LIAM PHILLIPS
SINCE Dianne Dibben started playing softball at 12-years-old, because her older sister was playing, she said the thought of quitting has never really crossed her mind.
That was 33 years ago, and this weekend Dianne will pull on her cleats for the 350th time for her childhood club, the Giants.
“When Giants came along, they only had under 13s so I was a little bit old for them, then when (former team) Trojans folded because we didn’t have enough players, I came across to Giants and I’ve been here ever since I was 15,” Dibben said.
“To be honest I never really thought about (stopping), I just kept going and going.
“I had a few seasons off when I had my kids, but other than that I just keep coming back ... I was always going to come back eventually.”
Over the journey, the real highlights that stood out were the opportunity to share the field with family.
“Playing in the same team as my daughter,” she said.
“She does dance and she’s never been interested, that was a highlight.
“Also playing in a team with my two sisters, and that never happened very often because of our different ages.”
Entering her 25th season, Dibben said that there was no secret recipe for staying healthy over such a long period other than plain good luck.
“The worst injury I ever had was a pulled driver muscle in my teens, and that’s it, touch wood,” she said.
“I don’t want to jinx myself before my 350th.”
When asked what has kept her at the club for this long, the answer was simple.
“The people,” she said.
“The people that you meet, and the loyalty of the founding members, I don’t know, I’ve just never been one to chop and change.
“I think being a loyal person in anything you do is a good trait for anyone to have.
“I was set in this club and that’s where I’ll stay...I want to keep going while I can, while my knees hold out,” she half-joked.