Clan senior softball player sits down with The Peak
By Clay J. Gray
Photos by Mark Burnham
If you walk out past Terry Fox field on any given day during the spring you are likely to find Trisha Bouchard, along with the rest of the softball team, perfecting their craft. Wearing number 17, the same number as her cousin and SFU alumni Erin Mclean, Bouchard has dominated center field for the last five years.
Even though softball is not that popular of a sport in her hometown Montreal, Quebec, Trisha started playing softball at the young age of five. However it was not until Trisha entered high school that softball became more than after-school time filler.
Becoming laser-focused at age 13 is no small feat on its own, but for this success Trisha points towards her parents. With an engineer for a mother and a police officer for a father, it’s safe to say Bouchard had a structured and highly motivated upbringing.
Trisha had an easy time selecting SFU, since she already had family ties to the Clan and an even easier time deciding to be a business major. However, when Bouchard redshirted in her sophomore year, she found herself adding an unexpected fifth year to her university career.
As a result, Trisha changed her degree option to a joint major between business and communications. Bouchard said, “I had two separate internships where someone advised me to add communications as an area of study.”
Of course her favourite course still comes from her original faculty: Business Ethics with Todd Green. When talking about what made the class so enjoyable, Bouchard indicated that it was the small class size that enabled her to interact more meaningfully with her fellow students.
Trisha said, “It is where I met most of my friends from business. In this class we had all got to know each other and spoke on a daily basis. It definitely broadened my world in terms of business.”
Yet, the demands of softball and a joint major weren’t enough to occupy Bouchard’s time, so she got involved with the Student Athlete Advisor y Committee (SAAC). Then, as she got further into her university career, she took the position of president within the SAAC.
These demands and responsibilities didn’t dissuade Bouchard, as anyone familiar with Clan athletics is aware of the demands placed on the softball team. Head coach Mike Renney has high expectations for his players both on and off the field.
These expectations are welcome for Bouchard, because she expects a lot from herself as well. “Our softball program is demanding,” said Bouchard. “I remember in my freshman year being blown away by the workload.”
But now that she is in her fifth year, putting out that effort has become second nature. She later added, “When I leave this program, I know I can handle anything anybody throws at me.”
The Bouchards also make double use of Trisha’s softball trip by using it as a sort of family vacation. This is because the Clan is usually the team is able to squeeze in one trip out of the year that is a bit more hospitable than the rest of their rigorous schedule; travelling to locations like Cuba, Hawaii, or Vegas.
Often some of the team members’ families will join them on the trip, something Trisha’s family tries to do each year. “It’s always nice to have my family on those trips. I usually only see them between semesters.”
