It all comes one week after Vice President Kamala Harris unexpectedly visited during practice.
ST PAUL, Minn — Snow is covering the Central High School softball field, and the season doesn’t begin until April 10. But excitement is already in the air.
“I can’t even imagine like that this would happen to us,” said Anna Kroetsch, a pitcher and one of four team captains.
It all started Thursday last week at the Jimmy Lee Recreation Center across the street from school. The varsity team was warming up for practice when an unexpected visitor arrived.
“We got in, there was secret service checking our bags, patting us down,” first baseman and fellow captain Regina Williams said. “Our coach was like, ‘Okay get right into exercise,’ and everything. So it was like, ‘What is happening? All these people in the gym?'”
“And then it’s kind of like everyone’s looking at each other like, ‘Wait, that’s Kamala Harris,'” added another captain, Evie Daly, who plays center field.
The nation’s vice president stood just feet away.
“Complete surprise,” Kroetsch said. “I was just like, ‘No way.'”
“She just kind of told us about like how important young women in sports are,” Daly said. “She said, ‘You can always be the first but don’t be the last.’ Like that’s something that her mom told her about being the first female vice president.”
It seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
“Yeah but really, the White House had called us asking us to come see Kamala Harris again and the reaction was even bigger,” Kroetsch said.
The four team captains are invited to represent the team at Harris’ Women’s History Month reception at the White House this coming Wednesday, March 27.
“We’re thinking pantsuits,” Daly said.
Considering the student-athletes would need to pay for their last-minute flights to D.C., the Central High School Parent Advisory Council launched a GoFundMe account. They met their initial $15,000 funding goal in less than a day.
“It’s amazing how much the community has supported us,” Daly said.
“The principal pulled me over … She was like, ‘Oh my goodness, I just found out the fire department is going to donate $5,000 to us,'” Williams added.
New money kept coming in until around 6 p.m. Friday when organizers disabled donations at $17,790.
“We really want to be smart with what we’re doing, not waste any moments,” Kroetsch said. “I mean, this is me and Regina’s first time in D.C. so, you know, we want to see some of the classic places but also just spend time together as captains, and I think that’s going to be helpful in the season.”
The girls say they want to spend any extra money on giving back to the community.
“We’re just so beyond thankful,” Kroetsch said.
Activities Director Alicia Ekegren and assistant activities director Haley McFarlane, who coaches the team, will travel with the captains.
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