College Softball Bound, Emma Fong, Shares How She Got Recruited

Get to know January player of the month, Emma Fong. Emma is from Hermosa Beach, California. She attends school and plays softball at Mira Costa, in Manh

attan Beach. Emma plays travel ball for, California Cruisers Premier/Watson. Next up, she will reach her ultimate softball dream to play in college on the East Coast, at Holy Cross

We asked Emma questions we thought would be valuable and inspirational for all of you younger players, and parents of younger players reading with Emma’s same goal, to play college softball.

Bellalete: Share the cliff notes version of how you got recruited?

Emma: It started out with a recommendation to check out Holy Cross from my High School coach who knew players that had gone to the school. I started emailing the coaches videos and my schedule. The assistant coach came to California and watched me play. After she saw me play, I kept emailing.  

A couple weeks later, I received an email which included information about their upcoming camp and saying they could give me an unofficial tour of the school. I went to the camp and the next day after the camp I asked the coaches if I could meet with them to figure out the next steps that I needed to take to get recruited.

 Then, a month later everybody was in the lockdown, because of Covid. I continued emailing them videos of me working out, keeping in shape and talked to the coaches on the phone. It was a long process, slowed because of Covid, but around 7 or 8 months later we hopped on another call and they offered me a scholarship and I accepted.

Bellalete: What advice or thoughts would you tell your 13 year old self, prior to being recruited?

Emma: I would tell my 13 year old self that although you might be missing fun things with your friends it will all become worth it. I would also tell my 13 year old self, to just keep working.

 As you get closer to being recruited, I recommend selecting schools that will be a good and realistic fit for you. I wanted a school that would prioritize education. It was important to look for a school that would do that for me.

Bellalete: What are the top three qualities you need to succeed at softball and reach the ultimate goal, playing in college?

Emma: You need to be willing to work hard, put in the time to research the schools you are emailing, and email the schools. When I was around 15 it was time to start sending emails and I saw it almost as a chore and never realized how important it is to email coaches and get your name out there.

Bellalete: What play stands out the most in your memory?

Emma: It was one of the last games I was able to play with my team before the holidays in Las Vegas. It was so cold there and for a couple seconds it actually snowed. There was one play where there was a girl on third base and she was taking a very big lead and I thought I could throw her out. Fortunately, the hitter hit a long foul ball and I was able to get the attention of our third baseman and I told her to be ready for my throw. On the next pitch the girl took another big lead and I threw her out to end the inning.

Bellalete: What part of your game are you most proud of and confident in?

Emma: I’m most proud of how I respond in catching situations with a lot of pressure. The pressure allows me to just focus on the task at hand and I don’t think as much about what could go wrong. 

Bellalete: What do you like about Bellalete Softball pants?

Emma: I really like how comfortable and soft the pants are. They are also a great length and the leg cut off is perfect.

Bellalete: Share something people might not know about you?

Emma: Something that people don’t know about me is that I’ve been skiing since I was really little and that is where I found my love for the snow. Wanting to be in the snow was one of my motivations for picking an East Coast school.

Bellalete: Do you have a mentor or look up to someone in particular?

Emma: I would say that I look up to Mookie Betts the most because of his work ethic. The amount of bases that he stole in the World Series alone and the number of over the fence catches that he has speaks for the work that he puts in, even if he doesn’t talk about it that much. He is also a very supportive teammate and you can see how much love he has for the game which is the most important thing.

Comment below with any questions or comments for Emma.

Follow Emma on her journey to college softball on instagram @emma.fong

Congratulations Emma, Holy Cross Softball '25!