Softball

How many of you are going to keep posting after this one for English??

Haha so obviously I am very excited about this being my last posting.  As of right now I’m trying to get everything ready for the presentation in English on Monday.  Yea there is a lot to do with the revisions and what not. 

Stress has been a major issue lately since I have 2 major presentations on Monday.  One with my group who hasn’t done anything yet and the English one, which is mostly done.  Have any ideas on how to keep stress low right now??

Oh and then next friday is my moms retirement party, so im excited about that. 

Field Review:  I went up to the fields yesterday for practice with the 8 and unders that I coach, and the pitching backstops are up!! So exciting to see that they are finally up!  Working with 8 and unders is so fun…they always have something to say and they are so entertaining!  Try to volunteer somewhere with kids (if you like them). 

So i am totally excited.  I went up to the park where I am doing all my fundraising for, and they are starting to put some of the fencing up.  The fencing that is going up right now is pitching backstops so that fans sitting in the bleachers dont get hit by the ball when the pitchers are warming up. 

When I went up to the field the guy told me that the post were cemented into the ground and that he was working up putting up the “fabric,” the chain link fence.  He thinks it will be done later today or sometime next week. 

I finally get to see what my hard work is going towards.  It made me feel so good inside that something is finally going up.  All hard work is finally getting paid off.  Hopefully I will take a picture soon of what they look like so everyone could see them, instead of just hearing about them. 

Have you ever done hard work, and then seen what the final outcome was?  did it make you feel good inside?  What are some of the things that you have done?

So I’m extremely excited, my fundraiser for Latham Lassies is tomorrow.  I have 350 tickets to sell and I have sold over 300.  So it should be really interesting.  No less I have contacted Gaylord Sports who promotes Jennie Finch, Hale Irwin, and many others.  They have sent me Hale Irwins memorabilia to raise money for the project that Ive been working on.  The things they sent me were all signed, such as a hat, glove, picture, and a cereal box, that he was on.

Also I am suppose to be receiveing Jennie Finch memorabilia to raffle off too.  I think this will get the girls involved more with the league and keep them entertained.  Most girls look up to Jennie Finch so they will want to get that. 

Jennie Finch is known all around the world as a pitcher in softball.  She is one of the most outstanding pitchers who have drawn much attention to the game.  I’m going to tie this into my third essay and say that could she and other names like Lisa Fernandez, Cat Osterman, and more be the reason that softball has become so dominate in the US.  Or is it that the US players train so much, because they love the sport and want to be the best?  I think its because they train hard yet other would disagree with me.  I just think that you become good when you train, not because you are born with a talent.  I’m extremely mad that they are going to take out softball in the Olympics. 

Captains have a lot of pressure on them.  They are the person everyone is looking up to, and everyone come to if they have a problem or a question.  Sometimes captains are not meant for this positon, since they were just assigned it since people thought they had enough expereince.  Does experience in a sport make you a good captain.  I dont think so, since experience might help, but the ability to get along with everyone, and knowing alot about the sport, and how things go is important just as well. 

What should a softball captain have as characteristics?  They should obviously be a leader.  They need to make sure that they can lead the team, and have fun when its allowed.  Leading the team, and taking charge is certain situations is deffinately needed.

They should also inspire their teammates, to perform to their best.  Not just on the field but off the field as well.  It could be helping people, community service, or just inspiring someone else. 

The captain should have good work behavior.  They must be able to stay on task along with not cracking under pressure.  If the team gets into a hard spot, the captain cant crack since if they do, the whole team wont know how to react. 

Would you want to have co-captains instead of one captain?  Some teams dont assign a captain, and let who ever seems to be the best leader, and who people listen to become the captain.  What do you think captains need to have as characteristics?  Have you ever had a good/bad captain?

So totally off topic of softball, but needed to be said.  Have you ever gone to a resturant and thought to have good service? but had bad?  Well heres my experience this week.

Background, my dad goes into Friendlys maybe 4 days a week for breakfast, and maybe 2 times a day, with his friends.  All the managers and waitress know my family, and this is still how we get treated! 

Starting off with my parents going to Friendly’s in Latham on Rt 9.  They went around lunch time, and got seated fast, except the booth that they were seated at had dust all over the bench and on the table, since they were cleaning the walls.  After they got that cleaned, they got their food.  While eating the manager and one of the waitress, were picking up the benches at another table and cleaning underneath them.  Mind you it is lunch time and there were a lot of people in the place. 

Then my mom, my moms friend, her son and me went on Tuesday.  We got there around 7 pm, and asked for a certain waitress, that never happened.  After we were seated it took over 10 minutes for the waitress to come and get order for the drinks and then we never got them for another 15 minutes.  Try to keep a 3 year old (Ryan)occupied that is hungry with no drink.  So after we got our drinks we went to order our food, well I always get the kids meal since i cant eat the adult meal.  The waitress told me I would have to pay for my drink and my ice cream separate, which would be 7.00 for the meal, 2.75 for the drink, and about 3.50 for the ice cream!  I would have been better getting an adult meal.  So i went and told the manager and she told me that she was going to tell our waitress that i didn’t want the food.  Well she never did and my food came out.  My mom then told our waitress that i didn’t want it and that i told the manager, the waitress responded “are you kidding me?” sarcastically and never asked me if i wanted something else.  Then the Ryan wanted more to drink since he finished his, in the little cup, and they charges us .50 to refill it.  Our bill was 30.00 for almost nothing and horrible service, no less the manager didn’t care!!!!

If going to Friendlys is going to cost a average family of 4 $30.00 I think they are going to start staying home or eating at McDonalds.  Its ridiculous, charge to refill a kids drink! get bad service, and sarcastic, and all the manager can say is “I’m sorry” last i knew they took a percentage off or they gave you a free meal.

Ive been to the 76 restaurant and had bad service, or bad food, and the manager will take money off, cause they want to see you walk in that door again. 

Have you had any bad experiences, if so where, and what was it about? 

On Channel 6 Evening News the other night there was a special about baseball…..no less in CHINA!  This might be good for baseball and softball in the upcoming Olympic games.  If the “American” past-time gets China and other countries caught up in it, the two sports might have a bright future.

As soon as China gets into the game of baseball, the more people will be watching it.  With China having so many people, the outlook for the sport will be in good hands.  MLB teams were over there the other day having the young kids get involved in the game, with hot dogs and peanuts. 

These young kids in China will have the power to make sure that the sports will still be in the Olympics in the future.  Hopefully with young kids watching baseball they will start watching softball, and since the Chinese have a good team, maybe they will start playing and engaging themselves in the game. 

These new fans are so amused by the sport that they will sit in rain, and still cheer on the players.  Even though the kids cant name any baseball players not even Jeter, Clemens or Big Papi.  They can name other players from other sports though.

Baseball and softball is the dream for many Americans and soon to become a dream for many Chinese.  With them starting to watch the sport their will be more competition in leagues.

Do you think having China watching “American” past-time sports is good?  Will it help keep the games in the Olympics in the future?  Why?

Why do so many people think softball is different from baseball?  The main differences are the ball size, pitching style, the distance from base to base, bat styles and how large the fields are.  Other differences are that most girls when playing wear shorts and sliders and cant have metal cleats. 

The way that girls pitch takes so much more training for the correct fundamentals.  Since Ive been a pitcher for over 10 years its something difficult to learn, and you must gain the proper fundamentals before you can try to throw fast, and different pitches. 

Most people say a softball is “soft”, in reality it is as hard as a baseball.  If someone was to hit a ball at you either a softball or baseball it would hurt the same amount the only different is the bruise might be bigger with a softball.  The sport is played with a lot of the same regulations as baseball.

Something that has bothered me is that you always see t-shirts for girls that critics boys.  A popular saying is that boys are only good for being a water-boy, or softball is harder than baseball or one that the men say to the players is that you throw like a girl.  You never see guys with the shirts (not that they would wear them) but its saying that boys are only here to serve girls or that they are underneath girls.  In both sports you might have some players that play harder than most, but if you compared the top girls to the top guys, they probably put in the same effort to be the best. 

Do you think softball is a hard sport, or easy compared to baseball? Why?  In the upcoming Olympics which team is most likely to win the Gold metal?  (personal question)

This years softball Olympic team has a good amount of pitchers on it.  Monica Abbott a left handed pitcher that graduated last year from Tennessee.  She has had a number of accomplishments within the past few years. 

Then you have Jennie Finch, the all well known US Softball pitcher.  She graduated in 2002 from University of Arizona.  She already has one gold medal under her, and is planning to get another.  Last year she had an ERA of .26.  I look up to her for everything that she has done.  I have contacted her about my project and she was willing to donate some memorabilia to help me raise money. 

Lisa Fernandez is a right handed pitcher that graduated in 1995 from UCLA.  She already has 3 gold medals.  She is not known just for pitching, but third base and a phenomenal hitter. 

Alicia Hollowell graduated in 2006 from Arizona, as a right handed pitcher.  This will be her first Olympic appearance, but has enough experience to help her through it. 

Last but not least we have the left handed Cat Osterman, from University of Texas, that graduated in 2006.  She was on the Olympic team when she was a Sophomore/Junior in college, in 2004.  She has a huge heart for the sport and is extremely well at it. 

The team is created of 5 that graduated from UCLA, 4 from Arizona, 2 from Stanford and 1 from Tennessee, Fresno State, Pal beach C.C., Alabama, Texas, California, and Cal State Fullerton. 

This team has enough experience and rookies, that with the mix and the coaching will become a well bonded team, that will do great in the 2008 summer Olympics.  The other teams are going to be facing a battle trying to hit off any of these pitchers.

This is the last year softball will be in the Olympics.  The vote was 52-52 and they kicked it out.  They are hoping to debate and have it back in 2016, but who knows.  Men’s baseball Olympic time will be ending in 2012. 

The United States Womens Softball team have started off their tour to Beijing, undefeated, like always.  Ill be giving you updates on the games, and softball in general.  The group of women that are coached by Mike Candrea, have always been the best trained and perform the best.  These women go through training everyday with drills, back to back.  Some of the drills consist of hitting, not just any hitting though.  The ball has different colors on it and they must call out that color.  These girls work hard and shows it with all the titles behind them.  Are they dropping softball because the US dominates it? 

I personally have to thank Coach Candrea for his work that he has done with the softball teams.  He lost his wife before the last summer Olympics and he still went on to the Olympics knowing that he let down the girls that he had coached for so long.  He pushes these girls to do their best when times are close or hard, and he showed how committed he is to this team, even when times are hard.

I just cant believe that they are getting rid of a sport that so many young girls look up to.  Growing up I would always watch college teams play and the US team.  I think that we aren’t giving these young girls a chance to dream to become a good player like the US team.  

So I had a meeting today with the Town of Colonie and Latham Lassies.  The new commissioner thinks he is the best thing to walk this planet.  The way he talks down to me and some of the things just turn me off.  The whole meeting seemed worthless, my idea of fencing in one field basically is going no where.  The commissioner wanted to put a fence connecting the main two softball fields to try to stop people and then use the rest of my money for back stop for pitchers to throw into.  Since he is good friends with the one man in the town he talked to him before the meeting and had him do some research on how much it would cost to continue the fencing already there.  When thinking about this whole project I also have to take into consideration that a football team uses it when softball season is over, so I cant have anything that will interfere with them. 

I think its a good idea and that it still gets my point of safety, but I really liked my original idea.  I guess in the real world everything cant be about how you want something to go it has to be a compromise of everyone.  I’m still going to do the pancake breakfast, I just need to get enough volunteers and sell the rest of the tickets. 

I also asked if the Town could look into buying a new piece of property for the softball fields to go since, the fields we have now, are horrible, and overlap.  If anyone has traveled and saw softball fields and then came to our you would think our town deprived softball players.  Yet on the other side of town they have a brand new state of the art facility.  I guess I will have to make a compromise to get the fencing down so the girls are safer in the long run.