It would be hard to imagine anything that could make Cailah Niles happier than softball. But being able to play softball at the college level has made the recent graduate of Glenwood School practically giddy with happiness.
In a few weeks Niles will be making her way to Anderson College in Anderson, South Carolina, as a member of the school’s softball program. Niles received academic and athletic scholarships to attend Anderson. A few other colleges were in the running but a visit to the campus sealed the deal in Niles’ mind.
“It was just so pretty. And quiet. I was really impressed with everything about the school,” she says with a big smile.
The catcher for the Glenwood Lady Gators positively vibrates with anticipation over being able to continue to play softball. Becoming a collegiate athlete is topped only by the fact that Niles has the opportunity for that experience to take place outside of this area.
The 5’8” three-sport athlete isn’t trying to get out of town for any particular reason. She has no problem with home, family, or friends. In fact, she will be a little reluctant to leave for college because she just became a big sister this past spring. Kynslee Skye Niles arrived on Niles’ 18th birthday back in March.
Niles is looking forward to living in Anderson because the gifted athlete wants to have some life experiences in another location before she makes a decision on what to do after college. A college softball program will give her the chance to travel, make new friends, and get an education in preparation for her future.
“I really, really can hardly wait. I want so badly to get to Anderson. Softball is what I love, and I am getting to play for four more years. That is just too good to be true,” she says.
It is true that Niles will be able to continue to play, but it is also true she has earned the opportunity. Niles has been a softball player since she was around five years old. She stayed with it and has had a very impressive run. In Alabama, softball is a spring sport for area high schools. For her senior season, Niles notched her 50th homerun in four years back in April. She set a school record for most homeruns in a season in 2012 with 17, breaking the previous record of 15 set by Leslie Kelly in 2009.
At the time of her interview with In the Game, Niles’ batting average was .475, and she was coming on fast to break her own home run record. For these reasons and more, she has become sort of a legend among her peers.
“Cailah has been great to coach for five years. I have seen her growth every year, and she has worked really hard to get to this point. When she graduates, she will hold almost all of our hitting records at Glenwood. Very impressive,” says Dusty Perdue, Glenwood’s softball coach.
In addition to her hitting talents, Niles is stellar as a catcher. She loves the action behind the plate and has been rewarded for her success by often being allowed to make pitching calls for her team. Even though she says she favors offense over defense, Niles lights up when asked what she loves most about playing softball. “I love the aggression. I love being mean. I really love being the girl that the other team is intimidated by,” says Niles, laughing.
Perdue has been coaching softball for 12 years, ten at Glenwood. He has seen a lot of talented athletes and is quick to praise Niles for her abilities. “Cailah’s strengths on the field are her knowledge of the game and everything that is going on in the game. Her ability to adjust to pitchers that she faces during a game is also a strength. She has a great arm as a defensive catcher, but she is definitely a better offensive player. Cailah will have a chance to be the starting catcher as a freshman at Anderson. It will be hard to keep her bat out of the lineup even if she is not the catcher. Maybe the DH,” says Perdue.
When Niles begins playing softball at Anderson, one of the traits her coaches may note is that she is just about fearless. An only child for 18 years, Niles has been groomed by her father to be a tough, focused athlete. Catching has given her a passion for risk, and that particular characteristic is sometimes manifested outside of softball.
Niles has been a volleyball player for Glenwood during high school, and this past fall, she made good on a promise to herself to give cheerleading a try. It had long been a notion in the back of her mind that she wanted to see if she could make the team, so she risked the chance of failure and came up a winner.
“I had kind of wanted to do it for a long time, but softball takes up a lot of time. But, this year, my last year, I said I was going to do it, and I did. It was a lot of fun and hard, too,” says Niles.
Niles also risked undertaking two track and field events last year. Opportunities to participate in shot put and discus for Glenwood gave Niles a look at another sport.
All in all, she has four sports to her credit at Glenwood. It has been a great high school experience, but she is looking forward to the next four years away to pursue her degree in secondary education. Niles says she will more than likely return later somewhere close by due to one really good reason.
“My sister will be four years old and ready to start playing sports. I have got to be in on that. Knowing that I am leaving, I keep trying not to get too attached to her, but so far that is not working out so well,” she says with a laugh.
Getting to know Cailah
Family: Parents, Angela and Rodney Niles; sister, Kynslee Skye
Pets: Turtle named Sam
Favorite food: Pizza
Favorite place to eat: Mikado’s
Music she likes: Just about anything
Favorite team (college or professional): Alabama
Clothing she most prefers: T-shirt and yoga pants
Sport she wishes she could play: Basketball
Person(s) she most admires: Mom and Dad
Favorite pastimes: Shopping, giving lessons, working on my softball skills
Words of wisdom she leaves behind: To never give up. There’s always a chance to turn it around.
Best thing about attending Glenwood School: It’s small. I like it because it is small and everyone knows everyone.
Columbus Valley/Player Spotlight (female)/June 2014
Cailah Niles
Glenwood School
Smiths, Alabama
By Beth Welch
Photos by Jerry Christenson
Softball scholarship hits target with Glenwood catcher
