Australia’s had very good luck playing softball internationally and one of the players who represents our country on the national team, Aussie Spirit, was kind enough to let me interview her. Local Shire girl Stacey McManus, 24, has represented Australia for three consecutive years and juggles a job, playing with three teams (locally, state and nationally), coaching and her education successfully.
When I asked about Stacey during her game, all the responses were the same: “Stacey’s great, everyone loves her.” Nicknamed “Mac” or “Macca” by her team and coaches, she gets along with everyone, including the opposing team, exchanging playful insults and having most of the opposing team file into the dugout to congratulate Stacey on the game when she hurt her ankle and couldn’t join the rest of the team on the diamond. Despite getting hit in the ankle with a softball, she still wanted to play but had to sit out due to playing in the State League Finals on Sunday.
Even though she’s a veritable celebrity in the field of softball, Stacey’s not treated much differently when she plays for her local team, the Southern Storm. “Kind of… like you’ve seen, when I got hurt they took me off because I’ve got finals tomorrow but they’re all my friends and pretty much my family.”
Having grown up playing softball, with a sister who plays for New Zealand, and spending most weekends at the ovals, Stacey didn’t know that she could play in a national team but saw them one weekend and just kept pursuing it. “My mum was pretty involved with the rep team so I tried out as well. It’s been a whole family thing, being down here all the time, my older sister played so it just kind of went down the line.” A legacy, one could call her. Her little brother, who couldn’t have been older than three, also watched her game.
She describes her close friendships with the Aussie Spirit team, saying that since they train together and spend a month overseas together, they get really close. On relations with the other international teams, she says that a few of the girls like to keep to themselves: “Like America, they don’t like to mix with us too much, they have to stick together. But we know a few of them, we’re all friends on Facebook but we don’t have much time to get to know each other.”
Despite being an excellent player now, Stacey wasn’t always so talented. When she first started playing T-ball, she was four and had no idea what to do. “My first game of t-ball, I just hit the ball and ran straight to second base… that’s probably the most embarrassing.”
“[On her first time playing internationally] It was really cool, because when you go overseas, you kind of get treated like, I guess, stars in a way. The bus comes to pick you up, stay at a really nice hotel… you have your own change rooms. So it was really cool when I was over there, it was overwhelming to have everything happening because you guys are playing for your country… it was amazing, to know that I can play at the highest level possible. The sport I’ve always played is pretty cool.”
Playing on an international level can be nerve-wracking and even Stacey, who’s represented Australia for the third year in a year, still gets nervous. “I get nervous a lot but after the first innings I’m fine,” she says, laughing and agreeing when I call her a seasoned player. “I guess I’m not as nervous but I kind of expect more of myself as well.” Winning silver and bronze medals in competitions in Canada and America, respectively, one must hope that Stacey meets her own high expectations, since she’s blown me away.
Alice Where 