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Betsy and I have spent a lot of time together today, and it's been wonderful.

I've been able to hear about the tour from her point of view. I've heard about all the girls, the ones she was closest to, how much they laughed, how many times they watched Mean Girls, how her roomate got sick but wouldn't go to the coaches despite Betsy begging her to in case she got benched. These girls are hardcore! They would rather throw up in secret and soldier on than miss a game. I also heard all about the three-times-a-day-agonisingly-painful massages Betsy had to have on her thigh injury.

I heard about how hard they trained, how much they loved to play, how they never cared if they won or lost, only caring about getting on the field and playing ball. I heard about the friendships they made with the other teams, the coaches, the food (terrible), the injuries (plentiful) and the songs they sang (loud), and the games they played to keep them amused during the downtime.

I heard too, about how Betsy and the other Catcher, Caitlin, had special coaching on how to manage their adrenaline; they learned about the rush of playing such a key and draining position, and the crash that follows when the game ends and they were emotionally and physically drained. (I wish I had known this myself as I often worried about how terrible she looked after a game. Apparently it was quite usual for both Caitlin and Betsy to burst into tears when they came off, but of course I only noticed Betsy crying!).

The days after the last two tournaments have seen Betsy very emotional, sad and rather down. I don't think it will be like that this time; she seems much more sorted. I think it's a combination of her being older and more able to cope with the ups and downs, but also because I think she feels she has left nothing on the table. She played the best she ever has, she learned the most, she had the most fun, she made the best friends and perhaps just feels she can't ask for anything more.