My thoughts on the things that happened today

With the announcement of so many of our vertern and star softball players leaving the USA National team to devote all their time to the NPF I felt the need to write a blog. This is a big deal in the softball world and for many of us a huge defeat, heartbreak, and a great loss. But on the other hand it is a huge step forward and a good thing for the NPF as well.

            First off let me say that I love the NPF. It’s a great organization that offers a chance to softball players that has never really been there before! I am thrilled that so many women want to help push this league further. This is a league with so much to offer and so many amazing athletes and coaches.

            But without the awareness of the sport that the national team brought none of this would be possible! My first thoughts when I found out I will honestly say were not happy thoughts. My heart is broken at this news. So many softball teams around the world depend on Team USA to guide the path and keep pushing forward to keep the sport growing internationally and to get their beloved sport back in the Olympics. This is where the biggest loss of today’s events will be felt. I know there will still be a Team USA and it will still hold many big names from the college level. But to me it’s more the message being sent to these other countries. I can’t imagine how these other countries are feeling as they ,as well as us, watch what we all thought was the strongest softball team in the whole world fall apart. These other teams have less support and less money then Team USA has ever had! I know they must be thinking well if Team USA can’t withstand this how are we are going to? I know they must be thinking that because I am! I am so sad that ASA/USA and the NPF couldn’t work out away for these wonderful women to promote the sport both at home and abroad! What makes this sport great is not just what is here in this country but the teams and players in so many other countries as well! I look back at Worlds in Venezuela and I thought this wonderful sport was growing and it was going to show the IOC how wrong they are. But with the developments over the last 24 hours it appears we are showing them and all these other countries that they were indeed right! I worry what this means for this sport. I worry that this could be the end of this great sport as we know it. I wonder who are the little girls who play softball each spring/summer supposed to look up to when the players they have watched for so long are no longer in a place where they can watch them. Because let’s face it the vast majority of us at this point are too far away to see these NPF games and I can’t speak for anybody else but I can not afford to pay to watch them online. I hope and pray the NPF is able to grow and become big and strong because if they can’t it very well could take down this sport in a way that we have never seen before!

            I have the utmost in respect for these women! After all they are the ones who started this fire and love in my heart so many years for this sport! I don’t blame them for the choice they made and I will support them wherever they are!

            My point is not that we shouldn’t support the NPF! My point isn’t that the NPF is not a great organization with so many good things a head of it. My point is we can’t forget softball at the international level! We can’t forget about the hard battle being fought to get this sport back into the Olympics. We can’t forget about these other countries and their softball teams! Because if we do we are forgetting where the game came from and what made it the great game it is today! I am completely heartbroken that instead of coming together to fight for this sport we are once again separating and trying to do this separately! In order for this to work all of these organizations have to work together! The developments today show me this sport has a LONG way to go! We owe it to the little girls who dream about playing in the Olympics and playing professionally to do what we can to bring this sport together as one and fight as one! As long as we are fighting separately we will fail! You can’t cut a horse in half and expect to win a race! He needs his whole body and all of his muscles to do so! Just like that horse this sport needs all of its levels and organizations to come together as one!

            Please do what you can to support the NPF! Because it seems we are putting all of the pressure of furthering this great sport on the back of this organization! I just hope we can get enough support for them to be successful!

My softball team!

I’ve been trying to figure out how to do this next blog entry and I think I’ve finally figured out how I am going to do it. I’m going to put together a mock team! I’ll pick up to 3 ladies for each position and 3 coaches.

Pitchers:

Danielle Lawrie: You know I can’t do this without Danielle Lawrie. I love her passion and drive for the game! She has an incredible amount of movement, power, and speed! Plus she is an amazing person on and off the field!

Cat Osterman: Cat is a veteran of the game with many many years of experience! She doesn’t have as much speed and power as other pitchers but she brings some serious movement!

Monica Abbott: Anybody who knows anything about softball knows what Monica Abbott brings, speed and power! She throws harder and faster than just about any other pitcher I’ve watch! You don’t really need a ton of movement when the ball is moving like. However when she needs to she can also throw in some serious movement as well!

Catchers:

Lauren Lappin: She can play almost any position on the field but I love her best behind the plate! She always calls a great game and she has a wicked arm on her to catch people trying to steal!

Megan Willis: She may have never made the national team or gone to the Olympics but she still rocks at what she does! There are few catchers with the arm this girl has.

Shawna Wright: As a freshman Shawna took the place of Alicia Blake last season for the Huskies as catcher. I know a lot of people had their doubts about her but she has stepped into the position well and I see the makings of a star! She even made the USA Junior National Team!

1^st base:

Jennie Finch: Although I didn’t put her in my line up as pitcher (although she is one of the all time great pitchers!) I wanted her in as first baseman! She is not afraid to go after fly balls and even take crazy leaps and jumps to catch them!

Hooch Fagaly: Hooch was the freshman first baseman for the Huskies last season and she did a phenomenal job on both sides of the ball! I believe she too will do big things over the next few years!

Sheena Lawrick: Another great Canadian player! Just love watching this girl play and the passion she plays with!

2^nd base:

Ashley Charters: She always seems to be coming up with the clutch plays on both sides of the ball!

Jenn Yee: She is another explosive player on both sides of the ball but especially with the bat! She set a lot of records with her bat at Georgia Tech!

SS:

Jenn Salling: This is a hard choice for me! But Jenn Salling won out because she is a Husky! Jenn is one of the best in the world at what she does! I absolutely love watching her do what she does best on both sides of the ball! She never stops amazing me with her leadership, dedication, passion, and talent! The look on her face when she is in her grove can provoke fear in my heart (well not really but it’s a pretty serious look!).

Natasha Whatley: The only person in my mind in the whole world who can compete with Jenn Salling! These two are neck and neck for me! Natasha is an amazing SS but she is incredible with a bat. She can slap, she can get base hits, and she can hit the long ball!

3^rd base:

Andrea Duran: I’ve been watching her play for a long time and she makes amazing grabs that a lot of people would miss! She can also be quite dangerous with the bat!

Morgan Stuart: The thing I love the most about Morgan is her ability to show up out of no where! She comes off as this quiet person but when things get going the passion come rushing out! She is a heck of a 3^rd baseman and always seems to come up with a big hit to get the offense going or to continue it!

LF:

Jessica Mendoza: Does she really need an explanation? I’ve been watching her play softball since I was a kid and she never gets old!

Nikki Williams: Nikki is an amazing outfielder, hitter, and leader for the Huskies! Her bubbly personality makes her so much fun to watch on the field!

Victoria Hayward: A great Canadian softball player and she is in her freshman season as a Husky! I like what I see in this young lady!

CF:

Caitlin Lowe: Caitlin Lowe is another does she need an explanation? She makes some crazy diving catches and I’ve seen more than one time sacrifice her body to catch ball! She is pretty amazing with a bat as well!

Alyson McWherter: Another one of my Huskies! Alyson is a great out fielder, great with the bat, and a great leader(I feel a little like I’m repeating myself with my reasons here lol!).

Caitlin Lever: One of the many great Canadian softball players! She always seem to come through when something is needed!

RF:

Crystl Bustos: Another lady who needs no explanation! One of the best to ever pick up a bat and ball!

Bailey Stenson: I just love this girl! She has such a passion for softball and life in general! She is an amazing softball player and a person! I can’t imagine having a softball team without her and her personality! She could do our documenting (she has a great blog and does great videos called Breaking it Down with Bailey or BIDWB! Check it out!)

Alissa Haber: Alissa a great outfielder but I like her for what he brings with the bat! She is good at getting little base hits as well hitting the long ball!

Coaches:

Heather Tarr: I’m sure you knew she would be on here somewhere! She has such a passion for the sport and does such a great job that there was no doubt for me who I would chose as the head coach! There are few coaches I love to watch more than her!

Patty Gasso: She reminds me in a lot of ways of Coach Tarr! She is passionate about this sport and she coaches a program full of tradition!

Jay Miller: This is another one of those does he need an explanation? Great man and great coach!

So there is my team! Here are some other ladies and coaches I thought about including.

Kelsi Dunne (pitcher for Alabama)

Kelani Ricketts (pitcher for Oklahoma)

Jenna Ciara (pitcher for Team Canada)

Eileen Canney (pitcher for Team USA)

Sarah Pauly (pitcher for USSSA Pride)

Megan Langenfeld (pitcher for UCLA)

Yuki Ueno (pitcher in Japan)

Taryne Mowatt(pitcher)

Stacey Nelson (former pitcher for Florida)

Charlotte Morgan (pitcher and first baseman for the USSSA Pride)

Erin Cumpstone (catcher for Team Canada)

Stacey Nuveman (catcher for Team USA)

Amber Flores (2^nd baseman for USSSA Pride)

Kimi Pohlman (outfielder for the University of Washington)

Francesca Enea (outfielder for USSSA Pride)

Tairia Flowers

Michelle Smith

Coaches

Haruka Saitoh(head coach for Team Japan)

Patrick Murphy (head coach for the University of Alabama)

Lance Glasoe (assistant coach for the University of Washington)

Jay Miller (former head coach of the Team USA)

All of the NPF coaches

This was a hard thing to do! It sounded so easy when I thought of it, but it turned out to be pretty hard! What do you think? Did I leave off anybody you would have included or did I add someone you wouldn’t have included? I haven’t finished my bulletin board yet hopefully by the time I do my next blog!