Meet a Taiwanese international player who, during her studies in France, trains in baseball with the Paris club « Ranelagh »
BTVF: Who are you Jolene Chen-Yun Chang?
J CC: Hello, my name is Chen-Yun Chang (Jolene), I’m 23 years old, from Taiwan. I’m a student, studying a master’s degree in Taiwan, and now in France as an exchange student.
I’m a women’s baseball player in Taiwan, belonging to the sponsor team of the TingShin-Hede women’s baseball team. I’m also a national team player for the 2021 WBSC World Cup and the 2022 BFA Asia Cup.
BTVF: Your team is well ranked in the world, yet your country does not follow women’s baseball like men’s baseball, how do you explain it?
J CC: I think most sports in every country are the same; men’s sports are more popular than women’s. And especially for baseball in Taiwan, the main reason is that in the Olympic Games and Asian Games, there’s only men’s baseball and women’s softball, so women’s baseball won’t be that important for the country.
BTVF: You are a pitcher, what was your training?
J CC: In fact, I’m a pitcher but also an infielder, so I do both trainings. Our team trains every weekend; we follow the schedule our coach gives us. Team training, drills, and the bullpen. Besides team training, I do some self-training in the gym, strength, and some physical training 5 days a week.
BTVF: When you arrived in France, you discovered an almost desert of baseball, did it surprise you?
J CC: Actually, not too surprising. We all know that Europe is more popular for football, rugby, or tennis, but it’s really good that I found an amazing team and can play baseball together!
BTVF: You found a club « le Ranelagh », how did you live their reception?
J CC: First, I searched on Facebook to find a baseball club in Paris, and I found le Ranelagh. I messaged the page and asked if there was a chance I could join. I think they were pretty surprised and kind of confused to have a girl joining them, maybe because I’m the first girl to join the team. In addition, it’s really cool that this team is like an international team, not only players from France, people are from all around the world, more than 8 different countries.
BTVF: What are your next sporting events and those of your teams in your country?
J CC: There will be a tournament at the start of 2023, which will be the selection game for the 2023 Asia Cup, and the Asia Cup will be held around May next year in Hong Kong.
BTVF: What can we wish you?
J CC: Every time I tell people I’m a baseball player, they’re confused and ask again, is it softball or baseball? Do women play baseball? I knew that compared to men’s baseball, women’s baseball isn’t that popular, but I have a goal: to make more girls play baseball worldwide and enjoy the fun of this sport, so that baseball isn’t just a sport for men.
Maybe I’m going back to my country soon, but I’m looking forward to coming back to France to play with the team again. Even if baseball isn’t a popular sport in France yet, I really love the environment here and I really enjoy it.
