Star Tells CV Girls: 'Get Good Grades'

Barely grounded after a flight back from the World Cup of Softball in Oklahoma City, Team USA star Val Arioto had a message for the girls of the in a visit Thursday night.

Do as I say, not as I do.

Especially when it comes to sliding. Arioto missed her senior season at Cal this spring as a result of a broken leg suffered while attempting a slide in practice.

Arioto, who grew up in Pleasanton and played in the town’s Phantom program, visited Castro Valley High to participate in a CVGSL Synergy practice and address the 12-and-under team just three days removed from contributing two RBIs to the gold medal-winning victory over Japan in a nationally televised game Tuesday.

At Castro Valley High on Thursday, she turned her attention to shaping perhaps some future college stars.

Her message:

• Get good grades. She was proud to boast of a 3.0 grade-point average after four years at Cal. She is on schedule to graduate this year.
• Practice hard. While the action often dictates the tempo of a game, a player is solely responsible for her energy level between the white lines of a practice.
• Be passionate about the game. Arioto credited her love of softball as the driving force in her success.

After offering instruction in fielding and hitting, she turned her attention to baserunning, explaining to the youngsters the importance of learning proper sliding techniques.

As the World Cup demonstrated, Arioto—who belted two home runs and drove in 11 runs in just 16 at-bats in the tournament—has fully recovered from her injury and looks forward to a second crack at a senior season next spring. 

The versatile standout returns to a Cal team riding the momentum of a College World Series appearance even without its star hitter/pitcher.