SALLING Jenn

General
ALL IN FOR TOKYO
After leaving the National Pro Fastpitch league to focus on playing for Canada in 2015, she began a master's degree in education and coaching at the University of Washington [UW], which led her to question her desire to continue playing. "Ever since 2015, I had been going back and forth in my mind about retiring and moving on to the next chapter of my life. I became a member of the UW softball staff as a graduate assistant manager. The NCAA coaching was on my mind. I wanted to be a collegiate softball coach, so I was trying to figure out if I should continue to play or become a college coach. My training took a major hit. Graduating with a master's, and being a staff member to the UW softball programme both came first. The summer after graduating was rough. Our team struggled, and at the end of the season our head coach sent me a very honest and direct email regarding my performance. The message read, 'J Sal, if you want to make a run at this [2020 Olympic Games], it's time to make some changes'. He was absolutely right. I had a decision to make. If I were to continue to play, I was all in for 2020. If not, it wasn't worth the investment, I would hang up my cleats for good. At the age of 29, it was an all-or-nothing decision. I had my master's in education and it was perfect timing to be 100% invested in myself, our team and making a run at another Olympics." (cbc.ca, 29 May 2019; inthecircle.wordpress.com, 27 Jan 2017)

BEIJING 2008 VETERAN
She played for Canada at the 2008 Olympic Games In Beijing, the last time softball was part of the Olympic programme. She had mixed emotions regarding softball's return for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo before being dropped again for the 2024 Games in Paris. "I remember feeling such mixed emotions, happiness, disappointment, shock, relief. I wish I felt pure joy right off the bat, but there was more anger and resentment inside me than anything else. I guess I was not over the fact many young women's dreams were still being crushed. We were back in the 2020 Olympics for the first time in twelve years, but Paris had already declared softball will be off the roster again in 2024. Decisions about Olympic inclusion and exclusion have such significant impact on so many lives. So, yes, I am happily on my 2020 journey at the moment, but I am also experiencing emotions that are all too familiar from the disheartening moment when softball was removed after Beijing 2008." (cbc.ca, 29 May 2019)

CLUB CAREER
She was the third overall pick in the 2011 NPF Draft by the USSSA Pride, and played in the NPF for the next three years. "In 2011 and 2012 I guess I could have been considered a part-time member of the [Canadian] national team, as I juggled playing for both NPF and Team Canada. In 2013 and 2014 I decided to play solely in the NPF. After three years with the Pride, I was traded to the Pennsylvania Rebellion for the 2014 season. In 2013, I had noticed that my love for competing was slowly fading [so] in the autumn of 2014, I left the NPF entirely and reached out to national team head coach, Mark Smith. He was open to inviting me back to the [Canadian national team] selection camp in January of 2015." She returned to the NPF in 2019 as part of the Canadian Wild [national team] roster. (cbc.ca, 29 May 2019)