Thoughts for the athletes

Just a very nice post I found on-line:

emkayed.wordpress.com

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One Day This Won’t Be Your Life Anymore

I spent nine years chasing the game I loved. I played every weekend, holiday and summer until I was 18 years old. I collected memories and trophies and battle scars. And then, in one of the most difficult decisions I’ve ever made, I walked away. I felt sure that it was best for me and most days, I believe I was right. I was watching my dad’s team play this weekend (he coaches high school softball) and a parent asked me “What would tell these girls if you knew they’d listen?” And this is what I would say:

One day you will walk off the field for the last time. One day you will untie your cleats forever. One day you will put your glove in your bag and there it will stay for months at a time. One day your tan lines will fade. You’ll forget the feeling of seams beneath your fingers. You’ll struggle to remember the way it felt to hit the perfect pitch. You’ll see your teammates once or twice a year instead of every single day. You won’t slide into second. You won’t round first. One day you’ll be on the other side the fence.

One day this won’t be your life anymore. And when it’s not, you won’t remember the things that you’d think. You’ll have no idea how many times you struck out. You won’t know how many errors you made. You won’t be impressed with how many home runs you hit. You won’t care about your batting average or ERA. For the most part, you won’t remember wins and losses at all.

After your last inning has come and gone, you’re going to remember the times when you wanted to quit— but didn’t. You’re going to remember the teammates (and families) you loved along the way. You’re going to remember playing in the freezing cold, driving rain, and unbearable heat. You’re going to remember the hotel bonding and the eight hour road trips. You’re going to remember the early practices and late games. You’re going to remember the coaches that never gave up on you. But most of all, you’re going to remember the sheer happiness that came only from being between two chalk lines. You’re going to remember the moments you did more than you ever believed you could. You’re going to remember the times you used every bit of talent God gave you.

One day this won’t be your life anymore. So for today, run as fast as your feet will take you. Whether it’s a pop up to the pitcher or it bounces off the fence in left field. For today, swing as hard as you can. Commit to every pitch and give it everything you have. For today, make every play like it’s the last chance you’ll ever get. For today, play because you want to. Play because you need to. Play because the little girl you used to be fell in love with this game all those years ago.

For today, don’t stop until the last pitch is thrown. Play with every piece of your heart and leave it all on the field. One day, this won’t be your life anymore. When that day comes, make sure you wouldn’t change a thing.bout these ads

Best wishes to all of our THUNDER girls heading off to college!

Jordan Lizzotte / CURRY College.

Lissa McLean / WESTFIELD STATE Univ.

Sammie Rogers / RENSSELAER POLYTECH.

Jacque Gauthier / RHODE ISLAND College.

Katlyn Paiva / CONNECTICUT College.

Gaby Watson / VILLANOVA Univ.

We know that the work ethic, maturity, & confidence each of you demonstrate on the playing field will carry over to your college life and serve you well - So proud of you all!

It's a mental game!

"Boys need to play good to feel good and girls need to feel good to play good." Mike Candrea

As an athlete you have the wonderful gift of being able to step on the field and leave the rest of the world behind - 
treasure this gift! 
Relax, trust your abilities, & have FUN!

Sports & Life:

"You and your opponent want the same thing. The only thing that matters is who works the hardest for it!"

REHOBOTH THUNDER - 2013 16u ”A” - NEW ENGLAND REGIONAL CHAMPIONS!

The Rehoboth Thunder 16u fastpitch softball team continues to prove that a small town team with great chemistry and good old-fashioned hard work can compete with any team out there.

Coach Wade Lizotte brought the Thunder team together in 2012 with the intention of fielding a competitive team without the politics, cliques, or stress that most girls had experienced on teams elsewhere.

The Thunder had a core group of Rehoboth girls who had started playing together when they were 10 years old. A select few girls were then added, who fit in with the Thunder chemistry and “team comes first” attitude.

The result is a wonderful group of (11) hard working “never-quit” female athletes who love being on the practice field, who fight through each game until the very end, who support each other on and off the field, and (most importantly) who will be life-long friends!

Following a top 8 showing at the Ma. ASA State tournament in Lowell, the Thunder headed down to the New England Regionals in Bethel, Ct.

After a slow start on Saturday, dropping two games to the Northeast Hurricanes from N.H., the Thunder were forced into playing 12 + hours in the 90 degree heat and humidity on Sunday, fighting their way back through the Bracket Play.

They finally reached the semi-finals, and got to have their rematch with the Hurricanes.

The Thunder, continuing to get stronger with each game, proceeded to shut them out 8-0.

This now placed the Thunder into the Championship round against an undefeated USA Lady Mavericks team from N.H. (who had beaten the Thunder 5-4 earlier in the day).

Being a double-elimination tourney, the sweaty, filthy, beat-up, and exhausted Thunder team now faced the rough road of having to beat the Mavericks twice.

During the short rest between games, as they tried to cool down and catch their breath, Coach Lizotte told the team “This will be the only time in your lives that you'll play in a 16U Regional Championship game together – Make sure you enjoy it and have fun.”

The Thunder ladies’ team chemistry kicked in and took over from there.

With the pride of being one of the last two teams still remaining on a hot Sunday afternoon, they picked each other up, dug deep, and surprised the well-rested Mavericks with their “never-quit” attitude, taking the first game 2-0.

The Thunder was now on a roll and fought tooth and nail through the 2^nd game.

Each inning was a back and forth battle resulting in a 2-2 score at the end of the 7 regulation innings.

The game then went to the international tiebreaker for the 8^th inning (runner starting on 2^nd base for each team’s at bat). A 5-5 tie score at the end of 8 repeated the international tiebreaker for the 9^th.

The Thunder team, now running on total adrenalin, went up 8-5 in the top of 9^th.

The Mavericks pushed back hard throughout a bottom of the 9^th nail biter, but the Thunder Ladies continued to play their “Thunder ball”, stood strong, (and somewhere around 8:30 that evening) got their 3^rd and final out without letting in another run.

The Thunder Ladies, with dirty, tear stained faces and very big smiles, were crowned the well deserved – 2013 16u “A” New England Regional Champions!

The Thunder Ladies:

Jordan Lizotte, Jess Potter, Lissa McLean, Gaby Watson, and Emma Maslen from Rehoboth. Katelyn Fournier from Dighton. Samantha Rogers and Kelcie Mendes from Somerset. Bekah Lajoie from Taunton. Sophia Angelini and Harper Berriman from Barrington.

Thunder Coaches Wade Lizotte, Jeff Potter, Scott McLean, along with hitting guru Jeff Correia, and all the Thunder parents are extremely proud of these exceptional young ladies!

Rehoboth THUNDER Softball – Where TEAM comes first!

http://rthundersoftball.blogspot.com/

2013 THUNDER 16U SEASON

Lots of hard work & hard fought games.
But most of all - Lots of FUN & fantastic Memories!
Great Season!

(30) wins & (12) Losses

2013 ASA 16U Class "A" New England Regional Champions!
7th place @ Ma. States * 1st place @ Somerset Invitational * 2nd place @ Cape Cod Chowder Cup * 2nd place @ Swansea Summer Slam * 2nd place in Swansea Summer League.

2013 Rehoboth THUNDER 16U 
# 4 * Sophia Angelini * CF

# 7 * Emma Maslen * C/OF

#11 * Samantha Rogers * SS/3B

#12 * Harper Berriman * C

#14 * Lissa McLean * P/3B

#15 * Bekah LaJoie * OF/3B

#18 * Kelcie Mendes * C/OF

#25 * Jess Potter * 1B

#33 * Gaby Watson * SS/2B

#34 * Jordan Lizotte * P/1B

#35 * Katelyn Fournier * C/2B
Coaches: Wade Lizotte, Jeff Potter , Scott McLean
Hitting Guru: Jeff Correia
& all the great families!

6/19 *W* 12-1 vs Drifters White

-----------------------------------------

* 1st Place - Somerset Invitational

6/22 *W* 6-0 vs Somerset Cyclones

6/22 *W* 6-0 vs Somerset Wildcats

6/22 *W* 8-0 vs S.Maine Frenzy

6/23 *W* 6-5 vs Franklin Fusion

6/23 *W* 11-2 vs Bay St. Thunder

------------------------------------------

* 2013 16U States * 7th of 26

6/28 *W* 8-5 vs Middlesex Rapidfire

6/29 *L* 6-5 vs Tewksbury

6/29 *W* 10-1 vs Legends

6/29 *W* 10-6 vs Vipers

6/29 *W* 3-2 vs Marlboro Thunder

6/29 *W* 8-2 vs Threshers

6/30 *L* 10-4 vs CM Bad Apples

------------------------------------------

7/2 *W* 14-3 vs Swansea Rage

7/9 *W* 9-5 vs Dighton Mist

7/10 *W* 9-2 vs Swansea Xtreme

------------------------------------------

* 2013 New England ASA 16u "A"

REGIONAL CHAMPIONS

7/13 *L* 9-5 vs N.E. Hurricanes

7/13 *L* 8-2 vs N.E. Hurricanes

7/13 *W* 3-2 vs Ctrl. Ma. Invaders

7/14 *L* 5-4 vs USA Lady Mavericks

7/14 *W* 4-0 vs N.H. Lightning

7/14 *W* 8-0 vs N.E. Hurricanes

7/14 *W* 2-0 vs USA Lady Mavericks

7/14 *W* 8-5 vs USA Lady Mavericks

------------------------------------------

* 2nd Place C.C. Chowder Cup

7/19 *W* 6-5 vs Bay State Sharks

7/20 *W* 8-6 vs Franklin Fusion

7/20 *W* 10-2 vs Ma. Xtreme

7/21 *W* 9-1 vs Walpole Rebels

7/21 *W* 6-2 vs Franklin Fusion

7/21 *L* 6-5 vs Bay State Sharks

------------------------------------------

7/24 *W* 6-2 vs Xplosion

-----------------------------------------

* 2nd place Xtreme Summer Slam

7/27 *W* 4-0 vs Dracut Dominators

7/27 *W* 9-0 vs Bay State Thunder

7/27 *W* 9-2 vs Ma. Drifters

7/28 *W* 8-0 vs E.C. Drama
7/28 *L* 6-0 vs Katman

-----------------------------------------

* 2013 Eastern 16U Nationals

7/31 *L* 6-4 vs Ohio Xcalibur

7/31 *L* 6-3 vs Ctrl. Pa. Krunch

8/2 *L* 9-1 vs Churchville Lightning

8/2 *L* 7-6 vs Va. Legends

------------------------------------------

8/7 *W* 10-0 vs Dighton Mist

8/14 *W* 6-1 vs Ma. Drifters

8/15 *L* 9-3 vs Taunton

SUE ENQUIST HITTING CLINIC PART #1

SUE ENQUIST HITTING CLINIC PART #2

THUNDER GIRLS ATTEND UMPIRE CLINIC

A big thank you goes out to the BCUA and Mr. Ron Andrade, along with Rene Dion and Mike Gaouette, for running a fantastic clinic!
These very experienced gentlemen gave an excellent look into the "other" side of the game.



Many of the THUNDER girls will now be registered and starting to umpire U10 games. 
What a great experience for the THUNDER girls, and a wonderful benefit for the younger girls they'll be involved with.

The THUNDER Girls continue to...
Prepare for the Game, Love the Game, Honor the Game * Pass it on!

THUNDER CLINIC

THUNDER GIRLS HAVE THEIR 1ST CLINIC!
On Sunday 4/14 our fantastic THUNDER athletes ran their 1st clinic with the young RYBSA girls.
Sooo proud of the Thunder's great work & enthusiasm.
The smiles you put on the young girl's faces was priceless!
GREAT JOB!

Prepare for the Game, Love the Game, Honor the Game * Pass it on!

Yes - Girls can do push-ups!

From the great Girl's Hockey "Guru" I follow - Kim McCullough - (With a little Softball editing by me.) - Such a simple exercise that can help you so much! 

Subject: 2 Reasons Why Girls Can't Do Pushups

Most girls' Softball players hate push-ups.  And most of them aren't very good at them either.
When I tell the players I train that we are going to do push-ups in our workout, I usually get eye rolls, groans and excuses in return. Most girls struggle to do proper push-ups.

Here are the 2 main reasons why:  

#1 - Poor Posture. 
The main reason girls' Softball players struggle with push-ups is poor posture.
Before we get to how you are going to fix that problem, you have to realize that in order to be able to play Softball well, you actually need to have bad posture. 
Think about it - you would never be able to field a ball, throw a ball, or hit a ball if you were always standing up perfectly straight with your shoulders pulled back.
Players have to let their shoulders roll forward slightly in order to be able to reach for a ball or swing a bat outside the frame of their body.
Players may need to have bad posture on the field, but they need to work on improving their posture off the field so that they can avoid shoulder injuries and back pain. 
And push-ups are actually a great exercise for improving posture - when they are done properly. 

In order to do the perfect push-up, your body must be in a perfectly straight line throughout the entire movement.
In order to maintain this position, players must be able to keep their core tight (I tell them to think about tightening up as though I was going to punch them in the stomach), squeeze their butts (that one usually gets a few giggles) and squeeze their shoulder blades together as they lower themselves down towards the ground. Squeezing your shoulder blades together actually activates your back muscles. 
You might be thinking that pushups are an arm and chest exercise only.  Wrong. In order to be able to maintain perfect position, you have to use your back muscles to take some of the load off of your arms and chest.
You'll find the pushups to be easier this way and that means you'll be able to do more of them.
Also, you can't let your head drop. This is one of the biggest red flags I see with young players trying to do pushups.  
If you let your head sag down, you break the straight line in your spine that should extend from your head to your tailbone.
By breaking that straight line, you weaken yourself and will limit the amount of pushups you'll be able to do in the long run.
If you can keep your body in this perfect straight position throughout the movement, you take the load off of your arms and rely more on your stronger chest, core and back muscles to perform the movement.

The main reason that girls Softball players struggle to do proper push-ups is that they rely too much on their arm strength, and not enough on their core strength and stability. Their lack of core strength and stability can be easily seen by the position of their body throughout the push-up movement. Players either let their butts come way up into the air or they let their hips sag down to the ground - both indicate that the core muscles of the player are weak.
You may need to have slightly poor posture in order to play the game effectively, but you also need to counteract that bad posture by practicing basic strength building movements, like push-ups. 

#2 - Lack of Practice
You have to practice your push-ups. You aren't just going to be able to wake up one morning at do 30 without ever practicing them.
The truth is that in order to play at the college level or beyond, you have to be able to do at least 30 perfect pushups. And those elite players can also do much more challenging versions of pushups like the close grip version, fingertip pushups and, my personal favorite, clap push-ups. Being able to do 30 regular pushups is really just a starting point. 
Some of you may be reading this and thinking: she's crazy. I can't even do 5 good push-ups. Never-mind 30 of them.  
The truth is that doesn't matter if you can only do 2 perfect push-ups or 20 right now.
The point is to practice so that you can improve your upper body strength.  
This increased strength will help you prevent shoulder injuries, win battles on the field and hit harder. 
And it also looks pretty cool when you can bust out 5 clap push-ups or win a pushup content against your guy friends.

So how many perfect push-ups can you do right now?  

Figure out where you are starting from, keep track of your improvements over the course of the next month and then practice, practice, practice.  Who knows, you may even start to enjoy them.

Work Hard. Dream BIG.

Your friend and coach, 
Kim 
Kim McCullough, MSc, YCS
Director, Total Female Hockey
Girls Hockey Director, PEAC School For Elite Athletes

ENQUIST OVERVIEW OF THE SWING

CLICK TO CHECK OUT:  ENQUIST OVERVIEW OF THE SWING

College Softball Dreams ???

Women's College Softball is a very competitive sport, with girls from all over the country competing for spots. Realistically you may not get the chance of playing in the finals at the College World Series (Then again - if you wanted to really put your mind to it??). 
But - you are all very good female athletes, start doing some research and you'll be amazed at how many schools are out there with teams at all different levels (not to mention club teams).

There are 286 NCAA DI programs, 264 NCAA DII, 392 NCAA DIII, 205 NAIA and 470 NJCAA softball programs in the United States.

Some info.to start looking at:
College Divisions * NCAA Div.I * Div.II * Div.III
College Divisions * NAIA
College Divisions * NJCAA Div.I * Div.II * Div.III
College Confernces * Ultimate college softball listing
New England Small Athletic Conference * NESCAC
National Club Softball Assoc. * NCSA
ECAC * New England Region Teams
A New England School Directory * Offering Women's Softball

Softball is the game you love - if you can use it as a tool to get you noticed by schools - What a bonus!

It's time to start contacting the schools you may be interested in! 
Check out their websites - Most will have a "potential recruit" form - fill it out!
Find the coaches email & send the coach a letter! Get your name out there :

INITIAL CONTACT LETTER TO COACHES
Penny Hastings, mother of a former Stanford soccer recruit and co-author of How to Win a Sports Scholarship, explains how to make a coach take notice with just a piece of paper.

Importance of a letter

A letter is a great way to introduce yourself to a coach, show interest in his sports program and ask for information about his school. “Write a little paragraph about yourself and let the coach know, right off the bat, that he can start looking at you,” declares Hastings.

A well-written letter also reflects your ability in the classroom, which is important, Hastings says, “because college coaches want their athletes also to be students. They want to see that you can write a letter and know the proper way to do business, which is part of being a college student.”

Be a student-athlete

Whether you’re sending the letter via email or snail mail, Hastings stresses making it clean and succinct. “It doesn’t have to be formal,” Hastings explains, “just neat-not wrinkled or stained-and concise, so coaches can see that you’re college material.”

Remember to proofread the letter, making sure every word is spelled correctly and your grammar is correct. “Don’t use the informalities you would in a text or email to your friends,” Hastings says. Save the “dude,” “ur” and “2” instead of “to” for chatting with friends, and conclude with “Sincerely Yours” or “Best Wishes.”

When to send

For the third edition of her book, Hastings interviewed more than 500 college coaches, and most of them said they prefer to hear from sophomores and juniors. “Coaches want to hear from athletes earlier, so they can see them compete in their sports,” she says. “So if you contact coaches [then], they can start a file on you and watch you play.”

Be honest

Don’t lie. Hastings says, “There are all kinds of ways coaches can find out if you’re telling the truth [about your skills and accomplishments]. So don’t say you’ve done something if you haven’t; be honest about your capabilities.”

Make it personal

According to Hastings, a general “Dear Coach” letter is a huge turnoff to a coach. She says, “’Dear Coach’ letters make the coach think you just sent an email or letter blast, so you don’t really care where you go to school-you just want a scholarship.”

Always use the coach’s name, title and address, and make sure that information is correct. You can find it by going to the school’s website.

Other ways to make your letter personal include pointing out specifically why you like the coach’s program or school; mentioning a family member who went to that school; or writing about a friend or former teammate who played for the coach. Hastings says, “These details indicate a true, strong interest.”

Don’t get discouraged

If you don’t hear back from a coach soon after sending your letter, don’t get discouraged. Instead, Hastings suggests following up. “Send another letter that says, ‘I wrote to you a few weeks ago, and I haven’t heard back. In case you didn’t get it, let me tell you again . . .’ and then just reiterate your first letter. Coaches are contacted so often that sometimes letters get pushed to the bottom of the stack,” Hastings says. “Persistence is good when you’re really interested in a school.”

A Sample Letter:

Faith S. Fastpitch

123 Diamond Drive

Smalltown, Ma. 10123

Email: Faith@ Fastpitch.com

Home Phone: (123) 1234-1234

Cell Phone: (321) 4321-4321

May 13, 2013

Attn.: Ms. Clara Cleat

Head Coach, Women's Softball

University of My Dreams

Warmwater, Fla. 01234

Dear Coach Cleat,

I am writing to express my interest in the Women's Softball Program at UMD.

My name is Faith Fastpitch and I am a junior at Finch High School in Smalltown, Ma.

I presently play for the Varsity Finch Fillys and the Rehoboth Thunder U16 Travel Team.

I will be graduating in 2014 and I am looking at prospective colleges.

I am presently researching UMD's programs of study, with a keen interest in the Athletic Therapy degree program. I would greatly appreciate any information that you could send me regarding your Softball Program and the University.

I will gladly follow-up with a schedule of the tournaments that we'll be playing in, with the hope that perhaps you could watch one of my games if you are in the area.

Thank you very much.

Sincerely,

Faith S. Fastpitch

From the great Sue Enquist:

There are only two things you can control: 

Your EFFORT and ATTITUDE.

Give 100% EFFORT and possess a POSITIVE ATTITUDE!

Click & watch these great Enquist videos: (5) great videos

Sue Enquist's 33% rule - Click: Sue Enquist 33%

• Bottom Third : Barfers, Excuse Monsters, Finger Pointers.
• Middle Third : Blow in the wind, Follower, Captain Obvious
• Top Third : 1% better every day, Resilient, Serve

Put yourself in the Top Third - 

Surround yourself with Top Third people! 

There are only two types of people in this world:

POSITIVE and POISONOUS.

Which one are you?

Enquist's unwritten rules:

Good rules for life in general!