It may not be a secret, but not many people know the success of Katie McBride as a Fastpitch Softball pitcher. McBride was born and raised in Grand Rapids, Minnesota and has been around athletics her entire life. Her dad, Bill, was the local college football coach, is still the softball coach; and McBride’s mom is the manager for the local YMCA. McBride has grown up as an athlete. Not only has she played softball all her life, but she was also in volleyball till her sophomore year in high school and played basketball through her sophomore year in college.
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| McBride's team holding the National Championship trophy |
McBride was part of a very successful summer softball program, with her dad as the coach. She has won numerous first place state tournaments and has been to a national tournament five times. Two in which her team took 3rd place and in the summer of 2008 they were National Champions! “It was very unexpected! We lost our first actual tournament game and had to win 10 in a row to take the ‘ship. That’s about four games a day in 100 or more degree weather in Kansas City,” smiles McBride shaking her head, “I still can’t believe it really happened.”
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| McBride's team bonding with the opponent after winning the Regional Championship |
“Katie is quite the pitcher, but what makes her “special” is her red hair and her great personality!” laughs Jenna Johannsen, good friend and former teammate of McBride. McBride has a personality that allows her to be picked on quite often, but she plays the game as if it were the softball field, she always picks back and absolutely loves it! She is extremely easy to get along with, being Facebook friends with the majority of her opponents. “We don’t know each other on the field, but when the game is over, here come the hugs and laughs,” says McBride. She admits she loves getting hugs, and not weak ones either, “they have to be good.” McBride explained that when she moved to Valley City for softball, the thing she missed most was all the hugs she would get from not only her family but her hundreds of friends as well.
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| McBride getting one of many hugs |
Adjusting to the lack of hugs has been helpful with support from McBride’s new softball team at VCSU. Referring to her team, McBride giggles, “a couple of us like hugs, so every day we give each other a hug, or two. That makes us feel better.” Not only does McBride have to adjust to a new school, team, and being away from home, but she also has to adjust to the new level of play at VCSU. For the last two years, McBride has been a softball star at Itasca Community College in Grand Rapids. She was the only one in Minnesota history (that the coaches are aware of) to be named to the All-American Team for two years in a row. She was at the top of the national rankings as a pitcher at the division three junior college level with over 300 strikeouts and less than 40 walks in a single season. “I know I won’t have the same stats here, but I will just try my best.”
Excited for the new experiences and seasons to come, McBride will continue to have laugh, hug, and aim for success.
Photos off McBride's Facebook page with her permission, photos were taken with her camera by her sister, Molly or mother, Betsy.
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