After years of schooling and education, the date of graduation from college sends individuals in different directions. For some graduates it is heading off on exotic trips and vacations while others jump right into the work force, putting their education to use. For graduating senior Megan Oursler it is continuing to do what she loves--playing softball and combining it with a chance to see a new part of the world as she heads to Sweden to play softball during the summer of 2005.
“I am very excited to have the opportunity to travel over seas and to meet new people,” said Oursler. “I have never been outside the U.S., so seeing a whole new culture will be a great experience.”
Softball in Sweden is a minor sport with eight-teams divided into A and B Groups. While the season started in mid-May, Megan joined her team after graduation, playing for the Karlslund IF Eagles in the city of Örebro. Karlslund is in the three-team Group B division but will play teams from the five-team Group A division as well.
“The best part about this opportunity is that I get to keep playing softball,” said Oursler. “There is an overwhelming feeling you get when you realize that this is your last year playing softball, but knowing that I get to keep playing is a great feeling.”
Oursler, who is the first known Retriever softball player to play overseas, will not be the only Retriever heading to Sweden--Assistant Softball Coach Bill Gilbert is running clinics with various teams and programs, and is working with Oursler’s team for five or six days.
“Coach Gilbert is the one who really made the trip possible,” said Oursler. “He has helped me get everything together that would be needed to make the transfer. He has provided me with pictures, Web pages, and several notes on conversational Swedish so I can learn the language. He has been there to answer any questions about Europe and what I need to bring, or leave home. He will also be going over for a few weeks as a pitching coach, so I am relieved to know that there will be a familiar face there to help me get situated.”
Making the trip even more fulfilling, Oursler is also helping to coach a senior league and training beginners and youth. Her league plays through the end of August with playoffs in September, which gives her the opportunity to experience a different culture and put to good use her experiences as a student-athlete at UMBC.
“Megan is a class act in every sense of the way,” said UMBC Softball Head Coach Joe French. “She will represent UMBC in a very professional manner and we wish her the best of luck.”
