Professional Fast Pitch softball makes it to Italy
The USSSA (United States Specialty Sports Association) Pride will play the a series of 4 games (Italian Pro Series) against Team Italy. It is the very first time a team of the NPF (National Pro Fastpitch) League performs in Italy. won the NPF in 2013 and 2014 and were the runner up in 2015.
This is the schedule of games (first pitch at 7 pm CET, 1 pm US East Coast):
May 2 in Montegranaro
May 3 and 4 in Parma
May 5 in Bussolengo
We have a chance to introduce the series through the words of, who plays third base for the Pride.
This is not your first experience in Italy, you’ve been here for clinics, but it will be the first time you play. What do you think about your previous experience and
what do you expect from this 4-game series? "My previous experiences in Italy have been very special to me and they are something that I will never forget. Getting to work with the young athletes at the clinics was like a breath of fresh air because they were so willing and eager to learn. It really gave me a whole new perspective and reinforced why I love playing the game and why I love to give back. Having played on the US National team for several years I have had many oppportunities to play against the Italian National team, but this will be my first time getting to play in Italy. I am really excited to be able to play these exhibition games with my Pride teammates. It will be a good opportunity for both teams to get warmed up for our upcoming seasons and will be great exposure for not only the sport of softball, but also National Pro Fastpitch league. Different American sports organization such as the NFL and MLB play games in other countries all of the time. To me I feel like this is no different: some of the best softball players from both the US and Italy will be competing so it will be a great opportunity to show the Italian fans what American and Italian professional softball is all about. It is going to be great competition and good time!"
You have a great international experience, you participated in the Olympics and World Cups, you won medals and you also won with your club, you have been a top player for a long time. How do you find the right incentives to continue to work hard and improve yourself? "I have been playing softball for over 20 years, since I was 10 years old, so to be honest the older I get the harder it gets to find the motivation to go out and train. What keeps me motivated though are my teammmates! I have had great opportunities to play with amazing athletes and women over the span of my career and they are the ones that keep me going. I have to get myself prepared for them because if I am not performing at my best I will be letting them down.
As we said, you participated in the Olympics. Could this event help the comeback of softball in 2020? "I think the USSSA Pride playing in Italy gives the sport of softball great exposure. Softball is not a very popular sport in Italy or across Europe, therefore, I feel that by playing these games and continuing this partnership with USSSA it can increase the popularity of the sport and hopefully make an impact on the decision to bring back softball to the Olympics in 2020. The goal is to get more and more countries interested and excited about baseball and softball, so that it is something they want to watch and support at the Olymic level. I feel that what USSSA is trying to accomplish in Europe for baseball and softball will have a significant impact on the future of both sports".
It seems that you like coming in Italy. Would you plan on coaching or playing in the ISL, the Italian Softball League? "I love Italy!! Every time I have come to Italy I have been greeted with open arms and great hospitality! Not only do I love the culture and people, but the history! I am a huge history fan so I love coming to Italy and Europe and being engulfed in it. With that being said, I have definitely thought about and would seriously consider either playing or coaching in Italy. I think it would be a great opportunity for me to give back and to help grow the game there. We need to continue to strengthen the sport in other countries so that interntional play becomes increasingly more competitive. It is one of my passions to not only continue to grow the sport in the US but in other countries. I want to give young athletes the opportunity to work with Professionals and Olympians to give them something to aspire to not only on the softball field but in life. I should probably start learning to speak Italian....".
