Candace German

Candace German was quite skilled in the science of swatting a softball during her career at Fannin County High School and then at the University of North Georgia. She played for the Fannin JV team as an eighth grader in 2008 and then excelled as an outfielder for the Fannin High Lady Rebels from 2009 through 2012. During her four years of varsity competition, she hit for an average of .401 with a school record single season batting average of .550 in her junior campaign in 2011. Candace, along with fellow Hall of Fame inductee Karly Thompson, led the 2008 Fannin JV squad to a 7-3 record. The success of that team was a harbinger of things to come for a Fannin softball program that had not experienced much success in recent years. Coach Joe Breeden said that Candace was “an exceptional young talent who could be the best hitter in the program right now”. She was also an outstanding defensive player in the outfield for the Lady Rebels. Softball at Georgia high schools is a fall sport played in the months of August, September and October. Candace hit the ground running as she began her varsity career as a freshman in the autumn of 2009. She had developed into a switch hitter and held down the left field position for the Lady Rebels. In addition to her hitting prowess, Candace was a solid defender, possessing a strong arm in her arsenal of talents. In August, 2009, the softball team held a ‘Throw-a-Thon’ as a fund raiser. Freshman Candace German won the event, outdistancing her teammates with a throw of 165 feet from home plate to the outfield. During her high school career, the Fannin Lady Rebels posted records of 15-8 in 2009, 15-12 in 2010, 25-15 in 2011 and 24-14 in 2012. The 2009 team was the first team in Fannin fast pitch history to have a winning record. The 2010, 2011 and 2012 teams all advanced to the state tournament. The 2011 team finished 5th in state competition. On an individual level, Candace was awarded the team Best Offensive Player award in 2010 and 2012 and won the team Silver Slugger award in 2011. She was selected to the All Region team as a junior and as a senior. She was named to the All-State first team in 2010 and 2012 and to the All-State 2nd team in 2011. She was the first player in school history to be named to the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association All State first team. She had a perfect fielding average of 1.000 in 2011 and committed only one error in 2012. After graduating from Fannin County High School in the spring of 2013, Candace was awarded a scholarship to play for the North Georgia University Nighthawks in Dahlonega. The Nighthawks were a softball powerhouse playing NCAA Division II competition. At North Georgia, Candace was reunited with Alexis Collis, her high school teammate who was a sophomore with the team. College softball is a spring sport so her first season was in the 2013-2014 school year. She played in a reserve role as a freshman and her career was cut short by a shoulder injury after nine games of the 2015 season, a season the North Georgia team won the NCAA Division II national championship. In 2020, Candace was inducted into the North Georgia Athletic Hall of Fame along with the other members of the 2015 national championship team. She considers this one of her biggest thrills in athletics along with the 5th place finish of the 2011 Fannin squad in state competition. She holds a degree in Exercise Science from North Georgia. Strong athletic genes are characteristic of the German family. Candace’s father Mike played football and baseball at Fannin County High in the early 1990s and grandfather Larry was an offensive lineman at West Fannin High School from 1957 to 1961. Her sister Sydney is currently an up and coming softball and track and field star at Fannin High. Candace German currently makes her home in Alpharetta, Georgia where she is a successful agent with Harry Norman Realtors. She began her career in real estate in 2020 and is very proud of her accomplishments and the organization that she represents. When not wheeling and dealing in the real estate market, Candace enjoys hiking, travelling around the country and spending time with her dog Luna.