The résumé of a professional softball player (Rylee Bayless)
Rylee Bayless plays softball in the Athletes Unlimited Professional Softball League. She started out at the junior college NEO in Miami, Oklahoma and then transferred to Oklahoma State to finish out her college career. She is currently a coach for the UMKC Roo’s softball team. In her free time she enjoys CrossFit, playing with her 4 large dogs, being outside, and learning about astrology, crystals & rocks. She enjoys being around animals and hanging out with her family. In this podcast we will be talking about transferring schools, her ACL injury, placing worth on your sport, and finding a job.
Below I have written most of what we talked about but you can listen to the full podcast on Anchor / Spotify or on Apple Podcasts.
Q: What was your experience like as a junior college transfer to a power 5 school?
A: It was definitely bittersweet. I went in as a young athlete wanting to be a D1 softball player.
Things kind of changed and it felt like the end of the world but it was the best time of my life and I didn’t want to leave. It was kind of hard understanding that now I have to go do other things.
It was kind of a dream come true going to a Power 5 Division 1 softball program.
When I got there, things just kept on rolling. Things transitioned well when I went to Oklahoma State. The game was sped up a bit more but it was just like I was playing ball again.
I was supposed to go to UMKC before NEO. It seemed like the end of the world at the time but things worked out. We were a really talented group of girls at NEO.
Q: What was your experience like with the ACL tear?
A: Again, it seemed like my world was over when it happened. I didn’t really know my options. I was 5 games into my senior year when it happened and I thought that was the last of my softball career.
I got a medical redshirt. It was still heartbreaking at the time because the senior class I was with were my girls.
I loved them and it sucked knowing I couldn’t take the field with them again. It was a blessing in disguise though.
It was a step back to be able to see things from a different viewpoint.
My redshirt senior year I was able to enjoy everything and not take things so seriously. We made it to the World Series that year and it was everything I wanted it to be.
Being a part of that journey in 2019 was a ride and it was so much fun.
Q: In what ways have you placed your worth on your sport?
A: I always remember in school we would always take these career tests. Every time my number one would be a pro athlete.
I really held onto that thinking I’m going to play softball for the rest of my life. I never really thought about what career I would want to pursue because I was so wrapped in to perfecting my sport.
It was quite a shock when it was over.
I was like, oh my God I just wrapped my entire identity in my sport. I was never really taught what life after sports would be like. I felt like I was at ground zero.
I was like what am I, who am I? It was kind of scary.
Q: You graduated with your associate’s degree from NEO in general education. Your bachelor’s from OSU is in University Studies and your master’s is in Leisure Studies. Do you feel like you would have done a different degree if you weren’t a student-athlete?
A: I would hope so. I don’t know what I would have been but I would do things differently.
I was really into nutrition and food. I was trying to learn more about food here in the United States because it seems to be making us all sick.
And then I was thinking about first responder stuff, like an EMT or a firefighter.
Q: What has your experience been like with finding a job after graduating?
A: There’s a lot of anxiety when it comes to searching for jobs. The whole interview process and what are the right things to say, what do I wear.
I had an interview at a gym and I was confused on what to wear to that.
I have inner wars going on in my head of what to do.
My whole life my parents told me that as long as I was involved with sports I didn’t have to get a job over the summers.
At 24 or 25 years old it was my first go at trying to get a job.
Nothing really filled that void of being an athlete. It’s hard because nothing really does fill that void.
I recently got back into coaching and it’s the closest thing but you’re still behind the white lines. Being pro in softball is nothing like being pro in a male sport.
We’re in season but we’re worrying about jobs after we’re done.
Q: What was one of your favorite moments while competing?
A: I go back to that 2019 year. I started at OSU in 2017 we were not the best in the Big 12 conference.
We put our trust in Coach G and each other. I think that was the start of turning our program around and being a World Series caliber team.
I can talk on and on about the World Series but what I remember the most is everything we did to prepare for it.
I’ve never been a part of a team like this one. We really enjoyed each other and the journey. We made it far. We made it further than anyone thought we would.
We always said if we make it to the World Series we’ll all get tattoos together. We didn’t think we would actually be in the situation and now here we are Ubering to a tattoo parlor in Oklahoma City.
We got our tattoos and got back in the Uber in time for a team meeting. It was magical and something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.
The moments and the friendships that team had was unbelievable.
We weren’t the most talented group, we just found ways to get it done. We were used to our season ending in May and when we made it to June.
It was relaxing in a way knowing that no matter what, our season was going to be over that week no matter what.
You get to Oklahoma City a few days before the start of the World Series.
We did get our tattoos before game 1. I love my little tattoo.
I remember my one hit in post-season was a double off of OU. I was pointing at my tattoo and on TV the commentators saw it said “FTG”. It means “For The Girls”. That was one of our sayings.
It’s funny because one of our teammates names is Elise and she had these two cats at home and she calls them “the girls”. She would always say “for the girls” and we turned that into the team saying.
You would think it had a deeper meaning but it’s just about the cats.
Q: What was the transition out of playing competitive sports like for you? What did you do in your newfound free time?
A: I feel like at first I definitely crawled into a box in a very dark room and taped it shut. I felt like I was at a standstill. I was like, what do I do now?
What am I even good at? I had no idea.
I was a Graduate Assistant for OSU in 2020 and then quarantine hit.
As much as it affected the world in a negative sense it really helped me. I packed up my things, I came home, I really focused on my health and fitness just like half of the country.
I got into really good shape and in a really good state of mind. I felt comforted in a way being at a standstill together with everyone.
I tried getting a 9-5 job at the gym being a regular person. I absolutely didn’t like it so I started doing lessons.
I love working with little girls and giving back. Being able to give back to the community and other people has really helped me because I know how much people have sacrificed for me.
Now it’s time for me to put myself in someone else or something else.
It’s helped me a little bit even though there is nothing that beats hitting a double and going crazy for your team. I want to be an athlete. I still want to be playing softball.
I am so excited and so blessed to go to this try out and make the try out because it’s everything that I’ve ever wanted.
It’s given me life and it’s given me purpose but it’s like how long am I going to be able to do this.
I feel like I’m trying to stay level headed and keep my future self in mind while still competing at a high level.
Q: What aspect of the transition out of sports was the hardest for you? What advice can you give to athletes on what you learned from that?
A: My self identity. It sounds so depressing but I was in a really dark spot. It was really bad in 2020.
Waking up every day and knowing I wasn’t working toward anything. I was looking myself in the mirror and I had no idea who I was looking at and that was terrifying.
I was like, who am I? What am I doing? What else is there for me?
It sounds so silly because it’s all over a game that’s supposed to be fun. It was our profession and we put everything into it.
This has no shot at anyone but it’s like you just got dropped off and fired from a job that you were doing since you were 5 years old.
Of course your coaches are always in your corner. We have relationships for the rest of our lives and that’s what it’s all about. But you’re still on your own.
My advice is that you can sit in the box but you can’t stay in there for ever. The sooner you can get out the better.
It’s hard but you’ve got to keep going no matter how dark it gets. It’s okay to get help from other people.
I would not be here today if it wasn’t for the people in my life. I’m still working out of my box.
It’s been 3 or 4 years now and I’m still trying to find the light.
My advice is to keep going and find your people and don’t be afraid to get help. I needed help and I still need help.
Social media today is what it is but people use it as a mask.
There are so many people out there that can relate to us.
You’ve got to reach out and you’ve got to get help and you’ve got to find your people because it’s so much harder to do on your own and that’s what I tried to do but don’t do that.
If you have any more questions for Rylee, please leave comments below or contact me. If you or someone you know is struggling, please call or text the Suicide Hotline. It’s toll free and available 24/7 at 988 or 800-273-8255.
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Are you or someone you know currently struggling with what happens in life after sports? Or did you already go through that transition to life after retiring competitive sports and wish you had more resources and support? Have you ever wondered, “what do athletes do after they are done playing sports? What’s next after sports?” Do you feel like you dedicated so much to your sport and you don’t know what to do now that you’re done competing? You’re not alone. Check out the site and join us in the journey. Once an athlete, always an athlete.
More blog posts you might like:
Interview with Oklahoma softball player and ESPN Analyst Erin Miller Thiessen
Interview with Missouri State softball player Lindsey Wrobleski
Softball player from California now playing in Australia interview: Alicia Peters
Softball player with unusual injury / condition interview: Mackenzie Moore Baumann