Lindsey Hamma was a founding member of the Illini softball program. The shortstop was a two-time All-Big Ten honoree, committing just 46 errors in her entire career. She is the only player in Illinois history to start every game for four years.

A year after graduating from Illinois, Hamma is trying her hand at professional softball, playing for the Chicago Bandits. The Daily Illini caught up with Hamma at a Bandits game this summer, and coincidentally it happened to be Illini Day at the softball game.

Q: How does playing for the Bandits differ from playing at Illinois?

A: In college day in and day out, for four years, those people are who you surround yourself with. I think we have a really good team unity here, but it’s different. It’s professional. People have other things they’re doing as well. It’s a little harder, especially in just that three months, to form that cohesive group. We get along extremely well and I have a great time with these guys, but I think that’s the main difference. It’s just the next step on in your life. It really is professional. We get to play and do what we love to do, but it is our job, and it’s only for three months of the year. It is different, since you’re not with everyone all the time.

Q: How much tougher is the level of competition in the pros?

A: Obviously we’re playing with the best players that are out there. In college we played some amazing competition in the Big Ten and around the country, but here everyone’s consolidated into one. There’s multiple people at every position that were starters at their colleges. It’s stepped up a level; we’re playing with Olympic players and national players. It’s awesome to be out here.

Q: Had you hoped to play professional fastpitch softball, or did you just give it a shot when the opportunity came up?

A: It’s always been a goal of mine. Kate Darty who’s on our team brought it to my attention. I didn’t get drafted after my senior year, so I finished my fifth year not really thinking about it. But she told me about the tryouts, and I went to the tryouts and after a series of events a position opened up. I got lucky, having my name out there and being in the right place at the right time. Once I got the opportunity, it was a no brainer that obviously I wanted to play.

Q: You were one of the first members of the Illinois softball team, and now you’re also on the first Bandits squad. How have those two experiences differed?

A: At U of I we were a group of 17 freshman. My freshman year we came out not really having any expectations set for us. We built the tradition and everything from the ground up.

For this, the league is just beginning to establish itself. But as players we’ve had that much more experience, that everyone is at the point in their careers that they’re just ready to go out there. It probably takes a lot less time for everyone to mesh together at this level as opposed to everyone coming together at U of I.

Q: How have your skills improved since we last saw you in Champaign?

A: I’ve been playing different positions. I’ve been working hard at stepping in at first base and the other infield spots. I’d say maybe not that I’ve improved, but just been able to be a little more open to moving around on the field. I played shortstop for four years and was very comfortable there, so I’m working hard to grow at other spots as well.

Q: You mentioned that this is only a three-month job. What are you doing the other nine months of the year?

A: I just took a job, I’m going to be a high school English teacher at Hoffman Estates High School, and if everything goes as planned I’ll be their varsity softball coach and an assistant basketball coach. It falls right in line, being a teacher and coaching.

Q: Was that something you’ve wanted to do, coaching?

A: Oh yeah. I’ve always wanted to coach.

Q: Is there anything you miss about Champaign?

A: I miss the girls. There are about four of them out today for Illini Day. I miss my teammates, we became such a close-knit group and they’re all some of my closest friends.

Being out there on the field with them, I loved the competition. I love the players on this team and everyone I’ve ever played with, but that group was just so special, especially since we kind of built that program from the ground up.

Q: Is Illini Day kind of a fun thing for you personally?

A: Yeah, it was cool. I called everyone up and told them to come out and watch the game. It’s cool to see people out here in their Illini apparel, and they’re making announcements about Ron Zook and stuff, so it’s cool to hear that again, after being away from it for a while. There’s a lot of tradition there, and I have a lot of pride in my school.