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August 24th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
Really enjoy Stacie M. newsletters. Thank you!
August 24th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
I know there is a lot of saddness and sorrow that the U.S. women’s team did not win Gold, especially since softball now has an uphill battle for reinstatement into the Olympics by the IOC. Perhaps with Japan winning, this could be the best thing that happens to softball internationally. One of the reasons that softball was challenged was the shear dominance by the U.S. women in the past decade or so. In my opinion, despite the loss, the American women are still the best team inthe world. It shows you that on any given Sunday anything can happen.
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The one thing I would have done if I were Coach Candrea in the final game, was to pinch hit for Andrea Duran with Vicky Galindo with the bases loaded in the 6th inning. Vicky is a great slap-hitter and usually makes contact/puts the ball in play. At that point, trailing 1-2, with the sacks jammed, any ball in play could have tied the score. As it turned out, the next 2 batters popped on the infield. In the 7th inning Vicky led off with a pinch single (slap), but it was too little too late. No shame in losing. There are many teams (CANADA) that would have gladly traded places with the U.S.A. women. Perhaps 2016 in Chicago, eh?
It is on to the NPF Championships today. GO BANDITS!
August 24th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
I know our USA Team was the best softball team in the Olympics games. However, we fastpitch softball and sports lovers know on any day you can lose a game. Go Glory in the NPF Championships games.
August 24th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Just goes to show you on any given day. A fine example we were playing a team that didn’t lose a regular season game in 3 years. We were their last game of the year it was their senior night and they were going to have a party to celebrate there undefeated season. I think every newspaper from the area was around. Needles to say we went up 2 to 0 in the 4th inning that was the longest game of my life. We won and ended their streak. But I think that helped them they went all the way to the finals and lost in 17 innings.
August 24th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
It is sad but true that loss you gave them focus and the momentum to be successful into the playoffs. An undefeated season for coaches can be the most stressful. These things make sports fun for us.
August 24th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
It is sad but true that loss you gave them provided them focus and the momentum to be successful into the playoffs. An undefeated season for coaches can be the most stressful. These things make sports fun for us.
August 24th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
They aired one of the NPF games her on on foxsports yesterday. i’m really glad to see the sports networks recognizing what a great sport fastpitch is.
Keep up the great work Stacie!!!
August 24th, 2008 at 5:29 pm
Really enjoy the newsletters. The Olympic softball games were a treat to watch. Hopefully softball will get back in the Olympics soon.
August 24th, 2008 at 9:50 pm
Love the newsletters.
I hope everyone will continue to work to get Softball back in the Olympics for 2016.
August 25th, 2008 at 10:52 am
If BMX racing can make it into the olympics, we have to get this great team sport back in for 2016.
August 25th, 2008 at 11:31 am
It would be sad to miss the opportunity to play the great sport of softball for all the younger generation.
August 25th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
I was very dissapointed that the Olympic preliminary Softball games were not aired in South Africa. We were fortunate to be able to watch the Semi finals and finals. While I agree that these may be the “most” important games the prelims in some cases can also be very exciting and we can learn a lot from it.
I had the pleasure of meeting Jessica Mendoza and Natasha Watley during their visit to Cape Town,South Africa last year.I woke at 03h00 to watch the semi-final against Japan and took the rest of the day off from work to watch the final. I was dissapointed that the US didn’t win the Gold but as a coach(of an amateur team) I would say that their are lessons in adversity and it can only make the team stronger.
Reagrds
Vanessa
August 25th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
Thank you for your newsletters. I especially liked the one about winning being overrated. Excellent! God Bless You!
August 25th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
Stacie,
Thanks for your hours and hours of work that you put in to organize this! It is a great way to learn and network with coaches from across the country. The Olympic Softball Shock is still resonating with all of us, but it will all work out in the end. I think we will see softball back in the Olympics in 2016 as a recognized international sport. The fact that Japan was able to bring the might US team down takes away one of the arguments for softball’s removal. Now if the baseball guys can get their act together, all will be great.
August 25th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
I firmly believe Olympic softball will be back in Chicago ~ 2016. How could the IOC leave a great (international) pastime behind? Especially in the US!
August 25th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Thank you for all the helpful information and insight to softball especially when it comes to dealing with the younger issues.
August 25th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
I was concerned that Lisa Fernandez was left off the team. Despite the awesome collegiate stats of the Team USA pitchers, I don’t feel they have the international game down as well as Smith, Granger, and Fernandez had.
August 25th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
It was such a great softball event that I cannot believe it will be deleted for London.
There were many great plays that overshadowed the few errors. It was super to watch these women representing their countries thrive under very pressurized situations.
To see that Japanese batter catch up to that rise ball and hammer it over the fence was unbelievable. And yes it was very good for the game to see the other countries having some success against one of the best nations in the world - the U.S. Is everyone else catching up?
“Work Hard and See the Results”
Mal Swift - Ass’t. Coach - Durham College Women’s Fastball Team, OCAA Champions
August 25th, 2008 at 3:26 pm
I think that USA softball has brought quite a lot to the international game more than they think. Not meaning to sound condescending, but we finally have seen an international team that has worked their way to play to a new level that the USA teams had already achieved on several occasions. Japan’s Yukiko Ueno, was crafty and clever to constantly change her timing and rhythm in her delivery that clearly had an effect on team USA’s hitters and their ability to make adjustments. Not too many pitchers can successfully utilize a constantly changing rhythm that can affect their own deliveries too. Their defense gave no extra outs and capitalized on every opportunity to make a play.
The bar was set really high to compete with a USA softball team that had all the experience in, coaches, equipment, gadgets, video and visual training, fields, facilities, and a huge selection of talented athletes to choose from. To actually see the evolution of a country’s team to knock off a super-power was an achievement not just for Japan, but for softball world-wide. Japan’s outstanding achievement lends hope to the international teams that they too can achieve that same greatness if they keep up to the standards created by team USA.
I am proud of team USA for not just their winning and Olympic greatness, but also for what they have done for the game throughout the world as outstanding players and ambassadors to have influenced many young players in many countries into an avenue in which to aspire to and achieve their goals of competing for their own countries in the Olympic games.
August 25th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
First of all thank you Stacie for all your help may god bless you. I am sure the Softball games will be reinstated I mean how can they not it’s an awsome sport. To The USA team your still number one no matter what the score was and like any good team im sure this loss will provide more focus and determination to each and every player.
August 25th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Aloha Stacie…I love, love, love the website! A BIG TEXAS THANK YOU!
Jen Black
August 25th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
Re: Headwear,
My daughter pitches for her middle school team that I coach. A couple of seasons ago she was pitching in the JV Championship game at a field that was oriented toward the west from the pitchers circle. Game time was 4pm and it should have been over by 6pm. But we went into extra innings tied 1 to 1.
She doesn’t usually wear anything on her head when she’s pitching so when the sun started to set there was a terrible glare right in her face. Her teammates all put on their visors. My daughter couldn’t find hers in her bag. So I gave her my baseball style coaches cap that had the school logo on the front. She was able to get through the inning and boy did she look cute.
Pops
August 25th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
I think with the US not winning the Gold it should make the international game that much more exciting. You would think other countries would strive to make the same accomplishments that Japan had made to defeat such a dominant team.
Everyone do their part in getting fastpitch back in the Olympics in Chicago in 2016
August 25th, 2008 at 5:46 pm
“How to Win”
My daughter is 15 and has been playing for 5 yrs.Rec. High School,ASA Travel Team. Lefty Pitcher, 1st Base.
I had a very little idea of what I was getting into. My son started her and my wife and I supported her games.The secound yr my wife and I took over practicing and getting very involved. Now I’m Hooked! Its a Great feeling to see these young ladies working so hard. How to Win!
Early bedtime, everything organized the night before. Eliminate the morning Rush Stress. Good breakfast,not Starbucks. Good for me not her.While she’s waking up I have the USA National team on playng a game.Gets her in the mood.
Good streaching all muscles. When I Coached I was the Pitching Coach. What ever pitcher warmed up the best would be our starting pitcher,no favors! When I was not calling pitches I would keep the dug out focused and motivated. It worked out great.Mike Candera and his web site is “Sportskool.com” an excellent tool ready to use any time.
August 26th, 2008 at 1:47 am
Hey, My name is Sabrina Matkoskey I am 13 years old and I love to play Softball. Whe nI am out on that field it give me the power that I can do my best and I ca nbe who I want to be and tr ymy best in the game to beat the other team cause i would love to try to be number one, but even though I try my best I always think at first you don’t succeeed try try again that is my motto when i want to work hard to succeed…
I <3 Softball
August 26th, 2008 at 2:33 am
Does anyone know about spring training for the year 2009? This would be for High School.
August 26th, 2008 at 11:09 am
Softball is a great sport. I feel to celebrate the game. The olympic committee will hopefully reconsider their decision and reinstate the sport in 2016.
August 26th, 2008 at 6:26 pm
Hopefully the Olympic committe will consider bringing back softball. This a good sport that helps girls discover their potential.
August 26th, 2008 at 6:26 pm
I think one way to win is when you are facing a top notch team (TEAM USA) to believe that any team can lose - your team may be the one to beat them!
I love the USA Team - win or lose.
August 26th, 2008 at 6:55 pm
Team USA did a GREAT job! I’m so proud of the girls bringing home the silver. They played well and showed a winning attitude to little girls everywhere who were watching. Thanks TEAM USA for being role models for my daughter!
August 26th, 2008 at 7:22 pm
I wish we would have had better coverage on NBC for the softball. I have watched the U.S.A team play several times at Hall of Fame in OKC. They are awesome to watch live and I looked forward to watching them on TV, but the coverage was terrible. How many young girls could watch them at 5 in the morning central time?
August 26th, 2008 at 9:38 pm
Well now that TEAM USA lost. Do you think some other countries and the Olympic organizing committe will look differently at 2016 regarding the potential for Softball again becoming an olympic sport.
One of the things that hurt the effort to have it reinstated as an olympic sport was that Team USA was so dominant.
Another was the supposed lack of development of the sport in other countries.
What do you think?
Best to TEAM USA for a strong effort and showing others that anything is possible. Also my hat has to be tipped to Japan for beating the strongest team we could put on the field.
August 27th, 2008 at 2:08 am
Congrats to Team Japan on winning the gold. However, I think the game with Japan showed the two main weaknesses that Team USA was dealing with. One was a very suspect defense. On a number of occasions, Coach Candrea (who is 10x smarter than I will ever be at softball) said his best defense was his offense. This was evident late in the game against Japan when multiple errors were made. Secondly, there was no proven leader amoungst the players. Jessica Mendoza is a phenomenal player and huge for the sport itself, but she does not present to me the type of player that will get after a player that needs it or be able to reassure a player that might be down. This player would be someone that unfortunately did not make the trip - Lisa Fernandez. Just to have someone that has as much experience as Lisa sitting with players like Duran, Osterman, and Abbott would have been huge.
August 27th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
love your site helps out alot have an 8year old an a 12 year old both play on summer travel teams.thanks for all the help.steve
August 27th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
Maybe with the Japan team winning the gold medal for the Olympics, the IOC will finally open their eyes and see that the USA team isn’t as dominate as is claimed.
Maybe now we have the best chance for the reinstatemant of Olympic softball for 2016!
Join me and my quest for this, by visiting savesoftball.com. Please sign my petition and help spread the word.
Just because the Olympics are over for this year, doesn’t mean that we give up on this fight. With your help, we can make a diference, and that difference can change the minds of the current IOC members.
Thank you,
Jmaie Gray
August 27th, 2008 at 5:29 pm
Maybe with the Japan team winning the gold medal for the Olympics, the IOC will finally open their eyes and see that the USA team isn’t as dominate as is claimed.
Maybe now we have the best chance for the reinstatemant of Olympic softball for 2016!
Join me and my quest for this, by visiting savesoftball.com. Please sign my petition and help spread the word.
Just because the Olympics are over for this year, doesn’t mean that we give up on this fight. With your help, we can make a diference, and that difference can change the minds of the current IOC members.
Thank you,
Jamie Gray
August 27th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
My daughter is convinced that team USA had to let Japan win for the future of the olympic softball. She truly thinks that they took one for the team. We read Stacie and Marc together and discuss what is in the e-letters, thanks for taking the time to put them together.
August 28th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
I have to agree with Coach Scott. Lisa Fernandez was missed because of the leadership she brings. The best individual players do not always make the best team.
Defense is a constant while offense can come and go.
August 30th, 2008 at 6:41 am
Although the USA team had lost the Gold, I sadly think that it was for the best. This time. Just because USA has be donmitating the softball field, it just meant that other Countries had to dig deeper for better players. Train harder & take the game seriously like we do. I’m very sad that the IOC will be taking away one of the BEST sports out there and hope that they take another look at softball and agree to keep in the Olympics!
October 11th, 2008 at 4:25 am
I love <3 softball! i think they should definately put it back in the olympics. i will be bummed out if its not in the next summer olympics! any way i love softball!!, and hope to see the US team back again in the next 8yrs.
November 12th, 2008 at 10:11 pm
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November 13th, 2008 at 7:46 am
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December 5th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
Hey Love Softball
December 5th, 2008 at 2:19 pm
Coach Malinowski hi my name is sabrina could you email me at OurBigCocoa@aol.com to tell me when I could do spring training for softball because I am going into high school next year….
Thank You,
Sabrina