One step too short

Whitby's Erin McLean sorry to see it's over

August 21, 2008

Erin McLean

And it's over.

Four years with a team, representing your country internationally, traveling the world, playing a sport you love...it all comes down to seven innings. I knew we couldn't extend our Olympics forever but when the final out came and went a part of me screamed "let's see if they'll play us again". Softball has always been fun for me. I don't think I would have played as long as I have if it wasn't. But to have it be over, is truly a sad time.

We came out hard against the Aussies and we knew we were in for a fight. I'd like to think they underestimated us. We showed them what we already knew, that we could hit the best pitching in the world and that we could make it very hard for them to put runs on the board. The lead was ours until the fourth inning and unfortunately we just didn't have enough to push a couple across when it really counted.

Over the past four years the Team Canada Softball program has come a long way. It started in Athens where the Canadian team beat Japan 1-0 in their final game of the 2004 Olympics. People's eyes were opened and we realized that we could be a contender the next time around. During this Olympic cycle we placed in the top three at three of four Canada Cup tournaments and we qualified for the Olympics with a 5th place finish at World Championships in 2006. We bettered that standing by beating the Japanese and the Aussies in the Australian Cup this year. We also came second to China in the China Cup this fall. We have a silver Pan American medal from 2007 and a gold medal from the World University Games held last August in Thailand. Twice we took home the Bronze medal from the US World Cup. This success prepared us for the challenges of the Olympic tournament. As much as this success has meant, I know that I speak for my entire team when I say that the podium we missed is the one that hurts the most.

Whitby's Erin McLean, #20 on the women's softball team, blogs about her experiences at the Olympics. Read the rest of this post.