High IQ multi-sport athlete Rofkahr to continue softball career at Brandeis University

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By Kyle Foster

kfost91197@gmail.com

Twitter/X: @NapaKyle @NapaSportsNews 

Having a high IQ and staying informed can help with many things. Indeed, it shines in the classroom. But this is also a huge asset on the field. Every team could use someone who sees things differently, too. 

No matter what sport she’s playing, Noelle Rofkahr can look at the game differently. This is one of the many reasons she signed a National Letter of Intent to play softball for Brandeis University after high school. 

“I’m just really excited for this next chapter in my life, and this day was just a starting point,” Rofkahr explained. “I’m really excited to continue pushing myself academically and athletically at the collegiate level.” 

Rofkahr has been a multi-sports athlete in her time at Vintage, playing both basketball and softball. 

Her main sport has always been softball. This is where she has excelled her whole life. In the last two seasons, she has excelled as a middle-of-the-lineup presence on the softball field. She owns a .271 average and 19 RBIs to go with 5 doubles and a pair of home runs. All of this led her to a solid .787 OPS in her high school career. 

But the one thing that Rofkahr has been key in doing in her time playing softball at Vintage is being someone who can play both corner infield positions with ease and fill a spot in the infield wherever needed. Rofkahr is a fielder who doesn’t let much get past her. After all, she owns a whopping .987 fielding percentage and has made just one error in her whole time on the varsity level. 

Playing the infield has helped her grow her IQ in the game by seeing things from a different position on the field. 

“I think it helps me when it comes down to the softball IQ, especially on defense, when I’m playing third, I see more things about the players’ swings, or I remember certain things that they do in their at-bats,” Rofkahr pointed out. “So when I go into the pitching circle, I’m able to transfer my intel that I got while playing third into the pitching mound. I think it just makes me a smarter pitcher.” 

However, Rofkahr is best known for her work in the circle. She hasn’t been needed as much when it comes to pitching. But she has been quite effective when she has been used. Rofhkahr owns a very solid 4-0 record with a 2.72 ERA in 15 appearances over her varsity career. 

Pitching is also her favorite position and the one she’ll play in college. But it has also taught her so many more lessons beyond the diamond.  

“You are involved in everything, but I think that it really keeps you more together with your team, in a way,” Rofkahr said. “I think that pitching has taught me so many things that I have used outside of the game, and I think that it gives me the mental capacity to continue to get better and grow, and it’s taught me how to not go down if I fail. Because softball and baseball, as everyone knows, you’re failing the majority of the time in pitching, it’s a lot more stressful. I think being a pitcher is one of the reasons why I’m here today and why I’m able to go to the next level because I have the mental mindset to get past my failures.”

The ceremony was also special because Rofkahr had played for former Vintage softball coach Megan Lopez growing up. While Lopez won’t coach the Crushers this spring, Rofkahr has enjoyed the time spent with her over the years. 

“She’s always been a huge part of my life because Riley (Morrison), I played softball with her,” Rofkahr said of being coached by Lopez in two stints of her playing career. “Even when coach Megan wasn’t coaching, I knew Riley personally as a friend because we played basketball together.  I just think that having a coach where you’re not only comfortable with but you know that they’ll push you because they know the level you can play at is really beneficial, and I’m just really happy that coach Megan has been a part of my life, and I’m happy that she still is, even if she’s not coaching softball this year.” 

She has also played for Napa Junior Girls Softball, Napa Valley Express, American Sports Academy, San Jose Sting, and Triple Crown International for Team Germany. 

“I think it helped me by not only being able to see different teammates, different gameplay, but the coaches also have different styles of teaching, and I’m able to get so much intel from all of them,” Rofkahr added. “I’ve learned so much from every single coach that I’ve ever had. I think having multiple teams is a way of finding out what coaching I like best, finding out what type of teammate I want to be, and finding out what type of player I want to be.” 

On top of her time on the dirt, Rofkahr has spent the winters in the gym playing basketball. She is a two-year varsity player. Basketball has also played a key role in getting her to this point. 

Rofkahr has also used basketball as an opportunity to get in shape for the upcoming spring softball season. 

“Well, first off, the conditioning aspect of basketball has definitely helped me with my stamina in the pitching circle,” she said. “It’s definitely very beneficial for me to play basketball. Also, it continues to keep me in a team environment, which I love being in so much. I love being a part of a team, no matter what sport we’re playing, whether that’s in the classroom or athletically.” 

However, she has also made her impact on the program by asking insightful questions that aren’t often considered, whether it’s during a game, practice, or film session. 

“I think that we’ve always had an open communication between all the girls that I’ve coached for a few years, and feedback on what they think and what they’re seeing in the game,” Vintage head girls’ basketball coach Hannah Newman said. “Noelle’s always one who will say something, and I’m like, ‘Oh, yeah. I didn’t think about that or something like that.’ Or, that’s our, our fourth turnover on offense. She’s very smart and sees the game and knows how to talk and translate it for us.” 

Rofkahr is a consistent positive presence on whatever team she’s on, which helps keep the team morale up over a long season. 

“I think that when Noelle came out to our program, I was super excited,” Newman added. “ She’s so positive. She’s got those softball-like attributes that are super helpful on a basketball court. She’s a great communicator. She knows the game. She knows what is expected of her, and I hope that you know things we do that, like translate off the court basketball-wise, can help her in her college career, being an advocate for herself, leading, teaching, by example, all those good things.” 

When Rofkahr gets to the school located in Waltham, Massachusetts, she’ll be majoring in political science with the hope to go to law school.  

“I’m currently thinking about majoring in political science on the track to go to law school after undergrad,” she explained. 

The whole reason why she’s interested in this is that her father, Aaron, is a lawyer, and she wants to follow that same path.

“My dad is a lawyer, and he actually went to Boston University, which is only 20-ish minutes away from Brandeis,” Rofkahr continued. “So I’m hoping to follow in his footsteps pretty closely.” 

Brandeis is an NCAA Division 3 school that competes in the University Athletic Association. Last season, the Judges went 8-30-1 with a 3-15 mark in UAA play.