Experience is key in the sport of softball, and according to the University of Utah’s softball head coach Amy Hogue, it was senior Anissa Urtez’s experience with the Mexican National Softball Team that helped Urtez become a better player.
“For Anissa, she was getting pretty comfortable in herself and in her own game, and playing with the Mexican National Team put her out of her comfort zone,” Hogue said. “I think those are the types of opportunities players get to grow and she seemed to have really grown a lot from her experience.”
Over the summer, Urtez traveled to southern California and tried out in a two-day process in hopes of making the Mexican team. After having a few friends who were on the team before, Urtez thought it would have been interesting to do something other than taking the summer off. So Urtez decided to keep herself busy playing ball.
Urtez contacted her uncle, who happened to be one of the coaches for the Mexican team, and when she told him she was interested in playing, he encouraged her to try out.
“I was really nervous,” Urtez said. “But I just had to remind myself that it was the same game and I got through it.”
By the end of the two-day tryout, Urtez and five other girls were selected for the team and were given the schedule for the summer. With only two week-long tournaments in Oklahoma City and Vancouver, Urtez quickly realized how different it was going to be from Division 1 NCAA softball. While complications rose for Urtez, she was up for the challenge and enjoyed her time while she could.
“I only went to Oklahoma City with the team because I couldn’t get my passport to go to Vancouver for the next tournament,” Urtez said. “In Oklahoma City, it was actually a really cool and interesting tournament because I saw girls from all over the country playing, and girls from college teams that I recognized and played against during the season.”
Urtez also had to experience playing against one of her own teammates from Utah. Senior Hannah Flippen was playing for the Unites States National Softball Team, and while it was fun to compete against Flippen, it was odd seeing her wear a different uniform.
Fortunately, seeing a friendly face on the field didn’t stop Urtez from making new friends with the girls on her own team, and nothing helped break the ice more than a 10-hour car ride with girls she didn’t know anything about.
“We kind of bonded over this drive because we spent so many hours together so I got to know them a little better,” Urtez said. “Just bonding with all of the girls, getting to know where they came from and what colleges they went to, and connecting with them created the friendships between each other.”
While her time with the Mexican team was limited, it made Urtez appreciate more of what she has at the University of Utah. Urtez explained that with the Mexican National Team, they aren’t well funded as a program, at least not yet.
“Having the facilities that we have here and being able to have the community that we have is something you don’t get everywhere you go,” Urtez said. “But I do think the whole experience was interesting and fun, and I’m excited to see if I can do it again this year.”
While Hogue said the fundamentals of Urtez’s game may not have physically changed, it’s her demeanor that came back different.
“I think she had some ups and downs in her play,” Hogue said. “It humbled her a little bit at times, which our games can do sometimes. I think it was a positive experience for her overall.”
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