Active Team Sports

Big Ten Conference Tournament Preview

Trish18 — Thu, 08 May 2008 21:08:24 GMT

A couple of weekends ago I went to Ann Arbor, Michigan, to visit one of my best friends and watch the University of Michigan softball team take on Michigan State and Northwestern. I saw four games and quickly fell in love with the Michigan softball program.

They play amazing softball. They have one of the most legendary coaching staffs in the game. The Wolverines have a rich tradition that they revere and make a point to celebrate. This season they opened and dedicated one of the nicest softball stadiums in the nation. They have a loyal, fun fan base of which I am glad to now be a part.

The Wolverines crushed Michigan State in the two games I watched. Two grand slams, several home runs and a mercy-rule ending. It was one of the most potent offensive displays I have ever seen.

The two games against Northwestern were quite the opposite. Low scoring, decided by one run and the teams split. Not only hard-fought duels between top-20 teams and conference rivals, but the outcome was to decide who took the Big Ten conference lead and, therefore, who would host the conference tournament. I took this video below of Michigan coming back in the bottom of the seventh inning to win the second game and maintain their share of the lead conference standings-it was intense:

Since the standings were still tied at the end of regular season and their respective run differentials were also equal, a coin toss would decide which co-conference champ would host the Big Ten tournament. Northwestern won the toss and is hosting the tournament that opens today.

I have a lot of respect for Northwestern's program having competed against them several times in the cross-town rivalry at Loyola Chicago. But this weekend I'll be pulling for No. 2 Michigan to pull out the win over top-seeded Northwestern. Go Blue!

College Softball Players Carry Opponent Around Bases

Trish18 — Wed, 07 May 2008 18:35:41 GMT

An injured Kirk Gibson hitting a pinch-hit walk-off home run off in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series. Joe Carter crushing a walk-off home run to win the 1993 World Series. Becky Marx sending one over while trailing UCLA to tie the game and get University of Michigan back in the title hunt at the Women's College World Series. These home runs are seared into my memory. They repeatedly make highlight reels and are iconic in the world of sports. But a home run in the recent Western Oregon and Central Washington softball contest perhaps should be celebrated above all.

A post-season appearance hinged on the outcome of the game. Western Oregon senior Sara Tucholsky had never hit a home run in her career. Tucholsky came to the plate in the top of the second inning of the second game with two runners on base and a 0-0 score. She had just three hits in 34 at-bats this season, but she drove a pitch over the centerfield fence.

In her excitement, she missed first base on her home run trot and reversed direction to tag the bag. She tore a ligament in her knee in doing so and crumbled to the ground. While she crawled back to first base, her two teammates crossed the plate, leaving her the only offensive player on the field.

The umpires confirmed that the only option available under the rules was to replace Tucholsky at first base with a pinch runner and have the hit recorded as a two-run single instead of a three-run home run. Any assistance from coaches or trainers while she was an active runner would result in an out.

And then an opposing player, Mallory Holtman, asked if it would it be OK if she helped carry her around and touch each bag.

"Honestly, it's one of those things that I hope anyone would do it for me," Holtman explained. "She hit the ball over her fence. She's a senior; it's her last year...I think anyone who knew that we could touch her would have offered to do it, just because it's the right thing to do."

Holtman and shortstop Liz Wallace lifted Tucholsky off the ground and supported her weight between them as they began perhaps the longest and most crowded home run trot in the game's history.
Accompanied by a standing ovation from the fans, they finally reached home plate and passed the home run hitter into the arms of her own teammates. Then Holtman and Wallace returned to their positions and tried to win the game.

Central Washington did rally for two runs in the bottom of the second, but Western Oregon held on for a 4-2 win-the winning run a result of one of the most astounding acts of sportsmanship I have ever seen.
Check it out, and add this home run to the list of most memorable ones you have ever seen:

One Last Chance

mikeyactive — Tue, 06 May 2008 21:56:43 GMT

An 18-year-old kid dying of cancer in Pennsylvania has one last wish, a chance to swing a bat (maybe) one last time in a real baseball game. An absolutely amazing story from the Pittsburgh post-Gazette about courage and dreams coming true.

May 2008 Snapshotz Winner

Trish18 — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 03:44:40 GMT

We are a TEAM!
This was taken before the first pitch on opening day. The boys were so excited to be together for their first game.

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Bringing Baseball Back to New Orleans

mikeyactive — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 19:58:51 GMT

Pitch In For Baseball™, the youth baseball charity that has partnered with Little League International since 2005, is taking on its biggest project to date.

Even though Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans more than two years ago, many schools in that region have yet to see baseball return to their community. As a result, Pitch In For Baseball is partnering with the Recovery School District to help restart youth baseball and softball at 25 middle school and high school programs in the city.

Allen Woods, Athletic Director for the Recovery School District in New Orleans, shared his perspective on the project. “I am constantly looking for opportunities for our students to participate in wholesome athletic programs. When Pitch In For Baseball contacted me about their plan to help the children of New Orleans I was elated. The help being provided by Pitch In For Baseball will allow our students to train, learn and play one of Americas favorite past times again. In New Orleans we will be saying ‘Batter's Up!’ this spring.”

“This is a very important project and a huge challenge for our organization,” said Pitch In For Baseball Executive Director, David Rhode. “We have a strong desire to see the kids of New Orleans get all of the opportunities they so richly deserve. Having a chance to play baseball is just one small piece of that equation.”

The effort to provide equipment and uniforms to the public schools is just part of a broader program to help the kids of New Orleans. Pitch In For Baseball is helping to arrange coaching clinics and is also working closely with local politicians and Little League’s Urban Initiative to expand Little League’s impact on the storm-ravaged community.

Pitch In For Baseball, a 501(c) 3 charity, will need the continued donations of equipment and financial support to make this project happen. “We have a January 19th deadline to collect and ship this equipment. We will need a lot of assistance from a lot of generous donors to help make this project a reality,” said Rhode.

To find out more about how to get involved in this project, contact David Rhode at 215-371-2841 or drhode@pitchinforbaseball.org

Recruiting Realities

Michael Husted — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 20:22:19 GMT

There were some good articles in the New York Times recently about college recruiting and scholarship money. The series of articles definitely highlighted the somber tails that some
student-athletes experience. Like anything else, we usually only get to hear or
read about the top 1% who have success.

I believe that there needs to be a shift of thinking in the college recruiting
process, both by parents and student-athletes. As athletes we have pride. Sometimes
that pride serves us well and other times it can hurt us. Most of us expect or
hope for scholarships to play in college. Parents definitely hope for it and
think that we are the next best player since Tom Brady (Coincidently, he was a
6th round draft pick.)

Yes, college tuition is getting more expensive every year. Therefore, we feel that it is important to
get a scholarship. I know that I was looking to get one to help my parents. (I
was also hoping that if I got a scholarship out of high school, they would buy
me a Suzuki Samurai with wood paneling on the side.)

Neither happened. I ended up "walking on" at the University of Virginia and driving a beat up Ford
Pinto with no A/C. The summer after I graduated high school, I received a call
from Liberty University with an offer for a “full
ride.” I respectfully declined.

It should not be about “show(ing) me the money.” I understand
that there are some people that cannot go to college for financial reasons
unless they get an athletic scholarship.

However, for this discussion, the shift in mind set should be focused on the benefits of playing
college sports. Athletics offer more
long term benefits then tuition alone.
Pursuing sports in college can increases acceptance opportunities. Once there, just a few of the traits you
learn are:

Time management
Discipline
Team work
Self-Motivation
How to deal well with pressure

Those skills and a college
degree will ultimately land you with a great job when you graduate.
Many employers look first to student-athletes for the above mentioned
traits when hiring.
If fact there is even a website geared towards hiring student-athletes
out of high school: http://www.athletes4hire.com.

Read the series of articles in the NY Times.

Good luck!

Sports Weekly - 4/11/08

Active Sara — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 20:08:15 GMT

Who doesn't love a good t-shirt? I know I do. ESPN recently published some of the t-shirt slogans that didn't make the cut in the MLB online team shops. My two favorite slogans just so happen to be from the two teams I love to watch play each other the most - the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. Check out Rejected T-shirt slogans to view some of these hysterical MLB rejected t-shirt slogans.

Do you refer to the sport as soccer or football? Well, no matter what you call it you will love this video of the top 50 goals.

How extreme is extreme? Well, a recent photo essay by TIME will show you just what it means to push the limits. The North Pole Marathon, which is run entirely across the frozen Arctic Ocean, is just one of the 13 most Extreme Marathons in the world.

Andy Roddick has the fastest serve recorded in pro tennis at 155 mph. Watch this Active video...

Anyone else thinking, "I wish I could serve like that?" These 10 Tips for Faster Serves from Active will help you be more like the legend himself.

I would assume everyone has at least some knowledge of the protests going on regarding the Olympics and Torch Relay, but have you played the video game in which your goal is to "navigate the Olympic torch away from angry protesters." It is an interesting way of handling the situation to say the least, brought to you by ESPN. Play Torch Run and let us know your thoughts on the game and the situation.

Have you found anything interesting recently? Share it!

NBC Invades Little League Game

mikeyactive — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 20:37:27 GMT

Every Little Leaguer dreams of what it's like to play in the bigs. For the 20- some members of the Mudcats and Lugnuts of Hermosa Beach, California they actually got the chance.

The comedy troupe Improv Everywhere--famous for its staged musical number in a food court--recently transformed a typical Southern California Little League game into a dazzling spectacle of face-painted fans, costumed mascots, Jumbotron highlights and even a flyover from the Goodyear Blimp.

Best of all, none of the participants had any idea beforehand what was to occur. With a little help from the Hermosa Beach Little League commissioner, Improv Everywhere was able to create programs with detailed player information and provide in-depth play-by-play coverage from NBC Sports broadcaster Jim Gray, without a single player, parent or coach in on the joke.

Any doubt about the lasting effect this theatrical event may have had on the teams can be summed up in an e-mail sent to Improv Everywhere from one of the parents involved.

I believe you guys are behind the “Hermosa Beach Little League” taping that took place Saturday, March 10th, 2007. The parents will be talking about this for a long time… the kids even longer. My son was a pitcher on the Lugnuts. We had a long/tough season last year. Saturday made up for everything. I want to sincerely thank you for making Saturday so unbelievable. It was like a birthday, Christmas, and New Years Eve captured in a few amazing hours. Thanks a million for a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Video of this brilliantly- executed improvisation can be seen at the Improv Everywhere blog.

One Shining Moment

Trish18 — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 00:50:21 GMT

The NCAA crowned the men's basketball national champion last night when the University of Kansas overtook Memphis State in overtime. Memphis, ranked 339th of the country's 341 teams with 59 percent free-throw shooting, missed four of their last five shots from the stripe to allow Kansas to force overtime. The Jayhawks emerged victorious, 75-68, on the 20th anniversary of their last NCAA championship win.

I want to take a moment to display the highlights of one of the greatest single-elimination tournaments of all time. That's right, here is One Shining Moment, where you can see the best of three weeks and 64 games' worth of college basketball:

Quite possibly the best three minutes in sports.

April 2008 Snapshotz Winner

Trish18 — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 16:01:43 GMT

Hard Hitter
In a blowout game, #72 makes a great tackle!

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Lisa Fernandez Left Off Beijing Roster

Trish18 — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 17:25:43 GMT

Lisa Fernandez, a three-time Olympic champion and one of the best pitchers in the world, wasn't good enough to beat out Jennie Finch, Cat Osterman and Monica Abbott to make the U.S. National Team's final Olympic roster as the team readies for Beijing.

A few weeks ago, Fernandez admitted she was having a tough time getting her skills back, but was confident she could still play at a high level.

"I think I still have it," she said. "I think the advantage I have is my experience. I have the heart."

And she does. I've followed Fernandez's career dating back to 1994 during her days at UCLA, where she led the Bruins to two NCAA championships. I watched her win a gold medal in the first Olympic Games that included the sport of softball. Every girl on my softball team had the Lisa Fernandez Louisville Slugger bat.

The truth is her vast amounts of experience and heart weren't enough to earn her a spot in the Olympic rotation. When I interviewed Fernandez at the 2007 World Cup of Softball and asked her if she was planning on mounting a comeback, I believed she had a good chance of making it. Not only did she dominate opponents in the batter's box with world-class style, but was a skilled third baseman and very strong hitter.

However, head coach Mike Candrea didn't think Fernandez got back to her usual dominating self after taking three years off to start a family.

"I was really hoping she would get close to where she was in 2004," said Candrea. " I wanted her to go out on top."

So while 37-year-old Fernandez has been left off the Olympic roster, she has been named a replacement player in the event someone gets injured. I don't think Candrea made a mistake but I sincerely wish that the Olympic roster allowed for one more player. I believe she is still the greatest softball player to ever play the game and appreciate the tremendous role she played in advancing the sport and giving female athletes someone to look up to.

Do you think Lisa Fernandez should have been included on the Olympic roster because of her versatility and experience-or does Team USA have the most solid squad possible now?

The 2008 USA Softball Olympic team roster:

Monica Abbott, Salinas, Calif. (University of Tennessee '07)

Laura Berg, Santa Fe Springs, Calif. (Graduate '98)

Crystl Bustos, Canyon Country, Calif. (Palm Beach C.C.)

Andrea Duran, Selma, Calif. (UCLA '06)

Jennie Finch, La Mirada, Calif. (Arizona '02)

Tairia Flowers, Tucson, Ariz. (UCLA '04)

Vicky Galindo, Union City, Calif. (Cal '05)

Lovieanne Jung, Fountain Valley, Calif. (Arizona '03)

Kelly Kretschman, Indian Harbour Beach, Fla. (Alabama '01)

Lauren Lappin, Anaheim, Calif. (Stanford '06)

Caitlin Lowe, Tustin, Calif. (Arizona '07)

Jessica Mendoza, Camarillo, Calif. (Stanford '02)

Stacey Nuveman, La Verne, Calif. (UCLA '02)

Cat Osterman, Houston, Texas (Texas '07)

Natasha Watley, Irvine, CA. (UCLA '05)

USA Softball Stunned in 1-0 No-hit Loss to Virginia Tech

mikeyactive — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 19:56:13 GMT

1996. Bill Clinton was president, the New York Yankees defeated the Atlanta Braves in six games to win their 23rd World Series title and an oddly-named collection of University of South Carolina graduates called Hootie and the Blowfish were the most popular band the world.

It was also the last time the USA Softball Women’s National team had lost a game.

That was until last night, when Virginia Tech hurler Angela Tincher no-hit the national team in a 1-0 surprising victory in Oklahoma City. The national team's loss was their first since May 3, 1996--a defeat to California Select in Los Angeles, Calif--and broke a 185-game pre-Olympic tour win streak.

“My hat goes off to Angela Tincher tonight,” said head coach Mike Candrea. “She pitched a great ball game. I told our team what she was capable of and told them to be ready to go. But she came out firing and really kept us off our game.”

Perhaps even more surprising was the identity of the losing pitcher; staff ace Jennie Finch lasted only four innings, allowing one run and four hits over that span. Team USA had outscored its opponents 1,475-24 before last night's contest, including a 23-0 thrashing of the DePaul Blue Demons just hours before Tincher took the mound.

What do you think? Was the loss simply a minor speed bump for a team heavily favored to take the gold this summer or could this mean future problems for Team USA in Beijing? And would a struggling--if slightly imperfect--Team USA really be the worst thing for the sport of softball globally? (Many people think team USA's otherworldly dominance is a major factor in the sport being removed from Olympic rotation.)

March 2008 Snapshotz Winner

Trish18 — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 05:45:36 GMT

The Big Stretch
Dylan Sutherland a Novice AAA player for the Barrie Colts stretching out for the pass hoping to put the puck in the net.

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Maradona's Hand of God Goal Revisited

Trish18 — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 21:27:04 GMT

Former Argentinian soccer star Diego Maradona has issued something of an apology to British fans for the infamous "Hand of God" goal against England in the 1986 World Cup quarter-finals. Maradona knocked in the first goal of Argentina's 2-1 win with his hand, an act that went unnoticed by the referee. He went many years without admitting that it was, in fact, a handball.

Maradona has since said he did it because the English goalkeeper was very tall and he couldn't get his head on it. He also called the tipped goal "something that just came out of me. It was a bit of mischief." A bit of mischief??! Huge understatement.

Nevertheless, he was quoted in a London tabloid last week as saying, "If I could apologize and go back and change history I would." However, he shortly thereafter said that the paper changed his words and what he actually said was, "A long time has passed since that and that history can't be rewound."

It is unfortunate that Maradona, who is highly regarded as one of the best soccer players of all time--second only to Pele--will likely be remembered in such a controversial, negative way.

One-handed Basketball Player

Trish18 — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 20:51:08 GMT

Dax Crum has been playing basketball for Southern Utah University for three years. He is averaging six minutes per game for the Thunderbirds and is doing so with only one hand.

Crum was born with just one small finger on his right hand and has been playing basketball with one hand his whole life. He chose to walk on at Southern Utah in basketball instead of accepting a soccer scholarship and worked three jobs to pay for school until this semester.

Recently, he played a career-high 16 minutes, made a 3-pointer and shut down Missouri-Kansas City leading scorer Dane Brumagin.

"Just those 16 minutes against UMKC were worth it all to me," he said.

Good luck to Dax Crum in the rest of his inspirational athletic career.