This week we meet Kevin Haig, Captain for the Marlay Braves. for an insight into his life away from Softball. . .

Name / Nickname – Kevin/ never really had a nickname anything more inventive than “Haigy”

Position – Pitcher/outfield/general dogsbody.

When did you start playing softball? 1997 – for the then Irish Progressive team – left in 1999, started again for Terenure Angels in 2001, left in approx 2005, started again for Braves in 2008 – I have the attention span of a gnat...

Best Softball Memory / Moments – Loved Edinburgh last year – really relaxed tournament, & a lot of fun.

Most frustrating thing about softball? Making mistakes – I hate it when I miss an easy catch or fluff a hit – and then put myself under pressure – which makes it all the more likely that i’ll do it again!

Best player you've played with/against?  Mel impresses me every time I see her play – encyclopaedic knowledge of the game.

Favourite Blitz to play in? Edinburgh, without a doubt (and because its effectively a “home” event for me)

Best and Worst thing about being Captain? Best thing is I don’t get dropped when I make a balls of it – worst thing is the 15 minutes before people start to show for a game worrying whether or not I’ll have a team to field.

If you could change any one softball rule, what would it be? Opposition to the Braves must start with a one and one count!

What piece of advice would you give to Marlay’s newest members? Apart from “Don’t do it – its highly addictive and will consume your life!” Enjoy the game, go to as many practices as you can early on and ask questions of the more experienced players – even if you think it might be daft its highly likely that most of us newer players don’t know the answer!

If you didn’t play softball, what sport would you play? I play squash in the winter – and am challenging myself to learn to ride a horse in time for the St. Stevens day hunt in Ashford this year. Please ready the ambulances.

What do you get up to when you’re not playing/watching softball? Restore and drive old cars and/or drink too much.

If you were a cartoon character who would you be? Garfield – because I’m intrinsically lazy.

Tell us something we don't know about Kevin Haig? I climbed Mt. Kenya in runners and with socks for gloves, and canoed 400 miles down a crocodile infected river – in other words I’m quite stupid really.

Do you have any hidden talents that your team mates don’t know about? I play the guitar badly and am a crack shot with a rifle.

What brought you to Ireland? Work – lived in Leeds and worked as a management trainer – got a 3 week contract with the Irish Permanent in Dublin – at the end of which they offered me a full time job – seemed like a good idea at the time!
 
What is your Favourite...
Time of day? Bedtime
Food?  Mexican or Indian – too close to call
Place? Home near NMK, Co. Wicklow – incredibly peaceful..
Physical feature in a member of the opposite sex? Smile (at least that’s what i’m admitting to!)
Book? “Illusions” or perhaps “Boo hoo” – story of the collapse of Boo – learnt a lot about what not to do!
Movie? Apocalypse Now
Drink? A decent Red