Episode 385 - GB Women's European Championship -

In this episode of Batflips and Nerds, host John McGee is joined by artist Andy Brown and GB women’s baseball player Kat Golik to discuss the remarkable journey of the GB women’s baseball team, their recent success as European champions, and the growth of women’s baseball in the UK. They explore the challenges and triumphs faced by the team, the differences between baseball and softball, and the importance of grassroots support in developing the sport. The conversation also touches on the mental preparation required for high-stakes games, the atmosphere of playing in international tournaments, and the future opportunities for women’s baseball players.

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TRANSCRIPT

Hello and welcome to Backflips and Nerds, the Baseball Podcast with a British twist. I’m your host, John McGee, and we have got a real treat for you on this episode. Firstly, I’m delighted to be joined by our regular visitor, the artist maestro extraordinary mister Andy Brown. How are you doing mate.

Good evening, John, I’m good, Happy new year, happy to hear to all the listeners. Thanks for having us back on. It’s great to be and especially talk about today’s topic. Yeah, we’re excited to talk about it.

Good to see Andy joining us from the world’s worst narrow boat. For those of you not already following along, make sure you get on Andy’s in Instagram and Andy Brown is on the narrow boat. It’s well worth following the travials of Andy getting a knackered narrow boat down the canals of Warwickshire and Northamptonshire, aided by the affable Jerry, who is a great addition. It’s never dull, it’s never dull, and good to see your paintings behind you.

But as you said, we are going to of course talk a little bit about your contribution to this, but we’re not really here to talk about your amazing baseball paintings, but to talk about the gb women’s baseball team, the reigning European champion women’s baseball team. And I’m delighted that we’ve got Cat Golic, who is the third base bass player. Do you say base women’s based player? How do you say it? Cat? You tell me, I’m just say basement. It’s fine, all right, fine, I’m trying.

I tried to be as inclusive as possible and trip myself up there. So Cat, you played a third base for the reigning women’s European baseball champions in the summer. So it’s a little bit after the party, but welcome to batlups and neds and enormous congratulations for your success at the back end of the summer. Thank you, thanks for having me.

It’s a real pleasure. So I’m pleased. This isn’t the first time that we’ve chatted about women’s baseball on the pod. So we had the amazing Doris Hocking and Kelly Wright on the show just over five years ago.

I was looking back at this this afternoon, thinking that when we had Doris on and Kelly, that was the absolute infancy of the GB women’s team and it’s been a pretty meteoric five year journey, Kat, hasn’t it for you guys? Going from Doris thinking about this being a good idea and having conversations with the then GB men’s manager Liam Carroll about how to go about it. Five years later the European champions. I don’t think anyone, including Doris would have thought that, would they? Oh it’s epic And yeah I met Doris in those early days. She was one of the reasons of getting into women’s baseball.

So yeah, what a journey. It’s been fantastic. Yeah, it’s it’s been absolutely fad fantastic to watch the efforts and energy of people like you and Jess Vernon and Doris and the right sisters in Sheffield Sow. What has that journey been like? Obviously you’re very involved in the Bristol club, Cat, what’s the what’s the journey been like in those five years that we haven’t you know, we’ve been keeping an eye on it, but not docking in with you.

What what’s been the process been to get GB women’s baseball from an idea to a successful program that it is and has been you know over this last six months or so. So a lot of it was just getting women to join. So I was at a random game in Western that Doris had been trying to put together and I think it was early COVID, early twenty twenty. We finally had a get together Farnham for anyone that was interested in this GB team and the potential of a GB team and it’s grown from there.

So he had I think it was Drew and Jose were the initial coaches that came in and Carloss that joined. So it’s a lot of going up and down the motorway up to Sheffield, a lot of fun journeys to Farnham as well. And yeah, it’s been a lot of training. I can tell you that, a lot of training.

How many of you were there at that that sort of first gathering at Farnham? How many people talk about I want to say there were at least twenty, if not going into thirty and to the point where there was a random girl on the side watching and even she just joined in, which was amazing, like that’s what well should be, right, people just watching and going oh I’d like to have a go and yeah. And what was your so what was what was your journey to it. I know you play play with Bristol, and I think if I if, I if I know right, you play in the men’s team, one of the men’s teams at Bristol as well. How how did you come to start playing baseball yourself? Uh? Sort of rope in or my boyfriend I played softball.

I’ve played slow pitch softball for years and yeah, we sort of just swapped sports really and said, oh, let’s have a go at each other’s sport. And I’ll be honest, it wasn’t til the COVID year where we couldn’t play slope pitch and baseball was happening and I thought, yeah, I’ll give that a go and play properly play games, and yeah, I really loved it. So yeah, I’m five years later you were a European champion. That’s it.

Yeah, Can I ask you? Can I ask you a question there? What is the big difference between the two games, with the two sports? What did you find was the basic biggest thing to master or change? Your biggest thing you’re at toalter. Mainly is hitting. I mean the pitching is Yeah, the difference one is slow ones fast. Yeah, so it’s an underarm throw and slow pitch, which.

Should be fairly easy to hit. Yeah, baseball has definitely got to adapt and change the swing slightly to it. And I just love the tactics of baseball as well. That’s a big part of the game, so you don’t get as much in slow pitch.

So that’s and that’s a good question. I mean, it’s one of the things I wanted to to ask you about. And I’ll be interested in the perspective from slow pitch as well. So if people haven’t watched a women’s baseball game before, which I imagine quite a few of the people watching this and listening to this might might not have because it’s unfortunately not as readily available as as.

The men’s game. It is what what will look different? Obviously, you know, the rules are the same, the dimensions of the diamond are the same. You guys are all playing hard, you’re all playing your hearts out. But but what might look different in terms of the style of play? If anything, Cat, I definitely say that you’d see a bit more of the short game in the women’s version.

It’s yeah, definitely something we’re working on and seems to work. So yeah, Yeah, I was notable when I was when I was looking back on all of the stats from from c Chechia this afternoon. The you know, the two stolen base leaders were both from GB, and there was a lot of games which were you know, both teams scoring a lot of runs. So you know that tracks with that idea of sort of keeping the line moving, and that’s kind of a GB very much.

If you were talking to Drew Spencer or or Brad macelino, that’s the GB way keep it moving. So it’s there in the DNA of the women’s program too. Right, absolutely stay aggressive. Yeah, So Andy, you’ve also been following the team like for the last five years too, and you had that amazing opportunity to be out there with with the team.

What what have you. Noticed in terms of watching them? And you’ve been involved in a huge number of GB tournaments. Is artist in residence? You even managed to wrangle your way. Into some of the team photos, which is that the biggest leg I’ve ever seen in my life? So what are your observations on that having having been so close to it to lots of different baseball programs over the last couple of years.

You know, it’s superb. It was you know it was the first first you know, GB women’s games and action that I’ve seen, and the I mean number one. The facilities in Czech era so good. The facility in Herbloca was amazing, beautiful place, beautiful ballpark, absolutely wonderful.

But the tournament itself was superb. It was it was high for well supported. It was great to see GB fans out there. But the standard play was brilliant.

It was so good. After I think I just come from the under twenty threes and came down to the South where where the ladies were playing, and the quality was fantastic and the games were about as now biting as I’ve seen with GB. It was, you know, one moment you feel whe everything’s going to be all right the next year on the edge of your easel, and then you know we come through at the end as well. So it was, it was, it was brilliant.

It was really really good. And like Kat’s saying, they’re like the short game, it’s just that things just moving on. Things are always happening, and it was great to see. You know, it’s great to really cover the well the development of the program.

You know, now I’ve done the senior team, the under twenty threes the women now and hopefully I can work my way down down the down the different teams in the coming years. But it was it was good to kind of get to experience it, get to witness it, and get to put it down on canvas for. Us all all to see for prosperity. Uh, posterity, not prosperity.

What am I talking about? Goodness, it’s it’s it’s late on Friday evening, guys, I’m just about flamed out. But yeah, so let’s let’s talk a little bit about about about the tournament itself. So it’s it’s it’s a it’s a four team tournament, isn’t it played in around robin style, and and then and then placing. So it’s it’s short and sharp.

You know, a three day tournament, pretty intensive competition. You’ve got a game every single day. How that’s I mean you guys, you know, if you’re playing for Bristol and you’re you’re going around the country to play scrimmage games and stuff, that that probably was a little bit more familiar with you than it might have been in. Different baseball programs.

Right, The idea that you’re there for a weekend and you’re playing a round robin tournament and it’s really really intensive. But the level of competition is is you know international as opposed to you know play playing new pals down at Farnham. Yeah, that’s verry true, as you’re saying, short and sharp. So there was two games on the final day as well, I should went in there.

There was the rain day on the sixteenth, there was the rained out day, so you got two games in one day and that was I don’t know how Cat and co did it. It was full long and what was that? What was the preparation you said, you know, getting into women’s baseball in the UK was an awful lot of shot link to Farnham and shot link to Sheffield, shotling in Bristol. I’m sure there was a lot of that involved. But what’s there sort of a level of intensity about how you’re going to be training, how you’re going to come together as a squad.

That was different when you were preparing for a tournament like this as opposed to you know, when you were just coming together for training camps and so on. To be honest, the coaches really prepared us well, like there’s always a constant high keep everything intense. I suppose there’s the. Dealing of nerves and what is going to happen, because it is, Yeah, this is the competition that we prepared for.

So we did have some good chats in the morning, think just to get anything out of the way of our feelings. But yeah, we just had our routine and we stuck with it. That was the main thing, and it was the routine we’d done most of, yeah, that time leading up to it, and. Was the majority of your preparation on your side of the diamond, because I know over the course of our our following the GB men’s program and the under twenty threes program, it’s you know, still intense focus on the team, on the on the team in the GB Jersey, but as as more is understood of opponents, as data is more readily available of like you know, who’s playing in the French League, is it on YouTube or was it more of a we’re just going to play ourselves.

We’re going to play the ball, and. We had our plan to stick to. But I know the coaches definitely did a great job of of looking at the other teams, looking at the other players. A couple of us from the Swibble League had gone over to France, So we had a little bit of insight of a couple of players that was quite useful.

Yeah that I know that a lot was done in the background, especially by Danny Briggs. So yeah, and so it was it was Pietro who was leading the team out in check herein So. What what what? He’s like a formidable character in in British baseball with with the Mets, and of course his Mateo has played for the men’s team as well. What what What was sort of Pietro bringing to you? What? What was the sort of mantra that he was preparing you in advance of the tournament and then on the days itself.

Super mancher, just stay true to yourself, believe in what we’ve done, believe in our preparation. Yeah, he just trusted us. That was the best thing. I think he said, We’ve done all the work, now just go do it.

So yeah, it was good. It was confidence building so and paid off eventually. It did. Well, Look it paid off right away.

You know that the opener did definitely. Yeah, you’re you’re playing the defending champions and you absolutely hammered them. I mean, in a terms of building confidence, you can’t really get better than that, can you? Yeah? No, that was that was a pre epic opener here. That was good to what I mean, look, you know everything went right, clearly if you went sixteen one, everything went right.

But was that about the preparation that you put in? It was. We knew roughly how the pitcher pitched, and yeah, we had the game plan and we stuck to it and they couldn’t do anything about it. Really, so that was that really? Yeah? And Andy, you must have been like, hang on. It, super there was owner was on the on the mound and again like the quality was fantastic, but you know, the all through the team, the hitting both sides of the plate.

It was just like you said, dominant absolutely smashed him. And I was like, wow sixteen one. I was like that that you made it look very very easy. But it was you know, it was a great start when it was the way to start start start tournament.

Sure, absolutely, But then the then you you were the the unstoppable force ran into the immovable object, which was the the sort of the wagon that is the Czech baseball program you’re playing in. In her Blocker and Jeckia absolutely rabid baseball fans. They put an awful lot of energy and funding into into baseball. We’re going to get onto what happened in the final in a minute, of course, But what was that atmosph feel like? What was it like playing you know, you’re used to playing in a municipal park in Western or in Bristol or you know, at best you’re playing at Farnham Park.

What’s he like playing a Czech team in Pabloca? Oh? Wow? The noise, Yeah, that was yeah, just something you’d had to deal with. But the noise of the crowd and they’re involved, and yeah, you just haven’t somehow have to try and block it out if you can, if you’re playing on the pitch. And it was evening games, which is also interesting because a lot of us haven’t played in flood lights. I’d probably say the majority of the team hadn’t played in flood lights, so that was a first and getting used to that as well.

Wow, of course. And I mean had you even been able to do any any training, like take some some swings in the cage on the night before or anything like that. I wasn’t just like, hey, it’s the first time I’ve hit under flood lights. I’m on the time and done playing check.

Think you about it. I don’t think we did have I mean we had stuff in the cage, but yeah, nothing. It was still light when we started, so yeah, it was here you go go do it. And and and you you you obviously you came to baseball in East Asia, right, and there’s some pretty rampant fans, but you’ve also been with the GB team in Arizona.

You’ve in Burno at the European chair the men’s team in when they’d be playing in Burno. How was this crowd? Was this? This is a very very noisy, very intense because it was it was a small it was quite park, and the crowd were very very close and the very very passionate and it was mostly you know, very friends and families I guess, and the local people from the local area. So it was pretty It was pretty intense, like you know, as they’re hiding behind the ease or as the ladies were doing their thing, and it was I mean, it’s one I mean to paint. It was fantastic because it was a beautiful setting.

You had people doing little workers down at the front, dancing around and there’s of course nice, nice, nice cold beer. So I was enjoying all the good bits. But it was, it was it was a pretty intense you know, the checks like their baseball, So it was. It was fantastic.

I mean, you know it was really it was great. You must have been looking down that third base line and Andy Browncat just been like, here’s this chancer. Check time. Somebody’s got to do it.

John. You know that’s the thing. You you earn your way into every room. You get yourself into.

You and I both know that it’s not just with the painting, it’s the gift of the gab too. So yeah, obviously that the Czech team came out on top and then you but you you win your way into into the placing round in a really like nail biting tense game with with the Netherlands. That that and that was it. I mean an nail biting day all round.

You see that? That what’s it like? Look I’m never going to know this. Look I was. I was a useless, washed out skool boy sportsman and I’ve played at no competitive level. I played rec rec soft pitch softball in London and I was the worst player and a bad team.

Like so I’m going to ask you, Kat, who has played like at like elite level European sport. What how what’s going through your mind when you’re on that diamond and you’re in a position where you’re in a nip and tuck game that’s about you know, placing, it’s about about winning a championship. What would take us through your sort of thought process? Are you able to stay in the moment, Are you able to stay in the zone or is your mind just thinking, oh my god, this is this is insane. Yeah.

I mean, I’ll say that Netherlands game I got thrown in I think it was a second or third inning when it was very nail biting. I just say, you just got to stay in the moment. You’re trying to keep that tunnel vision and just one ball at a time, yeah, or one pitch at a time, and stay as focused as you can. For me, I talked to myself a lot, so if the camera was ever on me, oh dear, But yeah, I talked to himself, not just situations.

I was wondering cat, Yeah, how like at the top of the second I’m watching and I’m like, oh, no, nine zero, I’m like, what, like, what are you thinking? Then? What’s the team doing? On the bench because I’m like, yeah, what are you doing? Like, what’s going on? Like, what was the what was the chat, what was the what was the feelings, what was it happening? What was happening? Interestingly, we were on a high. Weirdly, even though we were nine or down, we weren’t no, we’ve got this, it doesn’t matter. Yeah it was. We knew it was just yeah, some things that had been missed or whatever.

But we had this belief that yeah, it’s fine, we can we can get. Back to this. Yeah. Yeah, I’ve never been a dugout like that where you’re.

Just now, it’s amazing. It was quite It was a game. It was a great game to watch because it went from just that to coming out and winning. That’s how GB, That’s how GB does it.

I remember watching it and like, I mean, look, I know that there’s been a bunch of European games recently, but on the men’s side, the one that that lingers in the memory is the World Baseball Classic qualifier against Spain, isn’t it When they were down by I think it was seven, and they won. They won on in the bottom of the ninth, didn’t they were? They won in the top of the tenth, but they tied it in the bottom of the ninth. Yeah, so, like you know, this is I know that Leah, Liam and Drew and Pietro would not tell you that the gb way means something entirely different, But the gb WA actually means go miles down and come back and win. I guess, yeah, absolutely.

Yeah, so that must I mean I was going to say, like interesting that you had that way. The way of around it for you is you you sort of talking to yourself like repetitions and stuff. Because again that’s it, you know that, that’s what’s the mental preparation for a program like yours, because you know, the best will in the world, like you haven’t got sports scientists. You know, you’re not Man City, you’re not the LA Lakers.

But was that part of your preparation as well, like think like all of that like mental conditioning thinking, or is that just something that works for you that you’ve alighted on yourself? There was some prep from that point. The girls we actually have our own chat and we do discuss things like that, how do you help yourself in tough situations or so we have discussed it, but it’s never been on. The plan, I would say in the program, But. I just want to circle back to a conversation that I had earlier about that the sort of the beginnings of your journey into women’s baseball.

But also it’s the same for a lot. Of your team, right, So, so Jess Vernon, who like set up her own team in order to sort of start playing baseball, Laura here I played since since she was tiny, playing men’s baseball in North London. Or come on to Laura and look what Laura is doing next in a minute. But do you think that that obsession, the fact that this is just so niche and that you need to be super committed in order to just play, let alone play at the level that you are, was in a funny sort of way, like your trump card.

You know, no one’s expecting Great Britain to have the standards of a Dutch team or a Czech team or a French team, and so in a funny sort of way, they underestimate you guys, who are so so so into this because you have to be. Yeah, I fully agree. I think it is that shared experience of unfortunately both baseball and softball and not huge in our sports programs, And if at all in step Gouls, So we’ve all shared a similar journey of just trying to grab as much coaching as we can and we’ve traveled a long way usually to try and find that. So yeah, I think that has built a big part of the program and the girls camaraderie.

Yeah. And I imagine in a funny sort of way that the fact that this is a this is a victory born of grassroots baseball in the UK like that that that that that’s the winner, right, It’s the people taking out the temporary mound in in Bristol and in Sheffield and raking, raking the grass and taking the stones off the diamond before you even got a. Chance to play. Does that not make it, in a funny sort of way, feel a sweet different or sweeter than than it might have? You know, you will you might like.

I guess we’ll never know, But from your point of view, I guess that that it’s a different perspective on the sport, isn’t it. Yeah, absolutely, I think it does make it feel sweeter in that way. Yeah, because we’ve all had to start from the ground up and there’s not a lot out there unfortunately. So yeah, it’s hard research and lots of chats together and comparing different ways of trying to do stuff at home, not just in your leagues and clubs, and.

That’s it. So what what are you doing at home? You know if you have you got a net in your back garden that you’re you’re knocking baseballs into every evening. Yeah, I’m quite lucky. I’ve set up a space in my garage, so yeah, I’ve got a tea set up and just hitting into a curtain basically.

Then, And I guess if if your partner’s brought you to the sport, it’s then difficult for them to look at the other. Yeah, no, they’re they’re very good. Yeah, they’ve been very supportive and helped me, have taken them, force them to go out to the field and hit at me and yeah, throwing the ball throughout the preparation. So they’ve been very.

Good, as as all great teams are. It’s it’s it’s the nine on the field, but it’s it’s everybody else behind the scenes. I love that you hit the ball into a curtain. That’s absolutely incredible.

Where where did that? Where did the British victory in European baseball? In the European Baseball championships come from. It was it was winning RBI. Knocker cat garlic cotting into a curtain in south somewhere in. The southwest of.

MS are made of Yeah, they are now. And and I’m interested in your perspective on this because you know, as we said at the top, you’ve you’re now a veteran of a number of GB adventures, right, and this one is so different from some of the others, Like, look, the GB programs are different to you know, the USA World Baseball Classic team, right, but even still there’s a degree of funding and commitment and star power that comes with you know, the team and who’s still the team in Reagan’sburg? So how how different was that contrast? Could you see? Or was it just this is another this is another GB team. The principals are all the same. What was your perspective as someone who was there on the ground having seen all of those different views of GB as a baseball nation.

I think you know that one of the biggest things, and it kind of goes back to the conversation you’re talking about before, is there was there was a chemistry. There was the chemistry, and you could feel like everybody you know like Cat was staying there, like even with their backs against the wall, they’re still just going through it and they know they can do it, and there’s there’s an absolute belief and you could really feel that. You could really see it, and you could see it in the way that they were pre pairing, the way they were celebrating, the way they were on the field. I think that was from one of the biggest things.

And it really felt like like and I don’t know if you know, Cat, I don’t know if it’s just figured. It felt like yours. It felt like it was the team’s thing. It really felt like everyone had put in so much time, so much effort.

You know, drive, like you said, driving up and down motorways to go and you know for a training session or a coaching clinic or whatever else it is, and you know that that’s that’s a different that’s a very different approach. And I think it’s incredible. I think, you know, it’s a bit of you know, when you’re talking before, it is a bit like the field of Dreams type thing as well. And you you’re there, not in the cornfield, but in the garage with the curtain and you know you’re doing your own thing, and I think that’s that’s the dedication and that’s what that’s what I loved about it.

I thought it was so it was so close and it was so the chemistry was fantastic, and you know, I just think, right, just keep going. We need more, we more, need more girls and women getting into GV baseball and getting into basement in the country. So you know, anything anything we can do for that is it’s absolutely got to be done. It was brilliant.

It’s a world away from Hey, did you know this guy’s grandma was one in Hong Kong. I’m not knocking that because it’s on the men’s team when they’re going to be facing Arab judge. Right, but but but but it’s it’s so different in terms of its essence and in terms of where it comes from. It is you know, he said, it’s the curve.

Really really done. The chemistry and the the the stories I think it was it was that was quite amazing, really really cool. Yeah, so it’s a good, good transition. I haven’t talked about the final I’m sort of going around that coming back to the so cat you know, we are absolutely black.

Well, like it’s it’s it’s it’s amazing that to have had you. But we’re we’re so blessed that you know that. Again, was a really intense final. It was an opportunity to oh, what’s what’s Brownie bringing back here? It was an it was an opportunity to avenge your defeat to to the checks and you did and it was you who who managed to knock in the winning run like that.

Just what what an experience that must have been, like, like could do it? I think it might have been Ellen, but yeah, because I got you. Were you were very heavily involved. Yeah, oh man. Yeah, the fact that we got in the final was just huge.

And again it was that belief like this is what we were here for. Everyone knew, like we have that one goal, we’re just going to win, and we were referring to the noise level. I mean, I’ve really got to give credit to the GV supporters. They were amazing.

There weren’t many of them, but they are Gosh, you could hear them. I remember on the field like just hearing people in my ear and it put a smile on your face and a bit of extra belief that we could do it. Yeah, gosh, it was fantastic. That’s that’s that’s absolutely awesome.

And what was the reception like afterwards? I mean, you know they were they were they gracious and defeat your opponents and hosts. Yeah, I think they were pretty good. Yeah, the fact that we’re playing women’s baseball at top level. Like all the teams, we all gathered afterwards, we all chatted, we all bonded.

Yeah, women’s base war is different in that way. I don’t I mean, I can’t say anything about the men’s but there’s just such a bond, Like there’s so few opportunities to play in these types of tournaments, so we’re all just so grateful, I think, and we all share that together. That’s awesome. And Andy, you you, as we said, got to capture for prosperity or indeed posterity.

Did you imagine that when you were you know, as I said, you’ve been on a few of these jumbrees and several several of them very successful. But that must have been pretty sweet to be. You know, they’re they’re they’re there with a winning team. You can’t be it absolutely fantastic.

It was just it was just perfect. I mean it was the whole tournament was great. It’s been a great couple of weeks and everything just came together and like Kat said again, it was just great that the presentation on the field at the end and all the teams there, it was it was Yeah, it was special, you know, and that’s that’s what it’s all about. It.

It’s so amazing to be there and see these things unfold. Yeah, love it. And obviously, like women women’s baseball, CAT has been a bit more in the public eye recently. You know, you’ve had Kelsey Whitmore, who’s been playing in independent pro ball with Staten Island and then was in Banana Ball this year alongside Valperez.

He’s one of the managers in Banana Ball and plays for the US women’s baseball team. This is like, you know, it’s it’s still still a minority sport and still a niche within a niche, but starting to build more profile when with the Women’s Pro Baseball League coming up this year, that you know, not a bad time for GB to be in the spotlight, is it? Definitely not? Yeah, it’s it’s really great to see the opportunities are expanding. Yeah, one of your team and one of your teammates is going to be playing in that as well. Isn’t she in Laura? Who was Laura here? Yeah? That’s incredible, that’s.

Huge, It’s really huge. I’m so glad because there are already a couple of us that I think applied to the Pro Bowl trials. But yeah, she made it, which is fantastic and yeah, huge thing for the program. Yeah, so when when? When does that? When does that start? She? Is she over there yet or is it? Is it in the in the early spring or when when she’ll be when? When we should be keeping our eyes out for a loo she’s playing with the Boston team, right.

That’s right? Yeah, I think it’s in the summer, early summer. I’ve been given two different dates, but yeah, I think either early May or potentially August to look out or but yeah, we’ll definitely be posting it on the g base for women’s side to let you know for sure. Absolutely, And and outside of Lauria, what what what’s what’s coming next for the program? What? What? What? When? When are you defending your championship? Is that I genuinely don’t know. You tell me is there? I’m assuming there’s a world championship that you’re now going to take part in.

Yes, So there’s qualifiers this year and it’s still to be confirmed where and when. They have one location in Illinois in July, but there is potential for another location for Yeah, the section that we’re in, so that’s our prep at the moment is for that? Is that where? Now? Prep? And that was is that in rock Port? Was that the one that was talking about in Yes, that’s. Right, yeah, yeah, yeah, that’s that’s the original I think. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, maybe Blair and all that.

Yeah, that’s it. Yeah, what an amazing place, Like, how how apps would that be? That would be incredible And so you’re you’re sort of full steam ahead preparing for that as as a program. So how are you guys part of the UK sport? Are you completely fully funded? Self funded? Self completely self funded? How how is this working with you guys? Because because you know, there’s an opportunity here to have a conversation about that. And you know, he knows where that might go.

We’re definitely self funded. Yeah, we don’t have any support yet. Unfortunately, we’ve had a few freebies which has been really kind via the Instagram, but yeah, so far any finances, Yeah, we’ll buy ourselves. And you know that I think the best place to leave it is is to say that, like, look what a thing? What things have happened? Like, you know, if this isn’t going to inspire more young girls and women to come along and try the sport, then then what will? So you know, how, how’s the best place to do that? What if you if you are have seen GB women winning in the summer, or you’re listening to this podcast or seeing a clip of it on social media and you’re thinking, oh, I’m interested in that.

Where where’s the best place to go and find your your local club, whether you want to be a player, a supporter, or even if you’ve got a check book in your pocket. So you got a couple of options. You can either go to the GB Women’s instagram, so that’s at GB Underscore Baseball Women. Or you can go to the BBF website and they can direct to to the nearest clubs or leagues that are available.

But I know that anyone available on our instagram will pass you on to the right people for sure. I know there’s quite a few female opportunities, women’s opportunities coming up, Like there’s a picture catcher clinic in Taunton. There is a junior development team run by Danny Briggs, So I know there’s potential opportunities coming up there in Leicester and Cardiff, so definitely look out on the women’s Instagram for that. We’ll definitely make sure that we point people in the direction of that.

And hopefully your your dms are going to be stuffed full of enthusiastic new people are willing to give it and hoping to give it a go. And yeah, Andy, what’s what’s new for you in twenty twenty six? Where where’s the papers taking you? Other than the other than the canals of Northamptonshire. Yeah, off the Grand Union for a while. We shall see.

There is always baseball in the world, there is always cricket, there’s always sports ready to be painted. So I’ve got a few things in the in the air, nothing fully landed yet, so we have to see John, it’s all out. If we’ll wait and see, we’ll see what see what comes along. But you know, there’s we all know there’s a few big base of things happening this year, so hopefully we’ll see see where.

The plane takes me, see where the plane takes you. So kat Andy, it’s been really awesome to talk to you, thanks so much of your time, thanks for sharing those amazing memories of last summer, and yeah, fantastic to hear a little bit more color, both on the paint brush and in terms of the anecdotes of what came with that amazing triumph. So guys, you know you know where. We are on the socials, but this is not about us.

It’s about going and following GB women, So get over to the instagram at GB Underscore Baseball Women and kat Andy, thanks so much for your time and hopefully we can hear a bit more about that trip to Rockport, Illinois later in the year. Thank you very much for having me pleasure.