Karina Connors

Karina, you started your baseball career in 2001. Run me through what baseball looked like for women in the early 2000’s?

“It looked like a notification that went out that said “are there any female players who want to play in this team we are trying to get together. We   are going away for a week over Easter.” [laughs] That’s what it looked  like.”

What are some highlights in those first 3 years before the shoulder reconstruction?

“A huge highlight for me was our first win at Nationals because we were  really just a bunch of people who were thrown together to play for fun. We were down 12 or 13 runs and we came back and won by 1 run in a  really tight game; it was pretty insane.  Another highlight was being up  against New South Wales and Victoria who, at the time, were the powerhouses of the country in baseball; they had women’s leagues behind them, whereas in Queensland we didn’t have that sort of stuff and we still competed well.”

You had your shoulder reconstruction in 2003 walk us through that time.

“I was pitching in an exhibition game in Brisbane. I was just sailing the ball in the dirt and half way up the backstop, something was wrong but I wasn’t in pain. I ended up seeing a shoulder specialist and found out I was dislocating my shoulder when I was throwing the ball due to unstable ligaments and tendons. I went in and had the surgery and they advised me that he wanted me to take 12 months off to stabilise both shoulders. I declined because I was about to go play college ball in America; I didn’t feel like it was the right thing to do. I was determined that there was going to be another way around it. [The surgeon] said I would probably never play baseball again and all they hoped for was that I was able to hang washing on the line; that was the expected outcome. I wasn’t going to give everything up at 19 years old. So I went away to the States for 5 months and I did my rehab over there. My shoulders never been exactly the same as it was before but considering the expected outcome was for me to be able hang up washing, I’m pretty happy! [laughs]”

As a professional athlete in a state of recovery what runs through your mind?

“I guess you’ve got to think about it, back in the early 2000’s when I did all of this I wasn’t a professional athlete, we didn’t have the strength and conditioning training that they have nowadays. In the last 10 years I’ve become more aware of what’s really needed and the information has filtered through about recovery; it’s become a process.”

You’ve represented Queensland and Australia how do you balance a pro athlete mindset with juggling family and the adversities that come up in the ‘real word’?

“Lots of scheduling! [laughs]  I was playing on the Queensland State Team in 2011 when I was 10 weeks pregnant with my daughter, Charlotte, I had made the Australian Squad for the World Cup to be played later that year, however, I pulled out and had her in the December. I returned to the Queensland Team in 2012 with a 16 week old baby. My husband and I agree that just because we have a family doesn’t mean that it should take away from what either of us wants to do. I’ve headed into retirement now because Charlotte is at an age where she is having other interests and we want to be there for her. I’ve done everything I possibly can and I’m ready to move on. It was a very hard decision to make but I’m at peace with it.”

How have you learnt to overcome adversities in such a competitive level of baseball?

“It’s hard to break through but once I got some perspective, after the World Cup in 2016, I came home and I really sat down and I looked at the tournament and my performance over there and how I viewed it all. I looked at previous players who had beat me to the team and realised that I was always up against one particular player for the 1^st base/DH role and when she retired it opened my opportunity to break through into that role. I can sit here and say that ‘I could have performed at that level’ but there was someone better than me, there was a World All Star 1^st baseman and DH on the Australian team; how do you overcome that and try and get your opportunity? I just stuck it out and hoped that one day something might change and it did!”

You’ve played women’s baseball for 17 years, what’s been the most exciting thing to see develop over that time and do you think more attention needs to fall on certain areas for it to progress to the next level?

“It’s certainly changed a lot. It has grown from 2-3 teams taking it seriously to now every team expecting to win and wanting to win. The work ethic of the girls has increased. We don’t want to overload the players with too many training sessions but it’s evident that no one has sat down with them and guided them through the specifics; we had older mentors helping us with that.”

What are your thoughts about young girls playing baseball now, being around the boys and competing against them in state competitions?

“The fact that these regions are so supportive of girls playing on the team is so great! The girls need to participate in the higher-level competitions to get better. I remember being younger in softball and being told I would never be a hitter; I developed my swing through baseball and I was Australia’s DH in the World Cup [laughs]. All you need is opportunity.”

What would you say to a girl that might be interested in baseball but fears playing a ‘boy’s sport’?

“Trust me, the boys will be as nervous having you there as what you are of being there! Most associations are very supportive of girls joining. In Cairns we have a lot of girls playing throughout our junior program. We also have our Cairns Angles team, which is a female only team that plays in our B-Grade men’s comp.”

What’s the next move for you after playing baseball for 17 years?

“Coaching. I’ve dabbled in it for a while and I’ve noticed that the more I learn about coaching the better it makes me as a player. I hope I can offer some insight and assistance as a coach to some of the up and coming players and even the older players who maybe just need someone new to say something differently than the last person, that makes that tough thing click. Coaching is where I want to go.”

What did it mean to you to put on the Queensland uniform for the last time?

“It meant a lot to me. Putting the uniform on for the last time while we were away was pretty emotional and having the guys tell me to lead them out onto the field was incredible. It was really special.”

Do you think that you’d ever be persuaded to put the uniform back on or are you officially retiring?

“The only way I would put a uniform back on is if my daughter decided she wanted to play, I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to play with her, that would be really special. But that’s a good 10 years away, so we’ll see if they’ll even take me then! [laughs]

What’s the next move for you after playing baseball for 17 years?

“Coaching. I’ve dabbled in it for a while and I’ve noticed that the more I learn about coaching the better it makes me as a player. I hope I can offer some insight and assistance as a coach to some of the up and coming players and even the older players who maybe just need someone new to say something differently than the last person, that makes that tough thing click. Coaching is where I want to go.”

What did it mean to you to put on the Australian uniform for the last time?

“It meant a lot to me. Putting the uniform on for the last time while we were away was pretty emotional and having the guys tell me to lead them out onto the field was incredible. It was really special.”

Do you think that you’d ever be persuaded to put the uniform back on or are you officially retiring?

“The only way I would put a uniform back on is if my daughter decided she wanted to play, I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to play with her, that would be really special. But that’s a good 10 years away, so we’ll see if they’ll even take me then! [laughs]

Baseball Queensland thanks Karina Connors for her professional insight into her impressive 17-year baseball career.