Softball & Olympics

International Softball Federation (ISF) President Don Porter is thinking positively about softball being a possible entry in the 2020 Olympic games. 


However, softball must contend with eight rival sports vying for a single opening. Other sports under consideration are karate, roller sports, sports climbing, squash, wakeboard, wushu, and baseball. 


The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will meet in Buenos Aires, Argentina, this year to decide on the 2020 Games program.

“Without question we are thrilled to have softball on the IOC’s shortlist for the candidate sports for 2020,” Porter said. “That being said, the real victory, of course, would be a decision in our favor come 2013 when the vote is taken on which sport the IOC will add for the Summer Olympics.” Full story at http://www.ncaa.com/news/softball/2011-07-19/history-lesson

Olympic softball timeline...

1996, ATLANTA, Georgia: softball debuts as an Olympic sport. USA defeats China 3-1 to win Gold, after 8-1 record, losing only to Australia in pool play. USA WINS GOLD.

Jennie Finch in Red, White and Blue USA uniform.

2000, SYDNEY, Australia, games: USA has pre-Olympic 112-game winning streak ended in three consecutive losses of 2-1 to Japan, 2-0 to China, and 2-1 to the host Australians in round-robin play. Then USA rebounded with five consecutive victories, finally beating Japan in the gold-medal game. USA WINS GOLD.

2004, ATHENS, Greece, games: USA goes 9-0 record, setting 11 Olympic records, including team high marks for doubles (11), triples (3), RBI (46), runs scored (51), fewest runs allowed (1), stolen bases (8), shutouts (8), consecutive wins (9), team slugging percentage (.559), hits (73), lowest ERA (0.12) and most wins (9). USA WINS GOLD. 

2005: IOC vote removes softball from 2012 London Games.

2008, BEIJING, China, games: Cat Osterman pitches no-hitter and Monica Abbott throws a perfect game in round-robin contests. Then, USA faces Japan for Gold, where Japanese Yukiko Ueno pitches brilliantly. JAPAN WINS GOLD! CLICK HERE for video highlights of this exciting game.

2009: ISF's “Back Softball” fails in bid to return softball to 2016 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, games. 

2011: ISF learns softball to be on IOC’s short list for reconsidering softball for Olympic games.

2012, LONDON, England, games: softball is no longer be part of Olympics.

2013: ISF plans presentation to IOC for including softball in 2020 Olympics, according to ISF President Don Porter.

*****

USA TEAM PROMOTIONAL VIDEO from last Olympics played... 

College research links added to
Xtreme Showcase Website 

Plan ahead now for the considerable costs of a college education. 

The Harford Xtreme Showcase website has four new links to assist in the process. Look for them anytime at the team's website below the links to player profiles on the homepage's left side. 


Illustration on right shows the location of the new homepage links. ►


Start researching scholarships, tuition and payment options, and tax benefits right now if your daughter is considering college in the next few years.

The four new links are...

GUIDE FOR THE COLLEGE-BOUND STUDENT-ATHLETE. Click here for a basic guide to the recruiting process in a quick and easy to read Powerpoint slideshow presentation. Plans for choosing a school, finding financial aid, achieving softball eligibility, and following the recruiting process. Important terms and links also are listed.

FINAID. Financial Aid. www.finaid.org. Comprehensive tuition aid resource. Up-to-date guide to scholarships, loans, grants, fellowships, savings plans, military aid, special interests aids, tax benefits, payment plans, plus much more financial information! In addition, site has FAQ, glossary of terms and college costs calculator.

FASTWEB. Scholarship Search Engine. www.fastweb.com. Massive database. Access to over $1 billion in scholarships, including student-college matching technology and online applications.

FEDERAL STUDENT AID. studentaid.ed.gov. US Department of Education information about preparing for the costs of higher education. Guide to federal financial assistance -- grants, loans and work-study programs -- nation's largest source of student aid. Every year more than $150 billion in new aid is provided nearly 14 million post-secondary students and their families.

Slideshow

A COLLECTION OF PHOTOS from Harford Xtreme Showcase practice at The Proving Ground Gymnasium, Forest Hill, MD, on Sunday, January 29, 2012.

Lift, push, flip, jump...

INTRODUCING “THE TIRE”!

“The Tire” is the latest addition to the Harford Xtreme Showcase practices. Washed, scrubbed, and made ready for a new station in the team's Sunday exercises by Head Coach Charles Weimer.

“The Tire” is a whole new dimension to the team's strength and conditioning program, not to mention its terrific aerobic benefits.

Lift the tire, flip the tire, jump in and out of the tire, and start again. That's the routine. Legs, back, shoulders, arms and core all get a great workout in what is rigorous, continuous motion.

Click on photo to enlarge

www.profastpitch.com

NATIONAL PRO NEWS...

NATIONAL PRO FASTPITCH (NPF) WILL PLAY 44-GAME team schedules this year, beginning Thursday, June 7 with the defending champions Chicago Bandits challenging the USSSA Florida Pride at home. The new Carolina Diamonds will travel to take on the Akron Racers. The regular season ends August 19 prior to the start of the NPF Championship Series, August 23. NPF fans can catch all the season action through Internet live streaming.

Since BPF's 2004 inaugural year, the Chicago Bandits have dominated five of the eight seasons. However, the season-ending Championship Series has yet to crown a back-to-back winner.

Full story at http://www.profastpitch.com/news/index.html?article_id=1720

CLICK HERE for NPF's schedule. 

USSSA PRIDE’S SARAH PAULY INDUCTED INTO HALL OF FAME at her alma mater, Texas A&M Corpus Christi. Sarah is one of five NCAA Division I pitchers to win 100 games, strikeout 1,000 batters, maintain a sub-1.00 ERA and average double-digit strikeouts for a career. From 2002-05, Pauly’s record reads 112-46, 1,636 strikeouts, 57 shutouts and a 0.88 ERA in 1049.2 innings pitched.

In her career in the NPF she has an ERA of 2.19 with 631 strikeouts.

"THE REWARD THAT THIS GAME HAS is what makes me love it,” she said. “The whole outlook of this sport makes more sense now that I am out of college and an accomplished pitcher, but a long time ago there was a little girl who fell in love with the sport and never looked back.”

Full story and much more about Sarah's career at http://www.profastpitch.com/news/index.html?article_id=1722 

PHOTO ABOVE: Sarah Pauly goes into the stretch. Sarah has a “PaulyGirl Fastpitch - dedicated pitching” website at http://www.paulygirlfastpitch.com

TRIPLE THREAT PLAYERS can hit away, slap and bunt. 

She – “the triple threat” player -- is changing the way the game of softball is played, according to Caitlin Lever of the Chicago Bandits.

“The game is now faster,” Caitlin claims, “and more strategic with an emphasis on speed.”

HIT, SLAP, BUNT ADVANTAGES: 1. Coaches can do more with game strategy. 2. Pressure on defense forces errors. 3. Batter has more options by reading defense or field condition. 4. Decreases slumps by allowing batter to utilize better what is working.

Caitlin adds: “These players are lethal weapons when they get on base and they add tremendous numbers to the RBI list of those big power hitters that come up to the plate behind them.”

Full story at http://rise.espn.go.com/softball/articles/2011/03/Caitlin-Lever-Triple-Threat.aspx?pursuit=Softball

PHOTO ABOVE: Caitlin Lever of  professional softball's Chicago Bandits connects with a slap hit. Caitlin has also played for the Canadian National Team, Canadian Olympic Team, and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

FASTPITCH NEWS NUGGETS...

DEFENDING CHAMPS ARIZONA STATE SUN DEVILS RANK #1 among college softball teams in the nation, according to a unanimous vote in the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Preseason Poll. Florida finished #2, followed by #3 Alabama, #4 California, and #5 Oklahoma. 

The Pac-12 conference led the way in the poll with seven teams, while the Big XII and the SEC each had six teams. The poll is voted on by 30 NCAA Division I head coaches, one representing each conference. 

PHOTO ABOVE: Arizona State won the 2011 Women's College World Series and now slides right back into the #1 slot again at the beginning of this season. (NCAA photos)

Full NCAA story at http://www.ncaa.com/news/softball/article/2012-01-24/arizona-state-tops-preseason-polls  Full NFCA story at http://www.nfca.org/news/?id=3885 

Rankings at  http://www.ncaa.com/rankings/softball/d1/usa_todaynfca_coaches

#2 FLORIDA STARTS THE SEASON WITH A NEW PHILOSOPHY. The Gators led the nation in runs and home runs last year, but this year will be entirely different. It will be a small-ball game. Now the key stats will be on-base percentage, steals, and extra-base hits. While power is not exactly lacking. Junior Brittany Schutte returns, who is the school's single-season home run record holder (22). “I feel like this team is more versatile,” sophomore Kasey Fagan said. “We’re faster; we can do more things at the plate. We aren’t just a one-dimensional team. People are going to be surprised, that’s all I can say.” Full story at http://www.alligator.org/sports/softball/article_308418e0-48a9-11e1-9512-001871e3ce6c.html 

NATIONAL GIRLS AND WOMEN PARTICIPATE IN SPORTS DAY, Wednesday, February 1. The 2012 theme is “Title IX at 40: In it for the Long Run” and will be marked as thousands gather to celebrate in Washington, D.C. It has been 39 years since the 1972 landmark legislation banned sex discrimination in schools. Full story at http://www.nfca.org/news/?id=3884

COASTAL CAROLINA SET FOR $10.2 MILLION RENOVATION to put softball (& baseball) program among the nation's upper echelon. A $1.2 million Practice/Hitting Facility was completed last spring, while a new softball building will be 9,000 square feet. "The new home of Chanticleer Softball will be tremendous for our student-athletes and fans," said CCU head softball coach Kelley Green. "We are excited about the unlimited possibilities that lie ahead for our program.” Full story at http://www.goccusports.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/012512aaa.html

Harford Xtreme Showcase's Amanda Norris will be attending Coastal Carolina in the fall!

ART ABOVE: Rendering of the new Costal Carolina softball facility

COLLEGE SOFTBALL A BALANCING ACT. Homework at 30,000 feet – and managing classes, keeping touch with family, having a social life, and playing softball, as well. As challenging as it may be, college softball players seem to handle it. Full story from University student newspaper at http://www.depauliaonline.com/mobile/sports/softball-players-balance-school-and-the-game-while-traveling-1.2746889

SOFTBALL PLAYER GRACE KELLER HONORED AS NJ “WOMAN OF THE YEAR”. What has this Felician College senior done? Well, 3.42 GPA, double major (education & fine art), three-time dean's list – and two-year softball captain, 96 career base hits, fifth all-time stolen bases at Felician, has played six positions for the Golden Falcons, and likely starting shortstop in 2012. Full story at http://www.nj.com/hobokennow/index.ssf/2012/01/softball_athlete_and_hoboken_n.html

BRAND NEW NATIONAL PRO FASTPITCH TEAM, Carolina Diamonds, will be based in Charlotte (NC). Former UNC All-American and ACC player and pitcher of the year Danielle Spaulding and former UNC catcher with ACC honors Brittany McKinney are on the roster. Full story at http://www.profastpitch.com/news/?article_id=1719

PHOTO ABOVE: Danielle Spaulding

STEVE SCHOOLS STEPS DOWN FROM 30+ YEARS COACHING SOFTBALL for two Prince George’s County (MD) high schools. He will continue as Clinton's athletic director. His combined record as a softball coach at the two schools is 309-106, including four Potomac Valley Athletic Conference championships. “I’ve been fortunate to have some really good teams and really good players,” he said. Full story at http://www.gazette.net/article/20120125/SPORTS/701259313/1028/1028/veteran-coach-steps-down&template=gazette

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY WON A BIG ONE when softball's Florida Gulf Coast Eagles “stepped up to the plate” and “pitched in” by painting an entire house for a deserving family. “Southwest Florida has been so great to FGCU, our athletics program and specifically to our softball team, that we always want to take advantage of an opportunity to give back,” said head coach David Deiros. Full story at http://www.fgcuathletics.com/softball/news/2011-12/4813/softball-volunteers-at-habitat-for-humanity

Vote for a winner...

SOFTBALL THIRD BASEMAN, 13-YEAR-OLD SYDNEY BECKER OF LIVINGSTON, NJ, IS IN THE RUNNING to be recognized as the "Story of the Year", a contest sponsored by a national sports media company.

One of the top hitters on her travel softball team, Sydney Becker was suddenly diagnosed last year with Osteosarcoma, the eighth most common form of childhood cancer. She has undergone chemotherapy and a a brutal eight-hour surgery, which left a titanium rod in her lower leg and an artificial joint in her knee.

Her Dad promised that if she could get through the surgery, chemo, and physical therapy, he would get her one at-bat before the end of the season. In the final game last fall, she found herself the lead-off hitter, stepping to the plate with a cumbersome brace on her leg – and promptly drilled the second pitch into right center field for a clean single.

“She couldn't run, and could barely walk, but she made it to first base, while everyone applauded, and wiped their eyes,” her Dad said. The opposing team stopped the game to give her high fives.

Today Sydney is months removed from chemo and her post-treatment full body scans have been all clear. She has started workouts in softball batting cages.

You can vote for Sydney to win "Story of the Year" at http://theyouthees.com/candidate/784073746 

Sydney has a blog at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/sydneybecker/journal

Sydney with friends and Derek Jeter at Yankee Stadium

All of the America's Youth Sports Awards are at http://theyouthees.com 

TOURNAMENT UPDATES...

HARFORD XTREME SHOWCASE'S 2012 SPRING/ SUMMER schedule will have the team on the road to eight major showcase tournaments from June's Memorial Day Weekend through the intense heat of early August.

OUR FASTPITCH PLAYERS WILL TRAVEL THE EAST COAST from a southern venue in Florence, South Carolina, to the northern softball diamonds of Plainville, Massachusetts. There also will be four weekends of always popular contests across Pennsylvania's beautiful countryside, and two more on New Jersey's and North Carolina's famed fields.

PLUS THE TEAM ALSO WILL PLAY IN MARYLAND'S Harford Community College Unlimited League through the 2012 summer with doubleheaders on Thursday evenings.

That's six states, eight towns or more, and probably 60+ games. 

THE TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE AT THIS TIME IS...

► Memorial weekend

PENNSYLVANIA 

Sat, Sun,  Mon, May 26, 27, 28 

MEMORIAL DAY 

MADNESS

South Central Pennsylvania

► Early June

NEW JERSEY 

Sat, Sun, June 9, 10 

EAST COAST 

SUMMER TOURNEY 

New Jersey / Pennsville area

► Late June

PENNSYLVANIA 

Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun, June 21, 22, 23, 24 

THE ROCK 

SUMMER SHOWCASE

Newtown

► Summer!

PENNSYLVANIA 

Thurs, Fri, Sat,  Sun, June 28, 29, 30, July 1 

TNT SUMMER 

SHOWCASE 

Quakertown

► July 4th week

PENNSYLVANIA 

Fri, Sat, Sun, July 6, 7, 8  

PGF NORTHEAST 

NATIONAL QUALIFIER
Newtown

► Going South!

SOUTH CAROLINA 

Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun, July 12, 13, 14, 15 

HOT TIME CLASSIC 

Florence

► Staying South!

NORTH CAROLINA

Fri, Sat, Sun, July 20, 21, 22 

CAROLINA 

CARDINALS CLASSIC

Raleigh

► Heading North!

MASSACUSETTS 

Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun, August 2, 3, 4, 5 

 NEW ENGLAND'S 

FINEST SHOWCASE 

Plainville

► Back home, 

Thursdays!

MARYLAND 

Spring/ Summer, doubleheaders

HARFORD COMMUNITY

COLLEGE UNLIMITED LEAGUE

Bel Air

SOFTBALL, more than just a game

Jen Schroeder, a former catcher at UCLA, posts at ESPNHS SOFTBALL that “I have finally figured out what this sport is all about.”

It is not the wins and loses that are important, she opines.

“Softball is not about how many home runs you hit, what your fielding percentage is, or where you attend college,” Jen states. “It isn’t about being the best player on the field, the most talked about, winning all the awards, or being on the 'top' teams. And, it sure isn’t about winning every game. Softball is about much more than that.”

It is about “memories” she claims, and life's lessons – and, she adds “it is about being a part of something bigger than yourself.”

Jen writes: “It is about the life lessons you walk away with at the end of the day. It is about becoming a better person through both your failures and accomplishments. It is about learning to make commitments to not only others, but to yourself. It is learning that to fail is not to be a failure. It’s about the people you meet, and the relationships you create; the discipline you learn and the work ethic you maintain. But, most of all, it is about the memories you make.”

Read the full article at... http://rise.espn.go.com/softball/articles/2010/11/Schroeder-Softball.aspx?pursuit=Softball 

Jen Schroeder (second from left) along with her UCLA teammates.

FASTPITCH NEWS NUGGETS...

SOFTBALL NEWS & INFORMATION: 2012 coaches preseason poll, Chicago's newest Bandit feels “blessed”, CT convention draws global interest, a recycling program funds team...

2012 BIG EAST SOFTBALL PRESEASON COACHES POLL: DePaul was tabbed the preseason softball favorite with Syracuse and Notre Dame rounding out the top three. The schools, right now, are ranked: 1. DePaul, 2. Syracuse, 3. Notre Dame, 4. Louisville, 5. USF, 6. Pittsburgh, 7. Rutgers, 8. Connecticut, 9. Providence, 10. St. John's, 11. Villanova, 12. Georgetown, 13. Seton Hall. This season's BIG EAST Championship will be held on May 12 at 3 PM, hosted by the University of Notre Dame. It will be televised live on ESPN2. Full story at http://www.bigeast.org/News/tabid/435/Article/230661/DePaul-Tops-2012-BIG-EAST-Softball-Preseason-Poll.aspx

"SOFTBALL SAVED MY LIFE,” says Meagan Denny White, the a 26-year-old, 74 mph, rise ball right-hander who signed with the Chicago Bandits this past month. “I had dyslexia. I hated school. I hated myself. I had no friends. I stuttered really bad. I felt so alone in the world. When I started playing softball, I started feeling good about who I was. I started creating goals for myself. I started getting more sociable, too. Softball did that for me. It brought me out of the black hole I was in, and I felt I was finally alive.” Asked for a single word to describer her life, she says “Blessed.” Full interview at http://www.examiner.com/bandits-in-chicago/chicago-s-newest-bandit-softball-saved-my-life

WORLD BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL COACHES CONVENTION, Mohegan, Connecticut, is growing as never imagined. The event currently attracts more than 1,000 softball attendees (with equal number of baseball participants, as well). “It started out as a New England event and now we have 35, 40 states that people are hailing from,” said Andy Walker, one of the organizers. “It’s grown, even internationally. We’ve had people come over from Europe to come to the event.” Full story at http://www.norwichbulletin.com/sports/x1069935917/Baseball-softball-convention-growing-in-size-importance#axzz1kBT3HJLS

ENVIRONMENTAL FUNDRAISER. Niles McKinley Lady Red Dragons raise money while helping the planet by holding a recycle day. People brought in computers, televisions, cell phones, batteries, iPods, GPS devices, fax machines, printers, etc. along with a $10 donation to the Ohio softball team. Full story at http://www.wfmj.com/story/16571768/valley-softball-team-holds-fundraiser-that-helps-the-environment

Sunday practice...

It was snow, ice and bitter cold outside, but inside today at the Proving Grounds Gymnasium (Forest Hill, MD) young women were sweating. 

These were Harford Xtreme Showcase gals moving at a steady, rapid pace for four hours through ladder drills, jump ropes, light weights, conditioning balls, fielding and hitting exercises, throwing and rundown routines, and pitching reps.

Next week, Sunday, January 29, hitting against live pitching is scheduled. Hitters, slappers, catchers and pitchers be ready! School-ball is just 31 days away.

Click on photo to enlarge

In collage above at today's workout, left-to-right, top row, Amanda Norris (3rd, U), Sara Conboy (2nd, OF), Emma Mires (OF, 3rd, U), bottom row, Kelsie Traylor (Catcher, 3rd, 1st, OF), Bethanie Cook (SS, OF), Caroline Weimer (1st, 2nd). 

Not pictured, but working out today were Jess Moore (P, SS), Macy Morris (3rd, OF, Catcher, 1st), Lily Engel (P, OF), Lori Sena (3rd, 2nd, OF, Catcher), Kelsea Hilditch (OF), Natalie Lau (OF) and Lauren Pupa (P, OF, U)

Summary from 

NCSA College Athletic Scholarships Blog...

What You Need to Know About 

Taking an “Unofficial” College Visit

“Official” campus visits are exciting because the college pays the travel costs, indicating a strong interest in the player. An “unofficial” visit may serve the same purpose, except that the student-athlete pays for travel costs.

DI & DII schools often are limited by budgets to just how many official visits can be offered. 

DIII schools almost always schedule unofficial recruiting trips paid by the student families. However, student-athlete prospect are getting recruited in these cases.  They are still getting the campus tour, meeting the team, and talking to the coaches about opportunities.

Be proactive and don’t limit yourself to only “official” visits to schools.  If you are interested in a school, and they haven’t offered you an official visit, take the initiative and schedule a unofficial visit with the coach so that he or she knows you are serious about their school.

Here’s a quick list of when to consider an “unofficial” visit to a campus:

• When you’ve been recruited by a coach, but haven’t been offered an “official” visit to the school by late Fall of your Senior year.

• When you are looking to attend a Division III school that doesn’t offer athletic scholarships, and can’t pay for “official” visits to their prospects.

•  When you and your family are going to be in the area where a college is located, and would be convenient to visit (like during a family vacation).  

• When you are interested in a program, but that program does not know about you or is not seriously recruiting you.  Making a personal appearance shows a coach that you are a highly interested prospect.

If you feel like you need to be more proactive in getting coaches to seriously consider you as an option for their college roster, few things can be as valuable as arranging an unofficial campus visit.

FULL STORY AT http://www.ncsasports.org/blog/2008/09/27/what-you-need-to-know-about-taking-an-unofficial-visit/

FASTPITCH NEWS NUGGETS...

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL turns hopes to fastpitch softball for promotional opportunities and even a prospect plucked from Downunder fields...

MATREALE IS THE NEWEST PHILLIES BALLGIRL. A fastpitch softball pitcher for the Rider University Broncs (Lawrenceville, New Jersey), Rachel Matreale has led the Division I team in ERA (3.25), complete games (26), shutouts (3) innnings pitched (170) and Ks (120). Now she will become an ambassador for the Philadelphia Phillies on radio/TV shows and a multitude of community events. She also will play 10 softball games for charity. “I’m excited to paint the town red and be a part of the game and the community service we get to do,” she said. Full story at http://www.nj.com/gloucester county/index.ssf/2012/01/williamstown_native_selected_a.html

MLB PICKS UP SOFTBALL PLAYER? Yes, Major League Baseball, specifically the Baltimore Orioles, have signed Pita Rona, a 17-year-old FASTPITCH SOFTBALL player out of New Zealand. "We see an athlete who will be able to make the transition fairly rapidly and fairly successfully," said Oriole scout David Stockstill. Pita is projected to join the Orioles in 2013 spring training. Pita is a young man. Young women next?? Full story at  http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-tap-new-zealand-for-17yearold-prospect-20120118,0,4026874.story

See YouTube video of Pita Rona slamming a fastpitch home run at http://youtu.be/2KE3miFwmmQ

BASES & extra practice...

Harford Xtreme Showcase players gathered together Thursday evening, January 19, for extra practice at BASES- Baseball And Softball Essential Skills training facility, Curtis Bay, MD. 

Special emphasis was placed on hitting and slap hitting, while pitchers and catchers also worked on pitch location and pitch selection. Coach Sam Traylor oversaw the drills. 

These special workouts, separate from regularly scheduled practices, will continue during the winter on an every other Thursday basis.

Pictured above, left to right, are Lily Engel, Jess Moore, Kelsie Traylor, and Emma Mires at the BASES facility. Not pictured, but part of the extra training are Macy Morris, Bethanie Cook, Lauren Pupa, Lori Sena and Sara Conboy. Click on photo to enlarge.