2019 softball grad’s work ethic, character and dedication inspired by her big sister
March 12, 2018
By ScoutU staff
There are kids that have a good head on their shoulders and then there’s Alyssa Muench.
Muench’s work ethic, dedication and maturity all played large parts in her recent commitment to play softball at Saginaw Valley State University, an NCAA Division II school in Saginaw, Mich.
All of those characteristics can in large part be traced back to her older sister, Lindsay, 21, who has been in a wheelchair almost her entire life with Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Muench looks up to her big sister and is someone who has taught her many valuable life lessons.
“I just realized the fact that any day that we can lose everything that we have,” said Muench, a 2019 grad from Campbellsport (Wis.) High School. “I play everyday as hard as I can, because tomorrow I know I may not have the same shot. She’s never been able to do it, but she’s playing soccer now, and she’s never given up, so that’s how I live – to never give up.
“She’s an inspiration, because she lives every day to the fullest. She pushes me so much to be the best softball player I can be and academically, too. And she’s helped me to be a better person.”
It doesn’t take long to see the type of person Muench is when meeting her. Her bubbly personality is a trait that others easily notice.
“She’s got a big personality and is very likeable,” said Rock River Stix coach Kurt Mussey, who has coached Muench for 2 years. “She’s a good kid. I really like her.”
Muench, who ScoutU Head Scout Jason Lauren helped with her recruiting starting in Nov. 2016, will be joining a college program that went 37-16 last season and advanced to the NCAA Midwest Region #2 Finals. Muench, a pitcher who throws 58 mph, first visited SVSU in July 2017, the summer after her sophomore year.
Alyssa (second from right) with her parents and her sister on her signing day celebration on Nov. 30 at Campbellsport High School.
ScoutU Head Scout Jason Lauren and Alyssa.
“When we first went there, it wasn’t really a school I was familiar with,” Muench said. “When we got there, everything was perfect — the diamond, academics, dorms, everything just fit me. Just the whole school itself is so exciting.
“When we toured, I was able to see what kind of academic work they do. I was able to see a lab, I was able to meet some of the professors and see the building. It was exciting to see how good they are academically and how good of a program they are.”
Muench plans on majoring in exercise science at SVSU. She visited several schools after Saginaw Valley State, but none felt like as good of a fit for her.
“I visited 10 schools (after SVSU) and went to a bunch of camps,” Muench said. “Every time I went to other schools, I just compared everything to Saginaw Valley. I didn’t have to wait to commit, because I know it’s the right fit for me.”
The Cardinals will be getting a player that has earned 1st-Team East Central All-Conference honors as both a freshman and sophomore. Muench was named Team MVP and Honorable Mention All-State as a sophomore.
“Alyssa doesn’t have the blazing velocity, but she mixes her pitches very well by moving it in and out and up and down,” Lauren said. “She also is a threat at the plate with power potential. Alyssa is as competitive as it gets.”
Muench’s travel ball team is 90 minutes away from her home. That hasn’t prevented her from attending practices and getting pitching and hitting lessons with the club.
“She is extremely dedicated to the sport she absolutely loves,” Mussey said. “That girl will outwork anybody. She works hard day in and day out. That’s why she’s at where she’s at. She’s non-stop. You have to give that girl a ton of credit.”
Muench will be the first to give a lot of that credit to her big sister, Lindsay. It’s something Mussey has noticed, too.
“I don’t think she lets things get in her way,” Mussey said. “She is very focused on her goal and her goal is to be the best. She doesn’t let the small things and the little things (affect her). With her sister, it helps her look past all the things that might distract her. She’s very focused and mature by taking care of her sister.”