Madison, NJ (November 17^th, 2020)- In this player spotlight, we talk with Francesca Shipe, a multi-sport student-athlete from the FDU women's basketball and softball teams. Francesca first began her collegiate career playing softball, starting hot with a .301 batting average in 29 games, 24 of them being starts. She drove in eight RBIs and hit first home run in college. By 2019, she was still playing in as many games for the softball program and decided to try joining the FDU women's basketball program. Francesca made the team and played in 20+ games for basketball that season, putting up good performances against teams like Rutgers-Newark and William Paterson.

While playing multiple sports at the collegiate level is impressive, this is not something that she started at FDU. She has been a student that plays multiple sports for quite a few years of her life. When it involves two sports that she loves, Francesca is able to pick up the task and do what is necessary to be a two-sport student-athlete at FDU.

"I started playing basketball when I was in second grade and I have been playing softball for as long as I can remember. In high school, I actually played three sports: field hockey, basketball, and softball, and I was recruited for FDU by Dante Fedeli (former FDU softball coach). Then, when I heard about the basketball team needing help, I just decided to tryout and join my junior year."

Being someone that has played sports for so many years of their life, Francesca has become accustomed to the lifestyle of an athlete, but it has still been a skill that she has needed to pick up in order to manage time and school workload efficiently. Many college students are stressed as they are without being an athlete, and this can only increase by taking part in two different sports. Being an athlete, Francesca needs to be able to complete all of her schoolwork, while making time for practices, training, games, etc. It is a focused effort that must be put in for everything to be completed and worked on as she hopes for.

"I would definitely say organization and my agenda book are key components to how I stay organized and stay on top of schoolwork. As soon as you miss one assignment or you even get a little bit behind, it starts piling up. As an athlete, two sports or not, you have to understand that whatever sport you are playing, it is a grind for your season. You are signing up for a grind."

Looking at her softball career with FDU, Francesca has had a history of being fairly successful. In both 2018 and 2019, she was able to bat over .270 and hit in multiple RBIs for her team. She has been able to aid her team in multiple ways and help their success against any opponents they face. As for how she has gotten her success, Francesca has attributed a few things to that.

"One thing that my dad and my coach always told me growing up was that in order to find a way on the field, you have to hit. If you hit, you're not going to sit on the bench. I think that kind of always stuck with me and I knew that maybe my field game was not the best, or it may not be the best that day, but at least I can always know that I can fall back on my hitting. The team will have to find a spot for you if you can hit."

On the basketball side of things, Francesca was able to join the team and connect with her teammates. While with them, she has been able to be a part of some games that have been put on larger scales, such as the game against Brooklyn College at the Barclays Center in 2019. She was able to get some playing time and play on the Barclays Center court, home to some of the best basketball players in the world. The experience for her was something she will always remember and cherish receiving the opportunity with FDU.

"Honestly, a lot of people can say that they've been to an NBA game, but not a lot of people can say that they've been on or played on the court. Because of Coach Melissa Brooks, I was able to play, and I know that my teammates and I appreciated that so much. Especially now with COVID, the NBA has been in the bubble, and as far as we know, the NBA is shut down right now. So, it was definitely an experience, and I have also played at Wells Fargo Center before too in high school. It was like a double shock, and it was cool to see the different views from standing on the court. Looking around, you kind of just feel shocked from the size and the atmosphere of the arena."

Between the softball and basketball programs, Francesca is able to have these memorable experiences with her teammates as she continues to try and get better. COVID-19 has made its impact on her sports and their seasons, but Francesca still works to get better and be the best student-athlete that she can be. In her position, she is still able to see the coaching styles from two different perspectives and understand how they choose to run their teams. She can still take the lessons from the sports she plays and use them in her everyday life, now as a student and in the future.

More From Francesca Shipe

Do you have a favorite moment that you can recall from softball while playing at FDU?

"One off of the top of my head that I always think about was when I hit a walk-off single against King's College. It was in the bottom of the 7^th inning and it was a tied game. I never swing at first pitches, but that game I did, and it went right back up the middle and scored Gabby Young. That was cool and I was a sophomore, so that kind of opened up the gates for me in softball."

I saw that you are studying psychology as your major. Do you want to stay with sports after college or do you think you will focus more with your career and possible occupation in the psychology field?

"I just recently added Sports Administration as a minor, so I definitely do see sports in my future. I feel as though sports have been such a big part of my life, so I just feel like somehow, some way,
sports are going to circle back into my life. Even if I do completely forget about sports for a little bit, I think some way or another, I'm just going to be itching to play again or coach again, possibly share my knowledge."

One thing that FDU prides itself on is having an environment that is inclusive to everyone, in athletics and at the school as a whole. How important do you think it is to have this environment on campus and in sports?

"I think it is very important and I think FDU does do a great job of this. I think that all of the teams care for one another. We all support each other, as I can't tell you how many times the softball team has came to basketball games or vice versa. Even the football players will come watch us, so I feel like the relationship we have among our whole FDU athletic department is something different from other places, just because we do have this inclusive environment."

Why should high school seniors and recruits be interested to come to FDU for athletics?

"Definitely because of the inclusive environment, #1. I think because we have a family environment. I have never felt like I had nowhere to turn to or nobody to turn to. That goes for both my teammates and my coaches. If I have a question that a teammate may not be able to answer, my coaches always have an open door. They are always very understanding with so many different situations. I think the inclusive, family-oriented environment and the support system we bring is something that can't really be matched anywhere else."