Leigh Godfrey is an outfielder for both the Australian Softball and Baseball teams. She started playing softball when she was eight years old, and starting playing baseball only three years ago.
Leigh is currently playing for Australia in the World Championships for Softball in the Netherlands. She will then travel to Japan where she will play for the Emeralds, the Women’s National Baseball team, at the 2014 IBAF Women’s World Cup. We had the opportunity to discuss both baseball and softball with Leigh before she left for the two championships.
Leigh explained the differences between softball and baseball, “the biggest difference is the diamond distance, and baseball uses a smaller ball and they pitch overarm instead of underarm".
“the transition between the two sports was difficult at first, but now that I am used to baseball it makes it easier. However the transition from baseball to softball is always harder, everything gets shorter and quicker”.
Her pre-game rituals include going “through her regular warm up routine, which for softball is about an hour before the game and two hours beforehand for baseball. In baseball we take a larger scale batting practice than for softball. During the game I just go out and have fun, generally if I am having fun I play well”.
Leigh is making her debut for Australia during the World Cup; she is excited and has high expectations for the team. “After being away with the team during the selection camp, I know our goal is to come home with a gold medal and make Australia proud. We have received generous funding this year, so we are looking to put together a good campaign and come out as winners”.
When asked what her future ambitions are her answer is simple, “my focus is to get through the next 7 weeks with the softball championships and then the Baseball World Cup. I will then reassess where I am at and reset my goals”.
Her advice for other female ball players is “have fun. I have had the opportunity to play both diamond sports and I hope I am not that last person to do that. I hope a number of girls will come through and play both and be able to make both national teams stronger. So overall have fun, enjoy what your are doing and train hard”
Australia is currently ranked second in their pool at the Softball Championships, and Leigh will play her first game of the Women’s World Cup on Septemeber 1st in Miyazaki, Japan. For all Emeralds updates visit emeralds.baseball.com.au or follow the team on Facebook or Twitter.