In Italy it is a discipline that struggles to find space, even if the current one is a generation of gold. Which now aims at the Los Angeles games of 2028. “That will be the window to show us to everyone, our opportunity” explains Giulia Longhi, captain of the blue national team who defends the European title in Prague
There is a song that never fails in the playlist that the girls of the Italian Softball national team listen to, and sing, on the bus that brings them daily on the diamonds of Prague, where the European championship is held until Saturday, and is “Never enough“By Loren Allred. Now, it is a love song, but the title seems to be particularly suitable also for the blue that, of the European Championship, are outgoing champions and, also this time, will end up closing, in all likelihood, among the top four of the continent.
“Never enough“, Because the victories never seem to be enough for the Italy of Softball; the current one is a generation of gold, and if the FIBS, the Italian Softball Baseball Federation, can be defined as the most titled in Europe in team sports, mainly owes it to the international palmares of this discipline which, however, in Italy, struggles to carve out spaces.
Win helps
“Unfortunately, softball is little known – says Giulia Longhi, head of the national team tomorrow – but I must say that, compared to many years ago, in my opinion the situation is improving, in general as well as for all female sport, which is having a little more voice in the chapter. When the results arrive, you also notice women, and it is a great success. Then it is obvious that for us it is still more difficult, but in this sense we must continue to win everything we can ».
Respect, for example, to the visibility of the female volleyball, in these truly extraordinary years at the level of results, but which can also count on a historically flourishing basic movement, the softball has then had to try to carve out spaces by winning. He did it at the Europeans in 2024, he points to the bis now and, at the club level, a few weeks ago he saw Bollate – where Longhi plays – raise the Premier Cup to the sky, the Cup of Softball Champions in short, and Saronno the Cup Cup.
But the experiences beyond Ocean have also served, where softball is religion, to ensure that the blue became a point of reference in Europe, despite everything. So in Prague, in the national team, there is today a group that has found itself after very different experiences: in addition to the best players of the Italian A1, from Cecchetti to Bigton, from Caciamanani to Sheldon and Gasparotto, there are also several girls who live their daily lives abroad.
Like Erika Piancastelli, the most famous of the group, Modenese by birth that is divided between the United States and Japan, or as Isabella Dayton and McKenzie Barbara who play in America and also have experience in the Italian championship.
Longhi herself, in February and March, also played in the Mexican Liga: «It was the second edition of the tournament, born from the franchises of the Mexican de Beisbol Liga, and it was a great success: enthusiasm, full stages and nice game. The road is the right one, and so also that of the new American League in which a couple of national girls took part. Visibility is obtained when everything increases the show, and that’s exactly what our sport needs ».
The bonus to be exploited
However, in the case of Italian softball, there is a bonus to be exploited. The goal is that of 2028, when the sport returns to the Olympic program. Longhi and companions have already played the games in Tokyo («A searched and desired Olympics, but who flew fast.
A few months earlier we had cried the disappearance of our Head Coach, Enrico Obleter, and had been a big blow to us, on a psychological level “) and aim to go back to Los Angeles:” That will be the window to show us to everyone, our opportunity to show the country a bit what softball is. For us, that qualification will be very important. Our group has grown since then, it has a greater experience and, even if it gathers a few times, considering that the players are around the world, it is preparing for individual level to always be the best when it has to find themselves. There is a great chemistry, and for me it is fundamental: we are a team that has been working for many years and that above all has the same goals. Then, of course, there is much more need, but this counts a lot ».
Perhaps even more than playing in the same tournament and finding yourself in blue more often.
© RESERVED REPRODUCTION
