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Brianne Matthews: Of Softball, Sorrow 3/13/10

A few months ago, Nadia Martinez and her 16-year-old daughter, Brianne Matthews, drifted into an uncharacteristic conversation about life and death.

Martinez is not sure about what led to the discussion, but she felt a little odd when Matthews calmly told her how she would like to be remembered after she died.

"She wanted her ashes to be sprinkled all over a softball field because that's where she lived," Martinez said about Matthews, who had a 14-4 pitching record as a freshman last year for Mater Dei (Calif.) High School. "It didn't matter where. As long as it was a softball field with a mound. That's where she dominated."

Always an overachiever, Matthews had gotten it done off and on the softball diamond. She carried a 4.0 grade point average at academically testing Mater Dei and was committed to pursue a career as a neonatologist. Despite being only a high school sophomore, Matthews already had accepted a full-ride college scholarship offer to play softball for national powerhouse Arizona after she graduated in 2012. A phenom.

Socially? Forget about it. At 16, Matthews had friends for days, thanks to a dynamic personality and her huge softball following. Considered the No.1 young pitching prospect in the nation, Matthews had a way for attracting crowds and had grown into a Pied Piper character for the sport.

For unknown reasons, though, Matthews did not feel right in this role and on Feb. 25, she killed herself hours after returning home from softball practice.

A tragic ending to a young life with so much promise.

An ending that has left many unanswered questions.

"I don't want to talk about the suicide," Martinez, who found Matthews dead at their Anaheim apartment, told FanHouse recently. "And I don't want to talk about what may have led her ... we can only speculate and I don't want to do that. No answer is going to be good enough."

According to official reports, on the night of Matthews' death, Anaheim fire and police were sent to the family's apartment regarding a girl not breathing. Paramedics administered CPR to the girl and she was taken to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead at 8:22 p.m. PT.

The Orange County Coroner's report ruled Matthews' death a suicide, "by ligature hanging."

"I don't believe it was spontaneous," said Bill Jackson, who coached Matthews for three years when she played for the Firecrackers, a youth softball travel team based in Orange County. "She was depressed. Everything you hear indicates to us that it was something that was thought out a little bit. She knew what to do and how to do it. ... Teenagers and the internet nowadays. I don't think we're ever going to know why she did it."

Last week, a standing room only crowd of more than 1,500 attended an outdoor ceremony for Matthews at the Huntington Beach Sports Complex, a multi-softball field site where many of her games were played.

High school players and travel ballplayers were encouraged to wear their uniforms and most did. With a stage set behind second base and the remainder of the softball diamond filled with well-wishers, the afternoon felt more tribute than wake as family and friends took time to talk about Matthews, called Bri by family and friends.

"Sometimes, you meet people and right away you know that they were supposed to be there [in your life]...," said Shannon Bustillos, a teammate on Orange County Batbusters, a travel team Matthews joined a year ago. "Anybody who knew Bri, knew that she was filled with life, love and happiness. She had a laugh that anybody could hear. A hug that could crack anybody's back and a drop-off [pitch] that nobody could hit."

For Martinez, the ceremony was a fitting sendoff.

"We are taking it moment by moment and day by day," Martinez said. "That's really all we can do. It's unimaginable."

"Bri just loved sports and she probably got that from me ... But she was different. She was very driven. She competed in everything she did in life. She just went after everything 100 percent and I don't know where she got that from. I don't know what her motivation was but she was very very motivated.

"That's just who she was. If she was going to throw a ball, she was going to throw it harder and farther than everyone else. If she was going to hit it, she was going to hit it harder and farther. I don't know ... that's just how she was made."

Pressure of the Sport

News about Matthews' death traveled fast among southern California's softball followers, a community where everyone seems to know each other. And that's because they basically do.

For years -- from elementary school to college -- the same group of softball players and parents not only play and travel together but also compete against one another on a regular basis through school teams, local park leagues and travel squads.

"The softball community is a very small world," said Jackson, who coached Matthews for three years with the Firecrackers. "The entire country is on the phone, the internet and everywhere else. We are a very in-touch community, even though we are very spread out geographically."

It's this type of family environment that has added to the sadness. Many families can relate to the demands that come with the sport.

Cindy Kelly, whose daughter Jenna started playing against Matthews when they were both nine, is one of those parents.

"It was just a terrible shock," Kelly said about Matthews, who on the day of her suicide reportedly gave her athletic bag to a teammate and told her that she likely would not need it the next day. "You don't know if she put too much pressure on herself or what. But the thing is, she had so much going for her. She had a full-ride for college and a bright future. You just had to think that everything was good with her."

Some people involved in softball believe the sport's ultra-competitive nature has evolved into a major problem for today's players. Too many are working under tough circumstances in hopes of making it to the highest level and that has added extra pressure to their lives.

"You realize that these kids give up many many hours to develop their softball skills," veteran southern California softball umpire Paul Morines said. "They sacrifice social time with friends. They spend all weekend on the ball field. Some days they want to go home, but they can't because they have to play.

"I am always so impressed in how these kids are willing to give up so much of their time to dedicate themselves to one sport in order to be a top notch softball athlete. But that's the only way that you're going to get yourself a scholarship."

According to Morines, that's one reason why Matthews was considered a hero to so many.

"These kids are hard core and Bri was probably the epitome of that type of ballplayer," Morines said. "Everyone looked up to her as the model for the commitment that you needed to make in order to go to the highest rank as possible.

"I only umpired one game with her last year and you could tell that she was one intense kid. She definitely had a presence on the field. She just stared you down. And you knew that she put in hard work to become so good."

"She wanted to achieve things in life.
Everything she tried, she excelled at
and physically, she could have been
a star in any sport."

-- Bill Jackson,
Former Coach

Always an All-Star

From young biddy players to crusty, old coaches, it was always "The Bri Show" whenever Matthews was around. Dominating ability can attract that type of attention.

"Obviously we thought very fondly of Bri and her talents," said Arizona Coach Mike Candrea, who along with his coaching staff attended Matthews' tribute. "That's why we wanted her to be a Wildcat.

"She was such a very special athlete. A very special student. She worked very hard to be the best at what she did."

Umpire Mike Carver, who worked numerous games involving Matthews, said he will always remember how she played.

"I've been around the game for over 20 years and you can spot a kid with that much raw talent a mile away," Carver said. "She was throwing at least 70 miles per hour, and that's something. I know some people may not agree but I thought [Bri] was as good or better as [U.S. Olympic gold medal pitcher] Jennie Finch."

Matthews -- who grew up in a modest environment with her sister, mother and stepfather, Diondre Price -- played a variety of sports. After excelling in everything from basketball to volleyball, she took to softball after Martinez signed her up for a local youth league when she was 8.

"She didn't know what it was to go half-speed, literally, with anything that she did," Martinez said about her daughter, who had a 0.94 ERA with 138 strikeouts in 107 innings last season for Mater Dei.

"I remember when she was 8 or 9 years old and was just starting pitching lessons. Her pitching coach at the time wanted her to slow down and feel what she was doing with her pitching. So they moved her up closer to the catcher and told her to take her time so she could feel her pitch.

"But my daughter couldn't do it. She just could not slow down. She threw the ball as if she was pitching at full distance. That's just how she was. Everything she did, she did it at full speed."

It's this never-back down attitude that helped separate Matthews from her peers. She was known to arrive to practice an hour early in order to warm up for warm-ups, and was always the last person you wanted to promise a ride home after practice.

That's because Matthews also put in extra time to work on her game and often considered her workouts just half over once practice ended.

"She wanted to achieve things in life," Jackson said. "Everything she tried, she excelled at and physically, she could have been a star in any sport."

Matthews, who had a complete career goal list by the time she began to play for Jackson when she was 11, also proved her toughest critic.

"Bri always had kind of a little cloud in her life," Jackson said. "She was a happy kid who worked hard but she always had a little cloud. Personally, I don't know why. But it was there."

At the tribute for Matthews, Jackson addressed rumors that have surrounded her death.

"People are saying different things," Jackson said. "They come up to me and say, 'Do you think it was the pressure? Do you think it was the boyfriend? Whatever it was, it really doesn't matter now. So that's what I didn't want to do and that's talk about those issues. I was trying to make the point that if you even discuss what it might be, you are lending credence that one of those reasons might be good enough."

It's been the out-of-sight whispers that have bothered Martinez the most since her daughter's death.

"The toughest thing has been coming to grips with the fact that your child is no longer here and that you did your best but somehow that wasn't enough," Martinez said. "You can't help but think about why you couldn't do more.

"I know that it's probably something that I should not have done but to fill my time, I've read all of the comments that people have left on stories about her death and on different internet sites.

"Anybody that has done anything at the level that [Bri] was at knows that you don't get that good without a personal commitment. I know that people like to speculate about pressure being put on her but I would like to stress the fact that there's nothing anyone can do to push people to excel at the level where she was.

"It takes a personal commitment and that's the truth. You can't make people go run. You can't make them put in that extra work to be great. ... It's something that she did. Something that she wanted to be the best at."

Source: Fanhouse
Submitted by Dave Turner - Lakeville


UW Eau Claire: Softball Returns Solid Group in 2010 3/11/10

With a strong group of returners, the UW-Eau Claire softball team will look to improve over last season's record of 28-16.

The Blugolds made their fourth straight appearance in the NCAA Division III Regional last year, but went 1-2 to end their post-season run. The Blugolds won the 2008 National Championship and finished third in 2007. The 2010 season provides extra incentive to make a national title run as UW-Eau Claire and the City of Eau Claire will host the 2010 NCAA Division III Softball Championship, May 21-25 at Gelein Field in Carson Park.

Eau Claire welcomes back 12 letterwinners from last season, and every one of them played in 16 games or more in 2009. The Blugolds also have four returners who received All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference recognition last year, first teamers Aleisha Harper (So.-Mondovi, Wis./Eau Claire North) and Katie Stalker (Sr.-Madison, Wis./La Follette) and honorable mention selections Bekki Kidnie (Sr.-St. Paul, Minn./Johnson) and Ainsley Klar (Sr.-La Crosse, Wis./Aquinas). Harper, Kidnie and Stalker also received National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) second team All-Region honors while Harper was named to the All-Tournament team at the NCAA Regional.

In the infield, the Blugolds have several experienced players returning. Stalker, Harper, Klar, and Jess Freagon (So.-Chippewa Falls, Wis./McDonell) will all vie for significant playing time this season in the infield. Freagon started 21 times last year while the other three made no less than 32 starts. Stalker and Harper were also the Blugolds' top two hitters a season ago as they both had batting averages of above .400. Klar will get the early nod at first base and will be looked upon to step up offensively in her senior year. Stalker will look to lead the infield at second base while Harper, after playing 32 games at second base last year, will make the permanent switch to third base to provide more speed at the hot corner.

The early season starter at shortstop will be Samantha Weix (Fr.-Elk Mound, Wis.), a first-year player who has experienced significant improvement both offensively and defensively during the first few weeks of indoor workouts. Other players who will compete for infield roles include veteran Kaity Acker (Jr.-Cross Plains, Wis./Middleton), who started seven games last year while playing in 17, as well as newcomers, Brittany Bergquist (Fr.-Stevens Point, Wis./SPASH) and Emily Haluska (Fr.-Stevens Point, Wis./SPASH). Haluska joined the squad just a week ago after competing for the Blugold women's hockey team this season.

In the circle, three pitchers will vie for time. Ashley Meinen (So.-Chippewa Falls, Wis./McDonell), who made 27 appearances a season ago and started 10 times, is the lone returning pitcher. Meinen went 8-6 on the season while striking out 50 batters and held a 2.46 ERA. However, freshmen Jess Hegseth (Fr.-Zumbrota , Minn./Zumbrota-Mazeppa ) and Kassie Krummel (Fr.-Walcott, Iowa/Durant) will look to make an impact early in the year.

The Blugolds should be in good hands behind the plate as Kidnie, a senior who has started in 128 games, and Nikki Bromelkamp (So.-Zumbrota, Minn./Zumbrota-Mazeppa), a sophomore who has started 10 times and played in 16 games, will both get significant time. When not catching, the tandem will provide solid options in the DP position. Freshman Jenny Hess (Fr.-Wisconsin Rapids, Wis./Lincoln) has improved a lot during early season workouts as well and may get a few innings behind the dish. Her speed, work ethic and heads-up base running have also earned her a role as a pinch runner heading into the season.

In the outfield, Sara Baumgartner (Jr.-Arcadia, Wis.) and Tamara Zeman (Sr.-Lodi, Wis.) are back and both saw 41 starts last year. Baumgartner primarily started in centerfield while Zeman was mostly in right field and both will be back in those positions providing a strong defensive presence, but Coach Huntington has challenged them to produce offensively this season to secure their spots. In left field, five different Blugolds saw starts last year so the Blugolds will look for more consistency in the spot this year. Meghan O'Hearn (Jr.-Woodbury, Minn.), Emily Muller (So.-Lancaster, Wis.), and Ashley Kenworthy (Fr.-Tomah, Wis.) will challenge for the final outfield spot. All three players provide speed and arm strength, and they all bring something different to the plate. Who starts in left field may be determined by the opponent the Blugolds face. Allison Carpenter (Fr.-Eagan, Minn.) will sit out the 2010 season due to season-ending shoulder surgery.

The Blugolds also return a large part of their offense from a season ago. This year's returners accounted for 211 of the team's 266 runs last year, 299 of the 399 hits, 162 of the 233 RBIs and 10 of the team's 15 home runs.

Eau Claire opens the season Friday when it competes in the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Panama City Beach, Florida. The Blugolds will play six games on the trip, with three opponents already known as they begin in pool play, while the final three will be determined when the tournament switches to bracket play. Eau Claire will be at home for the first time on April 7 while opening conference play April 8. The Blugolds will play at least five opponents who were ranked in the preseason NFCA Top 25 poll.

Head Coach Leslie Huntington returns for her ninth year leading the team and holds a 233-112 career record, the fifth most wins by any coach in WIAC history, and the Blugolds' all-time winningest coach. Robin Baker is also back for her ninth year as an assistant. Rachael Click, a former softball All-American at Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.), will also serve as an assistant while Stacey Epping starts her third season as a student assistant. Also joining the coaching staff will be manager Karen Hansen, a freshman from Amery, Wis. who was unable to try out for the team in the fall due to ACL surgery.



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Effort and Attitude 3/11/10
by Jennifer Schroeder

The most winningest female coach of all time, Sue Enquist, used to always tell me: “There are only two things in the game of softball that you can control; your effort , and your attitude .” As a player, I took this statement to heart, and as a coach, I continue to preach her message.

EFFORT:

How hard do you try? What kind of effort are you giving? It’s not about being the most talented player on the field, it’s about being the hardest working. My dad used to always tell me “Work now, play later.” I’m going to admit, I haven’t always been the greatest in accepting advice, but I wish I had taken that line to heart a little more.

Not one coach or parent can force a player to work hard, but ultimately, one of two players will emerge: 1) the player that takes a gamble, hoping her talent will get the job done for her, or 2) the player that puts the work in, day after day, to give her talent the best chance of showing up on game day.

I remember being 13 years old. In my backyard. Alone. Setting up a tee. Taking swing after swing. Twenty inside, twenty middle, twenty outside, repeat. You know the list of chores parents leave on the kitchen counter during the summer? My families looked like this: 1) clean room 2) put away dishes 3) vacuum hall 4) hit off the tee. Obviously, the idea of putting forth an “effort” was ingrained in me at a young age, but ultimately, it was up to me to do so. Now, don’t get me wrong, sure, I slacked off, but every time I did, it haunted me on game day.

Remember, no one controls how hard you try, but YOU. So, sprint onto that softball field, yell a little louder, be the first person at practice, and the last person to leave. Be in control of your own successes, trust me, it’s worth the time.

ATTITUDE:

Do you like striking out? No! No one does, that’s obvious. The real question is: Are you going to let that strike out effect your psyche for the rest of the game? You better say no. Your attitude and how you respond to failure, is the second thing that only YOU can control.

As a former player I understand how “mental” the sport of softball is. Think about it, if you get a hit 5 out of 10 times, you are almost guaranteed All-American status. That’s failing just as much as you are succeeding, an F on an academic test. Therefore, the game of softball must be about staying positive and conquering adversity.

If you are the player who strikes out and immediately your chin drops, you shake your head, and the pitch that you just K’d on is repeating over and over in your head, then this message is for you. Let it go. Flush it. Get over it. You are going to have another at bat, you are probably going to have another hundred at bats. Don’t let your negative mindset affect the rest of your game. The most successful softball players are the one’s that can adjust the quickest and stay positive, the ones that always see a chance to get better through failure.

I know what it is like to have a screaming coach. I know what it is like to have a moron umpire. And, I know what it is like to play in terrible weather conditions. But, I also know that these things are out of my control. I can only control ME, MY mindset, and MY attitude. So I strive to stay positive and learn from my mistakes, and I dare you to do the same.

Source: ESPN
Submitted by Chris Howells


Rollin’s Roser and Winona’s Struzynski Named Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division II National Players of the Week 3/11/10

Junior Christine Roser of Rollins and junior pitcher Stacey Struzynski of Winona State have been named the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division II National Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, for games played during the week of March 1-7.

Roser helped guide the Tars to a 5-1 record at the West Georgia Invitational last week by going 11-for-20 with nine runs, 13 RBIs, one double, one triple, three homeruns, three walks and just one strikeout.

The Winter Springs, Fla., native hit a solo homerun in Rollins’ 2-1 win over Columbus State and recorded five RBIs in the 13-4 win over North Alabama. She finished the week with a 1.150 slugging percentage and a .542 on-base percentage. The 20th–ranked Tars are currently 13-1 on the year.

No. 5 Winona State opened the season with a six-game sweep at the National Training Center in Clermont, Fla., thanks in large part to 20 scoreless innings from Struzynski.

The Homewood, Ill., native gave up just eight hits and five walks while not allowing any runs and striking out 34 over three straight shutout wins. Struzynski tossed a pair of one-hitters on the week, against No. 9 Kutztown and Dominican (NY), to go along with two 10-plus strikeout performances.

Submitted by David Wolvington


NDSU's Melissa Chmielewski Named Summit League Softball Player of the Week 3/11/10

North Dakota State University first baseman Melissa Chmielewski won her second Summit League Softball Player of the Week award, while UMKC's Anna Sokolik was named Pitcher of the Week for their performance March 1-7. The league office made the announcement Monday, March 8.

Chmielewski, a senior from Circle Pines, Minn. (Centennial H.S.) hit .438 (7-for-16), with two doubles, a grand slam and 14 RBI at the Colorado State Classic last week. She recorded her third grand slam of the season and sixth of her career in a 9-1 win over Utah State on March 7.

Overall, Chmielewski is hitting .464 with five home runs and 33 RBI. She has hit safely in 15 of 18 games this season. Chmielewski has scored 13 runs, clubbed eight doubles and received 10 walks in 18 games.

On the North Dakota State career charts, Chmielewski ranks third all-time in RBI (185), is tied for third in home runs (33), is fourth in slugging percentage (.617) and is tied for fifth in doubles (42). She earned the weekly honor for the second time this season and sixth time in her career.

NDSU (11-7) is scheduled to play Wright State (6-10) at 10 a.m. Friday, March 12, in the opening game of the Texas A&M University Aggie Invitational at College Station.

Submitted by Minnesota Irish


UW La Crosse Athletes take honors as (WIAC) Position and Pitcher of the Week 3/10/10

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse freshman outfielder Lauren Schaller of Onalaska (Holmen) and junior pitcher Heather Schultz of Annandale, Minn. (H.S.) have been selected the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Position and Pitcher of the Week, the league office announced Tuesday.

Schaller hit .636 in UW-L's first eight games as the Eagles went 7-1. She was 14-for-22 with nine RBI and eight runs scored. Schaller also hit four home runs with two doubles and a 1.273 slugging percentage. She leads UW-L in average, hits, home runs and total bases (28). Schaller had at least one hit in seven of eight contests, including five multi-hit games.

Schultz went 4-0 in four appearances to start the season with a 1.02 earned run average. She earned victories over Simpson College (Iowa), Concordia University (Wis.), Augsburg College (Minn.) and Concordia-Moorhead University (Minn.). Pitching 20.2 innings, Schultz allowed three runs and four walks while striking out 24. She had a complete-game win over Augsburg March 5, pitching 7.0 innings, allowing four hits and two walks with eight strikeouts.

UW-L returns to action Sunday, March 14 against Southwestern University (Texas) in Tucson, Arizona starting at noon.

Submitted by: Dave Johnson - UW La Crosse


Griner's punch: The rise of bad behavior in women's sports? 3/9/10

Standing 6-foot-8, Baylor University's Brittney Griner gets a lot of attention from opposing players on the basketball court. After Wednesday night's game, she is sure to attract a lot more.


FastSports Photography

The 19-year-old freshman, who is one of only two players to dunk twice in a women's college basketball game, punched Texas Tech University's Jordan Barncastle in the face after the two jostled for position beneath the basket. Following the game Kim Mulkey, Baylor's head coach, announced that she would bench Griner for another game in addition to the National Collegiate Athletic Association's standard one-game suspension for a physical altercation.

SEE THE VIDEO: Baylor's Brittney Griner and Texas Tech's Jordan Barncastle

A similarly unsavory incident occurred at another women's basketball game, albeit on a much smaller stage, a few weeks earlier. Following a loss to Blinn College, the head coach and a player from Trinity Valley Community College were arrested for assaulting police officers who tried to prevent them accosting the game's referees, who were on their way to the locker room. Coach Bill Damuth and Lesha Dunn, a freshman, are awaiting punishment from the college and the National Junior College Athletic Association.

These two instances of unsportsmanlike behavior have followers of women's sports and gender studies scholars talking. These kinds of outbursts are not new to women's sports, but they often generate a markedly different media response than similar actions by male athletes.

Last year, for instance, a University of New Mexico soccer player was featured on websites across the Internet and sports clips television shows for violently dragging an opposing player to the ground by her ponytail. Though Elizabeth Lambert was not ejected from the conference semifinal game in question, she was later banned indefinitely from competition, following public outcry.


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NCAA officials were quick to note that these incidents are not indicative of a trend of increasing violence.

"There is no place in any NCAA sports contests for violent conduct," wrote Joni Comstock, NCAA vice president for championships, in a statement to Inside Higher Ed. "Women's sports have continued to make strides in skill, ability and overall quality of play, and for that we are all pleased. Consider the thousands of intercollegiate athletics events that occur each year, these are isolated cases. However, there is no tolerance for inappropriate and overly aggressive behavior that endangers the well-being of another student-athlete. Good sportsmanship continues to be a pillar of intercollegiate athletics in the NCAA."

Officials from the two-year college world of athletics also denied that there has been any such uptick.

"We track non-violent and violent ejections in the NJCAA and our data does not point to an increase of these types of incidents in women's athletics," wrote Mark Krug, NJCAA spokesman, in an e-mail. "However, any incident of this type is very unfortunate and takes the attention away from those student-athletes that play the game correctly and strive to represent themselves and their schools with sportsmanship and class."

Krug noted that during the 2008-9 academic year, there were 101 total ejections in all of NJCAA women's sports and that only 37 of those were considered "violent ejections." That is relatively low, compared to the figures for men: that during the same academic year, Krug said, there were 648 total ejections in men's games, 177 of which were "violent." Numbers for the current seasons are not available yet.

Advocates for women's athletics had varying responses to the recent high-profile incidents. Most noted that too much pressure is being put on all athletes, whether male orfemale.

"It seems that we are moving on a line that equates female athletes with male athletes in the both behavior and performance ... that if they can't dunk or pitch a perfect game or run the perfect race, problems arise," wrote Pam Noakes, executive director of the National Association for Girls and Women in Sport. "NAGWS has long been an advocate of Title IX and gender equity, but that does not mean that female athletes should act like male athletes. It seems that these behavior blips on the sports screen for women (Griner's punch and the soccer ponytail incident) are warning signs for us that we should all be more vocal in setting standards of behavior that are appropriate and enforcing good decision-making in our athletes."

Noakes's colleague, Shawn Ladda, president of NAGWS and a professor of physical education and human performance at Manhattan College, had a similar response. However, as a former women's soccer coach at Columbia University, she said last fall's ponytail incident struck her close to home.

"I saw that clip, and I talked about it a lot with the students in my class and on our soccer team," Ladda said. "It's important that, as a coach, we are role models to teach sportsmanship. When I was a coach, I didn't care who you were, even if you were my best player, you would have been benched for behavior like that."

Still, she noted that social expectations make incidents like this more of a media sensation when they occur between female athletes.

"There is a double standard out there," Ladda said. "When we see incidents occur in men's athletics, we don't think it's a big deal. It's almost expected. But, when it happens in women's athletics, people are somehow alarmed. Honestly, I find it appalling in any athletics. Still, there is less sportsmanlike behavior in women's sports than there used to be, and I think that's from the increasing demands to win."


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Carrie L. Lukas, vice president for policy and economics for the Independent Women's Forum and author of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Women, Sex, and Feminism, had another take.

"This is part of a broader issue; we shouldn't be encouraging women to act like boys," Lukas said. "If anything, we should encourage men to act in toward the more feminine aesthetic. When we see sportsmanship eroding in girls, it should be a sign. We should say that there is still something of value in it. We should remind women, it's not weak to play fair or even be courteous or sportsmanlike. Young women are supposed to know better."

She also argued that the media likes to sensationalize this type of bad behavior from female athletes.

"This is part of a larger girls-gone-wild appreciation society has for girls doing bad things," Lukas said. "Girls are either a goody-two-shoes or a total bad-ass. We need to give them space to just be girls."

Other critics, particularly those who advocate on behalf of Title IX issues, took a less gendered approach to their analysis.

"Women's sports and women athletes by and large are the gold standard of exemplary conduct and extraordinary role models," wrote Karen Durkin, spokeswoman for the Women's Sports Foundation, a Title IX advocacy group, in an e-mail. "This (recent incident) is both unfortunate and an aberration. & This speaks first and foremost to sportsmanship and conduct, not to the gender of the athletes involved. Tough physical play and emotions running high in the heat of competition are inherent in sports but in no way excuse athletes from behaving appropriately. While isolated incidents like these may never cease completely, they do reinforce the need to continue to instill in all athletes that exemplary behavior is a key component of what it takes to be a successful athlete."

Source: USA Today



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USSSA Opportunities 3/8/10

2010 USSSA is offerings new and exciting opportunities this year for all ages and playing levels from A, B and C level teams to elite teams.

Comprised below is information of the USSSA opportunities this year. Our goal is to start helping teams get sanctioned earlier and get them on the Who's Coming List on the National Tournament Host Site. This allows teams to get all the updated information. This tool will help the host keep you updated on the National Tournaments and items such as hotels, new events and other teams attending the nationals all year long. After your team sanctions USSSA please send the team information and the events your team is planning on attending and we can help get your team set up early with the Who's Coming List.

All teams must be sanction USSSA at all USSSA National Qualifiers tournaments

Go to USSSA Minnesota web site for sanctioning forms at http://mnsportsgroup.com Sanctioning your team is easy on usssa.com at the cost of $30 if you complete the sanctioning online or print and fill out the form that is online at mnsportsgroup.com along with $25 to the address from the website.

Each team receives a web page after sanctioning where the teams can add team pictures, rosters and receive your team results from USSSA events. USSSA points, power rating and tournaments results will not show up without your roster being added.

World Series Events

You will not find a better ran national in the country, which are very well attended by many different states in our region. Plus all World Series are about 4 to 7 driving hours away for all ages.

Florida World Series at the ESPN Wide World of Sports may be the best event in the country.

For more information www.usssaroadtoorlando.com

Conference USSSA

Conference championship festival, all star games, travel money, equipment prize packages, championship rings, Minnesota conference events are: Minnesota Irish College Showcase and USSSA State Tournament. The Minnesota Irish Showcase Tournament are drawing teams from Nebraska, Kansas City and Chicago they're attending because of the USSSA Conference events and the college exposure.

For more information go to http://www.usssaregion5.com/cusssa.aspx

Midwest National Championship is hosted by Minnesota and Iowa Directors this event will be held at Erickson Park in Rosemount Minnesota and will be a 4 day Border Battle. With all the National Tournament amenities and cheap enough for you attend after your World Series Event USSSA State is open to all 14U, 16U and 18U teams NOTE:

If your team is attending a World Series Event the teams must play in USSSA State.


Obituary: Robert L. (Bob) Turner 3/4/10

Turner, Robert L. (Bob) age 76, of Burnsville, went to be with the Lord on March 3rd, 2010.

He was preceded in death by grandson, Lucas Habisch; sister, Elizabeth Zizzler; and brother, John Turner. He is survived by his wife, companion, friend and love of his life, Pat; brother, Mike (Joyce) Turner; sons, David Metcalf and Brian Juul; daughters, Jodi (Mark) Habisch and Cathy Juul (Mike) Adams; grandchildren, Tony Metcalf, Lauren and Nick Habisch, Callie and Zack Adams, and his special angel, granddaughter, Cayla Juul.

Bob attended Bloomington schools through graduation, U of ND, and U of MN. Bob was a Korean War veteran. He was an avid sports fan and officiated small college and high school sports for 50 years. He officiated football, basketball, and fastpitch softball including many state tournaments. Bob and Pat were the only husband and wife to officiate at a MN State High School Tournament together.

Bob was a member of the MN High School Fastpitch Coaches Hall of Fame.

The last touchdown scored, the last basket made, the last pitch thrown, and the last out called. Bob leaves us to play on the Lord's team.

Mass of Christian Burial 11 AM Monday, March 8, 2010 at Church of the Risen Savior, 1501 E. Co. Rd., 42 Burnsville, with visitation Sunday, from 3 - 7 PM at White Funeral Home, 12804 Nicollet Ave. S., Burnsville and also one hour prior to Mass at Church.

Interment Fort Snelling National Cemetery.

A guest book at: www.whitefuneralhomes.com
Burnsville 952-894-5080


SCSU's Koski Named NSIC Player of the Week 3/2/10

Freshman first baseman Ally Koski (Savage) was named the first 2010 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference softball player of the week after a solid debut weekend in a St. Cloud State uniform.

Koski had a breakout weekend for St. Cloud State, rattling off 10 hits and 14 RBI in her collegiate debut weekend.

In the first game of the Husky Dome Classic against Southwest Minnesota State Feb. 27, Koski swung for her first career walk off homer with a grand slam over the center field fence in the bottom of the fifth inning to secure the 13-3 victory. The Husky cleanup hitter then added her second homer of the weekend in a 4-for-4 performance against Bemidji State in a huge 18-1 thrashing of the Beavers.

With the first six games of the season in the books, the first year lefty leads the squad in doubles (3), homeruns (2) and RBI (14). Koski finished the week 9-19, a .526 batting average, while stealing two bases and recording 46 put outs at first base.


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