More than a game: USU pitcher Emmalyn Brinka finds a home in softball

Beyond just a game, senior Utah State softball pitcher Emmalyn Brinka said she sees her sport as a place for commitment, community and development.​     ​ 

“I think it kind of bleeds into everything,” Brinka said. “I feel like softball has been the one thing that’s really kind of modeled me into the person that I am as far as discipline goes, as far as drive in the classroom and just especially with relationships.”​     ​ 

Brinka said she remembers the first time she ever stepped on the softball field. She had grown up trying several different sports, and one day, her dad, Paul Brinka, took her out to play catch.  

“He went home and told my mom that we should probably find me something else to do,” Emmalyn Brinka said. 

Despite the initial rough start, Brinka said her determination and hard work, along with the support of her family, helped her develop into a collegiate-level softball athlete. 

Brinka and her family moved across Montana, where she joined her first travel ball team.​     ​ 

“She ended up playing her first year of travel ball there in Missoula, Montana, and she was hooked from there,” Paul said.​​ 

Paul said Brinka continued to work hard, demonstrating grit, developing her skills and fulfilling her passion for softball.​     ​ 

“It turned into something that’s been really amazing for me,” Brinka said. 

Brinka grew up for most of her childhood in Montana, but moved around seeking out softball recruiting opportunities. 

The teams she played on and the coaches she worked with each helped push her towards success alongside her own personal determination, according to Brinka. 

Today, Brinka is a successful pitcher for Utah State University, but everyone has to start somewhere. For Brinka, that somewhere was in a 10U tournament in Great Falls, Montana.​     ​ 

“Everybody thought she should be a pitcher because she’s really tall, so she asked the coach one time if she could pitch,” Paul said.​     ​ 

The coach put her in to pitch. After walking 10 girls and having four or five hits off of her, the coach made the decision to move her to right field for the remainder of the game. 

Once they returned to the car, Paul said Brinka looked to her parents and said she was so glad she would never have to pitch again. 

“Right about two minutes later, coach walks up to my driver’s side window,” Paul said. “[He] has me roll down the window and looks at her and says, ‘Are you going to be ready to pitch tomorrow, too?’ And she just bucked up and said, ‘Yes, coach. I’ll do whatever you want me to.’” 

From there, she practiced pitching, improving her skills and developing into the collegiate-level athlete she is today. Now, USU Softball head coach Todd Judge calls her USU’s ace pitcher. 

“There’s not a better kid in our program,” Judge said. 

Brinka’s mom, Becky Brinka, said her daughter’s determination and discipline are what got her where she is today, but what really stands out to her is the strength Emmalyn Brinka demonstrates both on the mound and in other areas of her life. 

“Her strength, both physically and emotionally — she does things that just blow my mind that most people can’t do,” Becky said.​     ​ 

Brinka follows a regimented schedule that includes practicing softball, staying healthy, helping others, focusing on academics and spending time with those she cares about. 

“I really value personal growth and continuously growing as I get older and as I become more mature,” Brinka said. “It’s kind of just always the goal to just continue to get to the highest level that I possibly can.” 

Brinka said she appreciates the competitive edge and good coaching USU’s softball team has provided for her.  

“We have a great community of people here at the university, as well as great coaching,” Brinka said. 

She said she enjoys the environment of everyone working to get better and is happy to be a part of the Aggie family. 

“This team is really important to me,” Brinka said. 

Brinka’s drive to work hard for improvement and appreciation for teamwork also help her be a leader to others and encourage them to do the same, according to Paul. 

“Every team that she’s ever gone to as far as travel ball, high school, she always took a leadership role,” Paul said. “Some of the proudest moments for me is when the coaches would call me and actually tell me what kind of leader she is.” 

Brinka said the traits she has developed through softball help her in other areas of her life, such as academics. She is majoring in communications and minoring in sociology and real estate.​     ​ 

Moving around when she was growing up and looking at houses online ignited Brinka’s interest in residential real estate.  

“I really do love helping people, so having the opportunity to do that and get people in their dream homes, especially families, just sounded like a lot of fun to me,” Brinka said. 

Brinka said her parents’ support and kindness have been a large inspiration to her and have encouraged her to work on herself both in and out of her sport. 

“The way that they pour so much of themselves into other people and they have in myself has really inspired me to just be the best person that I can possibly be, whether it’s on the field or behind closed doors,” Brinka said. “I think they’ve really inspired me to be that kind of person.”​     ​ 

Through drive and determination, Brinka plans on continuing to better herself. She is excited to see where the upcoming season goes and how much she and her team can accomplish. 

“I hope that everything that she wants in life happens,” Becky said. “I know with her work ethic and her all-business lifestyle that she’ll make it happen.”