Though they鈥檙e focused on this week鈥檚 Canada Cup, and can see world championships on the near horizon, as well 鈥� with a 2020 Olympic berth on the line in the latter 鈥� two of Canadian national women鈥檚 softball team鈥檚 top pitchers are also using this week to get something they haven鈥檛 had much of lately.
A little time to themselves.
Both and Danielle Lawrie-Locke 鈥� both former White Rock Renegades stars 鈥� have been busy of late, for different reasons.
Groenewegen, 23, spent the fall finishing up her undergrad studies at the University of Minnesota 鈥� where for four years previous she starred in the pitcher鈥檚 circle for the Golden Gophers 鈥� before immediately headed south to the University of Oklahoma, where she began work on her master鈥檚 degree while also serving as a graduate-assistant coach with school鈥檚 women鈥檚 softball team.
In between all that, she somehow had to find time to stay in playing shape herself, knowing that a summer with the national team was fast approaching.
In the weeks since the school year ended, Groenewegen and her teammates have been to California for training camp, Japan for an 11-game exhibition tour and, most recently, in Oklahoma City for the International Cup tournament.
Standing in foul territory of Softball City鈥檚 Diamond 2 on Tuesday morning, the South Surrey pitcher said this week was her first time back at home since January.
鈥淚鈥檓 really excited to see my friends and family,鈥� she told Peace Arch News.
She admits her rigorous schedule 鈥� to which she added coaching duties for the first time 鈥� took its toll on her this year, to the point when she鈥檚 decided to put the pin in her coaching plans; she is planning to move back home after the summer, rather than return to Oklahoma.
鈥淪oftball was getting exhausting,鈥� she said.
That said, she still enjoyed coaching, and think it helped her own game, as well.
鈥�(Coaching) was cool because you get to see a different side of the game. As a player, you aren鈥檛 necessarily blinded, but you don鈥檛 get to see all the behind-the-scenes stuff that goes on,鈥� she said.
鈥淚 think I鈥檝e grown a lot in terms of my knowledge of the game鈥� (but) it鈥檚 been really challenging because you鈥檙e only given so much time. You have to focus, and figure out your priorities鈥� With the demands of being a (graduate assistant), I was giving too much of my time to them and not enough for my own training needs.鈥�
Lawrie-Locke, meanwhile, has faced her own challenges 鈥� mostly of the scheduling variety 鈥� as she mounts a comeback with the national team after years of being away from the game.
As for why the former Olympian 鈥� who in 2008 as a 21-year-old played for Canada the last time softball was an Olympic sport 鈥� was drawn back to the game, she gives a simple answer.
鈥淲hy? Why not?鈥� she said.
The sport鈥檚 return to the Olympics 鈥� having been reinstated last August for the 2020 event in Tokyo 鈥� played a major role, she said, admitting that she likely would not have come back had the Olympics still been a no-go.
In 2008, Canada finished fourth.
鈥淚 wanted to create a different memory than I had in 鈥�08, and help a different team potentially get there,鈥� she said.
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The former University of Washington star, now a 31-year-old mother of two 鈥� to daughters Madison, 4, and Audrey, one 鈥� admits that it鈥檚 been difficult to be away from her family as much as she has been.
Today (Friday), is Day 50 of Team Canada鈥檚 75-day summer schedule, and Lawrie-Locke has been there for most of it 鈥� first California, then Japan 鈥� but was recently given two weeks off to go home to her family.
And like Groenewegen, who needed time to herself to refocus, Lawrie-Locke said Tuesday that she feels similarly 鈥� adding that any on-field pressures pale in comparison to what she normally deals with as a busy mom.
鈥淎udrey, three weeks ago, just had emergency surgery on her lungs 鈥� she had popcorn in her lung, and then two days ago, she broke her wrist, so she鈥檚 made it real easy on me,鈥� Lawrie-Locke laughed.
鈥淓verything else seems easy 鈥� the kids are the hard part.
鈥淢y life is so hard right now with my kids and everything (else) that鈥檚 going on, when I step in the circle, that鈥檚 really the only time i don鈥檛 think about how hard my life is, and it鈥檚 refreshing. It really makes me appreciate the game more than I ever have.鈥�
Team Canada opened its Canada Cup schedule Tuesday with two games, a 7-0 win over Korea in the afternoon, followed by a 4-3 loss to Colorado鈥檚 Triple Crown in the evening.
Both Lawrie-Locke and Groenewegen pitched in the second game.
Though they didn鈥檛 get the win, Canada鈥檚 head coach was excited at the prospect of heading into the rest of the summer 鈥� and beyond 鈥� with both former Renegades, along with Jenna Caira, leading the pitching staff.
Lawrie-Locke, Smith said, 鈥済ives the staff a boost in terms of her intensity.鈥�
Smith, a former pitcher himself, was known as an uber-intense competitor during his playing days 鈥� 鈥淚 walked in those shoes, for sure,鈥� he said 鈥� and as such, can appreciate what the returning veteran brings to his team.
鈥淒anielle鈥檚 a competitor, and that鈥檚 what you love about her,鈥� he said.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 one of the things that I think the athletes find so exciting 鈥� Danielle absolutely has a presence, as does Sara, as does Jenna, and it makes your teammates better behind you. Everybody is a little taller when they鈥檝e got somebody in the circle they know is going to compete game in, game out.鈥�
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