Central grad Allen will represent Cheyenne and the U.S. in Holland
Jun. 11—CHEYENNE — There was eventually going to be a time when Brogan Allen needed to renew her passport.
That time just came sooner than expected.
Allen will be traveling to Holland today to represent Cheyenne and the United States on the softball diamond. The opportunity comes through the USA Athletes International organization. The Cheyenne Central graduate is the only high school athlete on the roster, where she'll be playing alongside college players. The team is meeting in New York and will fly to Amsterdam, which is an eight-hour journey.
It was in early March, during the Class 4A East regional basketball tournament, that Allen was approached about the opportunity.
"Ever since then, I was thinking about it, and I was just like I had to do it, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Allen said. "We get to see what it's like over there and still get to compete."
The team will play against club teams from around the area, said Taylor Olsen, who coaches and helps select the roster. Olsen is also an assistant coach for Montana State University-Billings.
"To be able to teach my favorite sport and experience another culture — putting those two together is an undeniable experience. And to have young women experience it makes it even better," she said. "They have really good competition and have good athletes that represent their country. I'm excited for us to go compete."
Allen raised money for travel expenses, and local businesses and family were quick to help support her, she said. The support adds to the humbling experience.
"I never expected I'd get asked. I never expected a college coach to recruit me to go out of the country to play for a USA team," Allen said. "That's very encouraging and makes me happy someone believes in me that much, and family and friends wanted to donate to help me."
Allen was named the first Wyoming player of the year by Gatorade on Thursday, solidifying what she's capable of doing at the plate and defensively in the field. However, the selection process isn't just based on talent, Olsen said.
"She's not only a great athlete, but a really good young lady that does well in classroom, represents her community, and will do a good job representing Cheyenne and our country," Olsen said. "We do the best with selecting people that we think would represent the U.S. and their local communities from different places around the country."
Getting a taste of what it's like to play with college athletes will give Allen an early glimpse of what to expect before she joins her teammates at Dawson Community College in Glendive, Montana. It's just another perk that comes with the opportunity.
"Its going to push me a lot. I'm excited to see that," Allen said. "I'm excited to learn from the other girls, especially, and see what the coaches have to bring."
Robert Munoz is a writer for WyoSports. He can be reached at rmunoz@wyosports.net. Follow him on Twitter @rmunoz307.
