Roth Pond Regatta

It was a cool, bright, morning.  The Goodyear Blimp was flying overhead making its way toward the Waste Management Open Golf Tournament in Phoenix.  Little did the pilot know that another monumental sports feat was about to happen at the Valle de Oro ball field in East Mesa, Arizona.

On that beautiful day, Sally Marks, at the ripe ole age of 55, hit her first home run for her team, the Stingers.  All my close friends and family were told as quickly as I could get the word out. In f

act if I had the money to have the blimp fly a banner behind it to celebrate the occasion, I certainly would have done so.

Hitting a home run in softball has been on my Bucket List of things I wanted to do before I die, for many years.  I’ve been playing senior women’s softball for five years, and the closest I’ve come to a homer was when I hit two triples in one game, four years ago.  I played ball when I was in junior high and high school, and I never hit a home run in the six years I p

layed.  In fact, I don’t even think I hit a homer when I played in the front yard with my brother and neighborhood chums.  But, let’s get this story back to the current century.

Lately, I have had poopy little hits that never see the green grass of the outfield.  In fact, I have not hit anything better than a single all season long. But today was different.

I began my day much as I have in other games.  I hit a ground ball to short stop – twice.  Once I beat it out for a single, the

other time they nailed me.  However, when I went up to bat the next time, I recalled a dream I had the night before.  I can’t remember the details, but the crux of it was to use anger as fuel to hit the ball.  Since I’m a pretty good-natured person, this isn’t always easy for me.  But this time I decided to put my nocturnal messages to good use.

There were two outs and no one on base. I stood at the plate and thought of a scenario that made me angry – real angry.  As I waited for the right pitch, I growled under my breath.  I am not sure if the catcher or umpire could hear me, but I did this loud enough that I could hear myself. I swung hard and connected with the ball. It sailed into center field.  I ran hard to first base.  The fielder missed the ball and it rolled past her.  I had to keep going.  I rounded second and Shirley, the third base coach, motioned for me to keep going.  I ran toward her, fully expecting her to have me stop with a triple.  But she didn’t.  She waved for me to keep going.  Not one to argue, I picked up the pace and crossed the plate with time to spare.

Everyone on the team came out to congratulate me.  I jumped up and down with delight.  Everyone joked that the Goodyear Blimp was there to witness this historical occasion.  My homer sparked a two-out rally and more runs were scored, although I can’t tell you how many.  The next time I was up to bat, I saw something I had never witnessed before.  The fielders saw me and backed up a few feet.  I was in heaven.  I hit another good hit, as did several of our players.  We played our best game ever and won 15-0.

Ironically, two days ago in our game before the tournament, the Stingers were stinkers.   We couldn’t hit, we bobbled the ball and made errors that looked like they came straight out of a Three Stooges movie.  But, just as in life, we put it behind us and moved forward.

After our first victory in the tournament, we played a second game against our arch rivals, The Desert Stars.  We won again!  That puts us 2 and 0 for the tournament.  If it doesn’t rain tomorrow, we will be at it again. We just might win our first tournament.

Okay, you may ask.  What is the morale of this story?

I thought about writing about using anger in a positive way.  I also thought about a little ditty on friendship or the power of perseverance.  Any of these topics would work.  But somehow I don’t want to elaborate on that.

I just want to tell everyone that I hit a home run today and I’m one happy ball player.  It may have taken five and a half decades, but I did it.  And I just wanted to celebrate this moment with all of you.  And also to let you know that it is never too late to achieve your dreams.  So never, ever, pull yourself out of the game.  Hang in there and keep on swinging – no matter what.

The most valuable recommendation that a youth baseball coach can give a young batter while doing baseball hitting drills would be to concentrate on hitting the ball up the middle. When you concentrate on hitting up the middle, you are able to adjust to hit the ball wherever it’s pitched. If you go to the plate hoping to pull the ball, you’ll struggle hitting an outside pitch. Your front side will have opened up too soon and you may not be able to hit a pitch on the outside part of the

plate. You have to have balance in every thing that you do in baseball, in particular in hitting and hitting drills. Your body is going to move, but you ought to keep your head still. The best way to accomplish that is to possess great balance. Youth baseball bats work just like adults bats, they need balance.

Concentration at bat is essential, and confidence helps. You must walk up to the plate saying to your self, “I’m going to launch the ball”. A player requires rhythm. Try to watch the

pitcher’s hand and keep your eye on the ball be aggressive at the plate, but also be loose and relaxed. If you ever let your arms get too tight, you might lose the advantage of having excellent wrist action for your swing, as well as your power. Your baseball bat speed just won’t be there.

You have to have a purpose to every swing in batting practice. As part of your first round of batting practice you may concentrate on hitting every pitch into the opposite field. During the following round,

try to make sure that you are swinging down on the ball. Prepare your self for possible game situations, or the practice will never be as beneficial as it could possibly be. In case you discover your self in a hitting slump, attempt to focus on defense and perhaps save the game with a great throw. Slumping hitters must bear in mind that it does not always take a great at bat to win the game.

Youth baseball players and coaches ought to seek to strengthen the mental outlook of the whole team with encouraging comments to all players. Negative comments will never bring something beneficial for the team morale. Hitting really depends on confidence.Hitting a baseball is a extremely challenging skill that occasionally gets overlooked by coaches,players,and parents.From time to time we ignore how skilled these youth baseball players are and want even more out of them.Let’s just have fun and appreciate this fantastic game of youth baseball.

There are many suggestions about how to break in a new Fastpitch Softball Glove. Some of them are pretty good and others are really bad. It’s a wonder some gloves make it to the field at all with the suggestions we have seen or heard of.  The main thing you want to remember is to follow the manufacturers suggestions for breaking in their gloves.

Your new glove is made of leather, a natural product. The manufacturing process of tanning the hide into leather usually involves adding so

me kind of oil or chemical into the hide to cure it and soften it. This is usually all that is required for a new glove. There are some Fastpitch gloves that are really stiff when brand new that may require a little more glove conditioner during the break in period. The terms oil and conditioner generally mean the same thing. They aren’t so much an oil as they are a conditioner so most manufacturers call them conditioners now. The term oil is just a holdout from the old days.  Some of the oils

out there will actually harm the leather and cause it to deteriorate and break down, almost a spongy feel to the leather. That is not how to take care of your new glove.

So that is some of the things you don’t want to do. Here are some suggestions that you do want to do. Ready, it’s a tough one. Wait for it…

Go out and play catch! That’s it. That is the best way and the Right way to break in your new softball glove. Akadema, one of the most exciting new glove makers, suggests that you

spot condition only when necessary. They also say to please do not under any circumstances put the glove in a microwave or dunk the glove in water.

If your glove is too stiff to easily play catch, then when you get your new glove you should rub a small amount of conditioner – from the manufacturer – on your glove. Use a sponge or apply with your hand and fingers. Rub it into the palm and back and on the seams and laces. Don’t apply to the fingers or thumb areas, as you want these to stay stiff.

It is important to condition the laces because they take most of the stress when a ball hits the pocket; they hold the glove together. You should also rub some conditioner on the inside of the glove to protect the leather from moisture. You can just put some on your fingers and then put your hand into your glove and work the conditioner into the leather.

Remove any excess conditioner with a soft cloth. Put a softball in the pocket and tie the glove with a rubber band or string to hold the ball tightly in the pocket of the glove. Leave it to rest overnight, wipe off any excess conditioner and go play catch.

Playing catch with your new glove does a couple of things to help break it in. By wearing the glove it forms to your hand and catching a ball manipulates the pocket to the shape of the ball. Now isn’t that just what you want anyway?

Just putting a ball inside and tying up the glove is ok, but you won’t get that “custom” feel and fit that you will by wearing it and playing catch. Try to catch the ball in the pocketas much as possible so the glove will form correctly. You should put a ball in your glove and tie it closed after playing catch or after the game. This will help keep the shape.

There are lots of gadgets out there for keeping the glove closed, most are pretty cool, but if you are a Fastpitch softball player worth your salt you already have the best thing in your bag to tie up that glove. Prewrap, that’s right just take a length of that colored prewrap that you use to hold back your hair with. It stretches like a rubber band and you could just use the one in your hair when the game is over. You can also use a piece of it tied around the wrist strap to recognize your glove quickly. That stuff is pretty neat; wish I had invented it.

Another tip I have heard and seen is to go to the batting cage, get a few tokens and instead of hitting the balls, stand in there and catch them with your new glove. After a couple tokens, the glove will probably be pretty well broken in and game ready. Also not bad practice for fielding line drives – wear your helmet.

Most gloves should be worn with a batting glove, this helps keep the moisture and sweat from soaking into the inside of the glove. If the batting glove gets wet, replace it with a dry one. A small amount of conditioner, not oil, can be rubbed into the inside palm area as a moisture barrier.

What To Do to Break In Your New Glove:

Play Catch – 20 to 30 minutes a day for a c

After the scandal at the beginning of the year, during which he admitted that he had used steroids, Mark McGwire is finally enjoying the calm after the frenzy. After several, repeated apologies, McGwire is returning to his position as the St. Louis Cardinals new batting coach, to the pleasure of St. Louis fans. The team is pleased to welcome the former baseball star to the spring training camp begun this week.

Just over a month ago, McGwire ended more than ten years of denial, admitti

ng that he had used steroids and human growth hormone (HGH) to improve his performance during games. After the confession, the player asked for forgiveness and understanding.

Initially, McGwire said, he used the drugs for help healing his injuries, but later he began to use them to improve his swing and performance during his baseball games. In fact, much of the controversy stems from the fact that McGwire is well known for setting a record in 1998, hitting 70 homeruns, easily surpassing Roger

Marris’ record of 61 and then 65.

“It’s something I regret,” McGwire said. “I can’t say I’m sorry enough to everybody in baseball and across America, and whoever watches this great game. I think people understand how truly sorry I was for what I did.”

McGwire is ready for a new beginning and a chance to demonstrate that he has the skills for the job he was offered. Now he is in the St. Louis spring training clubhouse lockers, waiting for an opportunity to make up for what happened

more than 10 years ago.

The real work starts this weekend and early next week, when the team’s hard practice starts, and McGwire’s new pupils are still excited about the idea of having the legend on the team as a batting coach. This is especially true of Skip Schumaker, who doesn’t hide his admiration for the player; Schumaker has been working with McGwire in the offseason and shares a passion for hitting.

“I’m excited about it,” Schumaker said. “I’m not excited I have to share him. He’s helped me a whole lot the last couple of years and I’m excited to have him for a full season.”

McGwire also has the support of other players on the team. They’ve avoided judging him; McGwire, after all, is not the only one who has had access to these types of drugs. Most of them said that the time Big Mac played was one of the best eras of baseball, a period with incredible talent in the MLB.

McGwire stated that he is willing to work when the Cardinals need him, 5am in the morning or 7 o’clock at night; he is ready to start his work for the team rather than for himself. He has expressed his excitement over this new chapter in his career and life.

McGwire retired back in 2001 and since then has made few public appearances.

Are you fond of watching a baseball game? Is Dodgers your favorite team? Well, I bet your kid feels the same way too. Finding out that there are numerous kids who adore the Dodgers as much as grown persons do has led to the launch of the Dodgers Kids Club. Therefore if you are a Dodgers fan then you can really encourage your child to be part of the free Kids Club of the LA Dodgers. If you have a kid between the ages of 6-14 you can sign him or her in the Dodgers kids club. The membershi

p comes with numerous added benefits like first access to the Jr. Dodgers Training Days, a craved membership card and VIP access to the Kids Run the Bases events, the experience to be the announcer or a newsletter reporter. So be sure that you complete the form available on the internet and get ready to introduce your kids to the fun world of major league baseball via the initiative of the Dodgers.

You will not just see a baseball game and have a great fun with family but the Dodger’s stadium

has put in good and delectable food to their menu. This means that you don’t have to feed your kid junk the moment that you are going to see the game. Dodger’s stadium really has fun stuff for both parent and kid like Star Wars Night.

Do you want to see your favourite team that has had some of the best players in the history of baseball? Do you wish your youngsters to experience the same great old time experiences that you and your parents did as kids? The good news is that because of today’

s up to date technology, there are countless websites that suit your needs, so that getting bargain seating and pricing for seeing the Los Angeles Dodgers easy! Through certain websites you can obtain excellent, inexpensive seats at a discounted rate. Wish to sit in the front row, premier seats or a suite? You can find a ticket concierge that will make every attempt to upgrade your Dodgers tickets totally free. Never pay service charges on your ticket purchases once again! Why waste your time only to find out you are spending more than you thought? Obtain a ticket prices not having the extra “surprise” of paying more!!

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San Francisco Giants ace Tim Lincecum asked $13 million for baseball betting in salary arbitration, a record for a player eligible for the first time, and Seattle pitcher Felix Hernandez closed in on a five-year contract with the Mariners.

Seventy-one players reached agreements with their teams ahead of yesterday’s exchange of figures, leaving 38 in arbitration.

The Giants offered $8 million to Lincecum, 40-17 with a 2.90 ERA since he was brought up early in the 2007 season. He won the NL C

Y Young Award in his each of first two full seasons, becoming the first repeat winner since Randy Johnson from 1999 to 2002. Lincecum was a bargain last year, when he made $650,000.

Lincecum also agreed yesterday to pay $513 to resolve marijuana charges against him in Washington State, stemming from a traffic stop on Oct. 30.

Hernandez asked for the second-highest figure, $11.5 million, and the Mariners offered $7.2 million. He is due in Seattle for a physical needed to finalize his contr

act, a source said.

Jeff Francoeur and the New York Mets agreed to a $5 million, one-year contract, making him one of three players who settled with the team before going to salary arbitration. Relief pitchers Pedro Feliciano ($2.9 million) and Sean Green ($975,000) also agreed to one-year deals.

Boston Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon agreed to a $9.35 million, one-year deal, the highest salary for a reliever with at least four years of major-league service. The agreement surpassed Mariano

Rivera’s $7.25 million contract after the 2000

Check out Baseball bet news site for the remaining players seeks in salary arbitration.

Are you interested in basketball under over betting? I sure as heck I am. I have been interested for years. And for years I would be on the wrong side. Why? Because I had a habit of betting with my heart. After sharing this with others, I was surprised to find out that many gamblers make the same mistake. Well, nowadays I don’t make that mistake with basketball under over betting. No, sir! Nowadays, I crunch numbers.

Some people might not be a fan of number crunching when it comes to basket

ball under over betting, but I am. All I do is go to a site like sports.legendz.com or some other site like that, do some research, and find out who the five highest and lowest scoring teams in the league are. This is very important information if you’re looking to get involved in basketball under over betting. The good news is that basketball under over betting can be simple if you allow it to be.

What I mean by that is that you should stay consistent and constantly bet the under when low

scoring teams are playing. Don’t worry about who they’re playing. Just keeping betting under. You might lose here and there, but in the long run, you will be a winner. The same holds true for overs in basketball under over betting. You must always bet over when the top five offenses are playing. Once again, don’t worry about their opponents. Just keep betting over.

Of course, you will need to accumulate data prior to making these wagers. You should usually wait ten to twelve games befo

re going after it. Then you can attack. If you stick to the pattern and bet the same amount every game without panicking or getting greedy, there’s an excellent chance you will come out ahead.

There are many choices in Fastpitch Softball Gloves today. It can be very confusing to choose the best glove for you with all the sizes, styles, materials and models available today.
Fastpitch Softball Gloves generally have a larger pattern (length) than a baseball glove because the ball is larger. A deeper pocket is usually designed into a softball glove as well. Akadema, one of the most exciting new glove manufacturers; designed some Women’s and Girls Fastpitch Softball gloves with smaller f

inger slots. The distance between the thumb and index finger is shorter to accommodate a smaller hand.

One important thing to know is that you should not buy a glove that your child can “grow into”. The glove needs to fit properly and be the proper length (this is usually called the Pattern size of the glove) to allow them to develop proper fielding mechanics and not cheat by having a longer glove. A proper fitting glove will also help the beginning player feel more confident because the g

love is snug on the hand and easier to manage and won’t keep falling off.
Remember, a six or eight year old child has a pretty small hand and not as strong as those 14A level players on the next field over.

Let’s start by deciding what Position you Normally play. This can help determine the size or pattern of the glove. Most kids will play several positions to start with so a Utility glove may be the best choice for beginners. Below is a quick view chart to get you started.

Glove Size -

—- Softball Position

14.5 inch ——– Outfield – Men

14 inch ———– Outfield – Men

13.5 inch ——– Outfield

13 inch ———– Utility

12.75 inch ——- Utility

12.5 inch ——– Utility

12 inch ———– Infield

11.75 inch ——- 2nd Base/Youth

11.5 inch ——– Youth

11 inch ———– Youth

10.5 inch ——– Youth

9.5 inch ———- Youth/6-8 yrs

How To Measure a Glove

Fastpitch Softball Gloves and First Base Mitts are measured from the top of the index finger of the glove down along the inside of the pocket and out to the heal of the glove. Fastpitch gloves will typically measure from 12 inches to 14.5 inches with youth sizes being smaller.
You should use a flexible tape measure or a length of lace or string. This is so while measuring it can lay in the palm of the glove as it measures giving you an accurate measurement. Measure from the highest point of the index finger.

Catchers Mitts are measured around the circumference of the mitt. All gloves and mitts are measured in inches typically. A Fastpitch Softball Catchers Mitt will measure in the 33 inch to 34.5 inch range. Youth sizes can be smaller.

I still don’t understand what size my kid is! Parents of a beginning player can ask your coach, or have your child try on some of the other kid’s gloves to see how they fit. Measure those gloves using the techniques above then look at the chart and read the rest of this article for more tips. Most gloves have the size labeled somewhere on the glove.

Fastpitch Softball Gloves don’t have to be expensive. Good quality gloves that will help your child learn the game and play well are available under $40. Gloves for the serious competitive player to college player can range from under $100 to over $200. So there is a lot of choice out there.

Oufielders: Normally, Fastpitch Softball Outfielders like a larger glove in the 12.5″ to 14″ pattern. This gives them a deeper pocket and a longer glove to snag that ball from going over the fence or diving to catch one with an outstretched arm. A longer glove makes ball transfer a little slower but the extra catching area is usually a plus for outfielders.
There are designs with open webs in an “H”, a “T” and other patterns. This allows you to see the ball as you hold the glove out for a high fly. Closed web designs are also available for outfield use. Some players prefer the closed web to help block the sun.

Infielders: Generally, Fastpitch Softball Infielders prefer a smaller pattern,in the 12″ to 12.5″ range. This smaller size allows a quicker grab and quicker transfer of the ball to the throwing hand.
There are some new designs that are almost fingerless. These allow you to scoop up that ground ball even quicker.
Sometimes an infielder prefers an open web like the outfielders and sometimes they like them closed to provide more stopping power and control.

Pitchers Usually like a glove that has a closed web. This allows them to hide t

When you’re coaching youth softball teams, the first thing you’ll notice is the huge role player’s parents play in the team. They’re not a part of the team itself, but they can help make or break the team depending on their attitude.

The key here is knowing the common types of parents and learning how to deal with them. I’m not trying to stereotype parents here, but it helps a lot to recognize certain traits and curbing the bad ones. Realize, too, that some traits will overlap so, lo

ok out for them.

Let me show you some of the most common parent types here:

The Model Parent

This is the dream parent that softball coaches want to work with. They’re the ones who understand when to step in and when to let coaches do their work. They’re not pushy when they give suggestions. And when they do provide suggestions, they’re suggestions and not commands.

Model parents may also display other common types of traits, but they’re a lot easier to deal with.

The Competitiv

e Parent

Competitive parents are great in the sense that they always try to motivate their kids to try harder and become better players. The only problem is when a parent becomes too competitive and becomes an obnoxious presence in the team.

They’ll also try to provide you with regular advice on how to coach the team better. If they’re not obnoxious, just try to be a little more patient as they give you their advice.

The ‘Living through Your Kids’ Parent

Some parents couldn’t s

eem to get over their past glory as a softball player. They typically talk to their kids starting with this line, “when I was your age.”

Like competitive parents, they’re the types who try to push their kids a little harder than most. But when they push their kids too hard, that’s where the problem begins.

What you can do is to nicely tell them that their kid is working hard enough, and tell them if their kid reached a certain milestone or set a record for the team. This might help lessen the pressure they give to their kids.

The ‘Coach’ Parent

Again, there will be parents who will think they can do a better job than you. And it’s typical with the ‘coach’ parent.

The good thing with this type of parent is that it’s good if they can work with you. At least you’ll have somebody to throw ideas around with. It only becomes problematic when they try to coach your team behind your back. So try as much as possible to get them on your side.

The Negative Parent

This is probably one of the worst parent types you have to deal with. It’s the parent type who never sees anything good with how you coach, how your players play the game, etc.

You need to be able to deal with this kind of parent before he/she even wreaks havoc in the team.

Again, this isn’t about stereotyping parents, but looking for signs that may set off trouble in the team. And the earlier you deal with them, the easier it will be for you to handle potential problems.