2014 year in review

[RetiredCoach]

The highlights for my oldest DD was her awesome pitching for the sophomore team in the Spring; making her first "A" team in the summer; and being almost unhittable in the Fall season.

For my youngest DD it was developing her power stroke for the freshman team in the Spring; winning five games at nationals; and effectively pitching on her older's sister team in the Fall.

 

[SoAZDad]

DD is a 2002 birth year. After four years spring/fall/all star seasons of rec ball, she joined her first travel team as a 12U in May 2013. The organization dissolved the 12U team in January 2014 and she was put on the 14U team. The organization dissolved in March 2014. Her and a couple other girls for the team tried out and made the 12U team for a larger, better organization. Since March, she's played in 50ish tournament games, 14 league games, and a bunch of friendlies and scrimmages. Her PC, after four years, is happy with her mechanics, teaching her the riseball, and is fine-tuning her form. Her CU was too fast until a couple months ago, lately it's breaking down and out nicely at a good speed and she is spotting it pretty well.

She was pretty good in the circle this year and pretty good at the plate. She loves her team and the org. She played her first year of school ball (7th grade middle school). What a shocker to me...a lot of girls had never played before! So the travel ball girls mentored the newbies (they had one coach). At the end of the season, a couple pairs of parents came up to me and said their newbie daughters really appreciated my DD because she was continually supportive and positive. When they struck out, they said my DD would say stuff like "don't worry, let's go get 'em next time at the plate and get 'em on defense now." That made me a proud dad.

 

[RetiredCoach]

The highlights for my oldest DD was her awesome pitching for the sophomore team in the Spring; making her first "A" team in the summer; and being almost unhittable in the Fall season.

For my youngest DD it was developing her power stroke for the freshman team in the Spring; winning five games at nationals; and effectively pitching on her older's sister team in the Fall.

 

[Rocketech1]

The most memorable moment happened three weeks ago for 12u DD. Championship game, DD was brought in to pitch the last 4 innings. She preserved the shutout and struckout the last batter with her flip change-up. I was very proud of her because she has been working on that particular pitch since she was 7YO (and it still works!).

 

[sbmom19]

Highlights for 2014:
-DD making varsity as a freshman and starting every game but 1
-DD hitting OTF homerun (2nd lifetime) over a very deep fence during summer TB
-DD hitting OTF homerun (3rd lifetime) over an equally deep fence while nervous as heck playing as a pick-up player during fall ball
-Getting to watch DD play for 5 different teams over 10 months AND LOVING EVERY MINUTE OF IT!!!!

 

[John T]

First homerun in a varsity game
First multi-homerun game
Scored points in two events at state swim meet
Verbal to the college of HER choice!
Academic Scholarship money covering over half her tuition so far.
Growing into a beautiful young woman.

GREAT year with one more softball season to come!

 

[BuckeyeGuy]

Lots of options to choose from, but I think tops for me was coaching DD's 12U team to runner up in the end of season tournament with only 6 of my players and 2 10U all stars in my outfield (and lineup). We played out of the loser's bracket to the championship game, and the girls gave 100% all day long, never got down, never lost their composure. I've never been prouder of a team or my DD (she went 0 for everything, never stopped being positive).

 

[SB23]

So much happened this year....

* Moved up to JV from Middle School - started every game batted 3rd or 4th, she hit .680 (Legitimately) LOL - after season varsity coach had admitted to her he would have brought her to the varsity level if she hadn't been misclassified by the athletic director.

* Played 14U spring/summer had great success...unfortunately her team of 5 years was broken up -

* After post game awards at a tournament DD & I were approached by an opposing coach who just wanted to tell us that he thought she was a great player, & person for the way she handled herself on the field. He had noted a few sportsmanlike gestures she had made throughout the game against his team. - This was a TRUE highlight for me

Moved to 16U in the fall, played three showcases and hit .450 to lead her team and she also hit her first OTF homerun -

2015 is looking bright, she has already been told she will be on varsity and will be competing against a Sr. for a starting position.

 

[dbronstein]

11 year old DD got cut by her team over the summer. She had given up on pitching the year before because she was never going to get a chance. We thought she might get a chance with the new team, and spent a week before the first game practicing with disastrous results - I was chasing balls all over the yard. HC put her in to pitch in the first game and it suddenly clicked for her. She pitched a scoreless inning with two strikeouts.

 

[guero_gordo]

Impressed with DD's maturation as a hitter, mental game catching up to her mechanics.
Had a memorable phone call from SoCal after she drove a 3 run homer way beyond the fence.