The best of the 2008 season

The 2008 fastpitch season is nearly over :'( and the 2009 teams will form soon. What were the best team or individual moments of the 2008 season?

the best moment of my dd's travel ball year was when she left the team she was playing for two tourneys into the outdoor season.

My favorite moment was probably last weekend. It only rained for about 15 minutes on Saturday and it was the first tournament in seven weeks that was not altered by rain. Watch August through October we will have the worst drought on record.

My best moment is easy. My 15 year old daughter passed away from brain cancer May 29th. My team and her former teammates after winning our own tournament this past weekend asked to go as a group to the cementary to deliver a trophy to Brittany. It was tough but special moment that makes staying in coaching worth while.

was going to post something but after that last one I think I'll just keep quiet. Hang tough lions fastpitch MD

Well, there's some perspective for all of us.

Congratulations on the win, Lions, and on having a team of thoughtful girls. So sorry for your loss.

Lionsfastpitch you and your family have my heart and prayers.......You have obviously done something right with your coaching....you have taught your team compassion.............CHAMPIONS IN EVERY WAY THAT COUNTS!!

Unbelievable....puts everything into perspective.....I will hug em and hold em a lilttle bit tighter after that and Lions...thanks for your post......I think it helped to screw my head back on right and realize what life really is all about!

That is what has been special about this year. So many things have reminded us all about what is most important.

Mallory Holtman and Liz Wallace carried Sara Tucholsky around the bases.
The Outcast team continued their handshake line around the backstop to shake hands with the injured Total Chaos player.
The Lady Lions brought Brittany her trophy.

The rain may have come, but some beautiful things grew out of the mud.

Making it to the world series in peoria , IL and watching dd hit one over the fence, ?;D could not have happend at a better place. ? Had a great time all week thanks miami valley vipers team and coaches

All I can say about that is it couldn't have happened to a more deserving girl.....what a pleasure to have her play for us......kept her focus on ball all year...worked hard...and the rewards came at the right time......sometimes it is the quiet ones who display the real leadership!

The shirt reads "Softball is life..." ?

It isn't. ?Life is Life.

Our season is over and I'm getting up Sunday and taking my family to church together for the first time since early spring. ?Come join me.

Lady Cougars said:

The rain may have come, but some beautiful things grew out of the mud.

Click to expand...

Amen

Agreed... this is our last weekend playing - here in USSSA WS this weekend... then it is back to church for my family... we have been 1 time in almost 3 months... In my years I have watch Wed night go from church night to sports, then Sunday night (practice) and now Sunday all day. There was a time when Sunday up until 1pm was off limits to sports activities - no more...

I'm lucky --I attend 2 churches regularly , one offers sat pm services and 1 has their main sunday service on sunday pm , no am service at all. I can usually make it to 1 of them MD

Thank You Don

Not a single moment that I can think of right now. But in a season of learning and ups & downs (aren't they all, to some extent?), the best for me is watching kids grow up and get better, becoming leaders, and having fun when it is all said and done.

Still waiting on dd's first fence shot, getting closer though.

God bless Lionsfastpitch. Hearing about things like this make our perspectives a little clearer, and life's decisions a little easier also. Wish there were adequate words to say ..... just empathy and positive thoughts instead

Lady Cougars said:

That is what has been special about this year. So many things have reminded us all about what is most important.

Mallory Holtman and Liz Wallace carried Sara Tucholsky around the bases.
The Outcast team continued their handshake line around the backstop to shake hands with the injured Total Chaos player.
The Lady Lions brought Brittany her trophy.

The rain may have come, but some beautiful things grew out of the mud.

Click to expand...

Thank you for mentioning us, while the gesture we did pales in comparison, it is an example of the type of people that make up the OUTCASTfastpitch organization.

Our best of the year, just being able to pull together an idea of 3 guys who knew how things should be run, and turning it into a great team and memories to last a lifetime!!

Sorry, I have to go back to the "Getting Back to Church" thread. ?

My DD entered the SELECT Fast Pitch world in late June 2008. ?We've noticed our Church attendance and overall focus on spirituality has been challenged some since joining a select team. ? The thread above helped remind me how easy it is to get off track or even lost when we make ourselves "busy".

I found it interesting on "Tourney Sunday's", ?when rain delays we evident for many hours most of the summer, I didn't see many seeking out Church services, and on occasions actually asked others if they would like to go to Church and unfortunately didn't have any takers.

So to all of you that feel as I do, I have made a personal commitment to my Family and myself to NOT FALL DOWN on my spiritual leadership and take it upon myself to find an appropriate Worship Place regardless of where we travel and at least make the attempt to get there whether it be Saturday evening or Sunday morning or Sunday Evening. ? ?I've seen lot's of great things this summer that have been true blessings to my DD and also have seen many troubling ones too, and by far to many families that didn't appear to have ANY faith or spirituality, possibly because they are so "BUSY".

Last weekends NSA World Series Parade and Celebration is a great example of the GOOD and EVIL we have experienced in Fast Pitch Select Softball. ?As the Parade and Celebration was awesome in so many ways(Teams, Cosutmes, Goodies, Gifts, Games, Food, ......) but it also had a startling moment that was completely unacceptable, in which I hope future NSA, ASA, USSSA Tourneys, Coaches, and Parents will take pro-active measures to prevent. ?

Sadly enough, one of our "OHIO" Teams went on stage to Kareoke and unfortunately chose the most vulgar and degrading songs to sing, and oh no!(act out too), as the team members in question sang joyfully to the most in-napropriate song/lyrics I've ever heard, and even worked in Their Team name and uniforms into the act, ?which made me wonder whether I made a mistake in coming to World Series and even joining the Select Arena and completely derailed what was otherwise a fantastic day with my DD. ?

I found it appauling that I had to experience this along side my 12u DD at the NSA World Series. There is no doubt that the girls on stage found it funny to degrade themselves in dozens of sexual lyrics and gestures, which we both found offensive to the point we had to leave what had been fun up til then. ?While leaving we walked by this team's Coach, a few parents, and members from the younger team of this organization, to find they all rationalized this to be funny, amuzing, and girls just having fun. ?

My DD and I both immediately discussed how the lack of Common Sense, Good Taste, Charachter, and lack spirituality across the Coaches, Parents, and players enabled this unbelievable act to occur in which those involved could rationalize they were having fun. ? My DD and I both felt the need to express our sadness to those around us(Coaches and Parents of this team) and profess our faith and vocalize how the wrong message is being sent and there are too many other songs and ways to have fun on stage. ? This was a TERRIBLE representation of what Fast Pitch Softball is all about and unfortunately this was done by an OHIO/Cincinnati Team / Organization on a National Stage.

For 2009, I would like to invite organizations to develop some stragey, content, and compliance around the CHARTER's their organization's promote during TRY-OUTS and through-out the year that are used to lure Families into their program. ?After seeing what we saw, amongst hundreds of others watching, we are extremely skeptical about the ENTIRE Fast Pitch Community, that so many people could feel so comfortable to watch something so wrong without DOING WHAT IS RIGHT. That act should have been BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOed off the stage.

I will pray for Leadership for Coaches,Families, and Players to all step up and hold each other accountable. ?I don't ever want to come to a Fastpitch event and see RIO-Carnival or NewOrleans-Mardi Gras breaking out again.

Hoping Tournament Directors, Organization Directors, Coaches, and Parents all read this and feel the GUT CHECK, this is intended to be, as it was clear too many are not standing up to DO THE RIGHT THING, which is critical to ensure the highest level of Charachter is developed and displayed by all members involved in Fast Pitch. ? I know if I continue to see more of this, I will take my three extremely talented DDs back to the Soccer & Swimming venues and fast.

Now that I've complained and expressed my concerns, I will LEAD in being part of the solution, as I would like to see this small community(Fast Pitch Softball) become steadfast in which Organizations, Teams, and Families are all there for each other to contribute in a POSITIVE manner to realize a High Quality experience with Integrity and virtues. ?So for my first attempt at providing a value add to our "Fast Pitch Community", I intend to research the Tourney Schedules and solicit Tourney Directors to list local places of Worship on their Tourney Packets if not already doing so. As we should not lose contact with our Faith from April to July every summer. ?Look forward to starting new POST :-[ :'( somewhere down the line for those of you interested in attending Church Services on weekends during Tournaments.

I challenge all of us to stand up and do what is right in 2009, and make time for our FAITH, our families and the DEVELOPMENT of our daughters depend on it. ?I will be paying much attention to the Spirituality of the Coaches, Parents, and Families at TRY-OUTS this year. ?I will not SELL OUT in 2009.

In all that we do,,, It is for the Glory of God. ? If you haven't seen the Movie "FACING THE GIANTS". please do so and sit down with your DD and family as I guarentee it will be a night you will remember, and hopefully one that will "Pay it Forward" for years to come.

In His Service. ?(See you all at Try-Outs!)

Amen!! I, too, struggle with our (lack of) church involvement during the summer. While softball is very important to our family, it is no match to what is most important: worshipping our Lord and Savior. I don't ever want to make travel softball an "idol". Unfortunately, our church doesn't offer a Sat evening or Sunday evening service, so I will have to look at other options of making sure we are getting to more services next summer. I really appreciate all of the threads that I have seen on this topic. Very nice to see in our softball community!

my prayers go out to Lionfastpitch and family/team.


As the season ends..... and its the last season of U18. it brings alot of emotion.
DD made alot of great friends on teams she has played for over the years.
I look forward to seeing and reading about some of these great girls as players
and people as they grow up and move on. Alot of very smart and talented girls that
will be a big asset to the community.
DD has had some wonderful coaches over the year and would really like to thank Richard Duncan, Coach Rebman, Coach Delong, Coach Eickemeyer, Coach Hall, Coach Bastian all with MVE for a great ending to her youth fast pitch and preparing her for the next level. Also high school coaches Coach Heckman and Coach Isgro for making her high school experience a very positive one.