Jennifer Martinez Adjusts to Italy

Having known Jennifer Martinez from working with her for two years at Arizona Softball, I can honestly say that she is one of the funniest people I have ever met. I would think that someone as charismatic as herself would have no problem fitting in anywhere, much less another country. But when I interviewed her, she harped on the fact that she felt left out because SHE was the foreigner.

"It was and still is very uncomfortable to see people look at me and make judgments because I am American," she said.

She added that even in places where she and the natives share mutual interest, it would be awkward.

"Especially when it comes to athletics and at the gym, people assume that I am a celebrity because I am an American athlete."

The fact of the matter, though, is that she indeed IS an American sports celebrity. She has pitched on ESPN in an Arizona uniform, just like the beautiful Jennie Finch, and is a role model for young softball players all across the nation - many of whom she'll never meet.

Still, Martinez does not have a job but maintains a simple daily routine that consists of working out twice a day and participating in team practice in the afternoon.

"The practices are nowhere near as difficult as they were at U of A," she said. "Since this is a professional team, the players work on what they need to do rather than it being a full team practice."

Martinez has had to adjust emotionally as well, as she has seen a marked decrease in the skill level of her teammates in Italy from the level of NCAA play she had become accustomed to.

"Performance is crucial for winning in the states, but here, if a player makes an error, it's simply shrugged off.

"I think my personal goal from this experience would be really learning to focus on the things that I cannot control, like being frustrated when my team makes errors."

Jennifer will be there for a few more months to get a full season under her belt, but she'll come back to the U.S. on Aug. 10 and reunite with her family, friends and her boyfriend who will soon be playing baseball at the University of Utah.