Name – Carolyn Bare
UW-Stout graduation year – December 1998
Major – Vocational Rehabilitation
Sport(s) – Fastpitch Softball
Years Played – Fall of '94-Spring of '98
Hometown (High School) – Superior, WI – Superior Senior High School
Currently Reside – Baxter, MN
What did you like most about competing in collegiate athletics? The people I met and the places we were able to go.
What is the greatest lesson you learned from being a collegiate student-athlete? Life is short. College and the entire experience is over before you know it, enjoy it and put everything you have into it because this is it! Don't leave with regrets.
Who was the most influential person in your athletic career? There are 2 – Roger Plachta and Mr. Sather – Roger taught me how to pitch. I was a catcher until Mr. Sather said he wanted me to pitch. The summer between my sophomore and junior year I would spend a few times a week with Roger learning the craft. We would watch baseball games and between innings go out and pitch in his yard. I learned a lot from him about the entirety of the game during those sessions.
What is your most memorable or favorite sports moment at UW-Stout?Â
That is a tough one…Probably winning the WWIAC West.
Are you in contact with any former Blue Devil student-athletes? (If so, who?)  I have not been but hopefully after the reunion I will participate more. I didn't realize how much I missed them.
Outside of athletics, what other activities were you involved in at UW-Stout? I worked in the weight room and played intramurals.
Give us a brief synopsis of your life since graduating from UW-Stout, include job and family? Moved to Oakdale, MN and worked at a catering company. When Sept 11, 2001 hit I was traveling for Pro Golf Tournaments and my niece was just born, I knew I needed to spend more time with family instead of traveling so much. I moved to Green Lake, WI and worked as a Catering Manager until 2008. I then moved to Baxter, MN where I worked my way up to General Manager of the Arrowwood Lodge at Brainerd Lakes. I have been with my boyfriend for over 5 years and we have 3 dogs together. People assume I graduated from Stout with a Hospitality degree and are shocked when I tell them I am Voc Rehab. I have used my Voc Rehab degree much more than people might think in this industry.
In 1998, your senior year, the team won its first WWIAC West Division championship. What made this team and season special? We really had a team that wasn't separated by anything. We all enjoyed each other and it showed on the field.
You played in 167 career games, which is the most in UW-Stout history. How were you able to stay healthy? I was a dumb jock. I wanted to play as much as possible so, for example, in one of the Augsburg Dome games I dislocated my shoulder while playing first base and pitched the next game. I was fine as long as (catcher) DJ (Deanna Johnson) threw it below my waist, I couldn't lift my arm very high because of my shoulder. I am paying for a few things now but I have the memories and will never regret playing, I would have regretted sitting out.
You are also tied for the most career wins by a pitcher in UW-Stout history. What type of relationship did you have with each of you catchers to win that many games? I think pitchers and catchers have to have a good relationship in order to be successful. There were catchers that I was closer to than others but when we stepped on the field it was all for the same goal, winning. If you are having an off day and you and your catcher aren't communicating your entire team suffers.Â
You are still in the top 10 in most offensive categories in UW-Stout history such as: at bats, RBIs, runs scored, hits, doubles, triples, and walks. Did you realize that you were still at the top in this many categories? It's funny but every few years I would go in and take a look to see what, if anything, my former teammates and I were still ranked in. It is good to see that with advancements of bats and balls that are used we still are holding our own.Â
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