As a youngster, she remembers “throwing a ball against a wall every day and fielding it. Then I started to pick a particular brick and if I didn’t hit it three or four times in a row, I’d stay there until I did.”
If there is a GOAT of softball in South Australia, Linda Martin is widely considered as that.
Some might say her destiny was already set, growing up as she did in a softball/baseball family.
But nothing of great quality in sport is ever handed to anyone. Linda Martin had to make it happen.
“I remember out the back throwing a ball against a wall every day and fielding it. Then I started to pick a particular brick and if I didn’t hit it three or four times in a row, I’d stay there until I did,” she says.
“At home Dad taught me to slide into base. We’d polish up the lino tiles and I’d slide down the passageway and out the back door.”
From the start, blessed with a practised eye, intuitive game knowledge, agile body and power hitting, progression was quick.
A summary of Linda Martin’s career now looks like this:
Linda Martin was a part of the SA team that won the 1984 Australian U19 championships under coach Julie Dale on a day that was pouring with rain.
SA won thanks largely to astute strategising from the coach, outstanding pitching from Tracey Thomson, and the confidence that comes from having a Linda Martin on your team.
The career highlight of course was the 1986 World Championship in NZ, though a knee injury just weeks prior to leaving restricted her in some ways.
Walkerville’s dominance in SA Softball is legendary. But in Linda Martin’s time, there were also five consecutive grand final losses. However, that phase was also followed by 11 premierships from 13 grand finals.
For good reason, Linda Martin is a member of the Softball SA Hall of Fame.
