“We can watch women’s sports almost as easily as men’s sports now,” she says. “Funding and investment continue to grow. I hope it keeps reaching new heights.” On National Girls & Women in Sports Day, Elsa Carrillo’s story is a reminder that progress isn’t accidental. It’s built rep by rep, day by day, by athletes who keep showing up, even when it’s hard.
In celebration of National Girls & Women in Sports Day
At TAG Sports, we believe the future of training is built on real data, real effort, and real stories. Since launching TAG ONE, we’ve partnered with athletes who don’t just use technology, but use it with purpose.
One of those athletes is Elsa Carrillo, a member of the Johnson County Community College softball team and soon-to-be addition to the Missouri Western State University squad, who has been creating softball-focused content with TAG Sports since our launch. Elsa has helped showcase how speed data, feedback, and consistency come together in real training environments. Her perspective as a competitor, teammate, and role model reflects exactly why we build tools like TAG ONE, to support athletes who are stacking the hard days and pushing the game forward.
In recognition of National Girls & Women in Sports Day, Elsa talked with us about motivation, progress, data-driven training, and the future of women’s sports.
For Elsa, motivation isn’t found in highlight reels or box scores alone, it’s built in the quiet, demanding moments that most people never see.
“The reward of winning a big game, going to the national tournament, and realizing that, at the end of the day, those hard practices, bullpens, and long days prepare you for stressful moments on the field,” Elsa says. The mindset that stacking the hard days so you’re ready when it counts has shaped Elsa’s journey as both an athlete and a competitor.
A Life Built Around Sports
Sports were never a side activity in Elsa’s life. They were the backdrop to everything.
“Sports have always been a huge part of my life. All my siblings played sports,” she recalls. “If I wasn't at a tournament myself, I was at one of my siblings' games watching them play soccer, baseball, or basketball.”
That environment didn’t just normalize competition, it made it a shared family language. And one influence, in particular, helped turn that environment into a pathway.
Learning, Together
Elsa credits her mother and father as her biggest influences growing up. A former college pitcher himself at Labette Community College, Elsa's father didn’t just support her, he learned alongside her.
“He was always open to learning more about fastpitch, even though he knew about as much as I did,” she says. “He was always there to catch my bullpens, teach me new pitches, and take me to pitching lessons.” Like a lot of youth athletes, Elsa and her father received much of their instruction from accessible sources like YouTube, combining digital training with what they picked up from instructors and coaches.
That curiosity-first approach, pairing support with a willingness to adapt, became foundational. It’s also a theme Elsa sees reflected more broadly in the evolution of women’s sports today.
A Changing Landscape for Women’s Sports
Since Elsa first picked up a softball, the opportunities available to female athletes have expanded dramatically.
“There are so many more opportunities to play professionally,” she says. “Not just in the U.S., but for American players to play in Mexico or Japan. Games are accessible on streaming platforms, and the Women’s College World Series keeps gaining viewers every year.”
For Elsa, that visibility matters. It changes what young athletes believe is possible.
“The overall investment in women's sports is growing," she adds. “It's exciting to see younger girls setting goals for athletics past their high school and college careers.”
Progress Beyond the Scoreboard
Ask Elsa how she defines progress, and she won’t start with accolades.
“For me, it’s the small wins,” she explains. “Can I gain two miles per hour on this pitch? Can I lift heavier? Can I beat my sprint time?”
Those weekly goals compound into long-term ones, winning regionals, reaching nationals, lowering ERA, increasing strikeouts. Achieving them requires intentional practice.
“It starts with stacking the hard days,” Elsa says. “Using each rep to get better.”
The Power of Measurable Feedback
In today’s training environment, data plays a critical role in turning effort into insight.
“Being able to measure my performance shows me what’s working,” Elsa explains. “I can see my velocity in real time, in practice or in games, and track how things like weight training and med ball work impact my speed.”
For pitchers and hitters alike, that immediate feedback creates clarity, and confidence.
Advice for the Next Generation
Elsa doesn’t sugarcoat the road ahead for young athletes with big goals.
“You’re going to have bad games, bad bullpens, bad practices,” she says. “It’s easy to get discouraged when you’re not getting the emails you want or not seeing progress as fast as you hoped.”
Her advice? Don’t quit.
“Use failure as an opportunity to grow. Put yourself out there. Hard work and dedication will be recognized by the right coaches and schools.”
If she could tell her younger self one thing, it would be the same message: challenges and setbacks are part of the process, not the end of it.
Looking Ahead
What excites Elsa most about the future of women’s sports is simple, but powerful: visibility.
“We can watch women’s sports almost as easily as men’s sports now,” she says. “Funding and investment continue to grow. I hope it keeps reaching new heights.”
On National Girls & Women in Sports Day, Elsa Carrillo’s story is a reminder that progress isn’t accidental. It’s built rep by rep, day by day, by athletes who keep showing up, even when it’s hard.
That’s something worth celebrating.
Join TAG Sports in celebrating Elsa and all the other women stealing bases, hitting bombs, and fanning batters, and wish her luck as she joins the Missouri Western State University Griffons following her final year with JCCC!