My name is Stephanie Pearce, and I am the longest serving player of the British Women’s softball team. I was first selected for the team in 2009, and have since competed in 5 European Championships, and have been selected to represent GB this summer for my 5th World Championships in Chiba, Japan.

ABOUT STEPHANIE
From 2009-2014, I played college softball in America for 2 years, at Vernon Junior College in Texas, and 3 years at the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut. My 3rd year I was the strength and conditioning, and catching coach of the team. Since 2014 I have played for 2 different clubs teams in the Netherlands in the golden and silver leagues. I was proud to be a part of my current club team Olympia Haarlem becoming Dutch Champions for the first time in history last season.

I have gained so much experience over the past 10 years playing with my national team and on these various other teams. Not only has my experience grown in skill set, but also mentally as a player and person, and really has shaped who I am today.

I am a personal trainer with a bachelor degree in Health Science and Nutrition. I am looking to improve the face of fitness in softball. Due to my own fitness experiences during my softball career, I have found that my increased levels of general fitness have been a major factor as to why I have had my most successful seasons.  Why?

As my general level of fitness was so high I was less focused on how tired my muscles were, and how fatigued I would usually be during practises and games, and instead I could focus more on my technique, and sustain longer during tough softball drills, and games meaning that my skill set and performance saw vast improvements.

Not only did my skill set see improvements, but I was also able to lift heavier after completing my program. I believe that too many softball athletes are placed in the weight room prematurely without a good level of general fitness causing lifts with bad/incorrect technique leading to injury.

This is something I have witnessed among my teammates and peers over the years and is something I strive to change. This is why I have put together a 6-week position-specific strength and conditioning softball program aimed to improve softball athletes overall fitness levels. Every position requires different elements of fitness to enhance performance, and so my program is separated into positions in order to help athletes improve the correct base level of fitness.

Being a catcher I can sustain through multiple games feeling explosive, strong, and agile. I can take the extra base without needing 10 minutes to recover. I can focus more on remaining mentally strong, and less on how tired or light headed I feel. I am overall a much stronger softball athlete and feel completely in control of my game. It feels amazing being generally fit, and strong, and I want to spread my passion for fitness, and the game we all love by helping others get to this point in their fitness also.

If you want to contact me for more information about my program then do not hesitate to head to my Re-define Your Softball Career Facebook page where you can message me or find my contact information.

-Stephanie Pearce, Helena Novotna-