Local star ready to shine on national stage

SHE has been a star of the Mount Gambier Softball League since relocating from Adelaide and has a mainstay of keeping the local competition viable and successful and now Leyna Bruggemann is taking her skills to the national stage as part of the Over 35 South Australian team heading to the national championships ion Blacktown from July 8-13.

No stranger to State duties, Bruggemann represented South Australia in the Under 19 competition from 199-2001 and was a regular member of the Open Women’s team at the Gilleys Shield.

During her softball career Leyna has been fortunate enough to be coached by some of South Australia’s best softball coaches including Linda Martin, James Fuller and Tracey Davies.

“Linda Martin, along with David Gooley, have been the most instrumental coaches I have been lucky enough to have in my career” Bruggemann said.

The Over 35 Nationals Tournament is a relatively new competition, but she wouldn’t have considered putting her name down for selection had she not been nudged from longtime friend and former teammate Jade Peterson, a past permit player for Mount Gambier.

Bruggemann said it was a privilege to represent SA and highlighted the numerous lifelong friendships she has made by playing and being involved with the Softball SA State Teams and in the Adelaide competition.

“Ï was chuffed and relieved when I found out I had been selected,” Bruggemann said. “Ï then had to get into planning mode for getting to trainings in Adelaide for a tournament, potentially against former Olympians”.

Bruggemann has been front and centre within the Mount Gambier Softball League since moving from Adelaide, being a multi-premiership playing coach with Warriors Softball Club as well as playing and coaching multiple Mount Gambier representative teams.

She also has an overflowing trophy cabinet with individual accolades at both club and league level.

Bruggemann also rolls up her sleeves as an umpire, scorer and maintaining the softball facilities.

Recently awarded life membership at her beloved Warriors Softball Club, Bruggemann described the difference in living in the country compared to preparing for a national campaign living in the city.

“I definitely have got more of an understanding of the difficulty for people coming from outside of Adelaide to West Beach to train regularly and be a part of such teams,” she said. “The facilities at West Beach were obviously more easily available when I was living in Adelaide. We also had hitting tunnels available where we trained at a club level at Happy Valley.

“However the approach to the game remains the same in terms of preparation for a tournament which is putting in the hitting work with repetition of good swings off the tee and live hitting as well as fielding hard hit and short game plays within the position I am told to play in and making consistently accurate throws to each base under pressure.

“The main difference for me is at club trainings here for Warriors and in preparation for Mount Gambier team, I’m doing more coaching than training”.

The six day national tournament will take place at the Sydney 2000 Olympics Venue and will feature Australia’s best softballers in the Over 35 age category.

Bruggemann mentioned the importance of preparation and recovery during the carnival.

“I was training three times per week and then more recently increased my throwing to every second day,” she said. “As an old timer, recovery and looking after myself after and in between training is key to managing longstanding knee pain.”

Warriors teammates and good friends Mel Chuck and Sarah Polderman have been integral in helping her with training and preparation.

She has also been travelling to Adelaide every fortnight to join the team for trainings on Sundays and has joined her team mates this week ahead of the nationals for last minute preparation.

Taking on the might of New South Wales looms as a highlight for Bruggemann and she certainly has some clear goals for the six day event.

“Having fun playing softball at the highest level I can for the team,” she said. “Ï just want to help the team win by putting the ball in play, especially with runners in scoring position, and being strike out and error free”.

Mount Gambier Softball League president Kezia Feast said the league was proud to have Bruggemann involved in the State Team.

“We’re incredibly proud of our very own Leyna Bruggemann for being selected to represent South Australia in the Over 35 Softball State Team,” Kezia said. “Leyna is a vital part of the Mount Gambier Softball League, and it’s fantastic to see a regional player stepping up to the state level. We wish her the very best of luck—no doubt the entire Mount Gambier softball community will be cheering her on!”