Athlete of the Week: 10 questions with Mackenzie Barry, Loyola Academy softball

Mackenzie Barry is a senior pitcher for the Ramblers. She will continue playing softball for Northern Illinois University next season.

1. Do you have any rituals or superstitions when you play?

One of the things I have always done i put a batting glove on my left hand under my glove. I’ve done that since I started playing softball. I don’t really have any pregame things, but before I step into the batter’s box, I tap the plate twice.

2. Why is NIU a good fit for you?

I loved NIU. They were one of first (schools) to reach out to me and consistently talked to me throughout the recruiting process. Coach (Christina Sutcliffe) made the recruiting process very welcoming. She knows it can be very complicated and stressful and made it very easy and calmed my nerves. … When I ended up going on an official visit, it felt like home. I fit right in.

3. What is your favorite thing to do off the field?

I would honestly have to say spending time with my family. I am the youngest of four kids and also the only girl. Even though there is an age gap between me and my brothers, it doesn’t really affect us. Our family is super close, whether it’s family dinners or going to see my nephew.

4. If you could play another sport, what would it be?

I used to play basketball growing up, so it would probably be basketball. I wasn’t the best at it, but I had a lot of fun playing it.

5. What is your favorite sports moment so far?

This year, specifically, I’ve gotten really close with my catcher Emily Bartholomew (freshman), and in big games and heated situations, like bases loaded and no outs, she’s worked really hard for me to get calls from the umpire and seeing her react behind home plate gets me fired up and the team fired up. That’s probably the top memory so far.

6. What would be your dream job?

I would ideally like to be a first or second grade teacher at my grade school (Fairview South Elementary in Skokie). All the teachers would still be there when I’m old enough to teach and they are people I talk to still and helped me become the person I am today.

7. What is your favorite TV show right now?

I’d probably have to say “Grey’s Anatomy” on Netflix. It pulls on the heart strings, gets the emotions going, and there are 16 seasons, maybe more, so it’s easy to keep watching and it’s fun.

8. If you are in Walgreens with a couple bucks, what are you buying?

Easy: Burt’s Bee’s vanilla bean chapstick. I have so many. I have probably bought a million in my lifetime.

9. What is something people do not know about you?

I’ve never had a brain freeze, so whenever somebody says that, I’ve never felt that.

10. How is this season going and where is it headed?

As a team, we’ve definitely had our ups and downs. We started the season off really well, came right off scoring lots of runs. Our team chemistry is probably the highlight . We bond really well together. Freshman up to senior level, we get along really well. On the field, our defense is pretty good. Overall, we are a good team with good communication and coaches, and we have a lot of fun together.

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