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FPC Bulletin, Violume 13, Number 22 5/24/13

04/24/2013, 10:30pm CDT
By Bob Tomlinson

Bo Ryan Gives Inspirational talk to Rice Lake Softball team in Rice Lake';s gym

Bo Ryan, Inspires Rice Lake softball team at practice today!

So they huddled. Bo Ryan counted, one, two, three and all the Rice Lake Girls shouted "Go Badgers."

It's a true story. Today at Rice Lake's softball practice, in a gymnasium of course, due to a still snow-covered field, Jenna Orr ran up to Head Coach Gary Haus and said something like, "Hey coach, you won't believe what is a happening in the other gym. Bo Ryan is over there!"

Haus was surprised, so he snuck a peak into the other gym and sure enough, there was Badger Men's Basketball Coach Bo Ryan. Now, it's not every day that a nationally known Division 1 Men's basketball coach steps into the Rice Lake, Wisconsin gymnasium. So, Haus told his girls to hurry over and take a look. They did. Then Jenna Orr asked something like, "Hey coach, do you think you can talk him into coming over here and saying something insiprational to us?"

If you know Gary like I know Gary, you know that he's not hesitant to chat with anyone. "All he could tell me was no," Gary told me. "So I took my bat, as I had been hitting infield on the gym floor, and headed over to the other gym. I walked in dragging my bat with me. Bo looked at me and said something like, 'Oh, no, your'e not going to come after me with that bat are you?"

They chatted for a bit and Gary told Bo that he is the coach and that his girls were wondering if he would be kind enough to talk to them and say something inspirational.

"Of course," was Bo's answer.

Bo talked about the importance of being good teammates, about making friends for life, working together toward a common goal, putting team before self etc. He talked about his children and how one was a softball player. Bo, afterall is a great talker!

At the end of what was most likely a five minute "inspirational chat," Bo asked them if they ever huddle as a team. The answer of course was, "Sure!" Bo then invited them to huddle and when he asked them what they would yell, Jenna Orr suggested that he supply the the yell. He told them he'd count to three, they'd all raise their hands together and shout, "Go Badgers!"

They did!

I'd say, that for the coaches and players in the Rice Lake softball program, Bo Ryan's visit to Rice Lake today is a forever memory. It's something they'll tell their friends, their families, their own children and grandchildren in the years ahead.

That practice session will be tough to top!

Why was Bo Ryan in Rice Lake to begin with? Click Here to find out!

Go Badgers!

Poynette Fastpitch Jamboree update!
The list of teams is posted in last night's bulletin and in Part A of today's bulletins. I've updated them as I know them to be tonight. Take a close look. If there are any teams on the list that are interested in a fifth time slot beginning at 4:30 please let me know. I do have a couple that travel some distance that perfer that late start as opposed to an earlier one. Get in touch with me right away. That fifth time slot on a couple of fields will open up some space on a couple of the other fields earlier in the day.

It's Wednesday but there were games played in the state today and particularly in the Southeast section of the state. Check out the Scores tab on the wissports.net softball site.

Beloit Turner seeking teams for Varsity Round Robin on May 11th

Here is an announcement from Bob Sulser, Head Softball Coach at Beloit Turner High School. "I'm trying to bring a couple of teams down to Turner on the 11th...I have Ft Atkinson coming in for a DH, and Tremper is looking at their schedule...if you know of anyone wanting games, I would like to put
together a round robin format of 4-6 teams. Please send them my way. Most of us have lost our non-conference games and are looking for some
way to make them up. Contact Bob at sulserr@turnerschools.org and he will take care of you.

Poynette seeking JV and Frosh teams for JV/Frosh Jamboree on May 11th

Here is another announcement. Poynette started a JV/Frosh Jamboree last year the weekend after the Varsity Jamboree. Last year we hosted 10 other teams and had a total of 12 teams that all played three games each that day. It was a great day for fastpitch and for those kids. This year we are still looking for JV or Frosh teams to enter. They will get three games and the cost is just $40 per game played (cost of one umpire). We have four teams right now and would like to get to 10. We'd play on five diamonds, three at the school in Poynette and two in Arlington. Tose are five of the same fields used for the varsity jamboree. We promise great organzation, great concessions, great T-shirts and great fun for all the players, coaches and fans. If interested just contact me or our athletic director at Poynette, Jerry Pritzl.

Janesville Craig Head Coach Dan Bayreuther reaches 300 Win Milepost

He hadn't given it much thought. Perhaps just a little but no serious thought but on Tuesday afternoon in a game against Madison Memorial, Janesville Craig Head Coach Dan Bayreuther's Cougars captured a victory, the 300th of his career. "What it really means is that I've been surrounded by great people," said the coach.

Creating the Coaches Honor Roll back in 2005 was one of the best things that we have done at the Fastpitch Chronicle. Nobody else was tracking coaching success. At the time there was not a Hall of Fame for softball coaches. I knew that sooner or later somebody would realize that it was something that just had to be done. So, I fired up the page. The page and grown. It's not complete however. There are other coaches who should b eon the list. All it takes to get added to the list is for someone to notify me.

Dan Bayreuther's information has been noted on the page. I have boosted him up to the 300 Win Level and I have e-mailed him a Fastpitch Chronicle 300 Wins Award Certificate to commemorate his achievement. He has it already. He doesn't have to wait to display it if he chooses to. Congratulations to another excellent coach and leader of young people, a tremendous coach and teacher and an all-around fantastic guy.

Poynette Summer Jamboree has one opening in 10-Under Division and one opening in 14-Under Division

The Second Annual Poynette Summer Fastpitch Jamboree, a USSSA event, has just two openings in what wil be a 48-team event. The first-ever Summer Jamboree drew 31 teams. The host organization, the Poynette Softball Organization, increased the size of the tournament to 12 teams in four divisions of play (10,12,14,16) for 2013.

For information, registration forms etc. visit www.eteamz.com/poynette. It's all explained therein.

Post It notes to be placed on the board on Thursday

I'll start sticking tiny, arrow-pointed Post it notes on the schedule building board for the Poynette Fastpitch Jamboree on Thursday. Teams participating should keep checking the 2013 web page at http://www.fastpitchchronicle.com/jamboree13.htm for updates. Until it says "FINAL" on the page there is time to request changes. There are no guarantees though unless we had an arrangement ahead of time. Check the records!

There will be 15 schools playing 12 games on Friday.
There will be 39 schools playing 45 games on Saturday the way it looks.
There will be a total of 44 teams playing in Poynette on those two days. A record number of teams and record number of games played.

It's late -- after 11 PM.
Sometimes I think I actually sleep inside this little box called a computer.
Have a great day!
Keep it Rising!
Bob

Tag(s): Bulletins