She believes she did just that despite the fact the Newfoundland and Labrador squad posted an 0-5 record against the best 16-year-old girls from coast to coast.
Brophy, a Pasadena native who will turn 16 on Sept. 26, picked up player-of-the-game honours on two occasions and also took home the Most Valuable Player award for her team in her second-straight appearance with Team NL on the national stage.
“For me it feels like my hard work has paid off. I worked so hard to get to this point and to go up there and be recognized for how I played feels great,” Brophy said Wednesday afternoon.
Team NL didn’t fare very well at last year’s tournament, unable to pick up a win and losing its round-robin affairs by the mercy rule, but this time around they managed to play a full seven innings against Prince Edward Island so the team looked at that result as a positive development for a bunch of girls who have only been playing the game for a handful of years.
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Brophy is realistic about expectations when it comes to playing the game off the island. She knows the other provinces play more games and have bigger populations to draw from when selecting its best for national competitions so she just looks at competing on the national stage as a great learning experience and a measuring stick as to where a player can take their game if they put in the work.
She admits it was easier to adjust to the high skill level in her second nationals, and she was amazed at the skillset of the other players and how well they worked together as a team.
It taught her a big lesson about not only baseball, but life in general, so she’s thankful for the opportunity to play the game at a higher level than what is available living on an island.
“No matter what the score is just don’t give up and keep fighting,” she said.
She’s been on the diamond for six years now and baseball is now the favourite sport of a talented girl who keeps herself active with volleyball and hockey during the cold winter months.
Seeing more girls catching the baseball bug is her wish because the game has grown by leaps and bounds in a few years and she feels there’s room for everyone.
“Show the guys we can do this just like you can,” she said.
