SV Media gets to know the Purple Haze’s Izzy Zaharias in this edition of Pocket Profiles.

Name:

Izzy Zaharias

Position in the Peta Edebone Cup?
Short stop

What excites you about playing for Purple Haze this season?

It’s exciting to be part of a new team (Purple Haze) as I was previously with Black Storm. Playing with new teammates will get me out of my comfort zone and challenge my ability to adapt.

What is your advice to aspiring softballers? 

Play for the name on the front of your jersey, not the name on your back.

My favourite thing about softball is… ?

That feeling you get when you execute something perfectly. Whether it be a routine play to first base, or crushing an outside pitch to right field, there is no better feeling when your execution is on point and things just fall into place.

Outside of softball I enjoy… ?

Crime documentaries, yoga and walking my dog.

Favourite holiday destination?

Thailand

What music do you listen to before a game?

Anything with a good beat really; Benee, Lime Cordiale, Fisher, Sofi Tukker.

My most memorable softball moment is?

There’s too many to count over the years… but an all-time favourite was when we beat QLD in one of the most intense tie-breaker Semi-Final’s at the 2014 U17 National Championships. I remember the last out of the 8^th inning so clearly, as if it happened yesterday, and get goosebumps just thinking about it.

Favourite post-game treat?

Surely the Waverley potato cake is everybody’s favourite?

The biggest influence on my softball journey is?

The person who introduced me to softball in the first place – my Mum. She was and always will be my biggest supporter and toughest critic. Without my Mum I wouldn’t have stepped on the diamond as a little four-year-old and wouldn’t still be playing, coaching and loving the sport today.

What’s most exciting about playing Peta Edebone Cup softball?

It’s an opportunity for us to band together and create an environment where we can better each other. It also provides a competition that younger softballers can learn from and aspire to play in one day, deepening Victoria’s talent pool.