Big balancer: Mount Si alumnus Tim Proudfoot reflects on first year as a Red Raider shortstop

Published 5:17 pm Wednesday, August 22, 2012

In many ways, college is a great way to learn balance. First-year college students must work to keep up with the demands of study, learn from their mistakes, and still be able to have fun and relax.

For 2011 Mount Si graduate Tim Proudfoot, sports are added to the mix. Student athletes like Proudfoot must create a very delicate balance between all aspects of college life.

As a baseball player at Texas Tech University at Lubbock, Proudfoot has to stay on top of everything and be much more organized than in high school.

“It can be really tough sometimes,” the ex-Cat says. Required study hall gives time for Proudfoot to catch up on his school work, and teachers are willing to give help if the athlete is willing to put the time and effort in. And Proudfoot was willing; he achieved above a 3.0 GPA in order to be on the 2012 Academic Honor Roll at Texas Tech.

Proudfoot has been playing baseball for 13 years and is now a shortstop at Texas Tech. Out of Proudfoot’s large family—he has six brothers and sisters—he was the only child to play baseball. Playing baseball, he said, was his “own thing.” Proudfoot also said “I was able to connect with my dad through baseball.”

Always a competitor, he chose shortstop because that position is “known to be the most athletic player on the team,” and because he liked the view from the spot.

Growing up, “there was a certain age where everything connected.” From that moment on, Proudfoot strove for success, and was generally able to achieve it through hard work.

“I always wanted to get better,” he said.

The 2012 Red Raider season demonstrated that he still works toward improving. In May 2012, Proudfoot was one of only four freshmen in the nation to be named to the Brooks Wallace Award Watch List. The list includes the top 50 Division I shortstops, and is named after a former Red Raider shortstop.

Proudfoot knows it’s “a big honor” and he hopes to continue to improve throughout his years at Lubbock. Proudfoot would love to play in the major leagues for the Red Sox—“Obviously I would play anywhere I could.”

Proudfoot is still undecided on what to pursue for a major, but he is considering business and is interested in biology.

You can follow the Red Raiders at www.texastech.com/sports/m-basebl/text-m-basebl-body.html. The team has posted a Q&A with Tim Proudfoot on the site.