Ansley Blevins '22

As Ansley Blevins approaches her final year at Middle Tennessee State University, the senior softball phenom has earned a fair number of accolades. Along with making the dean’s list the past three years as she completes her bachelor’s degree in communication with a concentration in health, she’s also made a name for herself on the field. 

As a freshman, she made the C-USA All-Freshman Team, C-USA All-Tournament Team, and NCAA All-Region Team. Her sophomore year, she was First Team All-Conference C-USA. And this year, Ansley was First Team All-Conference C-USA and College Sport Communicators Academic All-District. 

“I originally began college with the expectation that I would go into medical device sales,” Ansley says. “But as my softball career comes to an end, I realize how much I don’t want to let it go. I’ve been giving lessons, working with kids, and doing softball camps the last three years and realized how much I love coaching. I hope to become a graduate assistant at a good college softball program to kickstart my coaching career.”

Ansley’s passion for softball and for sharing her knowledge of the sport bodes well for her future plans. “If you’ve ever watched me play, you can see the amount of emotion that I have for the game.”

Her love of the sport hasn’t come without some sacrifices, like weekends, school dances, and even birthday parties. “I was always having to travel at least an hour from my hometown of Jasper, Tennessee, to go to hitting lessons and catching lessons and often traveling out of state to play at tournaments and showcases,” she says. “I love getting to go back home in the summers and give kids lessons and running camps. It’s extremely rewarding, not only to see them improve on their physical game, but also watching as their mental game improves as well. Having girls wear the number 13 because of me makes me feel like I’m doing something right in choosing this career path. I hope to be able to inspire as many girls as possible in the coming years.”

When asked about the influence GPS had on her future, Ansley couldn’t pick just one area of her life her time as a Bruiser impacted. “All of my favorite memories at GPS involve one of four things: sports, teammate/friends, Ms. Betts, and the cafeteria,” she says. “GPS definitely shaped me into the woman I am today. If it weren’t for GPS, I would’ve never met Coach Susan Crownover. She is the best thing that has ever happened to me in my softball career. She molded me into the player that I am today, and I hope to one day be as good of a coach for my future players as she was for me.”

Ansley also credits her GPS education with why she was able to balance the demands of college sports with the expectations in the classroom. “I would be doing GPS a disservice if I didn’t also point out how much it prepared me to thrive in college,” she shares. “I can’t tell you the amount of girls I’ve encountered who are too afraid to raise their hand in a lecture hall, answer a question in front of the class, or give a presentation to 100 people. GPS prepared me to be extra confident in a classroom. There was never any wrong or stupid question that I could ask in class and that translated over into my collegiate classes. Playing sports at GPS while maintaining the rigorous academic schedule helped prepare me when playing at the collegiate level. I learned how to manage my time very well, and on the occasional assignment, type out an A-level paper in a couple hours thanks to my writing skills I learned at GPS.”

So, we definitely get that the dining hall was a favorite place and of course her friends and teammates were integral to her GPS experience. But what was it about our school Receptionist and Stewardship Coordinator, Ms. Katherine Betts, that made such an impact on Ansley?

“We had a really close bond between her and my entire friend group,” Ansley says. “Since it’s been three years since our class has graduated, I don’t think she’ll get upset with my telling everybody this, but Ms. Betts would always bring us cupcakes for our birthdays. Whether it was in our free period or during Help Class, my friend group would gather around Ms. Betts‘s desk, and we’d sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to each other. She cared so deeply for us, whether it was just an hour-long talk, a nap behind her desk, or a quiet place for us to go and do our homework; even in silence, Ms. Betts’s company was the best you could ask for! I love her dearly, and I still try to go and visit her as much as possible.”