- November 25, 2024
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They say things get better with time. And for Doreen Chase, that statement couldn't be more accurate.
Chase, a 49-year-old Palm Coast resident, leaves next week for Italy, where she will compete in the 2013 World Masters Games, going for a gold medal in fast-pitch softball.
This will be Chase’s third World Masters Games, which take place every four years and feature most of the games played in the Olympics. In her previous two games, Chase won bronze medals both times.
Chase is the only Floridian on her team, which features players from the United States, Canada and Australia. They will play against teams from all over the world in group play, which then leads to single-elimination format.
Four years ago, in Australia, her team lost in the semifinals to finish third.
Chase, who turns 50 in December, is unsure if this is her final go at the gold.
“This might be my last one,” she said. “Four years is a long time. If I’m physically able to play (four years from now) — which I hope to be — then I will go to another one.”
The 2017 World Masters Games are scheduled to take place in New Zealand, a place Chase has wanted to visit.
Players ages 35 and older qualify to play in the World Masters Games, but that doesn’t mean it’s a slow-paced game, with players simply going through the motions.
Chase primarily plays shortstop for her world team, but locally, she’s a do-it-all kind of player in the recreational Flagler County softball leagues.
During the summer months, Chase’s athleticism and speed stand out far and above much of the talent playing at the Flagler County Fairgrounds — even if she is double most players’ ages.
“You can steal bases, and we have to wear helmets,” Chase said of the World Masters Games, which is much different from the laidback atmosphere during coed season in Flagler County. “It’s very fast-paced at these games.”
Playing local softball is much different than playing at one of the most competitive levels in the world, Chase said. But there are still benefits.
She primarily plays outfield during coed, but her range in the hole at shortstop and ability to turn double plays makes her one of the most reliable infielders around.
It all started at 6 years old, when she began playing T-ball. Chase continued to play in middle school and high school, before playing at Palm Beach Junior College. She just continued to play after college.
“I pretty much never stopped playing,” she said. “Even when I had my daughter, I was a single mom, and so I would put her in the stroller and roll her into the dugout.”
Chase leaves for Italy on July 31. The World Masters Games is an international multisport event. It is governed by the International Masters Games Association, and the event is open to sports people of all abilities and most ages — with the minimum age being between 25 and 35, depending on the sport. Many past Olympians compete in the World Masters Games.
Chase said she has already began to work on getting ready for the faster game by working on her hitting timing.
“It’s a big difference getting your timing down going from slow to fast,” she said. “It’ll take a couple of days, but we will have time before the competition.”
Chase’s passion for softball is what keeps her going, she said. But traveling the world is a perk, too.
“It’s exciting, because you meet people from all over,” she said.
Perhaps the third time will be the charm — rather, the gold — for Chase.
