the_fanatic

Turn2#8 - that is good to hear!  Athletes has coaches that are top in their field.  I like the fact that baseball players/coaches teach baseball and softball players/coaches teach softball.  I wish Athletes Sports Training would have been around when my two were younger. 

Call Athletes in Port Neches.  It is a new training facility in Port Neches.  I know of some really good hitting coaches there.

Has the girls varsity game started?  If so, what is the score?

Who won the girls game?

T H A N K  Y O U  A M Y  M O O R E ! ! !  Wonderful article!  Vicki Watkins and Coach Patrick Brown - thank you for going above and beyond the call of duty!  What a difference you are making in this young man's life! JoJo - you have a new fan!  Never let ANYONE or ANYTHING keep you down!  Prove them wrong! 

You never know how stories like these will affect others. When my daughter played softball for Alabama, the mail and emails she received was unbelievable!  Lauren recorded her introduction at the first World Series and after the first airing, a camera person came up to her with tears in their eyes.  This person had a nephew that was hearing impaired and was going through a really rough time of being picked on by others.  This person wanted Lauren to know what an inspiration she was to him and that she had a new fan:)  The second trip to the World Series, there were people searching her down to meet their kids, family members, and/or friends so they could visit with her.  I hope this young man continues to follow those dreams!  Never let anyone or anything stand in your way.  Prove them wrong! We are such a sports family.  We love watching all sports and admire those athletes that are phenominal in their game.  But it is people like this that we truly admire.  They have to overcome so much and put in such incredible amounts of effort in order to compete in such an intense atmosphere.  It just really does your heart good...

Liltex - you nailed it with that comment.  It does require a lot more effort and work on the athlete's part.  I hope someone will keep us updated.  I just happened to be at the one game but would also love to hear how he progresses.  I hope he continues to follow that dream. 

We were at the West Brook "B" team game last night as they played Port Neches' "B" team.  We kept noticing a lady on the sidelines walking up and down following the coaches.  It was obvious she was very involved in the game.  We soon realized that she was signing to one of the players.  As the mom of a hearing impaired child, I LOVE seeing others accept these children onto their teams and giving them a chance.  Kudos to the coaching staff and to this lady for putting forth the extra effort that it takes for him to play.  West Brook "B" team coaches and this young lady - you have a new fan!  Thanks for making a difference!

Lauren will start lessons next week.  She graduates Saturday and is moving back this weekend.  Send me a personal message and I will send you her contact information.

[b]Lauren Parker is moving back to Texas in December.  She will be ready to start lessons on December 15th!  [/b] For new ones to this board - Lauren is a former local softball player (Port Neches-Groves and Monsignor Kelly Catholic High School and played on Blast Gold) that has just completed her four-year collegiate career at the University of Alabama. Lauren had the privilege of playing in two Women's College World Series and earned First Team All-American honors.  She ended her sophomore season batting .475.  She stands at number two all-time batting average for the University of Alabama softball team.  This past season, she had the privilege of being a part of breaking the NCAA record for turning double plays in a single game.  Lauren turned 5 double plays in their regional contest against the University of Texas breaking the NCAA record. Lauren will graduate with her Bachelors in Exercise and Sports Science.  She will be available to offer lessons in all aspects of the game (defense, hitting, mental game, conditioning, speed and agility, fundamentals) with the exception of pitching.  Lauren knows firsthand what it takes to play at the highest level on a high profile team while earning All-SEC Conference honors in the classroom.  If you would like to schedule her to talk to your team about her experiences and what it takes to play collegiate softball, she will be available to do that also.  If you would like to reserve a time for lessons or have Lauren come and visit with your team, please send me a private message. [i]BEFORE THE RUMORS START FLYING - Lauren is NOT forming a team at this time and has NOT joined forces with any team or organization.  IF she does decide to form a team, it will be posted on this message board by me or Lauren and not sent through the rumormill!!  [/i]

Seriously, what has happened to travel ball here? Everyone has quit posting on here, players are leaving and joining Houston teams, when someone posts on here it becomes a joke to everyone...my goodness! For the record I am happy Nederland Intensity won, but do you really need people telling you good job? Shouldn't the satisfaction of winning and showing everyone that you could do it be enough? Why cheapen the win by begging for congratulations on a message board? What EXACTLY do you want in a team? When mine was playing, we wanted someone to push her to her ultimate potential. It was not about starting to push her when she reached 16 and was thinking about college, it was when she was 9 and 10 and working towards that ultimate goal. Some of these quality players from the past are completing their college careers and are coming back to the area with a desire to give back. Are you willing to let go and let them teach your daughters? These girls KNOW firsthand what it takes to play at the highest level...do you?

Are we serious? Is this what travel ball has come to? What has happened?

Unfortunately I am not.

I think something needs to be cleared up - Lauren is not associated with ANY team in our area. She has not agreed to coach, help, or do anything with any team at this time. Lauren will be back in Texas starting in December. Some teams have extended invitations for her to help, but she has not agreed to any of them. She is leaving her options open at this time. I would hope that no one is marketing their team with false assumptions that she is helping.

I got a phone call this morning from someone asking me what was so special about the Blast Gold team and what made it work. I stumbled all over my words because I really and truly do not know what made it work. After I hung up the phone I got to really thinking about it. Here are my thoughts: The players knew what was expected out of them and they knew that the coaches would reciprocate to fulfill their expectations. Meaning, if you were required to be at practice, then you knew the coaches would be there working just as hard, if not harder than you were. We as parents did not always agree with the coaches, we trusted the coaches and knew they had our child’s best interest at heart. The coaches respected the girls. The demand for perfection was there but not to the point that it would break the players down. Meaning, they knew the ability of each player. What was expected out of mine may not have been expected of someone else’s. Not that each player wasn’t pushed – they were, just at different levels. Kind of like academics – you have some that are and will always be straight “A†students and nothing less will be accepted, while others when they make a “C†it is party time. We had “daddy ball†– but it was not that “daddy†had one girl on the team – all of those girls were his. I would venture to say unless you personally knew our coach and knew which child was actually his daughter there is no way you could pick her out. He treated all of them the same. This is probably the biggest thing that made this team work like it did. Accountability was placed on everyone. We won with class and lost with class. Each player accepted full responsibility for each loss. After each loss, the question was “what could you have done differently to have helped us win.†For those that say “money†was the ultimate factor in our team’s success – you are sorely mistaken. Money did not replace the hard work these players and coaches put in. Our girls worked hard for their success on the field. Their dedication to perfection and the thrill of reaching each milestone by working hard was their driving force. This same dedication followed them into college. It took LOTS of years to reach the status that we ended with. I can remember our very first tournament as a young 12& Under team (most of our players were still eligible for 10 & Under) going to Woodville for our first game EVER – we got beat BAD. It was horrible – that is where it began! How can we get others to step-up and display this same passion for a game – I am not sure. Maybe those wanting this to happen can contribute to the discussion and let us know what is missing.