Softballmagazine Output On: October 28, 2009 4:14 PM Low-Resolution PDF - NOT for PRINT
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1 Balls & Strikes SoftballMagazine Output On: October 28, 2009 4:14 PM Low-Resolution PDF - NOT FOR PRINT Looking for the Best in Softball Instruction? Join Mike Candrea, Director of Coaching Education, along with some of the all-time great players as they show you the tips and techniques they use to perform among the world’s best. 2 Mike Candrea THE SIX TITLES INCLUDE: Featuring two-time Olympic • Fundamentals of Pitching Coach Mike Candrea, former National Team member Amy • Fundamentals of Catching Hillenbrand, two-time Olympic • Fundamentals of Hitting Gold Medalist Cat Osterman and • Slapping and the Short Game 2008 Silver Medalists Andrea Duran and Caitlin Lowe. • Hitting Drills • Defensive Drills Each Series breaks down the fundamentals of the game in order for you to understand and improve your skills. Order now from ASA’s official merchandise website. For more Information: www.softballoutlet.com or call 1-800-654-8337 Balls & Strikes SoftballMagazine 1 Balls & Strikes SoftballMagazine 2 Balls & Strikes SoftballMagazine Thoughts from the President 5 Andy Dooley's first B&S letter as the ASA President 7 Enough Said Women's Open competition dominated by Tallahassee team Minnesota's Long Haul Trucking Dominates Championship 8 Long Haul goes undefeated to take home hardware 9 Hooter's Championship Series See how the National Champions of the HCS captured their titles 12 Lifesaver Hooters MVP winningest moment comes off the field of play 15 You Asked, We Answered ASA experts answer some of your top submitted questions 18 National Team Update What's going on in 2010 for USA Softball? 19 ASA Council Meeting Paves Way for Another Great Year Reno, NV hosted the ASA Council in November in a very productive meeting 20 2009 ASA National Championship Results 21 2010 National Championship Sites 22 2010 Playing Rule Changes with Comments 24 Q&A with Jennie Finch See what USA Softball's Finch has been up to since winning three Gold Medals this summer 26 Official Gear Catalog We have all the newest umpire gear for 2010! 3 29 National Office Profiles Get to know ASA's Hiedi Hester and Rich Cress 30 2010 Hall of Fame Nominees Ten members to be inducted into the National Softball Hall of Fame 34 News and Notes Executive Director See what's going on around ASA Ron Radigonda 36 Field of Dreams Editor Missouri complex offers elite facility to all ages Holly Krivokapich 37 Second Look See if you can find the six differences in these two photos Contributors 38 Association Profile Julie Bartel Texas ASA Jamie Blanchard Bill Plummer 40 ASA and MLB Partner Up for All-Star Experience ASA partners with Aquafina MLB Pitch, Hit & Run to launch new girls' softball division nationally Design & Layout 41 Wearing Blue Old Hat Creative The color of confidence in Roseville Girls' Softball www.oldhatcreative.com 42 Griswold Family Has Nothing on ASA's Paul Drake ASA Member provides great Christmas spirit while helping out community 44 Movie Role Has Oscar Winner Trading Heels for Cleats Reese Witherspoon is currently shooting a movie where she is donning red, white and blue The Official Publication of The Amateur Softball Association / USA Softball Balls and Strikes Softball Magazine is published annually by the Amateur Softball Association 2801 N.E. 50th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73111, (405) 424-5266. Balls and Strikes Softball® is a federally registered trademark of the Amateur Softball Association of America © Amateur Softball Association 2008 Visit us on the Internet: www.asasoftball.com & www.usasoftball.com Nike Softball Camps NIKE CAMPSFor more information or to Register 1-800-NIKE-CAMP (1-800-645-3226) USSPORTSCAMPS.COM/SOTFTBALL 4 NIKE Softball Camps Sponsored by USA Softball West east University of the Pacific, CA Fairfield University, CT Cal State Monterey Bay, CA Curry College, MA UC Santa Barbara, CA Amherst College, MA Just Softball – Mt. Sac, CA Gettysburg College, PA Twin Creeks, CA SUNY Cortland, NY UNR & the Reno Sports Complex, NV Adelphi University, NY Willamette University, OR The Lawrenceville School, NJ San Diego City College, CA New Jersey Jackals, NJ Whitworth University, WA The College of New Jersey, NJ Salisbury University, MD Central Greensboro College, NC University of Dallas, TX Columbus State, GA Utah State, UT Southeastern University, FL University of Wisconsin-Platteville, WI The NCAA does not endorse or affiliate with camps/services. The parent/guardian of a Balls & Strikes prospective student-athlete should ensure that programs are in compliance with NCAA Softball bylaws. Nike and the Swoosh design are trademarks of Nike, Inc. and its affiliates and Magazine are used under license from Nike, Inc. NIKE is the title sponsor of the camps and has no control over the operation of the camps or the acts or omissions of US Sports Camps. GREETINGS FROM THE PRESIDENT! Hope everyone is preparing for the holiday season registrations for youth, adult and umpires. At the end and I wish each of you and your families a VERY MERRY of October the numbers were on the negative side and CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR. we need to get the word out in all of territories where Now let’s take care of some business, please we can start having increases again. make sure you have sent in all of your registrations I also hope to see all of the Junior Olympic for the 2009 season. As we begin to prepare for our Commissioners and any other council members at our 2010 season make sure you get all of your dates JO Workshop on February 4-6 2010 in Oklahoma City. posted on the web sites. As an association this is a Also if anyone wishes to be placed on a certain commit- really good practice as the travel teams prepare their tee, I need to know by December 31. schedules early. Please keep up the good work all of you do each day Please be sure all of us are available to assist the to make ASA the best it can be. teams with the individual registration process. If there are some problems with the system, please 5 advise Steve Walker or one of his staff where it can Your President, be corrected. Andy Dooley I would like to challenge each of you to increase your [email protected] TWO GREAT YEARS Joey Rich handed over the gavel to Andy Dooley at the our volunteers throughout the coun- 2009 Council Meeting after two years of success as the try make it so. I urge all of our ASA ASA President. In his final letter as ASA President, Rich council as well as all the local support remembers his time fondly. staff members to continue to work to •••••••••••••••••••••• make improvements and offer new programs to the teams, In looking back over the two years I served as ASA umpires, parents and sponsors of our great game. President, I have many, many fond memories. I have forged Thanks again to all of you for TWO GREAT YEARS! new friendships across the country and even in foreign lands. Serving as the President provided me unbelievable opportunities to visit softball venues around the world. I truly appreciate all the support that you gave me during those years. A smart man told me at the first of my term not to set too many goals because the position could prove Joey Rich, Missouri ASA State Commissioner overwhelming. I did set quite a few goals, and with the ASA Immediate Past President help of a lot of great ASA people, most all of them came 524 Home Drive, St. James, MO 65559 to fruition. The ASA really IS the best game in town and [email protected] Balls & Strikes SoftballMagazine 6 Balls & Strikes SoftballMagazine Women's Open MVP Ruby Nugent ENOUGH SAID By Jamie M. Blanchard It was dominance from unbeaten Enough Said at the Women’s Open National Championship in Oklahoma City. Throughout the four games Enough Said played, the team from Tallahassee, Fla., outscored opponents 84-18. Twenty-four of the runs came in the 24-6 Championship Game, which turned out to be Enough Said’s second pounding of the United States Armed Forces on Saturday, Oct. 3. “We appreciate the Armed Forces,” Enough Said Coach Ian Houston said. “They are a good softball team. We appreciate what they do for our country in terms of protecting our walls so no matter what the story is and what the outcome of the game is, we always hold them in our hearts and keep them in our prayers because they’re game scores from the division; Iowa Aces Said) and Amber Barado (Anarchy); out- taking care of us.” defeated Anarchy 12-1 (six innings) and fielders Cara Coughenour (Iowa Aces), Enough Said also beat Armed Forces Anarchy defeated Ft. Hood Ballers 20-6. Ruby Nugent (Enough Said), Karrie Warren 7 13-4 earlier Saturday afternoon to advance Leading Enough Said with seven (Armed Forces) and Smith (Enough Said); to the final. On Friday, Oct. 2, Enough RBI a piece on the day were Misty Smith utilities Erica Crossley (Anarchy), Crissy Said topped Ft. Hood Ballers (Killeen, (Marietta, Ga.) and Sirene Johnson Hixson (Enough Said), Lindsey Smith (Iowa Texas) 28-1 in three innings and Iowa Aces (Tallahassee, Fla.). After hitting an RBI Aces), Dugo (Armed Forces) and Brittany (Urbandale, Iowa) 19-6 in five innings. double and a three-run homer against the Sinwell (Iowa Aces); and catcher Tonja Armed Forces was within a few runs of Ft. Hood Ballers, Smith proved that she Russell (Enough Said). the lead in the Championship Game until was just getting started. She led off against Nugent also nabbed the MVP honor the fourth, an inning that saw Enough Said the Iowa Aces with a home run then added with her impressive 12-for-14 (.857) per- score 17 runs with a three-run home run, a two run blast in the fifth.