Ever since playing 10U softball, it has always been Kendall Allman’s dream to play collegiate softball.

Last week in the cafeteria at Seymour High School, she made that dream a reality as she signed her national letter of intent to play softball at Spalding University.

“It has always been like a real dream of mine,” Allman said. “I played travel softball in 10U, and from then on, I’ve always been in love with the game.”

Allman originally thought Indiana Wesleyan University was going to be the place for her, but after going to a camp there, things didn’t work out.

Shortly after, the head coach from Spalding reached out to Allman saying they saw her play in a couple of games, and one week later, Allman was on campus for a visit.

“I visited the following week, and I absolutely fell in love with it and knew it was the place where I wanted to be,” Allman said.

She took about a month after the visit to officially make her decision to commit to Spalding.

“It’s such a relief,” she said. “The whole recruiting process is so stressful, especially when we go through it at such a young age. Just to have that decision behind me is a whole weight off my shoulders.”

Before signing her NLI last week, Allman thanked everyone for coming out and said their support meant a lot to her.

It was a big showing for Allman as friends, family and teammates were all in attendance.

“The atmosphere of this team this year, going into it, I didn’t know what it would be like, but the energy is so much different, and the whole team is so close,” Allman said.

The Owls are currently 8-14 this season and 3-3 in the Hoosier Hills Conference, and Allman thinks this group of players has a bright future.

“We definitely are young, but we’ve have some of the hardest workers I’ve had the privilege to play with,” she said. “The program is in great hands with Emily (Bobb, head coach), and I’m just excited to see where they go.”

Last week, Seymour had a 4-3 lead over Bedford North Lawrence in the top of the seventh inning before the Stars scored four runs and won 7-4.

Bedford (22-7, 5-1 HHC) is Seymour’s sectional opponent, and Allman felt like the Owls can take some positives from that game heading into the postseason next week.

“They’re a solid team, and I think we showed them we are capable of hanging with them,” she said. “I’m excited to see what we’re going to do in sectional.”

Allman is hitting .426 on the season, which leads the team. She has 20 hits, 11 RBI, three doubles and three home runs so far this year.

“Hitting is definitely my strong suit because it’s something I struggled with in the past, so I spent the whole offseason focusing on that, and it has really paid off for me,” Allman said.

Whenever her senior season ends this year, Allman is happy to know it won’t be her last time playing softball.

The catcher on Allman’s travel team is going to Spalding, as well, and Allman plans to study nursing in college. She’s currently a certified nursing assistant at Lutheran Community Home in Seymour.

Allman has enough credits right now to where she can enter college as a sophomore, and she can’t wait to get that next chapter of her life started.

“I’m so excited for the next four years,” she said. “I’m so excited to be able to play my sport and have that privilege to play four more years.”