Bishop transfers from Sam Houston to rival SFA

Former Liberty High School Softball standout, Kylie Bishop, has been trying to find her place since heading to the collegiate level last year.

Bishop found herself in Huntsville at Sam Houston State University, where she succeeded in playing a full year as a Bearkat.

Still, after only a year, she has decided to take her talents to the Bearkats’ nemesis and join the Stephen F. Austin Lady Jacks.

She went into detail about her college ball experience and why she decided to transfer after only a year at SHSU.

Bishop states she quickly discovered what to expect, what not to expect, and how to be comfortable with failing.

The athlete said college softball became much more manageable once she understood those things.

Bishop says she learned how to handle the pressure of being a freshman team member and did everything in her will to play.

You name it, extra hitting, extra fielding, lifting more times than the team requires, and she’s done it all.

“I realized that being a student-athlete takes work. Once I figured out time management, college life became much more manageable. I honestly fell more in love with the game,” said Bishop.

Bishop talked about how as a senior in high school, everyone has this grand idea of what their college of choice will be like.

Unfortunately, SHSU was nothing like she thought it would be. She claims she never really got comfortable with the area or the people that were in the area.

The beloved Liberty athlete details why transferring was the right move for her.

“My recruiting process occurred during the outbreak of covid, so I wasn’t able to go on a visit to the Sam Houston campus,” said Bishop. “I hastily jumped on the first school that showed interest in me and rashly decided to attend school and play softball there.”

Bishop believes she never gave any other schools a chance and found herself simply uncomfortable.

“When I arrived at Sam Houston to begin my new softball journey, I instantly realized that Sam Houston’s coaching approach wasn’t anything I had experienced before. After all, I had been coached by the best, James J.D. Chandler and Karen Slack,” After giving her best efforts to the Sam Houston coaching staff, it never fit, and she knew there had to be something else for her.

“I was miserable and knew that I needed to transfer to find a better fit for me,” she said.

As a younger player, SFA was a school she had considered during the recruiting process, and she knew she didn’t want to be too far from home.

The decision was easy, with Nacogdoches only two hours away and having faith that the school’s new head coach would help her develop and grow as a player.

Kylie has also played select ball with two former SFA players, which makes her more comfortable with her decision to transfer there.

As an added benefit, Kylie says she loves the color purple.

She looks forward to a fresh start, the school’s traditions, and playing ball with her past teammates and best friend, Mikaelah Burkland.

She believes that SFA is a great school, and its softball program is very competitive, and she is ready to work as hard as she can to earn a starting spot on the roster.