Q&A: Brie Galicinao – Softball

Sophomore Brie Galicinao is a pitcher/first baseman for the softball team. She recently sat down with senior writer Paul Esposito.

Prince: Why did you play softball, as opposed to any other sport?

Galicinao: It wasn't actually my first sport. My first sport was actually bowling [she giggles]. I bowled for many years and I was pretty good at it. But I guess I started playing softball because I saw my cousin playing and it looked like fun. Cool uniforms, too. [The reason why I continued to play softball] had a lot to do with the girls that I started playing with when I was nine. I played with the same group of girls from the time I was nine until the time we all went off to college. We just developed a real closeness that made the game a lot of fun throughout high school. Also, just to watch my cousin get into a good college by working hard and using her softball skills was really a motivation that inspired me to keep on playing.

P: Have you ever bowled a 300?

G: No, but my father has. So I can wear his ring if I want to show off.

P: The softball team constantly cheers throughout the game, pretty loudly even while the opposing pitcher is pitching. Isn't that rude?

G: Not at all. It gets us pumped up. And sometimes, it's just fun to be silly and make up cool sounding cheers. Cheers just make the game more fun and lively and it unites the team together. One of the distinct things I remember about 10-and-under Nationals was walking onto the field being decked out in our team uniforms with our 10-and-under team banner and the opening ceremonies just turned into a cheering war, all these little girls just cheering at each other. I have seen it on video since then and it looks pretty ridiculous but I thought it was the best thing ever back then.

P: Do you girls make up your own softball cheers every year or do you just do the same ones year after year?

G: I think we all try to bring in our own little cheers. They actually call all my cheers "ghetto" cheers. I have no idea why but I guess it is because they have some sort of beat or rhythm to it. Everyone's wondering if the cheers next year will have flashy dance moves and stomping on the ground.

P: Do you have a favorite sports movie?

G: That's a hard one. No, not in particular, I enjoy all those types of sports movies. We just watched Major League on the way to Dartmouth this past weekend and I forgot how funny that movie was. It was actually much funnier this time around because you remember Rick Vaughn had problems with hitting people. That has been a problem of mine this semester [15 hit batters this season] so my teammates were joking with the coach that maybe I needed a fake dummy batter in the box so I could practice.

P: If you could change anything about softball or the rules, what would it be?

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G: I was thinking it would be better if the runners were allowed to lead, but that wouldn't really work with me as a pitcher. That would just be too distracting. I guess I really wouldn't change anything. Yet, I thought when they changed to a yellow ball that it was kind of strange.

P: Why did they make that change?

G: I think to make it more of an offensive game.

P: A yellow ball makes it more offensive?

G: Apparently, it makes the ball easier to see. I don't really know, I can't even tell the difference, no matter how much light there is.

P: What makes the team you have at Princeton special, more so than your high school teams?

G: I think our team is just full of characters, funny people that you enjoy being around. We all complement each other very well because we each have a distinct personality.

P: What is your role?

G: I think most of the girls think I am the goofy one because I always say such random stuff. But I think we are all goofy and I don't like to think I am the only goofy one. But I make sort of random, funny comments in order to make everyone relaxed when we are together in the circle. You need to be relaxed and have fun with this game or else you probably will not do well.

P: Have you ever considered not playing softball here?

G: Never. I just have too much fun playing the game and since I can only play the game competitively with good competition for two more years, I don't want to take any time away from that. It's not like it's even close to the same thing as playing slow pitch softball when you get out of college, to play and compete with the best athletes across the nation. I've been looking forward to playing at this high college level ever since I was a kid and now, I'm finally here, doing what I love. It was just never an option that I let enter into my mind.