After her first season playing for Mizzou Softball, catcher Kirsten Mack was off on an even more exciting adventure! The soon-to-be sophomore Tiger played with Great Britain's U-19 National Team at the European Junior Women's Championships from July 21-26 in Rosmalen, Netherlands. Mack e-mailed blog entries back to Columbia for MUTigers.com over the past two weeks.
As I have had about a week to wind down and take everything in, I can't help but reminisce and think about all the amazing memories I made in just 12 days this summer. Walking into a place where I knew no one, I was not sure what to expect. All of the girls on my Great Britain team were so inviting, and we were all there for one common goal; to medal at the European Championships.
Although we fell just short of our goal by placing fourth, we made Great Britain softball history. Not only did we beat the Netherlands for the first time ever, but we had the highest placing any junior team has ever had for Great Britain softball. We left everything out on the field and made our country proud. That feeling is tough to describe! We were definitely the loudest team to sing our national anthem before every game and each and every one of us were beyond proud to be there. Every time they started our national anthem it gave me goose bumps. Not many people get the chance to represent their country on a world stage, so I am very, very thankful. Those are the experiences that I will never forget.
The hardest part of the whole trip was the goodbyes. Coming from knowing nobody, then in just 12 short days you have to say goodbye to some of the most amazing friends you will ever meet. We all live in different parts of the world: Italy, Australia, United States or Great Britain, and you realize you may not ever see them again. We literally spent 24 hours of the day together for 12 days. Even though it is so tough to part ways, social media plays a huge part in staying in touch. The first few days we all added each other on every social media site you could think of, and we all will continue to stay in touch. It is also pretty cool knowing that if I ever travel to any of these countries, I will have a couch to crash on!
Looking back on the trip, I think I laughed more than I slept. We laughed together, we cried happy tears together, we hugged together, we sang together, we played together, and we represented Great Britain together. If you're lucky enough to play international softball, do not ever pass up the chance!
For now, I am preparing to head back to the United States soon and start helping Mizzou towards its goal: a national championship. Thank you, Mizzou fans, for supporting me on this incredible journey around the world. It's time to get back in Black & Gold and win a championship!
-Kirsten
