LJ softball: Josie to be a Toro

Vikings shortstop Josie

Sinkeldam verbally committed

to CSU Dominguez Hills.

(Photo Ed Piper, Jr.)

 



By Ed Piper, Jr.

Josie Sinkeldam, the junior shortstop for La Jolla High, has verbally committed to Cal State Dominguez Hills for a one-half athletic scholarship to play softball for Coach Kim Aggabao's program.

Josie's father, Gary, said Dominguez Hills, which plays in NCAA Division II, has a limited number of scholarships that it divvies up into partial grants for multiple athletes. The senior Sinkeldam said his daughter's scholarship would cover half the expenses of tuition plus room and board.

"(Josie) attended a camp run by her (Aggabao), she liked the way it was run, the coach talked to her," and connected with the student athlete, said Gary Sinkeldam of Josie's reasons for choosing Dominguez Hills. The proud dad said his daughter would probably pursue an undergraduate degree in Education, with the goal of being a school teacher.

He pointed out, "If Josie hadn't wanted to stay nearby on the West Coast, she could have easily gone to a school in the East. She had a lot of interest from other schools."

The involved dad, who serves as La Jolla's team scorekeeper at all home and away games, also expressed relief at the long recruiting process being over. "If I had all the money in the fund that we spent on traveling to camps, I could have paid for Josie's first two years," he said in astonishment, but with seeming humor also, as the Vikings tackled San Diego High at the downtown school Tues., April 4.

From the viewpoint of the La Jolla High softball program, this is a feather in the Vikings' cap. Until the last three years, the varsity was not competitive for many years. For it to have a player verbally committing like this is a big deal. It shows how far the program has come.

Stephanie Alvarez, the Vikings' starting catcher two years ago, would be the closest a recent player has risen to this level. Alvarez is now an infielder at the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota. Junior first baseman Emily Alvarez's older sister, Stephanie was a mainstay power hitter in the style of present third baseman Linda Brown in the La Jolla lineup from 2012 to 2015.