History of Girls Fastpich Travelball

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Just think about some of the organizations that have been around for years and some of the teams that they produced, Buckeye Heat Abrham. Was also thinking about some of the top teams that came from small organizations, Elyria Sundogs. I recall hearing about a team called Coke and Ice that played in the late 90's or early 2000. Not sure if they were a slow pitch or fastpitch team, from a large or small organization. What were some of the other top teams that have played?

 

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My sister-in-law played on the Ohio Jets mid 90's (Kirt Whiteside's team), Tenille Whiteside and Amy Kyler were on the team too. I think at one point, she played with Angie Nicholson (ne McCall) on the Ohio Diamonds...early 90's?

 

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Just think about some of the organizations that have been around for years and some of the teams that they produced, Buckeye Heat Abrham. Was also thinking about some of the top teams that came from small organizations, Elyria Sundogs. I recall hearing about a team called Coke and Ice that played in the late 90's or early 2000. Not sure if they were a slow pitch or fastpitch team, from a large or small organization. What were some of the other top teams that have played?

If it's the Coke team that was sponcered by the pop company I remember watching them play in 2003 or 2004 maybe at teal town NSA States and that was a very good team! The game I watched the first 2 batters hit homeruns and they were Solid 1-11. I beleive Haylee Wiemer(sorry if spelled wrong) was the Pitcher and she had just pitched her High school team to a State Championship(St. Ursula I think) as a Freshman! It was a very very good team!

 

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Coke and Ice was around early 2000s and as I recall, they finished in the top few at 18-U ASA "A" Nats.

Buckeye Heat Abraham (my team) did pretty well in 2005-2007 before the 18-U senior blues set in during 2008, although we did have I think 3rd place finishes at Compuware and Stingrays that year. Our biggest accomplishment was probably finishing top 20% at 16-U ASA A Nationals in Seattle in 2006. That was a huge deal just five years ago. Of course just a few years later Ohio now has multiple teams finishing top 20% at ASA 16-U, 14-U and 12-U ASA A Nationals.

I have heard things here and there about the Jets back in the 90s and even the 80s. I believe Joe Francisco coached those teams as well. I didn't know Kirt also coached the Jets, so that's interesting. I'm not sure what teams Akron-Canton was fielding way back then, but I imagine they were very good.

As I think about the teams from the past 12 years or so, the Lasers White team from around 2000-2003 (something like that) sticks out. They had 2-3 players that went on to Ohio State and several who played in the MAC. If that team existed in today's world, it would play Gold and probably win some games at Gold Nationals (or Premier nowadays). Jerry Goodpasture's Grand Slam teams in the mid-2000s up till about 2007 or so were also excellent. Ron Poole had an excellent Ohio Ice team in the early 2000s. And then Bill Lilley's 12-U Slammers a few years back would have been interesting to watch right around now had they stayed together. I think they finished top 5 at 12-U Nationals.

I know there are many, many more.

 

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I remember a friend of mines daughter played for the buckeye babes back in the mid to late 90's. I think Jackie Beavers pitched on this team. To this day, with maybe the exception of Amy kyler, Jackie was the hardest throwing right handed pitcher I have ever seen, man she could bring it. Also was the bandits coached by crazy man Kevin Brooks. Jackie may have pitched on that team, I'm sure someone knows, that a long way back for this old man to remember.

 

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This is a wonderful idea. I would love to see more information about the great teams of the past here in Ohio. One of the frustrating things about travel ball is the lack of knowledge newcomers have of who went before them. Unless you run into a former player or coach who feels like talking, there's no way to learn about the history of our game. It's like dealing with someone who has no memory of what happened yesterday.

 

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Haven't the Maddogs been around for a long time and had some good successes?

 

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I would love to see former players and coaches post on OFC their memories of the best teams and players, and what made them so. Pictures would be great as well. I happened across the championship game of the ASA nationals in 2006 or 2007 in 18U, I think. It was great fun watching these great players as HS'ers and recognizing them from seeing them in the College World Series, or even in pro fastpitch.

 

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CoachJ -- were you associated with any great teams or players?

 

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Lol well I was and am still associated with some great kids, but no I can't say any truly great teams or players. Give my current team another year and then we will see! When I first got involved with fastpitch back in 2002, I remember my daughter's first pitching coach talking about some of the history, and my recollection was that the Maddogs were one of the premier teams that had been around awhile.

 

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I remember a friend of mines daughter played for the buckeye babes back in the mid to late 90's. I think Jackie Beavers pitched on this team. To this day, with maybe the exception of Amy kyler, Jackie was the hardest throwing right handed pitcher I have ever seen, man she could bring it. Also was the bandits coached by crazy man Kevin Brooks. Jackie may have pitched on that team, I'm sure someone knows, that a long way back for this old man to remember.

Jackie did pitch for the Bandits and the Babes. Her Dad, Ed is a pitching coach in NE ohio area.

 

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18U ASA "A"
2000 I.I.Y Storm from Kent Ohio finished 49th going 0-2, Ohio Gamblers (1-2) 65th.
2001 Orange Lasers finished 33rd going 3-2, Ohio Bandits (0-2) and Lasers White (0-2) 65th,
2002 White Lasers finished 25th going 4-2, Cincy Crush (1-2) 65th, Sweeneys (0-2) 97th.
2003 Ohio Illusion finished 17th going 5-2, Ohio Ice (2-2) 33rd, Ohio Bandits (1-2) 65th, Crush (1-2) 97th, Valley Sting (0-2) 129th.
2004 Ohio Ice finished 25th going 2-2, SGS Magic (2-2) and Valley Sting (2-2) 49th.
2005 Coke N2 Ice Finished 2nd going 7-2, The Saints (6-2) from Sterling Ohio were 9th, Lasers sent three teams that year but none finished better than 97th.
2006 Grand Slam finished 3rd going 8-2, Bandits (3-2) and Stingrays(2-2) were tied for 33rd.
2007 Grand Slam finished 9th going 5-2, Ohio Attack was 33rd going 2-2, Valley Sting (2-2) and Ohio Ice (2-2) 49th.
2008 Grand Slam finished 4th and Sundogs 5th, Blue Lasers (2-2) and Ohio Attack (2-2) 49th, Ohio Jaguars (1-2) 65th.
2009 Sundogs finished 2nd going 12-2, Lasers Blue (5-2) and Aqua Lasers (5-2) 17th, Cincy Storm (2-2) 49th, Maddogs (1-2) 65th, Bandits 97th.
2010 Aqua Lasers finished 9th going 5-2, Sundogs (6-2) 13th, Jaguars (0-2) 65th.

 

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I remember a friend of mines daughter played for the buckeye babes back in the mid to late 90's. I think Jackie Beavers pitched on this team. To this day, with maybe the exception of Amy kyler, Jackie was the hardest throwing right handed pitcher I have ever seen, man she could bring it. Also was the bandits coached by crazy man Kevin Brooks. Jackie may have pitched on that team, I'm sure someone knows, that a long way back for this old man to remember.

Oh my gosh, Kevin Brooks!!! He was one of the toughest coaches I've ever played for. He was hard on us, but man he knew his stuff!!

It is hard to compare travel ball back then to travel ball now. It is a totally different experience. It is more of a watered down version as far as talent, but it is alot more popular now and more kids want to play. The parent role has changed alot. In my day, the parents dropped the players off at closed practices, provided snacks, and cheered for the team. Now it seems they want to take a more involved role, good or bad...you decide.

The Bandits, The Ice, The Nomads, Holly Hills, Prime Time...these were all good teams in the late 80's, early 90's.

 

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18U ASA GOLD
1998 Grand Slam and Maddogs Finished 33rd going 1-2.
1999 The Dogs from Rootstown and Maddogs finished 33rd going 1-2.
2000 Green Lasers (1-2) 33rd, Roadrunners (0-2) 49th.
2001 Maddog-Hilemans (2-2) 25th.
2002 Maddogs (3-2) 17th.
2003 Maddogs (1-2) 33rd.
2004 Miami Valley Express (0-2) and Maddogs (0-2) 49th.
2005 Maddogs (1-2) 33rd.
2006 Miami Valley Express (0-2) 49th.
2007 Miami Valley Express (0-2) 49th.
2008 Miami Valley Express (1-2) 33rd.
2009 Miami Valley Express (0-2) 49th.
2010 Miami Valley Express (0-2) 49th.

 

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I think Holly Hills may have been the oldest team in the state till the shut down a couple yeas ago.

 

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I think Holly Hills may have been the oldest team in the state till the shut down a couple yeas ago.

They were a tough team back in the day. When my youngest dd started playing travel ball, I was really surprised to see that they were still around. Grove City always had good teams too.

It was a little different then. There was only 1 State Tournament in each state and everyone who wanted to go to Nationals had to be in the tournament. The 1st and 2nd place teams went to Nationals and that was it. There was 1 Nationals and every state that wanted to could send 2 teams. Nationals were anywhere in the country, I've been to South Dakota, Texas, California, Louisiana, Florida... It was the best 2 teams from every state and it was tough competition!!

 

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dave has good stories about how the Classics started, and seeing the amount of hearts on the 18u players is pretty cool, considering alot of them have stayed with the organization for quite a while. That team that won NSA nationals with alicia Nichols and Kate Klopfer (and plenty more) brings a tear to his eyes!
I do believe the Maddogs once had Brittney Vanderink. The coach she had (help me with the name, Louuuu) then came back to coach the 16's last year.
When i was coming into this, i loved to see the Lasers Orange play at that time (had a girl named Turk i think). Lasers Silver was at 12's too, pretty solid then but thats the last i heard of them (blame it on Gambone, lol)

 

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Celina Suns were together in the early 1980's when there wasn't a lot of FP around Ohio. Bill Feth coached the team and he passed several years ago. Carder (Billie Jo?) played on that team as well as Elaine Price from Miami U, Huber and several others. That team had to travel to Indiana and Michigan for tournaments. Can't remember too much of their weekend play but they came from all around to be on the team. A few of these players are still coaching in HS or have their own kids (and grandkids!) playing the game!

 

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Great stuff. I love this. keep it coming.

 

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I received three calls today to try and recall the old days of travel softball, back in it's infancy as we moved from slow pitch to fast pitch.

Back in the early 80's, I coached a great group of girls on the Central Ohio Bank One, then the Randy's Raiders. We had to play a women's team out of Ashland that Chuck Smiley hooked us up with. The teams back then, and Mitch Wagner of Hoban should remember these as his sister played for Manchester and his dad was the coach -
Doc Montgomery and Holly Hills, the Green Excel teams, Mary Ann King, the old Hoban coach and her Akron Knights teams, and the Pitt Patriots. Tallmadge had some very good squads also.

We would get Todd McKinney to come throw batting practice, if anyone remembers Todd there hasn't been another like him. Our teams consisted of Rene Pearson, Lisa Shavers, Sandy Krebs, Kelly Carson, Karen Krautz, Beth Greathouse, Kim Still, Lori Patzer, Vicki Volpe, Denise McMillian, Marilynn McDonnel, and the list goes on. We faced Michelle Granger and a at the time 13 year old Lisa Fernandez. But those girls could play, and they definately could play today. Legends grow, but there is a reason with the above mentioned players.


Les Randolph's team got the birth the following years with Lori Randolph and Rhonda King, and Joe Francisco had some great younger teams that developed, the Jets with Raven McElwee and Carrie Volpe.

I'm researching to remember, but those were some good teams and they could show these girls of 2011 a thing or two. A big reason why I have my kids talk with some of the players of the past so they learn and appreciate the heritage of fastpitch softball.

John Abbruzzese
Ohio Nightmare