Lehigh University Athletics
Wieder's not finished
7/18/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball
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Of the Morning Call
The sport of softball has taken Mary Wieder a lot of places over the past decade.
In 2000, it took her to Shippensburg, where as a sophomore, Wieder helped Emmaus High win a state championship.
It took her to
But Wieder never expected the sport to take her as far as
Yet, that's where the four-time all-Patriot League catcher has spent her spring and summer, playing for the Bussolengo club team near
Her father, Tom, said he had a few tears in his eyes in May of 2006 when Lehigh was eliminated from the NCAA regionals after posting two upset wins over nationally-ranked Texas A&M.
''I thought that was the end of her career,'' he said. ''I thought I saw her last game and it hits you emotionally as a parent because you spend all of those years following your daughter's career, and then, suddenly, it's over. But it turns out that it wasn't over for Mary. She's over there in
In recent years, several local players, including former
But few have had the extended stay overseas that Wieder has had.
''For me, it has been a wonderful experience,'' she said via e-mail. ''I enjoy traveling and being able to experience other cultures. Living in
In fact, just last weekend, Wieder toured
''In some of my spare time, I have helped coach in the Italian little leagues in my community which has also been a great experience,'' she said. ''They are trying to build up the children's leagues here to make baseball and softball more popular sports.''
Wieder, the only American on her team since each is allowed just one foreigner, is popular in Bussolengo.
''My team was very eager to have an American play with them and I have been received very well,'' she said. ''The other players are interested in what softball is like in the U.S.''
Wieder has caught every inning of every game and is among the offensive leaders in the Italian League with a .410 average, five doubles, six triples and 17 RBIs in 20 games.
''I have been batting clean-up and having some success at the plate,'' Wieder said. ''My catching is going well, too, but it took time to step up and be vocal as a catcher because of walking on to a new team and the obvious language differences.
''But everything eventually fell into place. The club is relatively new and competing with teams that have been around for years, so we are in the .500 range [9-11] for winning percentage.''
Wieder, who graduated with a degree in marketing, was a sales manager for Fragrance Manufacturing near
''There is a man who works for the European Softball Federation who helps place foreign players on European teams,'' she said. ''The team I am playing on now was in need of a catcher. They contacted [Lehigh coach] Fran Troyan and he put me in contact with the Bussolengo manager. We spoke through phone and e-mail about the team and living in
For Wieder, it was an opportunity to continue to play the game she loves, but also a chance to grow as a person and experience what other cultures have to offer.
While the players and coaches may speak a different language, Wieder has learned to overcome the communication gap and found common ground.
''The language barrier is what makes it fun and interesting,'' she said. ''Actually, my three coaches are from
Wieder said she wishes Italian softball was more competitive, but she understands it's a different way of life.
''Sports aren't a way of life for the majority of Italians like it is for many Americans,'' she said.
Although she has been asked by her coach to return to play next year, Wieder said that's not in the plans -- at least not at the moment.
''I looked at this as a once-in-a-lifetime to play overseas and it has been everything I wanted,'' she said.
This story originally appeared in the Wednesday, July 18, 2007 edition of The Morning Call. Used with permission.
