This is the fourth of a series of stories about former Prof athletes and coaches and where they are now.
GLASSBORO, NJ – Kristina Brenner always had a love for softball. From the time she was six years old, she was always on a softball team. “I’ve always played it,” she recalls. “I like being a part of a team and the competitiveness of the sport. I like how you’re forced to play both offense and defense.”
When Brenner came to Rowan University, it was then a natural thing to sign up for the softball team. She started four years in center field and was a team captain her senior season. In 172 career games, Brenner had a .333 batting average with 159 hits in 478 at bats. She totaled 48 RBIs and scored 108 runs. She received New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) All-Conference honors all four years. Brenner was a National Fastpitch Coaches Association East All-Region first team selection in 2006 and a third team member in 2008. A Rowan Scholar-Athlete, she received NJAC All-Academic honorable mention.
At the University, Brenner was an elementary education major and she graduated in 2009. She is now a sixth through eighth grade math teacher in her hometown of Vineland, NJ.
Like many softball players in the South Jersey area, Brenner longed to be a Phillies Ballgirl. Last year, she had a chance to do so and she jumped at it. While watching the games, Brenner noticed an advertisement for instructions on applying to be a ball girl. She eagerly sought out the details and began creating her entry. “I made a two minute video of me speaking and explaining why I wanted to be a ball girl,” she recounts. “The last minute and a half included a picture slideshow of me playing softball at Rowan.”
Out of all the contestants, 100 were chosen for a try out at Citizen’s Bank Park. A mere 20 were asked to come back for a second interview. Then from the remaining applicants, only eight were chosen and Brenner was one of them. The new ball girls were then joined by eight from last season. They were chosen based on their outgoing personalities, friendliness and softball skills and experience. “Socializing with people is a large part of what we do,” Brenner shares.
The ball girls are very active, both on and off the field. In addition to attending games, they are required to participate in charity events. “On Martin Luther King Day, we worked with IKEA to help build a library in a South Philly school,” says Brenner. “We assembled chairs, tables and computers and helped put books on the shelves. We also recently participated in a bowling event to benefit breast cancer. Our job was to sell raffle tickets.”
Brenner says that her time at Rowan equipped her well for this exciting experience. “I’m very well prepared in softball skills after playing here and being a part of a team - the ball girls are essentially a team. We have to cooperate and be able to work together,” she shares. “We also did a lot of community events at Rowan that are similar to what I’m doing now.”
The excitement and thrill of being a local celebrity has also led to other opportunities. “I’ve been able to do things that I never would have otherwise had the chance to,” says Brenner. “Being on CW Philly is awesome, and I was able to go to the Channel 3 station and model coats on live television. We did it for a designer in the city.”
Brenner will continue with her teaching responsibilities and filling the many duties of her ball girl position. She will be with the Phillies until December and hopes to be asked back next year.
