October 2013

Monthly Quote

In , while you can’t always control what happens to you, you can control how you react.

Grand Slam USA will be providing you with a monthly newsletter to update you on the facility, training opportunities, and the Grand Slam Baseball Club. Check this newsletter for the latest announcements regarding central Iowa’s most experienced baseball/softball training facility. Don’t forget to Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/grandslamusa and follow us onr twitter @grandslam_dm and visit our website http://www.grandslamdsm.com

ANNOUNCEMENTS 2014 Grand Slam Baseball Club Teams Grand Slam USA has 12 USSSA baseball teams this year as part of its club. • The winter lesson schedule for January-April will be available These teams are provided with professional instruction from the Grand Slam November 1st . Scheduling can be done online through our coaching staff and the use of the Grand Slam facility for team practices. scheduling software or at the Grand Slam counter and over the Below are the teams, coaches, and age division at which they will be phone. competing this season.

• Our 1 st session of clinics start on November 1 st and will through 14U Razorbacks : Mike Donohoe, Jeff Humphreys, Chad Martin December . 2 nd sessions are from January – February , and 3 rd 14U Riders : Rush Nigut sessions are from March – April . To sign up stop by, or call Grand 14U Stealth : Dan Orth Slam. 14U Red : Michael Bennion, Mick Delaney, 13U Bandits : Tom DeTaeye, Frank Accurso, Doug Shelton • Scheduling for lessons and rental times is now available online. 13U Vipers : Rob Young, Troy Troncin Check our website for more details. Scheduling CAN still be done 13U Warriors : Jerome Schuster over the phone or at the front counter. 12U Longhorns : Jim Barclay, Marty Brauch 12U Force : Kevin Gyldevand, David Alsin, Greg Clausen Phone # 515.278.1070 11U Dynamite : Tim Smith 11U Flash : Jeff Kenin 9U Grand Slam : Jake Debondt, Brandon Potts, Tim Carmody

Slammers Softball

The Iowa Slammers 14U Red softball team had a successful 2013 fall season (Jasmin Bailey, Allie Boender, Tatum Christiansen, Grace Dahlen, Amber Fistler, Karley Kopaska, Jennifer Reed, Madison Stoaks, Sophie Stover, and Kinzi Van Wyk). 14U Red competed with quality teams from Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska and Kansas to finish the season with a 12-9 record. The combination of great pitching, fielding and hitting helped the team gel over a short fall season. The girls wrapped up the season by finishing undefeated (6-0) at the Monster Bash tournament in Kansas City. During their tournament run, the team outscored their opponents 45-14. The highlight of the tournament came during the semi-final game. A combined team effort helped the Slammers come from behind not once, but twice - scoring 4 runs in extra to secure the victory! The Slammers cruised to victory in the championship (6-1) to bring home the hardware! Coach Dowling and Coach Reed could not have been more pleased with the maturation of the team. The girls mental and physical development over the course of 21 games, bode well for the future of Iowa Slammers Fastpitch! Congratulations to the coaches and players! We look forward to seeing you around Grand Slam and good luck during your high school seasons!

Where Are They Now? Where are they now? features athletes who have taken lessons, trained, continue to train, or that have worked at Grand Slam USA.

Olivia Rasmussen

If you have been in Grand Slam during the past couple years, you probably have seen Olivia Rasmussen in the academy with Jim. She has taken lessons with Jim for the past 8 years and has continued her softball career into college.

After graduating from Des Moines Christian in 2013, Olivia has gone on to attend Luther College in Decorah, Iowa and will be playing softball for the Norse at the catching position. She has found playing softball in college is a lot different than high school as it is much more competitive and intense, but also much more fun to be able to play at a higher level.

She is majoring in Early Education with a minor in Business. Her hobbies are playing sports, reading, watching TV, listening to music, hanging with friends, shopping, and of course, sleeping! She loves playing rec volleyball. Her favorite food is ice cream and Nutella. Favorite movie is Tangled (Walt Disney) and she thinks the best thing about being in college is the freedom, and making new friends.

Jim and Grand Slam USA wish Olivia the best of luck this upcoming season and during her softball career! She is a great player on the field, and an even better person off.

GET TO KNOW You be the Umpire!

Pat Winnike Q: The batter squares around to . He bunts the ball High School: Linn-Mar (2010) and when the ball comes to a stop, it is sitting on home plate. Is this bunted ball fair or foul? College: Grand View University (2015)

Grand Slam USA : Pat will be Interning with *Check the bottom of newsletter for the answer Grand Slam USA through December 2013 .

Q: What is your favorite MLB Team? A: Cardinals

Q: What is your favorite movie? A: Super Troopers or Cady Shack 501c3

Q: What is your most memorable moment in baseball? Grand Slam Baseball Club is an approved not-for-profit A: Winning the Conference Championship last year at GVU 501c3 organization. The goal of this not-for-profit status

Q: Do you have any hidden talents? is to provide the best quality instruction, facilities, A: Spinning a basketball on my finger equipment, and baseball/softball experience at the lowest cost possible to all the athletes and their families involved Q: What are your hobbies? A: Hanging out with friends and watching movies in the baseball club.

Q: What is one piece of advice you would give to young baseball There are many ways to help out through partnership players? packages. This will give your company a chance to help A: Baseball is a failure sport, learn from failure and never give up out some great athletes, while getting your business publicity through Grand Slam USA.

If you are interested, or you would want any more information, please contact Jim or Mike at Grand Slam.

From The Owner

I would like to welcome back all the players from the GSBC teams back to the 2014 baseball season! The seasons are changing fast and winter will be upon us soon. During the winter months, it gives you players a great opportunity to make some off season changes/adjustments to your game. To help with this, Grand Slam USA will be hosting free clinics for everyone in the GSBC! During these 8 weeks, we will cover a variety of topics. We will also host a coach’s clinic prior to the player’s clinics on the same night. During these coach’s clinics, we will discuss drills or diagram plays for the topic that night and go through a Q & A session. Below are the dates of the clinics:

October 20, 27 November 3, 10, 17, 24 December 8, 15

Coaches Clinic from 5-6PM, Players clinic 6-7PM.

We will email out a schedule of the topics prior to the beginning of the week. This will allow the Team Coach to let their players know about what we will be covering that night. Grand Slam is very excited to get the 2014 season started! Again, thanks for being a member of the GSBC and we hope to see you at the clinics!

Practice Tip of the Month

When performing the “due or die” groundball play in the outfield, make sure you glove is outside and in front of your glove side foot. Once the ball is in the glove, the foot work is always Right, Left, Throw. (Right Handed Thrower) or Left, Right, Throw (Left Handed Thrower)

* Answer to You be the Umpire!: The foul lines start from the back corners of home plate and stay in a straight line to the foul poles. If the baseball comes to a stop on top of home plate, the ball is considered live and in play.