Jill Bianco is one tough gal. A baseball going at warp speed doesn’t faze her a bit. Jill is part of a twelve-woman baseball team, the Liberty Belles and the only deaf woman that I know who plays baseball.
Jill played fast-pitch softball for many years in every position except pitcher. She joined the Chicago Gems baseball team after responding to an ad on Craigslist. On February 12, Jill will head to Hong Kong to play in the 2009 Phoenix Cup International Women Baseball Tournament.
As the only deaf woman on the team, communication can be a challenge but Jill faces it with candor:
Being Deaf and playing ball can be tough sometimes. I face many challenges but I haven’t let them get me down, or stop me from playing the sport I truly love. I can do everything other ball players can do, both on the field and off, the only difference is that I do not hear. Baseball doesn’t require a lot of verbal communication on the field. With all the visual signs being used there isn’t much need for verbal communication. This puts every teammate on the same page, with equal access and knowledge of what to do next. I strive to show the world that a Deaf female ball player can be as good as anyone. I’d like to educate people so they understand that Deaf people aren’t what they’re stereotyped as.
As you can imagine, it isn’t cheap to head to Hong Kong and Jill isn’t going to let limited funds stop her. If you have a few dollars (or more) to spare, you can help with Jill’s dream to play baseball:
Jill Bianco’s Baseball Opportunity
Update:
Hi everyone! I m Jill. I just got back from Hong Kong yesterday. I had a blast. We, North American Liberty Belles, won silver medal for the tournament. We lost to Japan in the Championship. I m also proud to share that I have received a huge honor of being selected as a Team Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the Liberty Belles!
Comments
9 responses to “Jill Bianco– A Deaf Gal Who Plays Baseball”
Great profile Karen-I wish her the best and hope you’ll follow up with her performance/experience of the competition.
Karas last blog post..Snowed in!
Hey.. u know.. Just reading about Jill is one thing.. but hey.. TRY PLAYING CATCH WITH HER.. man.. you need a bucket of ICE after your done playing catch with her.. I’m telling you.. She THROWS HARD.. U know Guys playing on Softball over at NSAD?? They are nothing compared to her.. She DESERVES to be on that team.. She got it.. I couldn’t be more proud of her. hey you all, Come on.. Chip in a bit a money so she can represent you all.. Come on!!! Take 10 mins of your time and chip in…
Peace out
DOB
Hi,
I coach softball at a high school in Oregon. A deaf girl at our school wants to go out for the team. I’m excited, but a little nervous. I’d love to get in touch with Jill to be able to offer this player encouragement and to hear some coaching suggestions.
Hi everyone! I m Jill. I just got back from Hong Kong yesterday. I had a blast. We, North American Liberty Belles, won silver medal for the tournament. We lost to Japan in the Championship. I m also proud to share that I have received a huge honor of being selected as a Team Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the Liberty Belles!
Oregon Coach, give me your email address and I m more than happy to help you out.
Thank you everyone!
This is wonderful! I’m hearing impaired (two hearing aids) and ride competitively. I’m actually the only person with a hearing impairment riding in the circuit right now in my division. It presents challenges but never give up!
I have a partially deaf boy who attends my judo class. As for myself, I’m legally blind, and have been in judo for 15 years now. I teach and promote judo for visually disabled, adults and children…
I’m also a photographer, for our local Little League! (No joke)… Read the blog. 🙂
Richs last blog post..A kick ass judo class…
Jill is one awesome gal, shes a superb baseball player, like DOB said, she does throw hard. Played catch with her, brings back old memories from high school baseball! Keep it up Jill! We all are proud of you!
Jill,
Here is a picture of your during the game by the HK Sports Association:
http://www.hkspa.org/Gallery/ball/baseball/20090217/015_Ben%20Hau_Nikon%20D300.jpg
http://www.hkspa.org/showGallery.php?L=C&albumID=489&s=14&Page=2&id=89235
Good luck and hope to see you next year at Phoenix Cup, and did you have a great time touring around with your friends.
David Wong
Executive Driector
IT & Media
Hong Kong Baseball Association
PS: The guy who interviewed you from HK Baseball Association
Thats great!