The protagonist of this issue of [Women's Softball Interview] is xi Kailin, the national women's softball team, a Wuxi girl born in 1995, who entered the amateur softball team in 2008, entered the professional softball team of Nanjing University of Technology in 2011, and was recommended to the national team by the coach of the national youth team in 2013 because of her outstanding performance in the World Youth Championship. She was tall, thin, dark-skinned, with short, neat hair, and a number seven jersey, her hands full of cocoons from playing balls.
After the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, softball temporarily left the Olympic family, but this year, Xi Kailin fell in love with softball and formed an indissoluble relationship with it.
"Mom, I want to play."
Looking at her daughter's expectant eyes, Xi Mu, who at first forced her to go to a softball interest summer camp to exercise, hesitated. Xi Kailin, who learned to walk in 18 months, has a weak physique, and Xi's mother is unwilling to let her child suffer physical losses, so she is sent to participate in various ball sports when she is young.
It is precisely in this way that as soon as he entered the softball summer camp, Liu Liebing, the head coach of the Wuxi baseball and softball team, "stared" at this child with outstanding sense of ball. In the short training time, she could immediately understand what the coach taught, which greatly increased the interest of Xi Kailin, who was reluctant to play.
Liu Liebing was even more dazzled, if he won the treasure, he could not wait to contact Xi Mother, sincerely invited Xi Kailin to enter the sports school softball team for more professional training.
"This child has a good sense of ball, the key brain is still smart, and he is a good seedling to play!" "Don't worry, baseball and softball are a sport that can be played thin, it's a game for smart people, and it's actually the best game for us Asians."
Under Liu Liebing's constant lobbying, Xi Mu finally relaxed.
13-year-old Xi Kailin embarked on a softball journey.
Xi Kailin, who is recognized as a talented person, won a big test that affected the students as soon as she entered the softball team - there was no talent for throwing.
In the pitching training of the team, Xi Kailin could not find the feeling. If you don't have a chance to pitch, where to go?
"Take over."
As soon as Liu Liebing said this, the coach next to him looked at the strong receiver in the team and began to "pray" for the bamboo pole-like little girl in front of him.
Kneeling, catching the ball, kneeling, catching the ball... One by one, the balls hit the breast guard, the leg guard was already covered with dust, and sweat flowed down the cheeks and seeped into the face guard. Before you can sort it out, the next ball is already in front of you. This repetition is Xi Kailin's training routine, and she spends more time wearing protective gear than wearing civilian clothes. "Although it is a bit difficult physically, I have always been very confident in my skills!"
Taking over requires a long-term squatting position, and in the day-to-day training, Xi Kailin's waist is always in a state of overload. Finally, during the training of the national team in 2017, a low back injury broke out, and she was urgently sent to Sichuan Orthopaedic Hospital for rehabilitation.
During her time in the hospital, she couldn't help but be anxious, the once clear road was now thick with fog, and the way her teammates sweated on the red soil made her envious.
"Can I keep playing?" Even if she is as strong as she is, she can't help but waver.
Even so, she insisted on completing the rehabilitation task given by the doctor. As the days went by, the waist injury finally improved after a month, and she saw hope again. Until now, she has also done rehabilitation training every day to maintain her condition.
13 years of softball road, there are bumps and questions. In response, Xi Kailin responded with the transcript of the national softball championship from 2011 to 2021.
Unlike other takeovers, in addition to her physique, there is also her personality.
For her own personality, Xi Kailin commented: "I am actually quite grumpy. Her grumpiness comes when her teammates are struggling and trying to back down.
But when the team was broken, she would still shout at her teammates on the field: "Come on! Will give pitchers a boost: "Come, smash into my gloves!" ”
"I'm more suited to a strong pitcher like Lan Wang." She laughed.
Xi Kailin was born in the summer and has a sunny and warm personality. Playing on the pitch is the same, and it is also true when playing the glory of the king, Xi Kailin likes to play the output position, galloping through the canyon: "I will never assist." ”
In order to temper temper, as early as the amateur team, she often met with friends on the baseball team to fish, and the fatigue and pressure during training were also relieved and released at this time.
This hobby remained with her after entering Nanjing University of Technology, and even when she competed in the American Professional Softball League as a Shougang Golden Eagle female softball player, she would fish with her assistant coach. The training ground in Florida is close to the sea, where she gains not only a new fishing experience, but also a new playing concept.
Between 2017 and 219, Chinese women's softball players competed in 139 professional softball games in the United States, and the game between them and the world's high-level athletes let Xi Kailin know what it was to be "hanged". The disparity in physique and strength made her almost lose confidence.
"We have a difference in the softball culture of the United States, the American players have played since childhood, the atmosphere is good, and the familiarity with softball makes them very confident when playing, just like ping-pong for China."
The style of play of the American softball players continues the consistent personal heroism style of the United States, and everyone carries the aura of "the first in the world". The exuberant desire of American athletes to perform is inseparable from their own culture.
Realizing this, Xi Kailin let go of her fear of failure and faced the gap in strength. Only by "daring to fight" without reservation will we move towards "victory."
"I believe that hard work will not fail me."
The Experience of the United States has allowed her to break through the level of blows, and at the 2021 National Women's Softball Championship, she won the home run award with 7 home runs.
Then in the 14th National Games, Xi Kailin carried the pressure to play a key hit for Jiangsu to equalize the score, which greatly increased the morale of the team and finally won the championship.
The Jiangsu team, which has dominated the 13th National Championship for 13 consecutive years, has received challenges from Liaoning, Shanghai and Sichuan in the Paige format of the National Games.
In the final on the last day, if you want to get the ticket to the championship and runner-up final, Jiangsu must first defeat the Waiting Shanghai team. In the previous group stage, Jiangsu carelessly lost Jingzhou and lost to Shanghai 0:2.
During the game, the players on both sides were under great pressure, and by the end of the fifth set, Shanghai still led 2:0, and the solemn atmosphere on the field lingered. After repeated defeats in the attack, Xi Kailin and her teammates could not hide the loss on their faces.
In the first half of the sixth inning, Chen Jia, who was also a national player, opened the Jiangsu team's attack with a second-baser, followed by a home run by captain Li Huan. When it was Xi Kailin's turn to play, one person was already out.
Bad ball, out-of-bounds ball, bad ball, good ball. At this time, Li Huan stole the second base with excellent foot range, and now only needs a hit, Li Huan has the opportunity to run back to home base.
Xi Kailin struck another out-of-bounds ball. The coach called a pause. After a little communication, she returned to the strike zone.
Raise the stick, remove the leg, and face the pitcher.
Xi Kailin had only one thought in her mind: "You must win." ”
The speeding ball collided with the stick, and the ball turned into a bright yellow spot of light that crossed the center of the field and landed near the wall of home runs.
"Hit!" With a loud roar of commentary, the audience boiled over.
Finally, the strength that Xi Kailin held in her heart was released, and the key second-base homer that equalized the score made her unable to hold back any longer, and raised her fist to her teammates on the base. Her fists were full of strength, as if declaring to the audience: "I will never accept defeat!" ”
In this match, Xi Kailin contributed four hits to help Jiangsu win 5:3 in the eighth set. At this time, the Jiangsu team was like a broken bamboo, unstoppable, in the afternoon championship and runner-up competition, quickly defeated the strong enemy Sichuan team 7:0, writing a legend of the three consecutive championships of the National Games.
The more hard-won victory than ever made the girls of the Jiangsu team happy, and they surrounded coach Song Qiuyuan, who was over the age of flower armor, and threw him high. "After following Song Zhi for more than ten years, in addition to technology, he taught me more to be a person." Speaking of this, Xi Kailin recalled herself who loved to play slippery when she first joined the team. Softball has allowed her to grow too much.
"When the team needs it, someone has to come forward." Recalling the mentality on the field, Xi Kailin said, "Sometimes playing softball is not just a competition of physical strength and ability, but more of a belief. When the pressure comes to my turn, I'm not afraid, I can't lose, I can play down! ”
In 2016, the International Olympic Committee voted for a proposal to add five new events to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, and baseball and softball returned to the Olympic stage after 12 years. At the Olympic Games, softball only had a women's team, and the softball girls rejoiced, and Xi Kailin was no exception.
However, in the 2019 Oceania Olympic Qualifying Tournament, the Chinese women's baseball lost to Tokyo.
"For Chinese softball, we don't have a professional softball league, and the Olympics are the highest level of competition. As an athlete, you can't play the Olympic Games. We have this ability, but softball is a team project, and many times for individuals, it is more than enough and not enough. Speaking of 19 years of defeat, Xi Kailin could not hide her loss, "19 years was the worst year of my softball career. ”
She sighed, "It's hard to be at peace. ”
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, baseball and softball were once again out. Xi Kailin put her expectations on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, but she did not dare to show too eagerness.
"In 2028, 33 years old." She was calculating whether she would be able to catch the train, which had not yet been sold.
"I don't know if I can play until then, but now I'm aiming for the Olympics."
At present, Xi Kailin and her women's base team teammates are preparing for the 2022 Asian Games. With the determination to grow up in the face of adversity and never give up, they are eager to find new breakthroughs.
interview
Note
Q: "If you hadn't gone down the path of softball, what do you think you would have done?" ”
A: "I didn't think about it. Maybe financially, because I was pretty good at math when I was a kid, haha. ”
Li Huan
Invited contributor of The Chinese Softball Association
This article is exclusively contributed to the Chinese Softball Association and may not be reproduced without authorization.
*Some of the pictures in this article are provided by Xi Kailin, and the video is contributed by Li Huan.
Source: Chinese Softball Association