DECEMBER 1 UPDATE
COMMITMENTS
Megan Zimmerer, USA Athletics, committed to Azusa Pacific University
Erin Webb, OF, 3rd, Corona Angels, 2006, early commitment to Tennessee
Heather Hamilton, C/OF, Orange County Lionettes to Savannah College of Art & Design
IL Homer Hawks 18U (Buchanan)
Amanda Pucel 2B/IF--Southern IL University Edwardsville
Samantha Markowski C--Indiana State University
Lori Andjelich P/OF--Grand Valley State University
Lauren Morita OF/C--Milliken University
Andrea Wabol P/OF--University of Toledo
ASA NAMES TEAM SELECTION COMMITTEES
National Team
selection committees named
12/1/2004
Oklahoma City,
OK---The Amateur Softball Association, the National Governing Body of Softball
in the United States, announced today the individuals that will be in charge of
selecting the athletes to represent the United States in international softball
competitions for the next four years. Members of the USA Softball Men’s and
Women’s Selection Committee’s were chosen after an application and interview
process and will now assume the arduous task of finding the top softball players
in the country to represent the U.S. in every international competition.
Each USA Softball selection committee consists of three members of the ASA
National Council, a representative from the allied members, two player
representatives and the head coach.
Four members of the USA Softball Men’s Selection Committee remain in place for
the next quadrennial and are joined by a former player and a former member of
the women’s selection committee.
Warren Jones of Ashland, OH, Doug Lindaman of Ackley, IA, Avon Meacham of Upper
Marlboro, MD and Cliff Warrick of Round Rock, TX return from the men’s committee
whose team selections won gold at the 2001 Pan Am Qualifier and silver at the
2003 Pan Am Games.
Ross Dey of Sedalia, MO, who retired from competition on the Men’s National Team
after the 2004 ISF Men’s World Championship, joins Avon Meacham as one of the
two player representatives on the committee. Dan Highland of Normal, IL served
on the Women’s Committee the past four years but will now work with the Men’s
Selection Committee.
Three members of the USA Softball Women’s Selection Committee remain the same
after one of the most impressive performances ever by the USA Softball Women’s
National Team program.
Marty McGuire of Midland, MI, Sam Ducato of Dublin, CA and Judy Sherman of
Forest Grove, OR return for another four year stint.
1998 World gold medalist Amy Hillenbrand of Tucson, AZ joins 2000 Olympic gold
medalist Jennifer McFalls of Grand Prairie, TX as the two athlete
representatives on the committee.
Glenn Morrison of Killeen, TX, who is the ASA Commissioner for the state of
Texas, is the final member of the committee.
USA Softball Men’s Head Coach Peter Turner of Stockton, CA and USA Softball
Women’s Head Coach Mike Candrea of Casa Grande, AZ will serve on their
respective committees until they are replaced as head coach or reselected.
HUMOR
Thanks to Jeffery Roberts
Read Very Slowly - These
Are Rather Clever!!
Arbitrator: A cook that leaves Arby's to work at McDonald's.
Avoidable: What a bullfighter tries to do.
Bernadette: The act of torching a mortgage.
Burglarize: What a crook sees with.
Control: A short, ugly inmate.
Counterfeiters: Workers who put together kitchen cabinets.
Eclipse: what an English barber does for a living.
Eyedropper: a clumsy ophthalmologist.
Heroes: what a guy in a boat does.
Left Bank: what the robber did when his bag was full of loot.
Misty: How golfers create divots.
Paradox: two physicians.
Parasites: what you see from the top of the Eiffel Tower.
Pharmacist: a helper on the farm.
Polarize: what penguins see with.
Primate: removing your spouse from in front of the TV or computer.
Relief: what trees do in the spring.
Rubberneck: what you do to relax your wife.
Seamstress: describes 250 pounds in a size 6.
Selfish: what the owner of a seafood store does.
Sudafed: brought liigation against a government official.
And last but not least
Subdued :...like a guy that works on one of those Attack Submarines
THE RITE OF PASSAGE
While some very big girls prepare for the national team camp in January, and girls already in the system begin winter practice, with not just a few joining new teams in the 12-18 age groups, the whole process begins anew at the 10U stage – all over the country. Coaches, mostly fathers, have the daunting task of determining who has the latent skills to play – and the desire to devote much of the free time in their young lives to perfecting those skills.
Their long road to a possible Olympics will be peopled by many adults and some players who have followed the same path. The Little Slammers team Bill Lilley is putting together in northern Ohio offers an example of the support group necessary to ensure these youngsters get the coaching and guidance to make that trip. Bill writes: I've put together a 10U team in northern Ohio that is working out three times a week -- I handle the hitting using all of what I've learned from Rick Eckstein (Angels SS David's brother, former hitting coach with UGA and currently with the new Nationals as their minor-league roving guy); my buddy Jim Miller, who played four years at WVU in the 1960s is my left-hand man and I bring college kids such as my son, Notre Dame second baseman Brett Lilley, daughter, Purdue shortstop Tricia Lilley, Akron SS Brady Steineck and former Northwestern OF Suzi Spotleson to teach the kids specific skills most pertinent to the positions they play.
That kind of dedication by young female athletes is manifested in other sports. I just read about America’s Junior World ski team, noting the years they had devoted – two began skiing at age 2 – and all paid their expenses to competitions until they made the Juniors.
All of this on my mind as I think of the gender inequities in sports – the huge differences in pay at the collegiate level, the lack of sustaining career opportunities post-college for all but a few. This Christmas, I hope every player at the upper levels of our sport takes a moment to look back down that road, and appreciate the gifts of support they received from so many.
SALLIE SCUDDER
Sallie Scudder, the long-time coach of Tampa Mustangs-White 18-U, has been diagnosed with cancer and is currently undergoing chemotherapy. Sallie hopes and expects to be back coaching the Tampa Mustangs-White team and her Tampa H.B. Plant High School team this Spring.
There has been an overwhelming outpouring of prayers, sympathy and support for Sallie
among her hundreds of Tampa-area players, ex-players, parents, supporters and fans. Sallie, our prayers are with you.
LUCKY ME
I’ve received separate emails this week informing me that my email address was plucked from among thousands of others and I have won both the British and Dutch national lotteries. All I have to do is give them my banking data, including routing codes – which of course they could join my youngest daughter in draining my account. The week before I won the Irish lottery. But, it so happens I have close affiliations with Scotland Yard Special Branch. Traced it all to a letter box company on the Isle of Man, a notorious money laundering center. The Irish Sweepstakes is not a lottery – it’s a horse race, like the British Grand Nationals.
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