Future Friday: Q&A with Jordan Taylor
6/10/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
June 10, 2016
After representing the block M with pride while they competed for the Maize and Blue, our student-athlete alumni have gone off to become professionals in different areas of their lives. Whether they continued on in their sport, helped to build up a company or started a family, they are building a future. They are building our future. As they leave the University of Michigan campus they go forth with all they learned here to create a better future for us all.
Jordan Taylor (2008-11), a three-time NFCA All-American, two-time top-10 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year finalist and the 2010 Big Ten Pitcher of the Year, posted a 1.27 career earned run average and graduated with eight program records, including career wins, strikeouts, saves and no-hitters. After college, she won two World Cup championships and the 2012 Pan American gold medal as a member of the U.S. National Team, spent two seasons playing professionally in Japan, and now enters her fifth season with the National Pro Fastpitch League's USSSA Pride.
Taylor, along with fellow Wolverines Lauren Sweet (2012-15) and Sierra Romero (2013-16), will return to Ann Arbor later this month (Monday-Wednesday, June 27-29) for three Pride games held on Alumni Field at the Wilpon Complex. Tickets are available through the U-M Ticket Office.
Q. Where all have you played since graduating in 2011?
A. I played on the USA team for two years, then I went to play professionally in Japan for Denso -- that was two seasons, so about a span for two years. Now this is my fifth season with the Pride. I also coached at Boston University for two years with another Michigan alum, Kathryn Gleason, and then I just finished my first year at Loyola University in Chicago.
Q. When you were in college, did you see yourself making such a career out of softball? Did you see yourself sticking around the game as long as you have?
A. Not at all. I didn't expect it. But I didn't really know of all the opportunities. I knew about the USA team, but it didn't really seem attainable because you had the Jenny Finches, Jessica Mendozas and Crystl Bustoses. They came to Ann Arbor during their Beijing tour in 2008, and they just seemed larger than life to all of us on the team. They'd played for so many years together, gone so many places and won so many gold and silver medals. It felt surreal playing against them, so the fact that I wore the same jersey as them still feels a little strange to me.
Q. What has been the biggest difference between the college game and now playing in the NPF?
A. The first year in the NPF makes you feel a little dumb. You don't realize how little you know about the sport until you start playing professionally. It's about one or one-and-a-half steps up from the college game. There are no holes in any lineups. If you miss your spot as a pitcher, 1-9 will make you pay for it. It definitely humbles you during your rookie year and maybe sophomore year. It's so much more competitive, and the girls who stick around longer through multiple seasons are the ones who never stop learning. Practices are fun, listening to teammates talk about different situations. It's fun for someone who wants to learn more and more about the game.
Q. Has that experience and exchanging of ideas helped your coaching knowledge?
A. Definitely. Every season is different from the next, especially if you stay open-minded and keep learning. I've learned new drills during the Pride seasons that I've taken back to my girls -- to their dismay.
Q. How excited are you to have two fellow Wolverines on the Pride roster this season?
A. You can never have enough Wolverines. Our owner is a big Michigan man. He has a little Michigan shrine in his office. I'm really excited. I never got the chance to play with either Lauren (Sweet) or Sierra (Romero). I got to watch their careers and felt disappointed that I never got the chance to play with them. I'm excited to get the opportunity now.
Q. You'll be back in Ann Arbor in a few weeks with the Pride. How excited are you to play at Alumni Field again?
A. I was there a month ago for the Softball Academy and happen to walk past the mound, and I got little goose bumps and got so excited. It's so much fun to play there -- with the fans and the environment -- there's just really no place like Alumni Field.
Q. Your mom moved to Ann Arbor about a year ago. Has that made it feel even more like home for you?
A. After living in California my whole life, it's been a little surreal saying that I'm going home to Ann Arbor. It was such a good move for her. She retired and built a gorgeous home out in Dexter, so we've really been able to enjoy the lake and cider mill out there. Ann Arbor is such a cool place to live. It's really a strong community and has such a homey feel. She's gotten to know so many of our softball fans and supporters; they've become some of the best friends she's ever had.
Q. How much have you followed the team over the last several years? As an alum, has that been fun to see all their success?
A. Hutch always talks about leaving the program better than you found it. To watch them make two World Series in a row and carry on the stretch of Big Ten titles -- I thought four was a big deal, now they're at nine -- it's been so much fun and makes you feel so proud. It was a little tougher to follow when I was in Japan, but my mom would Skype me and turn the camera toward the TV. They play with so much energy and have so much fun; it's awesome to see that, because I think that can get lost sometimes.
Q. You kick off your season this weekend. How does the Pride look this season?
A. I keep calling it the "Baby Pride," because we have a lot of rookies. We actually had a big team dinner the other day, and looking around the room, there were only nine people out of 23 that are returners who have played in the league. It's definitely a lot of newcomers, but practices have been so refreshing. You take on more of a teaching role. We have a couple coaches who are still playing now, so you fall into coaching them a little bit yourself. It's a good start to the year. I'm excited to finally get out and play some games.
The 2015-16 academic year marks the 150th anniversary of Michigan Athletics. We invite the University of Michigan family to celebrate the passion that fuels us, rediscover the stories and traditions that unite us, and imagine what the future holds for us. We look forward to celebrating "This Michigan of Ours." To share a memory of Michigan Athletics, please fill out our online form or email goblue150@umich.edu.
