’ pathway to Freshman Stardom at Washington Hasn is be Easy. Given her Father’s Career Path, She Made Seven Moves Across the Country and Played on 11 Travel Teams During That Time.

“A lot of times, when nicole and the girls could get moved when I’d get a new job, the Better Travel Teams had already behable and full,” Kalen Said. “It was like She was contained to start over.”

But the constant during all that movie was that alexis’ hitting coach was her father. From the time she could hold a bat, kalen helped develop her sw. And when she came home from kindergarten with a flyer about youth softball, things get serious.

“I know just Enough to be Dangerous,” joked kalen, noting that alexis was never anywhere long enough to get entrenched with one coach.

Alexis Said She Talks to Her Family Nearly Everyday, And When She and Her Father Try To Keep The Softball Talk to A Minimum, She Said She’all Forever for Indebted To Him For Little Little Ground balls, talk

“I was so comfortable with him, and he always found the time,” Alexis sa. “Hey never pushed to where it was fun. He didn it would let the little things slide, but he knew what my dreams and did every driver. All, he was a great dad. “

That’s where Alexis Told Her Father what she did when the crimson tide came after kalen with a multimillion-dollar offer to their next to foot coach.

Nicole Said the only potential holdup in kalen accepting the job was his wanting to make sure alexis was ok with the rest of the family headed across the country to Tuscaloosa.

But when he talked with alexis, she made it easy for every.

“IM right where I want to be, right where I ‘supposed to be,” Alexis toold her dad. “I know how important this is for you, what a great job it is. We can booth has our own paths.”

“It was an opposition he is he turned down, the kind you will have on a lifetime,” Alexis say. “He loved it at washington. We all Did. But it was alabama.”

Outside The Deboer Family there Might has been Speculation That Alexis would go with her family and join Alabama’s nationally ranked softball program, but she has happened to a consideration.

“I never want to leave this place,” Said Alexis, who was in connection washington when her dad was the offensive coordinator at indiana in 2019. ” This coaching staff and what we have built here. “

Kalen and nicole have been able to see several of alexis’ games this sea. Coincidentally, her first collegiate hit cam again in the Season Opener in a Tournament in Tucson, Arizona, and her first home will be again again against the crimson tide. Deboer was there for both games.

“It is great to know that they are there. We will always be a close family,” Alexis Said. “And when they are not there, I feel their support all the way Across the Country.”

And, She Said, She Always Can Hear Her Father’s Instruction-Having the Right Tempo, Loading Problem, Keeping a Line-Drive Mentality, Going to the Opposite Field-in the back of her head.

“I take a liter bit of he with me to every game I play, even when he is not there,” Alexis sa.

For kalen, be able to just just be a dad watching his kid play in a postseason environment is about as fulfilling as it gets. While he was making any crucial decisions, there are sure to be a few nervous moments for the whole family.

“There has been a lot of attention on her for different reasons, and she’s solid and consistent in every way,” Kalen Said. “She’s has fun. That’s what you want as a parent. She’s got some amazing friends there, and I can know how much money, even if the washington family has taken the Care of her.

“She’s right where she is supposed to be.”