Kail signs to play softball at Butler

White River Valley senior Tayler Kail is joined by her father Jeff (left) and her mother Dawn as she signs her national letter of intent to play college softball at Butler University in Indianapolis Tuesday at the Switz City school. (By Rick Curl/Greene County Daily World). [Order this photo]

Kail, who will likely see time as a catcher for the Lady Bulldogs, said the signing was a culmination of a lifetime of hard work on the diamond.

"I really wanted to go there, so it was a real honor," she said. "To be able to do it says a lot about how hard work pays off."

Her parents, Jeff and Dawn Kail of Worthington, are both happy to see their daughter pursue both her athletic and academic dreams.

"I'm just happy to see her go and be able to do what she wants to do," Jeff said. "She's worked really hard for this."

Kail takes the next step in her athletic career knowing that she's not going to be guaranteed any more than any other player on the team. But realizes that the hard work that got her this far, can also payoff in earning her playing time.

"I'm not guaranteed anything," she said. "I'm competing with the other players for a spot. I'll probably be catching, but if they decide to put me in another position then that's where I'll go."

While she's only been a apart of the Lady Wolverines in a limited capacity, mostly due to injury, coach Ruan Fougerousse says Kail has the skills and ability to make a natural progression to the college level.

"Tayler's one of the best catchers in our area and I've said that for many years," Fougerousse said. "I"m just really excited for her. She'll do great."

Fougerousse said she will also have the opportunity to play with quality players -- something that will in turn Kail a better player.

"It's a great opportunity for her and Butler's a great college," Fougerousse said. "She'll get catch one of the greatest pitchers -- Jenny Asparza -- that'll make her better. I'm really excited for her."

Her father seems to think that not being guaranteed any playing time isn't really problem. Instead he believes it could be a motivator.

"I think she'll get there and really like it," he said. "I think she'll get there and really contribute to the team her first year -- they're expecting her to, so she'll have her work cut out for her."

Kail, who plans to major in physical therapy, says attending Butler is almost like an extension of her time at White River Valley.

She says the size of the campus combined with the people she met during her visit were contributing factors in choosing the school.

"It's a really small school, kind of like what we have now at WRV," she said. "So I wouldn't be getting the shock of going to school with 30 thousand kids or more.

"I like the kids, I like the housing and I liked how pretty it was."