Cap tip Dave Blackburn
Nick Shailes is one of the best men’s softballers in the world but for him to stay at the top involves sacrifices.
The 26-year-old Easts Redbirds second baseman has just returned from the International Softball Congress series in the United States where his Jarvis Travellers team won the championship for the second year in a row.
It is about as high an honour as you can achieve as a men’s softballer apart from representing your country, which is something Shailes did with distinction in 2009 when he helped Australia win the World Cup in Canada.
But Shailes is battling hard to continue fulfilling his dream.
“I’m travelling overseas a lot and playing softball so to always have to come back and look for a new job makes things hard,” he said.
“But this is what I want to do – I want to keep being right up there among the best softballers in the world.
“It’s great to travel overseas and compare your talent against some of the best players in the world and not just on a local scale.
“You don’t do it for the money, you do it for the love.”
Shailes’ Jarvis Travellers team – a joint venture comprising Ontario and Nebraskan teams, won a thrilling final 5-4 over Chicago/New York in the eight-week tournament. Shailes, who played third base in the US, was judged the most valuable player at the tournament last year.
He was again among the best this year, being named in the World All Stars team for the fifth year straight. Click here to continue reading.