Transcript
Joining us on KWBG, get a chance to talk to a former Boone standout and a 2026 Iowa Girls Union Softball Hall of Famer, Jenny Briggs joins us. You might remember her as Jenny Pritchard back in the day. And first off, Jenny, thanks for some time. Congratulations. You and I've been visiting off, off air a little bit and we got a lot of things that are similar. We're going to have to have some conversations, I think, down the road at some point. But Jenny, congratulations. What an awesome honor. And what a great, what a great time right now. Yes, thanks, Ryan. I'm happy to be here. I'm very excited. Well, tell us about how it kind of went down, Jenny. You had an opportunity to get, get, well, the girls union got in touch with you. I'm going to let you tell the story. How did you find out that you were going to be in the Hall of Fame this year? Well, just an average day, I got a phone call that I denied from an unknown number. And they left a message just saying that they were from the Iowa Girls Athletic Association and give them a call back with some good news. We talked to a gentleman named Chuck and just said that they had decided that this was the year that they would put me into the Hall of Fame and wanted to know if I would accept the honor. So it definitely took me off guard, but I was excited and, you know, humbled and honored. And again, you know, I'm in my 40s now. So definitely one of the coolest things to happen at this stage of my life. Well, and something else that's cool too, and anybody that's got kids knows that where I'm going down this road, but Jenny, now you get an opportunity to tell those four little ones, hey, mom's going into a Hall of Fame. See, maybe I did do something back in the day. Yeah. And they're, uh, they play some of them play softball now. So I'm hoping that maybe now they'll, uh, they'll listen to me or think that I might know what I'm talking about because I think to be the last person that they want to take any advice from. Well, maybe we can get them to listen to grandpa and grandma a little bit too. That there's always possibility there. They do listen to them. Well, we were kind of going down memory lane a little bit, Jenny. And I, I'm, it's never a fair question, but I always like to find out if there's one thing that still sticks in your mind back from Boone softball days. And you actually have a pretty cool memory. You gave me kind of some goosebumps when you retold it. So I want you to tell all of our listeners, but give me that memory back from Boone softball that you still remember this day. Uh, really, it was, it was the game that we played that took us to the state tournament. Nobody really had any expectations that we would make it. We hadn't been in so long. And when that game was over, it's kind of, it was just the, the feeling like the mental exhaustion of the whole thing, the fight, the feeling that it was is not something you can really explain to anybody, but the girls who are on the field know what I'm talking about. And that's something that will stick with me forever because it was just an accomplishment where we kind of overcame with our own little like Rudy story. You know, it was just a great, something I'll never forget. And I wish I could find the words to say, but it was, it was just an amazing time. And, and I think everyone on the field knows what I'm talking about. Well, and I asked Jenny this off air and she kind of laughed. So I'm guessing that the answer was no, but she was going to be nice and not say no. But I asked her, I said, Hey, did you guys feel kind of like celebs back in the day? Did you kind of feel popular? And she said, I'm maybe, maybe in our group a little bit, but Jenny, you had a good group of, of friends and, and teammates as well. You've talked about them so much with me when we were just kind of visiting. They meant a lot to your high school career, didn't they? Yeah, they sure did. Especially because you, you realize when you're on a close knit team, like the teams that we had throughout that five years, that you, that you need each other, you know, like you, you absolutely need each other to take the next step to get through the game. And so, you know, I think we all really embraced that and we were able to help each other. I think reach heights we never would have reached, you know, have we had different attitudes with each other, maybe not quite the relationship that we had. So for sure it's the highlight of my whole softball career when I look back is definitely the camaraderie that I had with those girls. What was that, that first time stepping on the, on the pitching circle at, at the state tournament? What did that feel like? Oh my gosh. I still get like the shakes thinking about it because that's kind of how it felt for me. I was really trying to act cocky. Like I got this, but inside it was not, it was not like that. I was very, very nervous. We settled in. I mean, we did all right, but it was, it was bigger than anything I had experienced at that point. Well, and I was just looking back at that tournament and, and just some of the teams that were, they're there. And Jenny, it's crazy to think that you guys were, you know, in, in a bracket with a, you know, a Dowling Catholic, a Sioux City, Northwest Delaware, Cedar Rapids, Jefferson, Muscatine. I mean, I know now you think of, okay, well, there's five classes and those, most of the schools I just mentioned would be in class five. Hey, heck, you guys had, you guys had to be with some of the big dogs back in the day though. Yeah, we were super small amongst all these big teams, but that's where I come back with. When you think about how crazy it is, like, of course I'm honored to have this, but yeah, all of these stats that people put together when they're like, look at these stats, you're in the hall of fame. Most of them never would have happened if it wouldn't have been for these girls. So I think about a lot of these girls that we had, like the perfect game, the shutouts, the, the low ERA, that's not, that's, that's actually what happened in the field, right? From people making plays and against these huge, great teams and getting and stringing together hits with some of the pitching that we saw. The whole thing when I look back, it's just, it makes me proud, the whole experience. So it's cool. Jenny, I know you keep track of what, you know, Boone softballs doing and you mean, and you had a chance obviously to be honored at a Boone softball game this past summer. Do you look back at what you guys were able to accomplish and now how many games they played today? Is that, I mean, do you ever think about that and go, wonder what it was like if we would have a chance to play, you know, 40 some games a year? No, I don't, but I think it's really cool. I've had a great time watching, you know, Lindsay Pluth, obviously, or Hyman, who, who I played with closely, who was a big part of my success watching what she did with the team this year and following along with a lot of fun. And she certainly was able to do amazing things. So I do think they're set up for success the way that the game is played now for sure. What was it like watching dad when he coached back in the day? So proud. Proud of him, you know, everything that he ever went through and when teaching and coaching me, you know, watching him be able to pass that along to other people and take it a step further was, it was so much fun. I wish he'd do it again, but I can't talk him into it. I think from the last time I talked to dad, he was pretty happy. Vacations hanging out with grandkids. Jenny, I don't think he's going back. I know 10 grandkids is kind of a lot to keep up with. And there's so many of them are playing ball now. Well, and we want to know what you're doing now to Jenny. Now, you know, tell us a little bit about your family because you kind of mentioned them earlier just a little bit and Jenny, you and I talked about this off air too. We got all the daughters. So we're making sure that we keep that fine with all the ladies that are going to come up and hopefully be awesome leaders someday. But just tell us about your family a little bit, Jenny. Yep. So I, Josh Briggs married the love of my life about 15 years ago now and we had four daughters and three of them are playing softball. So that's an interesting thing to keep up with because here in Des Moines, softball is a little bit different than it was in Boone. But I've got, I've got a 12 year old, a 10 year old, eight and seven. Boy, they keep you busy, I bet. They're a lot of fun. Well, and Jenny, I was thinking this because I'm thinking, okay, she played it. Her dad coached it. Does she step in and want to do that? And Jenny, you said no. I know. I, uh, well, you know, I'm a backseat driver. I think it's the best way to put it here because my husband has stepped in the role of coaching. So, uh, I just stay in his ear. I'm like the shadow coach, you know, telling him all the things that he does wrong. And then he goes and, uh, I think he kind of sometimes appreciates it, maybe not all the time, but he's, uh, he's learning a lot and learning a lot from my dad too. So that's how it's worked out, not me, but him. So I got to ask this, Jenny, because I know obviously you play catch with the kids. It's not the same as what my question is going to be. When's the last time you stepped on on the circle or in the circle and really let one rip when it comes to a pitch? Oh my gosh. It's probably been about a month ago. Okay. I, I actually, yes, I did. And I'm still going to the chiropractor.
I went full bore and I'm not healed yet, but it was fun. Oh, and it had been a, had it been a while before that time? Yeah. I'll, I'll throw them in batting practice, but I never went full bore like what you're talking about until about a month ago. And I wanted to see if I could still make my pitches break. And I mean, it took a few, it took a few to make it happen, but, uh, yeah, my body's not, doesn't, you know, it's not the same. It's not the same as that. It's not the same. Well, Jenny, first off, thank you so much for some time. This was so much fun. Just to kind of look back at Boone softball and just a big congratulations. I know when, when we first kind of started emailing and talking, I could tell that you were, you were excited, but also one of those things that like, listen, I'm not here without everybody else that helped. So I know that that's big for you. And just what a, what a fun time. And I hope you enjoy things in Fort Dodge. Yes. Thank you so much. I'm looking forward to it. And I appreciate the call, Ryan. You bet. That's Jenny Briggs again. Joining us, a graduate from Boone High School and known as Jenny Pritchard back then softball Hall of Famer 2026 for the Iowa Girls Union.
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