Team captain Cacia Tan, 26, said: “There are so many aspects to the sport, from batting to fielding and base running, which are different from just running or swimming.” The doctor has been playing softball since she was 10.
Bowie Tan, 23, also a final-year university student, added: “Each softball game is unpredictable. There is a lot of strategy at play, and also subtle hand signals that only our team knows when we want to steal bases. You always need to be mentally alert as anything can happen.”
To get better at the sport, the team often watches online video clips of competitions and of their opponents to play against their weaknesses. After every game, regardless of a win or loss, they get together and reflect on the game to see how they can improve.
INJURIES, TIME MANAGEMENT AND NO FAMILY HOLIDAYS
With multiple training sessions, sometimes up to six times a week, on top of a full-time job or school, the athletes said missing out on family holidays or gatherings is the norm.
“I haven’t taken a holiday with my family since I was 19,” said team captain Tan. While the training sessions allow her to take her mind off work, it sometimes leaves her feeling physically drained, especially when her workday starts early and training ends late.
The women said they have had some form of injury while playing softball. Guo had three injuries within a year, and said, “When it happens, it really kills your momentum and that’s when you really need to find the strength to come back and continue to work hard.”
