#Softball ⚾: @Kelsey_Harshman réalise une attrapée spectaculaire 🔥 Le temps presse pour le Canada; il reste deux manches pour créer l’égalité! @SoftballCanada #tokyo2020 #rcolympiques #EquipeCanada pic.twitter.com/LmvI6HLjZ1
— Radio-Canada Sports (@RC_Sports) July 22, 2021
July 22, 2021: RISE & SHINE!
Wow, it is an early one here in Fukushima. If a 4:30 am wake-up call doesn’t scream you are playing a softball game today then I don’t know what will! Right away I wake up and do my COVID test. Luckily our nostrils have gotten a break since coming to Japan where we do saliva tests and spit into a small plastic tube. I then get dressed, squeeze in a couple teammates to braid their hair and off to breakfast I go.
When we begin loading the bus for 5:50 we get our bags searched before we leave the hotel. I have no idea why they do this BUT they are very consistent with security to make sure everyone is safe. I’ve got my tunes rolling on the bus and a delicious orange juice in hand.
In case people are just tuning into the chronicle of Team Canada now we had an amazing team win against Mexico on opening day and today we are playing USA. We have a very strong feeling we are going to see Monica Abbott. For my non-softballers who are tuning in, she is the BEST pitcher in the world. I’m talking 70+ mph, wicked ball movement and of course a 6-foot-plus lefty coming at you from the mound. All I’m going to say is BRING IT!
Preparation, preparation and more preparation is what we are going to be focused on today. I have a great feeling that today’s game is going to be special!
I’m off to warm ups and then onto the game I’ll be back after that! Until then.. GO CANADA!
CLICK HERE TO READ KELSEY’S DIARIES AND OTHER STORIES RELATED TO SOUTHERN ARIZONANS IN THE TOKYO OLYMPICS
Well, today was a tough one. One run ball games are always the toughest. Just one hit away from a different result of that ball game. The way these games work though is the top two teams with the best record play for a gold medal and the next two teams play for a bronze medal. The best thing you can do is wipe a tough loss because the next day you turn around and play a different team. One loss doesn’t change what we came here to do as a team. One loss doesn’t defy all the hard work and countless hours of work we have put in over the last four years! We are playing some of our BEST softball when it matters. Don’t sleep on Team C, we aren’t done yet!
Fukushima was a great start to the games BUT now we are headed back to the Olympic Village tonight. The final four games will be played in Yokohama.
We’ve got the Aussies up next, folks. Get ready for some more Olympic Softball! As always, GO CANADA GO!
Kelsey Harshman (Jenkins) was a standout softball and soccer player at Sabino before she went on to star for Wisconsin where she earned multiple recognitions:
Three-time Academic All-Big Ten (2016, 2017, 2018)
First three-time first-team All-Big Ten selection in program history
2017 All-Big Ten Defensive Team
NCAA Tournament All-Region Team
NFCA Great Lake All-Region second team (2017, 2018)
First freshman in UW history to be named First-team All-Big Ten (2015)
2016 Best Offense Award (UW Coaches)
2015 Canadian Junior Women’s National Team
Besides multiple appearance for Canada, Harshman also played for the Canadian Wild of the NPF and she was part of Athletes Unlimited.
Recommended for you
