Draft:Nerissa McDowell

• Comment: Notability is not inherited. Safari Scribe^{Edits! Talk!} 05:45, 27 October 2024 (UTC)

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Early Life and Family Background

Nerissa "Rissa" McDowell, a New Zealand-born softball player. Her mother, Jaye Bailey, was a member of the New Zealand White Sox team that competed in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, while her father, Mike McDowell, also had a significant softball career as a player and coach for the Canterbury Red Sox. Nerissa, the eldest of four daughters, was surrounded by softball from a young age. However, with her parents focused on their own games, Nerissa did not play formally until age 12, when she joined the Kaiapoi Softball Club in Canterbury. Her younger sisters have also played softball at a high level, with Layla playing for the Under 19 Junior New Zealand White Sox and McKenzie currently a pitcher and utility player for the Under 19 Junior New Zealand White Sox.

Education

McDowell earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Marketing and Human Resource Management from the University of Canterbury.

Softball Career

New Zealand White Sox

McDowell joined the New Zealand White Sox in 2020, debuting internationally at the Asia Pacific Cup in Sydney, competing against top-ranked teams such as Japan, Italy, and Australia. In 2021 she moved overseas to maintain her skills. Since then, she has competed in international tournaments, including:

• October 2021: In Team New Zealand in a Tri-Series against New Zealand B and U19 Junior New Zealand teams.
• December 2022: In Team New Zealand in a Tri-Series against New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory.
• July 2023: In Team New Zealand, XVII Women’s Softball World Cup Group Stage in Italy, where she faced Olympic gold medalists Japan, Canada, and Venezuela, ending the tournament with a .308 batting average.

Professional Experience in Australia

McDowell moved to Sydney, Australia, in early 2021 to play competitively during New Zealand’s strict lockdowns. There, she competed with Sweet Heat Softball in the Georges River Winter League and later played for the Cumberland Nepean Softball Association, where she placed third in the NSW State Championships. She also earned a spot on the New South Wales Open Women’s Team and competed at the Australian National Championships in April 2022, finishing as runners-up.

Club Career in New Zealand

McDowell remains dedicated to New Zealand softball and plays for the Kaiapoi Premier Women’s Softball Team, where she has won multiple Canterbury Premier Championships and a National Championship.