In My Own Words: Kaija Gibson
1/17/2020
I was eleven years old watching the Women’s College World Series in our kitchen with my family when Washington was playing Florida in the final game of the championship series. The game was super exciting and the girls were competing with so much heart and energy. Danielle Lawrie threw the final pitch and struck a Gator out for the third out and they all threw their gloves up in the air. The team dog-piled, jumped, and hugged each other as they accomplished their goal of winning the last pitch played in Oklahoma City to be National Champions. Meanwhile, I was crying happy tears in the kitchen because my favorite team in the whole world just officially became the best team in the nation.
I was eight years old when I attended my first University of Washington softball camp. I looked up to all of the players and wanted to be just like them when I grew up. I vividly remember being at a hitting camp in the Dempsey Indoor and Coach Tarr pulled me aside and asked, “Do you want to be a Husky someday?” That question forever changed my life. Ever since that moment, I did everything with purpose knowing that it would help me potentially play at the University of Washington. I went to camps, I did everyday drills in my garage, I lifted and kept reminding myself that every rep was making me better and stronger to help me reach my goal.
Eve Gaw is an alumni of Husky Softball and has been (and still is) one of the best mentors I have ever had in my life. Her life advice is gold and her genuine nature and honesty are things that I admire. I took pitching lessons from Eve after meeting her at Husky camps when she coached at the University of Washington. I remember pitching in the Dempsey and Eve yelled my name from the opposite side of the building, “YEAAHH KAIJAAA!” I loved that she remembered my name and was so supportive of my success.
Marnie Koziol was one of my favorite players growing up. She wore number two when she played at the UW. I wore one of her jerseys to every Husky camp even though it was WAY too big for me. One of the reasons why I decided to wear number 32 at Washington is because #3 was Eve’s number and #2 was Marnie’s number when they were Huskies. Every time I step onto the field I have the opportunity to honor both of those numbers while leaving a legacy of my own. 32 was also the last jersey left on my first select team so I have worn #32 for a very long time.
I played for a few organizations before getting to the University of Washington. I played for the Washington Ladyhawks for a couple of years when I committed to UW as a freshman in high school. I had the opportunity to play for the Sundodgers, coached by a former UW Softball alum, before playing for the Firecrackers in California coached by Tony Rico. I played for the Firecrackers for a couple of years, and in my final year of travel ball we won the National Championship. My softball journey has been extremely exciting and I am super grateful for the people I have met along the way.
Now I am currently a senior at the University of Washington and I am living my dream every single day as I have the opportunity to compete with a bunch of amazing people with the same common goal, while becoming the best version of myself. The amount of growth that I have experienced in softball, in relationships, and just life in general is incredible and I definitely have become a better version of myself throughout the past few years.
My freshman year, when we won the final game of Super Regionals, it was one of the most exciting moments that I have experienced in my career because nobody in that 2017 group had been to the Women’s College World Series. When we got to Oklahoma City and stepped onto the field, I remember having flashbacks from when I was eleven years old watching all of the girls that I looked up to. I started tearing up because I was on that field that my 11-year-old self was watching on TV. It is an amazing feeling to know that our team is in a position to inspire other 11-year-olds who are watching us play and to know that we might be making the life changing impact that the 2009 team made for me.
The past few years have been the best years of my life. Going to the WCWS for three years in a row feels like such an accomplishment, but we aren’t done. I cannot wait to keep competing for the rest of this year with this extremely talented group of people. I am so thankful for Coach Tarr and the rest of the coaching staff for giving me this opportunity to become the best version of myself while living my dream. I am so grateful for all of my teammates and the alumni who continue to pave the way for us to continue the traditions of the Husky Softball family. If any young aspiring collegiate softball players want to experience the best four years of their whole entire lives, then you know where to go… Go Dawgs.
