FALL 2018 EDITION Volume 31 • Number 3
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FALL 2018 EDITION Volume 31 • Number 3 www.seniorsoftball.comSenior Softball MORE THAN JUST A GAME NEWSAMERICA’S LARGEST CIRCULATED SENIOR SOFTBALL PUBLICATION 2018 LVSSA/SSUSA World Masters Championships WMC Surpasses 600 Teams for Second Year in a Row Softball News Report AS VEGAS – The largest senior softball tour- nament in the world – the Las Vegas Senior Softball Association (LVSSA)/Senior Softball- Photo by Jack Eberhard USA (SSUSA) World Masters Championships Stix With Impact (CA), Women's 50, Will Look to Repeat in 2018 L- returns to Sin City in 2018 for the seventh straight year. Number of teams 2012 446 teams Please See Page 20 2013 480 teams that have played in 2014 506 teams the LVSSA/SSUSA 2015 546 teams World Masters 2016 564 teams Championships 2017 612 teams 2018 624 teams n PAGE 21: U.S. NATIONAL GAMES n PAGE 20: CALENDAR OF EVENTS Ms. Senior USA Celebrates New Legs Propel Vets Women Over 60 to Active Sports Life Softball News Report TRENDS heir stories are Softball News Report meant to inspire he idea, with senior women – deep roots of Tand they range from a hope and deter- World War II veteran to a Tmination, emerged from pickleball champion to an the smoke and carnage iTunes singer. of the battlefields of The Senior Pageants war-torn Iraq and Af- Group (Ms. Senior USA ghanistan. and Ms. Senior Universe) Photo by Jack Eberhard And it was beauti- honors and celebrates the Photo Courtesy of David Ms. Senior USA crowned Ms. Senior Florida fully simple: David Van Van Sleet lives and accomplish- (2017-2018) and Founding Ms. Senior Florida Sleet wanted to give Carlo Adame of the (2017-2018) during the annual banquet at the ments of women over 60. combat veterans who Louisville Slugger 2018 Tournament of Champions last February in Warriors. Please See Page 6 Polk County, Fla. Please See Page 4 Fall 2018 Edition Senior Softball News 3 Senior Softball News Index 9823 Old Winery Place, Suite 12 From the Cover: Sponsor Index: Sacramento, CA 95827 (916) 326-5303 OFFICE Prosthetics BSN Sports - Official Supplier of (916) 326-5304 FAX Continued on............................................Pg. 4 SSUSA........................................Pg. 2 www.seniorsoftball.com Ms. Senior USA Adidas - Official Shoe of SSUSA Publisher Continued on............................................Pg. 6 ..............................................Pg. 29 W.E. Ruth 2018 LVSSA/SSUSA World Masters Cham- Elite Sports USA - Official Editor pionships Preview Uniform of SSUSA.................Pg. 34 Terry Hennessy Continued on Center Spread...........Pgs. 20-21 Managing Editor Anthony Ramos Tournament Bat News Index: Sponsors: Contributing Writers Pete Davignon, Dave Dowell, Jack Opinions & Letters Editorial....................................................Pg. 8 Eberhard, Art Eversole, Carl Gus- Pg. 7 tafson, Stephanie Hopkins, Ross Covering the Bases.................................Pg. 9 McCulligan, George Moreno, Tiffany Exclusive Bat Sponsor of: Tidewater Classic, Southern California State Championships, SSUSA/CAN-Sirs Northern Peck, Stan Reents, Jack Sirard 2018 Northern Champs........................Pg. 10 California State Championships, Midwest Championships, Northern Championships. Internet Director 2018 Rocky Mountain Champs...........Pg. 11 Scott Flodin Fitness Column.....................................Pg. 14 Pg. 17 Exclusive Bat Sponsor of: LVSSA/SSUSA Southwest Art Director Hitting Column.....................................Pg. 16 Championships, Atlantic Coast Sue Ballenger Championships, Western National Carl's Corner........................................Pg. 26 Championships, Winter World Championships. Marketing Manager Umpire's Corner...................................Pg. 33 Fran Dowell Breaking Up the Double Play Nothing in this publication shall be deemed Finance Column...................................Pg. 35 to constitute in any fashion whatsoever an endorsement by Senior Softball USA, LLC. Pgs. 23 / 30 (SSUSA), of any information in this publication. CAN-Sirs Corner..................................Pg. 37 Exclusive Bat Sponsors of: Spring National Championships, SSUSA, LLC., disclaims any and all liability Jim Sherman Memorial Northwest Championships, Southern with respect to any use of, or reliance on, such Championships. information. No information in this publication shall be construed in any manner whatsoever as a recommendation of any industry standard, or Pg. 36 All-Tourney Teams: Exclusive Bat Sponsor of: Spring as a recommendation of any kind to be adopted World Championships, Rock by, or binding on, any person or entity. Nor So Cal Champs.......................................Pg. 6 'N Reno Challenge Cup, Rocky shall information contained in this publication Nor Cal Champs.....................................Pg. 8 Mountain Championships, Win- be deemed to constitute in any fashion what- Southern Champs...................................Pg. 9 ter National Championships. soever an endorsement by SSUSA, LLC., of any product or service advertised herein. The Northern Champs.................................Pg. 13 material set forth in this publication is provided Rocky Mountain Champs....................Pg. 13 on an informational basis only. SSUSA, Inc., is Eastern National Champs....................Pg. 18 not engaged in the practice of any profession, Western National Champs...................Pg. 18 including but not limited to law, medicine and Northeast Champs................................Pg. 27 accounting, and nothing in this publication Midwest Champs..................................Pg. 27 Pgs. 40 / 41 should be relied upon in lieu of appropriate Exclusive Bat Sponsors of: Texas State Championships, North- competent professional advice. Northwest Champs...............................Pg. 28 east Championships, ISA Senior World Series, Eastern National ISA Senior World Series......................Pg. 28 Championships, Tournament of Champions 4 Senior Softball News Fall 2018 Edition Prosthetics: New Models Next Best Thing to Real Leg Continued from Page 1 tive roles, before retiring in tours in Iraq, but suffered an lost limbs the opportunity to 2011. In 1996, Van Sleet was amputation of his right lower play ball again. selected and honored as the leg in a non-combat injury Since 2011, when Van VA Prosthetic Chief of the while still in the service. Sleet launched the Wounded Year. At the height of both the “The increased rear curve Warrior Amputee Softball Iraq (Operation Iraqi Free- produces more dynamic Team, more than 50 combat dom) and Afghanistan (Opera- movement of the spring when veterans who lost limbs have tion Enduring Freedom) Wars, running or doing high impact competed – some at a high Van Sleet served as the VA sports,” said Davidson in level. Prosthetics Manager of New describing the prosthetic (see As the creator and England and then Southwest. picture below). “It looks wild, founder of the Wounded War- In 2013, the Military but walks extremely well and rior Amputee Softball Team Order of the Purple Heart is amazing for baseball! He (WWAST), Van Sleet served presented Van Sleet with its (Carlo) prefers to not use it in as the team’s head coach, highest award, the George a shoe, so I installed mountain Carlo Adame sporting his latest general manager and chief Washington Medallion of bike tire for tread, and showed prosthetic from Greg Davidson executive officer from 2011 to Merit Award for his work him how to re-tread it so he I have the running/sprinting 2015. developing the program. can keep the tread in good ability of the running leg, He later served as the In 2011, Van Sleet was shape. He plans to use it for but it's also very comfortable general manager of the Louis- awarded the VA’s highest everyday activity and softball/ to walk in, which is huge if ville Slugger Warriors Softball award, the prestigious Olin baseball.” you're an athletic person into Tournament Team from 2016- E. Teague Award that recog- intense sports.” 17, and most recently in 2018, nizes an employee with the Davidson takes great Van Sleet was named general VA whose achievements have pride in doing his own fab- manager of the Louisville been extraordinarily beneficial rication work, which he says Slugger Warriors Amputee to the rehabilitation of war- is rare in the industry, but a Baseball Team. injured veterans. tremendous advantage to his “I possessed the four As more and more ampu- patients. pieces to the puzzle,” said Van tees join teams and compete, “I have pioneered and Sleet, regarding the creation advancing technology is help- developed a new prosthetic of the amputee team. “US ing them play at higher and foot concept that represents Army Veteran; prosthetic edu- higher levels. a significant advancement in cation; employed by the De- Among the 50 ampu- prosthetic technology,” said partment of Veterans Affairs tee veterans and active duty Davidson. “It is an effort to (VA); and played, coached personnel that have played maximize the carbon spring and managed softball teams for Van Sleet is Carlo Adame, length in prosthetic design, U.S. Army Sergeant First Carlo Adame's latest prosthetic for over 40 years." built by Greg Davidson resulting in an extremely en- "I saw the amputees Class (Ret.). ergetic, lightweight, dynamic coming back from Iraq and Adame, a second baseman “The performance of the feel when walking. I shared Afghanistan and the idea was on the LS Warriors, has been a newest design is amazing!” my findings with the Ossur formulated. I have introduced benefactor of the technologi- said Adame. “With