University of Indianapolis senior outfielder softball player Kamrie Foster has been selected as the first UIndy softball player in the school’s history to attend the NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum on Nov. 18-21 in Houston, Tex., according to Head Softball Coach Melissa Frost. According to the NCAA website, this forum chooses student-athletes from around the country who exhibit leadership qualities.
“It was like back in September, [Senior Associate A.D. & Senior Woman Administrator for Student Support] Jackie Paquette sent me information about it so I submitted an application to be accepted in and then later in October… I found out that I was able to go to this and receive [this] and I was super excited because I don’t know if I’m ever going to get an opportunity like this in my lifetime,” Foster said. “It’s just super exciting to be able to go do something like this and hopefully bring some stuff back here to help.”
Foster said that her decision to come to UIndy was due to a multitude of reasons including academics, staying close to her family, the overall community and athletics. According to Foster, her two twin sisters are also on the softball team.
“I have two sisters on the team, so we all wanted to stay together so that was one factor. Another factor is just the people here, such a great community like I know that … people are going to be around and they’re going to help you and then academics are just like off the wall, amazing,” Foster said. “I’ve heard nothing but great things about the school.”
According to UIndy Athletics, during her time on the team, Foster has racked up a number of awards and honors including being a part of the 2021 All-GLVC Third Team, three time receiver of the academic All-GLVC award and two time receiver of the NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete award. While Foster’s awards and recognitions may speak for themselves, Frost said the awards are a reflection of the person Foster is.
“In all aspects, she’s just Kam. That’s the biggest thing, she performs for us on the field, off the field, you know she’s reliable, she’s accountable,” Frost said. “She’s one of those people that from the first day she stepped foot on campus we looked at her because of her work ethic and I think that’s something with Kam. She’s always been that person that grinds it out and I just think that someone that puts in as much time and effort that she does, we feel like that her being able to be on the student leadership council is just a true representation of who she is.”
Foster has proven time and again through her awards and recognitions in both athletics and academics that a leader is not only judged by their performance on the field, but off the field as well, according to Frost.
“Most of the time it’s more about the journey or the process that you have to do to get to the point where you want to be because softball is a game of failure, so you kind of have to learn how to combat that and those negative thoughts that come with it,” Foster said. “So, it’s more of a mental game at this point. Physically, that’s something that everybody can train and get better at but like mentally that’s where you get to rely on other people and ask for help when you need it.”
Foster is a great representation of what a leader is both on and off the field, according to Frost, and she is excited to see what Foster does with this opportunity as well as where she takes the valuable lessons she may learn while there.
“I think she’s just a true representation of what our program is about,” Frost said. “She always has been, she’s a leader for us off and on the field and it’s just amazing when you see somebody grow as much as she has but sticks to exactly who she is and that’s the first step of high moral character and a work ethic that is second to none.”
