[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”]

Lindsay and Nicole Thomas took their twin pitcher-catcher act overseas in 2017, one year after graduating from UNC Greensboro where they were both standout players. A year into NCAA D1 coaching careers, both girls made the decision to put their coaching careers on hold and sign together to play in Vienna, Austria. Their international careers snowballed from there, both as a pair and as individuals. The girls continue to play overseas while doubling as virtual Mental Performance Coaches, a business they started together during the early days of the pandemic.

Episode notes:

Training Untamed Instagram handle: @training_untamed

Correction: Sarah Edwards’ email is s.edwards@softballjobsoverseas.com

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row module_class=” et_pb_row_fullwidth” _builder_version=”3.25″ background_color=”#3e3e3e” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” width=”89%” width_tablet=”80%” width_phone=”” width_last_edited=”on|desktop” max_width=”89%” max_width_tablet=”80%” max_width_phone=”” max_width_last_edited=”on|desktop” custom_padding=”20px|10px||10px” make_fullwidth=”on” custom_width_px=”1440px”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”||20|” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.5″ text_font=”||||||||” text_font_size=”17px” header_font=”|700|||||||” header_text_align=”left” header_text_color=”#ffffff” header_font_size=”61px” header_line_height=”1.3em” header_2_font=”||||||||” header_2_text_align=”right” header_3_font=”||||||||” header_4_font=”||||||||” header_5_font=”||||||||” header_6_font=”||||||||” custom_margin=”||20px|” custom_margin_tablet=”” custom_margin_phone=”” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone” locked=”off”]

Not ready to hang them up?  Seeking a new career path?

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#30b4d3″ divider_weight=”3px” disabled_on=”on|on|off” _builder_version=”3.2″ max_width=”80px” module_alignment=”left” height=”10px” custom_margin=”||20px|” animation_style=”slide” animation_direction=”bottom” saved_tabs=”all” locked=”off”][/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.5″ text_font=”Poppins||||||||” text_text_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0.8)” text_font_size=”18px” text_line_height=”1.8em” header_font=”||||||||” locked=”off”]Annually our members sign over 300 contracts overseas. There are a variety of levels overseas which present opportunities for players and coaches, both aspiring and established professionals.
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_video src=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJkkO5GKpfE&feature=emb_logo” _builder_version=”4.6.5″ custom_margin=”40px|5px||5px” custom_padding=”|5px||5px”][/et_pb_video][et_pb_button button_url=”https://baseballjobsoverseas.com/shop/” button_text=”Register here” button_alignment=”center” _builder_version=”3.19.3″ custom_button=”on” button_text_size=”15px” button_text_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0.7)” button_bg_color=”#35a6dd” button_border_width=”0px” button_border_radius=”12px” button_letter_spacing=”2px” button_font=”Poppins|600||on|||||” button_use_icon=”off” custom_margin=”NaNpx|||” custom_padding=”12px|28px|12px|28px” box_shadow_style=”preset1″ box_shadow_vertical=”10px” box_shadow_blur=”30px” box_shadow_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0.2)” button_letter_spacing_hover=”2px” button_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”on” button_letter_spacing__hover=”2px” button_one_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off”][/et_pb_button][et_pb_button button_url=”https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdjVUWS4yWDibejRE–NMO8IaR-bNdx-KamVzWB8LGf6_oO4A/viewform?usp=sf_link” url_new_window=”on” button_text=”Pre-registration feedback” button_alignment=”center” _builder_version=”3.20.1″ custom_button=”on” button_text_size=”13px” button_text_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0.7)” button_bg_color=”#ffffff” button_border_width=”1px” button_border_color=”rgba(53,55,64,0.4)” button_border_radius=”12px” button_letter_spacing=”2px” button_font=”Poppins|600||on|||||” button_use_icon=”off” custom_margin=”||10px|” custom_padding=”12px|28px|12px|28px” button_letter_spacing_hover=”2px” locked=”off” button_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”on” button_letter_spacing__hover=”2px” button_one_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off”][/et_pb_button][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.22″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.5″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”]

August 20, 2021

By Carter Cromwell

Right off the bat, Chelsea Goodacre realized that playing softball in Japan was going to be different.

“The first practices were real eye-openers,” said the former all-American from the University of Arizona, who is a catcher with Toyota Shokki in the first division of the Japanese Women’s Softball League. “We practiced six hours a day. At first, I tried to do everything they did, but that only lasted a day and a half.”

Yet, she and other import players in Japan have lasted – and succeeded – despite significant differences in language, culture, food, style of play, approaches to the game, and much more. 

So, the question is, “how?”  

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https://baseballjobsoverseas.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-08-16-at-3.16.30-PM.png” title_text=”Screen Shot 2021-08-16 at 3.16.30 PM” _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”]

Photo: Chelsea Goodacre rounds third base after a home run in Japan Softball League action. 

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”]

Succeeding outside one’s home country involves more than ability and knowledge – to survive and thrive, one must adapt. The rules of the game may be the same, but the way the game is played often is not. 

And, for westerners playing in Asia, there is hardly anything familiar about life off the field.

The experience can be meaningful and rewarding, but it can also be disappointing. While it’s important to produce on the field, how a person deals with it all – the different, the funny, the confusing – is a major factor determining success or failure.  

“I try to open up to the culture as much as possible and take in all I can,” said Dallas Escobedo, an American from Arizona who pitches for Toyota Shokki. “I try to show respect for everything.”

“There are players that come here and stay just a season. There is definitely some adjusting to do, and not everyone can work through it. You end up being alone a lot when you’re not playing or practicing, and not everyone is okay with that. If you’re not able to fill your off time, it can be a struggle.”

The players that successfully work through the challenges are the ones who embrace the differences, show a willingness to learn new things, and go with the flow. 

Those players end up liking the country and having incredible experiences.

Ellen Roberts, an Australian who played college ball in the United States and now pitches for Minamo Ogaki in the Japanese first division, recalled, “While at first I noticed a big difference in culture, I immersed myself in every way possible – learning the language, trying new foods, and embracing the Japanese way. I loved the new aspects and challenges of life in Japan, and it was just the start of what life in Japan was going to be like. 

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https://baseballjobsoverseas.com/wp-content/uploads/Ellen-Roberts-3.jpg” title_text=”Ellen Roberts 3″ _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”]

Photo: Ellen Roberts wih Minamo Ogaki

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”]

“Other than the language, the biggest challenges were the workload and the schedule itself,” she added. 

“As part of my contract, I actually work for the company – an international transportation company – that sponsors the team. I work in the mornings, and then we practice from 1pm to 7pm, with optional practice after that. It’s grueling, but worth it – I’ve learned a lot, and I love the opportunity to work. 

“It’s helped me understand the culture better and pick up more of the language. You have to be open-minded.”

And from Goodacre – “When I came over, I didn’t say anything and just did what they did. It’s a bit different this season because I have some experience, but I just try to give input that might be useful. The biggest thing is understanding that it’s their game. I’ve known of some players who couldn’t adjust and went home after one season. It can be a shock if you’re not able to adapt and take things in stride.”

The initial shock was literal for Sarah Pauly, a pitcher for Minamo Ogaki, who first came to Japan in 2011, just a week or so after the earthquake and resulting tsunami that severely damaged the nuclear power plant at Fukushima.  

“Some other foreign players were coming in that day and had to be re-routed,” Pauly said. “We felt the aftershocks for several days and months afterward.”

For Pauly, that first experience was “kind of a blur. It was my first time overseas, and I didn’t take in the culture. It was extremely difficult being away from home, and I didn’t care for the adventure or travel. I was there to play softball and didn’t do much other than that. I came over here, rushed right into playing, and quit right after the season, even though the team asked me to come back.

“I was pretty immature when I first went there, and I remember telling my parents later that not taking full advantage of that opportunity was the biggest mistake I’d made,” Pauly continued. I said that if I had another chance to go there, I’d do it in a heartbeat.”

She got that chance in 2014.

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https://baseballjobsoverseas.com/wp-content/uploads/Pauly1-scaled.jpeg” title_text=”Pauly1″ _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”]

Photo: Sarah Pauly prepares to deliver a pitch for Minamo Ogaki

“I really saw the country the second time,” she said. “I was mesmerized by the food, the culture, and different places. It was like I’d never been there before, even though I had, so the experience was much different than the first time I played in Japan.”

Cultural differences abound, from the obvious to the seemingly insignificant. But, no matter how small, the differences add up and make for a period of adjustment.

Chopsticks, for one – not just how to eat with them, but also what to do with them when you’re not eating.

Pauly learned that it’s considered bad etiquette to leave them anywhere but on top of one’s bowl when finished – “Once, after I first came to Japan, I stuck my chopsticks in the leftover rice, and someone actually came over and put them on the bowl.” 

The food challenges don’t end with the utensils.

“Our players have to eat all their food, even if they’re full,” she said. “If not, the implication is that they don’t like it.”

The players have to weigh their rice to make sure they only eat a certain amount. Some fans bring snacks to the players at practices and games; the older players get to eat first, and it goes down the line according to age. With many teams, seating on the bus is regimented, as well – the captain and older players in the back and the younger players sitting forward.

Escobedo said she has to have three pairs of shoes wherever the team goes – a clean pair for the gym, a clean pair of cleats, and a pair to wear outside – “You can’t wear your gym shoes outside. There is so much attention to detail as far as keeping everything neat and clean. Luckily, I’m that way myself.”

Language is constantly a challenge, and sometimes a source of humor. “Throwing a runner out,” for example, translates to “make the runner dead.” Escobedo once referred to a crate of balls as a “box,” and none of her Japanese teammates understood what she meant.  Also, Japanese tend to add an extra “o” to many English words – “Friend-o,” “Cost-o-co,” “McDonald-o” – and often don’t understand what one is saying without it.

For the players, perhaps the biggest areas of adjustment come with the practices and the style of play.  

The amount of time Japanese teams practice is famous . . . or infamous, depending on who is talking.  

“Practices are crazy,” said Lisa Maulden, an American first baseman and designated hitter for Minamo Ogaki. “We had to take 15,000 swings in 23 days, and I thought I couldn’t do it, but I did. Pitchers had to run about 30 times a day from foul pole to foul pole.”

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https://baseballjobsoverseas.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-08-20-at-5.47.17-PM.png” title_text=”Screen Shot 2021-08-20 at 5.47.17 PM” _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”]

Photo: Lisa Maulden, former Softball Recruitment Manager for Baseball Jobs Overseas, plays along side Sarah on Minamo Ogaki

“It’s good to an extent, though,” she added. “Some coaches will have you practice hitting foul balls. [My coaches] said foul balls were okay – that I needed to be swinging – and it changed my approach at the plate. Before, I was seeing more pitches and waiting for a good one to hit.”

Still, the practice process, for the lack of a better term, is an area where the go-along-to-get-along philosophy undergoes some modifications. To an extent, the imports can do things their way as long as they produce on the field, though all try to fit in as much as possible.

“The imports have some leeway to modify things,” said Escobedo, an alum of Arizona State University who also pitches for Mexico’s Olympic team. “They let us kind of pick and choose what we do.”

Roberts added, “They’ve always let me do the training program I want, but I want to be part of the team, so I try to do what they do as much as possible. Once in training camp, we had a four-hour fitness test, and I did it all. From the Australian point of view, we tend to focus on quality over quantity. In Japan, it’s quality and quantity.”

Perhaps none of the imports have Debbie Schneider’s perspective. Schneider – the battery coach for Tokyo Shokki – is in her 30th season with the club. She was a catcher for 14 seasons and has been a coach since.  

“I had a job I was reluctant to leave, but I decided to give Japan a go for a year, maybe two. After all, the money was better than what I was making, and I didn’t have to wear heels and a skirt – just play around in the dirt like when I was ten years old,” Schneider said with a laugh.

Since then, she’s seen things change . . . and not change.

“The practices – oh, wow,” she said. “They have changed some . . . They’re a little shorter now, but I still have a hard time getting used to them. Our people work for the company from 8am to noon and then practice from 1:30 to about 6. 

But when I first came here, we all had to work from 8am to 3:30pm, and then we’d practice until 9:30 or 10. On weekends, practices would be from 8:30 to five or six. I’d be exhausted. I never went anywhere on our day off because I just wanted to rest.”

Although shorter than they used to be, the practices are still tough.  

“They do this thing they call “Brazil Taiso” – like the military with a lot of chanting – and they do it for 45 minutes,” Schneider said. “It’s amazing that they can do that and still practice. That’s one thing I find very bizarre. And the amount of batting they do – long tee, short tee, machine, live pitching. Then they’re back inside doing it again after practice – every day. I sometimes think they need to give themselves a break.”

Roberts added, “I’m sometimes in awe of what they do. They hit several hundred balls a day in practice. Back home, we might take a week to do that. Also, they’ll hit off the tee, do a squat, hit off the tee, do a squat . . . and just keep doing that.”

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https://baseballjobsoverseas.com/wp-content/uploads/Schneider-Escobedo-scaled.jpeg” title_text=”Schneider, Escobedo” _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”]

Photo: Debbie Schneider talking with Dallas Escobedo

Most import players are permitted to prepare in a way that works for them. The successful ones find a way to blend their routines with that of their Japanese teammates.

Pauly explains: “The best piece of advice I got was to do what I needed to do to prepare myself. I do everything with the team, but I have my own workout plan. Here, pitchers throw in the morning, and then they throw in the afternoon after lunch. If I did that, I would hurt myself. Instead, if I only need to throw a 30- or 45-minute bullpen session, that’s what I do. If you know your plan will set you up for success, you need to stick to it. I always try to stay and help however I can, though, and the teams I’ve played on have all been okay with what I was doing.”

Escobedo has a similarly toned-down plan: “Since I’m a pitcher, I’ll do a 45-minute bullpen, then work on defense, then go into the weight room for my training. Our other pitchers do throw a lot – hour-long bullpens of 70-90 pitches and then throw batting practice that will amount to 200-250 pitches. I try to keep my pitch count to between 80 and 120.”

But it’s not just pitchers that feel the need to limit their reps. Goodacre explains, “I’ll take 200 swings a day, and the others do twice as much or more. And they do even more on their own after practice. They’re very quantity-focused.”  

The long hours of practice and preparation apply to games, too. Escobedo’s team begins warmups about three hours before game time. They’ll hit for up to 45 minutes, then do drills like playing pepper, then warm up some more before changing into their uniforms and having a break to snack on rice balls.

As to the style of play, it’s similar to Japanese baseball in that there is more small-ball, less emphasis on power, and a greater reliance on off-speed pitches. According to the import players, the game in Japan is more structured and less based on feel, flow, and instincts than in other countries, which can sometimes be frustrating or perplexing.  

• Schneider: “We’re more about power, while they’re more about the small game. They’re very good at that. When they aren’t hitting well, they rely more on things like bunts and the hit-and-run. The players today are extremely good – amazing, but their ability to adjust to situations that come up is less than when I first came here. If a play comes up that they haven’t practiced, they can be at a loss.”
• Goodacre: “Watching the Japanese play defense is like watching art. All the games here are intense, and the level of talent is very high. Given all the practice, they’re often better at various skills. But they don’t go with the flow of a game as easily – what you do when something goes wrong. They want an answer – a plan – for every single thing.”
• Maulden: “They definitely pitch foreigners differently. Occasionally, they’ll challenge you inside with something hard, but most pitches are off-speed. I think probably six or seven of my first ten hits here were off change-ups. 
• Roberts: “They’re very nimble, and they practice so much that they don’t make a lot of errors. That’s part of the reason they’re so successful. You have to be ready for anything. Their swings are short, explosive, and very compact.  
• Schneider: “When I came here, the strike zone was quite wide, especially outside. It’s a little better now, but we sometimes have to reach and foul off wide pitches. Foreign pitchers have smaller strike zones than Japanese pitchers, too. I think it’s because foreigners tend to have more movement on their pitches. We struggled with that when Michelle Smith first came over. She was a rise-ball pitcher, and they weren’t calling strikes. I kept telling the umpires that what counts is where the ball crosses the plate, not where the catcher receives it. Little by little, they got it, but we had a terrible time at first.”
• Pauly: “They use multiple cutoffs instead of letting the outfielders use their arms. Outfielders will throw to one cutoff person, who throws to another who then throws to try and get the runner. I’m not sure why they can’t do that with just one cutoff.”
• Maulden: “They’ve adapted the game to their body types. Their mechanics are different in some ways. As I see it, they’ve revamped the game and made it a Japanese-style sport. Their men’s and women’s teams are both ranked #1 in the world, so it clearly works for them.”

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https://baseballjobsoverseas.com/wp-content/uploads/Lisa-and-Sarah.jpeg” title_text=”Lisa and Sarah” _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”]

Photo: Sarah, Lisa and their Minamo Ogaki teammates

The Japanese players have had to adjust to their foreign teammates, as well.  

“I believe the Japanese sometimes have a different view of Americans since we do practice less and train much less than they do,” Goodacre said. “However, I think they’ve come to realize that the players who come over here and immerse themselves have the same great passion for their teams and the game.”

Schneider further explains why it can be difficult for an import player to fit in: “They pay you a good salary, so you’re automatically expected to perform,” she said. “But we’re just as human as they are and will have good days and bad days, and it’s not as easily forgivable with us as it is for the Japanese players. That adds pressure. Having a friend or mentor here really makes a difference. I had a friend on the team when I first got here, and she really helped, so I do that for others. I’ve seen foreigners who didn’t have that support, and it was more difficult for them.”

Despite that, Schneider has no plans to leave the Japanese game.

“I love what I do,” she said. “I’ve always been on one-year contracts and thought for sure there would come a day they’d say, ‘We don’t need you anymore,’ but I’ll keep doing this as long as they ask me to come back.”

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row module_class=” et_pb_row_fullwidth” _builder_version=”3.25″ background_color=”#3e3e3e” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” width=”89%” width_tablet=”80%” width_phone=”” width_last_edited=”on|desktop” max_width=”89%” max_width_tablet=”80%” max_width_phone=”” max_width_last_edited=”on|desktop” custom_padding=”20px|10px||10px” make_fullwidth=”on” custom_width_px=”1440px”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”||20|” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.5″ text_font=”||||||||” text_font_size=”17px” header_font=”|700|||||||” header_text_align=”left” header_text_color=”#ffffff” header_font_size=”61px” header_line_height=”1.3em” header_2_font=”||||||||” header_2_text_align=”right” header_3_font=”||||||||” header_4_font=”||||||||” header_5_font=”||||||||” header_6_font=”||||||||” custom_margin=”||20px|” custom_margin_tablet=”” custom_margin_phone=”” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone” locked=”off”]

Not ready to hang them up?  Seeking a new career path?

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#30b4d3″ divider_weight=”3px” disabled_on=”on|on|off” _builder_version=”3.2″ max_width=”80px” module_alignment=”left” height=”10px” custom_margin=”||20px|” animation_style=”slide” animation_direction=”bottom” saved_tabs=”all” locked=”off”][/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.5″ text_font=”Poppins||||||||” text_text_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0.8)” text_font_size=”18px” text_line_height=”1.8em” header_font=”||||||||” locked=”off”]

Annually our members sign over 300 contracts overseas. There are a variety of levels overseas which present opportunities for players and coaches, both aspiring and established professionals.

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_video src=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJkkO5GKpfE&feature=emb_logo” _builder_version=”4.6.5″ custom_margin=”40px|5px||5px” custom_padding=”|5px||5px”][/et_pb_video][et_pb_button button_url=”https://baseballjobsoverseas.com/shop/” button_text=”Register here” button_alignment=”center” _builder_version=”3.19.3″ custom_button=”on” button_text_size=”15px” button_text_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0.7)” button_bg_color=”#35a6dd” button_border_width=”0px” button_border_radius=”12px” button_letter_spacing=”2px” button_font=”Poppins|600||on|||||” button_use_icon=”off” custom_margin=”NaNpx|||” custom_padding=”12px|28px|12px|28px” box_shadow_style=”preset1″ box_shadow_vertical=”10px” box_shadow_blur=”30px” box_shadow_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0.2)” button_letter_spacing_hover=”2px” button_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”on” button_letter_spacing__hover=”2px” button_one_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off”][/et_pb_button][et_pb_button button_url=”https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdjVUWS4yWDibejRE–NMO8IaR-bNdx-KamVzWB8LGf6_oO4A/viewform?usp=sf_link” url_new_window=”on” button_text=”Pre-registration feedback” button_alignment=”center” _builder_version=”3.20.1″ custom_button=”on” button_text_size=”13px” button_text_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0.7)” button_bg_color=”#ffffff” button_border_width=”1px” button_border_color=”rgba(53,55,64,0.4)” button_border_radius=”12px” button_letter_spacing=”2px” button_font=”Poppins|600||on|||||” button_use_icon=”off” custom_margin=”||10px|” custom_padding=”12px|28px|12px|28px” button_letter_spacing_hover=”2px” locked=”off” button_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”on” button_letter_spacing__hover=”2px” button_one_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off”][/et_pb_button][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.22″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.5″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”]

June 15th, 2021

By Carter Cromwell

[NOTE: Alyson Spinas-Valainis is non-binary, meaning they do not specifically identify with either gender.  Therefore, the following article employs the pronouns “they” and “them” in reference to Spinas-Valainis.]

That Alyson Spinas-Valainis lives in a small studio flat in London might seem pretty ordinary to a lot of folks.  But it’s not to them.

“I actually have a place to live now,” they said. “It’s great to be in one spot after so much moving around – being a nomad.”

Indeed, while the majority of people undergo periods of movement, change and self-discovery, they have experienced more than the norm.

An American who has played the role of softball vagabond for several years, Spinas-Valainis was named Fastpitch Development Manager for BaseballSoftballUK and the British Softball Federation in October 2019.  In their current role, Spinas-Valainis has responsibilities aimed at promoting the growth and development of fast-pitch softball in the UK.

Despite the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, this has amounted to a period of unexpected stability for someone who had spent the previous several years going back and forth between continents and hemispheres to play and coach. 

“I got a ‘regular job’ that enabled me to get a three-year visa,” they said with a laugh.  “I have this flat now – since before the lockdown started early last year – with room for me and my plants.  Even better is that I’m just a half-hour flight away from my team in the Netherlands (Olympia Haarlem), so it’s easy to go play there every weekend.”

So just how did things get to this point?  Well, that’s a longer story.

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https://baseballjobsoverseas.com/wp-content/uploads/Olympia.jpeg” title_text=”Olympia” _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”]

Alyson celebrating the 2018 Dutch Championship with Olympia Haarlem teammates 

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”]

The oldest of four siblings, Spinas-Valainis was born in Eureka, Calif. Following a parental split, Spinas-Valainis shuttled between California and Iowa until their early teens before trading the rain and fog of the Northern California coast for the Mississippi River town of Davenport, Iowa. 

They played softball and basketball in high school – receiving first-team all-state honors in each sport and a McDonald’s All-America nomination in basketball – and earned a Division I full-ride basketball scholarship to Bradley University in Peoria, Ill.  After four seasons, Spinas-Valainis had eligibility remaining, so they exchanged sneakers and shorts for cleats and a glove and played a season-and-a-half of softball before graduating.  

Well, that’s really a longer story, too.

Let’s start with the time Bradley women’s softball coach Amy Hayes first heard of Spinas-Valainis.

“A junior college coach I know saw them pitching in the Iowa state tournament in 2010,” Hayes said.  “The coach called and asked me about this kid that was throwing gas and was coming to Bradley.  I didn’t have any players from Iowa, so he asked around and found out Alyson was coming to Bradley to play basketball.

“I immediately called our basketball coach and yelled at her for not telling me there was a 6-3 pitcher coming here,” Hayes added with a chuckle.

It took several years, but Spinas-Valanis eventually came out for softball, and there was no hesitation when the time came.  In fact, the day after their last basketball game in March 2014, they got on the softball team bus to Springfield, Mo., for the beginning of conference play. 

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https://baseballjobsoverseas.com/wp-content/uploads/Spinas_Valainis_action3_-scaled.jpeg” title_text=”Spinas_Valainis_action3_” _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”]

Alyson pitching for Bradley

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”]

“It was amazing,” they said. “I didn’t imagine as a freshman that I’d get the chance to pitch again. I loved pitching, but a full-ride is a full-ride, so I chose basketball. However, I’d gotten burned out on basketball toward the end of my eligibility. We’d changed to a full-court transition team instead of half-court, and, as a center, it was a difficult fit for my body type.  

“In October 2014, Coach Hayes approached me and told me they were in a tough spot and needed someone to throw batting practice in the spring.  I said I would be happy to after basketball was over. I then tried out, and it went well enough that they asked me to join the team.”

Hayes recalls, “Alyson was really popping it in that tryout.  One of our players said the pitches were really moving. It was clear that they could be a difference-maker.

“The mindset they brought as far as competitiveness and grit was interesting,” Hayes added. “That was something our team needed.  Once before a game, Alyson spoke up and said we needed to stop whining, and that really opened our team’s eyes, especially since it was the perspective of a person coming from another sport.”  

Spinas-Valainis relieved in nine games that first season (2014) and then transitioned to the starting rotation as a fifth-year senior (2015), making a team-high 41 appearances and pitching 64 percent of the team’s innings in conference play.  They were once voted Missouri Valley Conference pitcher of the week and earned the team’s co-Most Valuable Player award.

After that came graduation, playing all over the world, coaching overseas, and the current job in the UK.

But it’s a longer story than that – a lot longer, actually.

By the spring of their senior year, Spinas-Valainis didn’t have a direction.  That is, until Hayes pointed toward New Zealand.

“At the time, I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go or what I wanted to do,” they said.  “It seemed that all my classmates and teammates knew, but I didn’t.  With me being a fine-art major in drawing and painting, I probably would have had to go to a big city to get work.  But Coach Hayes had played in New Zealand, and she mentioned the possibility of playing overseas for a season.  That sounded awesome.”

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https://baseballjobsoverseas.com/wp-content/uploads/FB_IMG_1576446474291.jpg” title_text=”FB_IMG_1576446474291″ _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”]

Alyson taking in the beauty of New Zealand

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”]

Hayes added, “I’ve always tried to get players to go overseas.  A lot of kids don’t want to go, but when I mentioned it to Al, they were all over it. They wanted to see the world and immediately realized this was a great way to do it.  I love how Al took it even further than I did.  The journey hasn’t always been bright and cheery, but they’ve worked through it all.

“They’re basically living my dream life now.”

They’ve had an extensive international playing career in New Zealand, Australia and Europe, with much success: 

• MVP awards in 2016 and 2017 with Hutt Valley in New Zealand
• Top Pitcher honors in 2018 and 2019 while playing for Howick in Auckland
• As a member of Jourds Praha in the Czech Republic, they were named League Playoff MVP as the team won the national title in 2016
• Helped lead the Tubingen Hawks to their first final-four appearance in the German Bundesliga and led the country in strikeouts
• Helped lead Olympia Haarlem in The Netherlands to a national title in 2018 and the runner-up spot in the Dutch Golden League in 2019
• Additionally, both Jourds Praha and Olympia Haarlem have medaled in the European Premier Cup in Italy, accounting for one second-place and two third-place finishes.

But times were not always easy.  Despite the international playing career and successes, there were tough times of personal growth and discovery. 

“I am thankful I was focused so much on sport – partly because during my school and university days, I started realizing that I wasn’t quite straight,” they said. “I didn’t have a name for it, but I didn’t feel ‘normal.’ I had never been interested in dating or intimacy, just focused on my passions, such as sport and art. It was difficult, especially when family and friends would often ask me about a boyfriend or if I was dating anyone. I used to hate those questions without even knowing why. It was very confusing.

“I vividly remember encountering a same-sex couple that was married and playing softball together during my first season in New Zealand, and it wasn’t a big deal to anyone. It was completely normal. It was just two people, happy and whole together. It was beautiful.

“It took years of education and un-learning behaviors and notions I’d had after growing up in a conservative, Catholic environment.  But I finally got the chance to grow into myself and was able to put names to things I once thought made me ‘different’ or ‘wrong.’ Living in cultures and countries where LGBTQIA+ people are present, open and respected has been key in helping me figure myself out.

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https://baseballjobsoverseas.com/wp-content/uploads/FB_IMG_1576446539263-scaled.jpeg” title_text=”FB_IMG_1576446539263″ _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”]

Alyson in London, England

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”]

“I eventually realized that I was asexual – not experiencing sexual attraction towards anyone – which is still an outlier, even within the LGBTQ community. I had never been interested in dating or intimacy, and being able to place a name to my identity was hugely validating. I quickly realized I was panromantic (pansexual for non-asexuals), because gender never factored into my preferences or who I liked. I just like people, and learning that was eye-opening and validating. I’m also non-binary, meaning that I don’t identify with any particular gender – I am just Alyson, and not held to any gender or expectation.

“I am very thankful that I’ve been able learn so much about myself and to now be out as an asexual, non-binary person.  It’s a euphoric feeling after a lifetime of not understanding who I was or why I felt – or didn’t feel – certain ways.”

There are, of course, those who take issue with the lifestyle, or simply don’t understand it. Even people close to them. Luckily, they’ve been able to find support.

Annie Link, a close friend from college, said, “The sexuality thing was a lot to work through for them.  It was definitely hard – the ‘norm’ vs. what they were feeling.  They had a friend in college, though, who was non-binary, and that helped give Alyson the courage to explore it on their own.”  

Spinas-Valainis added, “There are some people I’ve known all my life who either don’t accept this or love ‘conditionally.’  But though I lack support from some, I’ve had incredible support from many people – old friends, people I have met while playing, and some through my work here in the UK.  Coming out is always scary.  While I was out as romantically queer since 2016, I came out to my mom as non-binary in September 2020 and shared that I wanted to pursue top surgery the next year.  I was a little flustered when I told her, and she asked me why I was upset and crying. She said I looked so happy and relieved after telling her. My fears had been based on other peoples’ reactions, not how I saw myself.

“It hasn’t always been easy, but I’m privileged to be in a place where I can be open and true. I’ve been incredibly lucky to meet the people I have – so many of them have changed my life forever.

While living in New Zealand in 2017, they developed a relationship with Brad Croawell, the son of the president and secretary of the Howick club, who had been diagnosed as a child with a degenerative muscular disease, Friederichs Ataxia.

“Brad and I hit it off right away and had an incredible relationship. We became best friends upon meeting in 2017, and we naturally progressed from there,” they said, “I have never met anyone like him. He was an incredible person.

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https://baseballjobsoverseas.com/wp-content/uploads/Brad.jpeg” title_text=”Brad” _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”]

Brad and Alyson

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”]

“I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have been able to share myself and my heart with someone who understood every aspect of me and loved me for it, not despite it.  Brad was special, and he touched everyone who knew him with his kindness, wicked sense of humor and unwavering love.”

Croawell’s health declined in the early part of 2018, and he passed away that August.

“I am so thankful I was with the Croawells then. I truly don’t think I would have made it through without them,” they said.  “That was the most difficult year I’ve experienced. I was not able to secure a work visa, so I had to leave New Zealand seven months after Brad passed away.”  

They returned to Europe in May 2019 to play in Germany and The Netherlands.  Later that year, they learned about the job in London from Brad’s mother, who remains a close friend – “She saw the job opening online and encouraged me to apply.  It was one of the few times Barb used tough love on me.  She said this was a great opportunity and that I should get myself together and apply for it . . . and that Brad would have wanted me to.”

They got the job in August and moved to London in October 2019 after the Dutch softball season ended. 

Despite the difficult times and long journey, Spinas-Valainis has always had passion for softball and now is in position to make an impact on the game. 

Link said, “They’re just a giant person – so full of energy.  They’re very open, and that helps them connect with people.”

Sarah Pauly, an opposing player in New Zealand and the Netherlands, added, “They’re one of those people that you feel is a friend as soon as you meet them.”

Lisa Maulden, Spinas-Valainis’ teammate and friend (met in Australia, 2016), said, “Simply put, they’re amazing.  They’re like a spark – an energy starter.  They’ll go the extra mile to make their teammates laugh and enjoy the game. They’ve gone through a lot trying to find a home overseas, and I’m proud of them.”

“Alyson has been through a lot,” said Sarah Edwards, who played against Spinas-Valainis in New Zealand and was a teammate in The Netherlands.  “They have a lot of compassion for others and is a great teammate.

“They have a huge personality.  They’re fiery – loud and expressive in the dugout and well-known for their colorful makeup.  But it doesn’t get in the way of how they play.  They have a lot of fun and can get everyone laughing – even the umpires and opposing players.  We were playing once in the New Zealand club nationals championship game when the Baby Shark song came over the loudspeaker. They started doing the dance on the mound between warm-up pitches. She really leads a team.”

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https://baseballjobsoverseas.com/wp-content/uploads/JOUDRS-scaled.jpeg” title_text=”JOUDRS” _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”]

Alyson unleashes a pitch in Czech Extraliga action

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”]

And just where Spinas-Valainis’ path leads from here is unclear.  Probably not back to the U.S. anytime soon, since they’re still playing in The Netherlands and have the role with the UK softball organizations.

As Link put it: “When Alyson first went to New Zealand, they said ‘I can see myself living here.’  At that point, I knew they weren’t coming back for a good while.”

Or, as Hayes put it: “They’re an adventurous spirit and will go wherever the wind takes them. They love what they’re doing now.  I don’t know when or if they might come home, but I think they’ll stay in the world of sport.”

Or, as Spinas-Valainis put it: “All my siblings are homebodies, but I was restless. I may not have known what I wanted to do after graduating, but I found it when I began this journey.”

When asked about a possible finish to their playing career: “In women’s sports especially, it seems that there is sometimes an expectation that you have to sacrifice your playing career if you want to ‘settle down.’ 

“Here, I have a ‘regular job’ that is very fulfilling; I live in a London flat with plants and books; and I’m still playing professionally. I want to show that athletes, especially women, can do this without sacrificing the playing experience or travel. I don’t want to be in a situation in which it’s a ‘requirement’ or ‘expectation’ to give up those things.  One can live free and vibrantly, without limitations.” 

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.22″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.5″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”]

March 21st, 2021

By Carter Cromwell

That Lisa Maulden is an American playing softball overseas isn’t particularly unusual, but her path to this point has been.

“My softball journey has been very non-linear,” she acknowledges.

Indeed, her road from growing up near Seattle, WA, to her current posting in Ogaki, Japan has had a lot of curves, twists and sudden turns.  Straightaways have been few and far between.

Maulden didn’t start playing softball until she was 12 – “One of the last sports I tried’ – and didn’t make the team on her first attempt.  She later performed well on club teams and her high-school squad, but decided she wanted to focus on academics while in college and not play softball.  She was set to go to Seattle University on a partial academic scholarship, but walked on for the team at the last minute and made it, eventually becoming a four-year starter and two-time all-conference selection.

And the journey didn’t stop at graduation.  Since then, she’s played and coached in Austria, Belgium, Australia, Hungary, New Zealand (three times), The Netherlands, Italy and now Japan.  

There is, of course, a back story – or stories – to all this.

Maulden, who currently plays for the Ogaki Minamoto Softball Club in Japan, tried a number of other sports before getting into softball.

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https://baseballjobsoverseas.com/wp-content/uploads/WhatsApp-Image-2020-09-15-at-01.11.15.jpeg” title_text=”WhatsApp Image 2020-09-15 at 01.11.15″ _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”]

Photo: Lisa approaches a pitch during a softball game in Japan in 2020. Photo credit: Ogaki Minamoto Softball

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”]

“Basketball was my main sport for a long time, but some friends were trying out for softball, so I figured I should, too,” she said.  “We hit off a pitching machine during the tryout for the middle-school team, and I wasn’t used to it, so I didn’t do well.  Luckily, another coach there thought I had talent and asked me to be part of his team.

“Actually, I started out as the water girl,” she said with a laugh.

That’s how the “other coach” – Joe Jimenez, who coached the Tahoma Little League team that also played as a club team at other times during the year – first noticed her. 

“I kept seeing Lisa sitting on a bucket, carrying all the bags and looking happy to be there,” Jimenez said.  “She looked athletic, so I asked my players who she was, and they said she was the manager – that she had done pretty well in the tryouts but hadn’t made it. 

“For some reason, though, I thought she could play,” he continued.  “One day, I was running practice because the head coach had to be away, and I told Lisa to grab a bat and hit.  She said, ‘Coach, I’m just the manager,’ and I said that was OK and asked her which side she hit from.  She said both, so I had her bat lefthanded.  She fouled off the first pitch and then hit the next one off the fence.  I threw more to her, and she hit as well as anyone else.” 

Right then and there, Jimenez made up his mind – Maulden was on the team.  In his words, she ended up being “one of the best players in the state.  She was a quick learner – always strategic in games and thinking several steps ahead.”

Later, she moved to some club teams that traveled a lot, while also playing for her high school team in Maple Valley, WA, that made its first appearance in the state playoffs during her time there.  

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https://baseballjobsoverseas.com/wp-content/uploads/Bandeburg-gate.jpeg” title_text=”Bandeburg gate” _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”]

Photo: Lisa (left) at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany with fellow international softball travellers Kingsley Avery and Katie Park. The three girls did a European tour in 2019 spanning one week and 10 countries. 

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”]

“She wasn’t simply a good athlete.  Her competitiveness and mental maturity really stood out,” her high school coach, Tom Milligan, said. “Some players understand your expectations and strategy right away – she was one of those.”  

However, despite being a four-year starter, batting over .400 each season and earning all-league recognition – with a good academic record as a bonus – she didn’t have an abundance of collegiate offers.

“By her freshman year in high school, the select team coaches were saying that she had a good chance to play in college,” her mother, Jamesa, said. 

However, she quit the travel team prior to her senior season so she could focus more on academics, and that may have limited her visibility to college coaches.  As Milligan said, “The club programs had more impact with recruitment.  They kind of held the reins.” 

One school in the eastern U.S., wanted her to come for an official visit but wasn’t offering a full scholarship, and she didn’t want to go that far from her family and then-boyfriend.  But she had applied at Seattle University and been offered a partial academic scholarship, and fate once again stepped in.

“My high school coach was telling me that I should re-consider playing,” Maulden said, “and he recommended me as a walk-on candidate to the coach at Seattle U. I talked with him at a tournament just a couple of weeks before school was to start and was encouraged to try out. I did, and ended up making the team.”

Mom Jamesa added, “She had been planning to live at home and commute to school to keep costs down, but freshman athletes are required to live on campus, so she had to make sure she was eligible to play from the academic standpoint and get campus housing.  We had to figure all that out over a weekend.”

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https://baseballjobsoverseas.com/wp-content/uploads/Lisa-Seattle-U2-scaled.jpeg” title_text=”Lisa Seattle U2″ _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”]

Photo: Lisa  with Seattle U

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”]

And they did.  Once on campus, it took a bit of time for her to get organized and take care of both schoolwork and softball, but she ended up managing well in school and starting most of the team’s games at first base.

Toward the end of that first year, though, came a crisis of sorts that could have derailed her career.  This one involved money. The on-campus housing cost was becoming untenable, and Maulden thought she might have to transfer to another school.

“I talked with my mom, and she said that if I couldn’t get any additional financial help, I’d need to transfer,” she said.  “I talked to my coaches about it – explained that I’d really enjoyed the year – and they told me they were going to give me a partial scholarship. When they started talking money, I could feel a big weight come off my shoulders because I really loved the school.  That was the reason I’d chosen it to begin with.” 

Her sophomore year was difficult because her relationship ended, there was competition for her position and she had to adjust to playing outfield part of the time, but she ended up starting 45 of the team’s 48 games and putting herself on course to making the all-Western Athletic Conference team the next two seasons.

The next step in her journey took her overseas, a move for which her mom “blames” herself.

“It was my ‘fault’,” Jamesa acknowledged wryly.  “She had a former teammate who’d posted something online about going overseas to play, and Lisa asked me how she could do that.  I went online, found a message board that said certain teams were looking for players, and she got a job through that.”

“When I first saw the email, I thought it was to play in Australia,” Lisa said with a laugh. “Then my family told me, ‘Uh, Lisa . . . that’s Austria.’  But I was super-excited to have an opportunity.”

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https://baseballjobsoverseas.com/wp-content/uploads/Chicklets.jpeg” title_text=”Chicklets” _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”]

Photo: Lisa wih the Wr. Neustadt Crazy Chicklets of the Austrian Softball League

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”]

Her father, Dean, remembers his thoughts at her graduation celebration, the day before she was to leave.

“I recall chatting with family members and wondering, ‘Okay, but what’s her career choice?’” he said.  “It was at least a year before I realized that Lisa was living her dream – playing and coaching softball internationally.”

She left the day after graduation, and opportunities since then have taken her to various points on the globe and expanded her collection of baggage tags.  

“When Lisa played in Europe, I rarely knew her exact location,” her dad said with a chuckle.   “The clues were in the photos she sent from places like Hungary, Germany, Italy, France, Malta.”

Maulden is an American playing in Japan with a New Zealand-issued phone number and a Hungarian passport in addition to her U.S. one. 

“I was playing and coaching in Budapest, and they were looking for people who were eligible for a passport and could play on the national team,” she said. “The club took care of everything … I’m not sure exactly how it happened, but I’m happy to have the flexibility it gives me.”

Until now, she’s followed the summer, playing in Europe during the Northern Hemisphere summer and moving to New Zealand when the weather north of the equator turned cold.

She went to Japan in 2020 to play there for the first time, and then the Covid-19 pandemic happened.

“I came to Japan in January [2020] to meet my new team,” she said, “and then went back to my New Zealand club.  But then Covid caused the rest of the season there to be canceled, so I told the Japanese team I could be there earlier than planned, if they needed me.  Shortly after that, my general manager called at around 6pm and asked if I could be on a flight at 9am the next day.  I packed my bags and that night and was on the flight.”

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https://baseballjobsoverseas.com/wp-content/uploads/WhatsApp-Image-2021-02-17-at-00.12.42.jpeg” title_text=”WhatsApp Image 2021-02-17 at 00.12.42″ _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”]

Photo: Lisa with Mt. Albert Ramblers Softball Club of Auckland, New Zealand

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”]

As expected, Maulden discovered differences in the way the game is approached and played in Asia. 

“In Japan, there is a routine and a process to everything, and they’ve revamped softball to make it work for their bodies.  They’re more petite – foreigners stand out like sore thumbs – so they use different mechanics, whether hitting or throwing.  They pitch to foreigners differently, too – mostly off-speed.  Of the first 10 hits I had in the league, I think seven were off change-ups.  My coach helped me change my approach to hitting, too.  He said I needed to be swinging more – foul balls are OK – whereas before I’d wait until getting what I thought was a good pitch to hit, or my pitch.

“On the other hand, the practices can have some crazy aspects.  Hitters had to take 15,000 swings in 23 days, and pitchers had to run 500 poles (foul pole to foul pole) – about 30 a day.  They focus on quantity a lot more than is necessary, and there are little to no consequences for failure.  In America, you have to run or do push-ups if you miss your bunts in practice.  As a team, though we’ve gotten better at emphasizing quality over quantity and creating a competitive environment.”  

Still, Maulden adjusted to the environment well, helping her team win the championship of the second division of the Japanese Women’s Softball League and earn a promotion to the first division. She finished second in the league with a .455 batting average and was named to the league’s Top 9 as the designated hitter.  She is signed for the upcoming season.

“Lisa has always worked hard to improve individually, while still being a good team player,” her father said, “and that extends to adjusting to the environment.  Being in Japan has been a challenge because of Covid-related travel restrictions, language barriers and cultural differences, but she’s always been able to adapt.”

Maulden is actually surprised that she’s in Asia to begin with.

“I never imagined playing here,” she said. “It’s very difficult to get into this market, and I’d never rated myself on this level as a player.  But I’ve loved the experience and am blown away that I’m still here.

“I’ll be here until November,” she added.  “Typically, I live life about six months in advance, one contract at a time.  Past that, I don’t know.”

And that is true in the larger context, as well.  What will happen in the next few years and then after her playing career is over is open to question.  It’s quite possible that she’ll remain overseas for the foreseeable future.

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https://baseballjobsoverseas.com/wp-content/uploads/WhatsApp-Image-2020-09-15-at-01.11.22.jpeg” title_text=”WhatsApp Image 2020-09-15 at 01.11.22″ _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”]

Photo: Lisa takes a bow during the opening ceremonies in Japan. Photo credit: Ogaki Minamoto Softball

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”]

“I always have to ask Lisa where she is or what continent she’s on,” her mother said with a laugh.  “It’s a Catch-22 – I miss her a lot, but I’m super happy that she’s able to follow her passion.  I think she’ll travel for a long time and will end up finding a place she wants to stay. I’m proud, too, that she’s influencing other young girls in a positive way.”

Milligan added, “She’s definitely following her heart and desires.  Through that experience – traveling and being around all different cultures – she’ll be able to expand on it and do something really positive.”

Maulden, who will be 28 in March, could always coach, of course, and has a passion for statistics and baseball that she could apply to the growing area of analytics.  But that probably would entail going back to school, something she’s not ready to do.  

She also served as director of softball operations for Baseball Jobs Overseas from 2015 until March 2021 and now remains on as a board member, a role she can leverage toward her goal of helping the sport continue to grow and attract more people overseas to play and coach.  

“This started as kind of a four- or five-year vacation, but now I’ve been gone too long and seen too much,” she acknowledged.  “Some people back home think I’m trying to escape reality, but, for me, being home and living a ‘regular’ lifestyle didn’t work.  I guess I have an abnormal lifestyle, but I truly love what I do.  I want to continue to play and travel and live to the fullest while I can.

“The future? – I have no idea.  These days, I’m just taking life as it comes and am thankful for the journey I’m on.”

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.22″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” hover_enabled=”0″]

The duo were the only two imports for the Wr. Neustadt Crazy Chicklets in 2019, so Brittany had to assume the role as a two-way player, despite not having pitched in college. Despite the lack of imported collegiate level pitching, the 3-4 combo of Kailyn and Brittany brought a much-needed 1-2 punch to the offense of a young Chicklets team, a team based in a small town of approximately 43,000 which is located about 30 minutes outside of Vienna, Austria. This was Kailyn’s second season as the Chicklets import, and she welcomed the protection in the lineup that Brittany brought, which was missing in 2018.

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row module_class=” et_pb_row_fullwidth” _builder_version=”3.25″ background_color=”#3e3e3e” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” width=”89%” width_tablet=”80%” width_phone=”” width_last_edited=”on|desktop” max_width=”89%” max_width_tablet=”80%” max_width_phone=”” max_width_last_edited=”on|desktop” custom_padding=”20px|10px||10px” make_fullwidth=”on” custom_width_px=”1440px”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”||20|” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.27.4″ text_font=”||||||||” text_font_size=”17px” header_font=”|700|||||||” header_text_align=”left” header_text_color=”#ffffff” header_font_size=”61px” header_line_height=”1.3em” header_2_font=”||||||||” header_2_text_align=”right” header_3_font=”||||||||” header_4_font=”||||||||” header_5_font=”||||||||” header_6_font=”||||||||” custom_margin=”||20px|” custom_margin_tablet=”” custom_margin_phone=”” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone” locked=”off”]

Travel the world using baseball or softball as your ticket

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#30b4d3″ divider_weight=”3px” disabled_on=”on|on|off” _builder_version=”3.2″ max_width=”80px” module_alignment=”left” height=”10px” custom_margin=”||20px|” animation_style=”slide” animation_direction=”bottom” saved_tabs=”all” locked=”off”][/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.27.4″ text_font=”Poppins||||||||” text_text_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0.8)” text_font_size=”18px” text_line_height=”1.8em” header_font=”||||||||” locked=”off”]

Our baseball and softball members get paid to play or coach overseas year-round, mostly in Europe and Australia.

There are a variety of levels overseas which present opportunities for both the college grad and the established professional.

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_video src=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smLqDJ9QoUE” _builder_version=”3.19.3″ custom_margin=”40px|5px||5px” custom_padding=”|5px||5px”][/et_pb_video][et_pb_button button_url=”https://baseballjobsoverseas.com/shop/” button_text=”Register here” button_alignment=”center” _builder_version=”3.19.3″ custom_button=”on” button_text_size=”15px” button_text_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0.7)” button_bg_color=”#35a6dd” button_border_width=”0px” button_border_radius=”12px” button_letter_spacing=”2px” button_font=”Poppins|600||on|||||” button_use_icon=”off” custom_margin=”NaNpx|||” custom_padding=”12px|28px|12px|28px” box_shadow_style=”preset1″ box_shadow_vertical=”10px” box_shadow_blur=”30px” box_shadow_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0.2)” button_letter_spacing_hover=”2px” button_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”on” button_letter_spacing__hover=”2px” button_one_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off”][/et_pb_button][et_pb_button button_url=”https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdjVUWS4yWDibejRE–NMO8IaR-bNdx-KamVzWB8LGf6_oO4A/viewform?usp=sf_link” url_new_window=”on” button_text=”Pre-registration feedback” button_alignment=”center” _builder_version=”3.20.1″ custom_button=”on” button_text_size=”13px” button_text_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0.7)” button_bg_color=”#ffffff” button_border_width=”1px” button_border_color=”rgba(53,55,64,0.4)” button_border_radius=”12px” button_letter_spacing=”2px” button_font=”Poppins|600||on|||||” button_use_icon=”off” custom_margin=”||10px|” custom_padding=”12px|28px|12px|28px” button_letter_spacing_hover=”2px” locked=”off” button_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”on” button_letter_spacing__hover=”2px” button_one_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off”][/et_pb_button][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”2″ make_equal=”on” _builder_version=”3.27.4″ max_width=”1280px” custom_margin=”30px||30px||true” custom_padding=”27px|20px|0|20px|false|true” border_radii=”on|5px|5px|5px|5px” border_width_all=”2px” border_color_all=”rgba(58,206,216,0.09)” use_custom_width=”on” custom_width_px=”1280px”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_testimonial author=”Ryan Saunders – Australia x 2, Austria x 2″ portrait_url=”https://baseballjobsoverseas.com/wp-content/uploads/Ryan-Saunders.jpg” _builder_version=”3.27.4″ background_enable_color=”off”]

After signing up for a membership I received several offers within as little as two weeks. The entire process was extremely easy due to the hands-on assistance of CEO David Burns who seemed to take a personal interest in my success. Signing up was quite literally one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life.

[/et_pb_testimonial][et_pb_testimonial author=”Shivaun Landeros – New Zealand x 3, Netherlands” portrait_url=”https://baseballjobsoverseas.com/wp-content/uploads/Shivaun-Landeros-copy.jpg” _builder_version=”3.27.4″ background_enable_color=”off”]

It has been nothing short of amazing. Everyone has been so welcoming. Although the softball has been great and I’ve made wonderful friends, I think learning about the Kiwi and Maori culture has been my favorite part of the experience. I could mever have imagined that softball could open so many doors and roads for me.

[/et_pb_testimonial][et_pb_testimonial author=”Alex Merithew – Australia, Belgium” portrait_url=”https://baseballjobsoverseas.com/wp-content/uploads/Merithew.jpeg” _builder_version=”3.27.4″ background_enable_color=”off”]

[/et_pb_testimonial][et_pb_testimonial author=”Andrew Medeiros – Australia, Belgium, France, Czech Republic” portrait_url=”https://baseballjobsoverseas.com/wp-content/uploads/medeiros.jpg” _builder_version=”3.27.4″ background_enable_color=”off”]

The BBJO website was the best thing that has happened to me in my baseball career. In a matter of two weeks after creating an account I was playing my first game in Australia. David and his team work quickly and efficiently.

[/et_pb_testimonial][et_pb_testimonial author=”Jared van Hoon – Australia x 3″ portrait_url=”https://baseballjobsoverseas.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2019-12-02-at-2.31.20-PM.png” _builder_version=”3.27.4″ background_enable_color=”off”]

From the bottom of my heart, I thank you and appreciate everything you, Jimmy, and everyone with baseballjobsoverseas have done for me over the past 3 years. You gave me the opportunity to travel and open my mind to the world while doing the one and only thing I truly love to do, play baseball. My experience was life changing and worth every second.

[/et_pb_testimonial][et_pb_testimonial author=”Sydney Underhill – The Netherlands” portrait_url=”https://baseballjobsoverseas.com/wp-content/uploads/Sydney-Underhill.jpg” _builder_version=”3.27.4″ background_enable_color=”off”]

I have loved my experience with BBJO. You guys offer so much support I felt so comfortable and confident throughout the process. You can tell you care about players. There seems to be endless opportunities and the various offers made it a tough decision.

[/et_pb_testimonial][et_pb_button button_url=”https://baseballjobsoverseas.com/testimonials/” url_new_window=”on” button_text=”Read more testimonials” button_alignment=”center” _builder_version=”3.27.4″ custom_button=”on”][/et_pb_button][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]