From Berlin To 'Boolah, Boolah' Bulldog

You're too small.

You're too light.

You're too short.

Berlin senior Brittany Labbadia has heard all of these things said to her or her parents or coaches about her.

Labbadia may be 5-foot-3 and may weight around 100 pounds but that hasn't stopped her from earning All-State honors as a shortstop the last two years for the Redcoats.

Most Division I college coaches saw her size and took a pass on her. Her numbers and her play wasn't even a factor. Teams discounted her for her size only. So it looked as if it might come down to some very good academic Division III schools.

That was until a trip with her AAU team, the Connecticut Tradition, to Colorado for a tournament. It was there that she caught the eye of the coaches from Division I Yale.

"They were supposed to come see me earlier but the coach had a baby," said the daughter of Rocco and Lynn Labbadia. "So we went to the tournament in Colorado and it took me going there to get a team from my own state to see me play. From that point, they showed interest and told me it was between me and another girl for the last spot in their recruiting class. They called and told me they wanted me to come and they gave me hints on re-testing to get higher scores. I did what they told me and I got the official letter that I had been admitted, so I gave them my verbal commitment to go there."

All the coaches who doubted her fueled her desire to play better and do better in the classroom.

"This kid is the hardest working athlete I've coached in any sport," Berlin coach Jason Pires said. "You really don't want to tell her she can't do something because she'll kill herself to prove you wrong. She has a batting cage at her house and I think she's in it every day. She plays year-round and plays other sports and is also involved in activities at school. She is an incredibly talented softball player but it is her work ethic that sets her apart."

Pires said the fact that Labbadia is going to a Division I school and an institution like Yale is a boost for the softball program.

"I have her in class this year and she works just as hard, if not harder, in class," Pires said. "I'm so proud of the fact that she's not just going to a Division I school but perhaps the premier academic institution in the world. She is the whole package and she is going to a place where she can use that whole package. She told me that there was a freshman that came up to her after she found she was going to Yale and told her she wanted to go to Yale too. That's what it does for the program. Other players will see what is possible and believe in themselves a little bit more."

Labbadia, whose mom played softball at Quinnipiac University, said the recruiting process was terrible.

"It was so discouraging, I just didn't know what was going to happen," she said. "They would look at my size and say I was too small and couldn't play. There were times I was very frustrated and low. But, if someone says I can't do something I take it as a challenge.

"It's such a relief to know where I'm going next year and it's over. The fact it's Yale really hasn't even set in yet. I'm so happy with my choice and everything about it but I still can't believe it. All of my friends are stressing over college applications and essays right now so to have it all done is so great. I also think it's going to make my senior softball season so much more fun. I will just be able to enjoy myself and my teammates and not have to worry about numbers to impress anybody."

Labbadia leads off for Berlin. She has power and can fly around the bases. She started playing second base as a freshman and then took over at short as a sophomore. She also has a strong arm on defense.

So what did she do when it was official?

"I didn't cry or anything but I was really excited," she said. "We took a ride down to the campus and went to the bookstore and bought some stuff. My dad is really excited but my mom keeps it pretty cool. I know they are proud of me and happy for me, they just have different ways of showing it."