This is The Fastpitch Bulletin. It’s Volume 16, Number 6 and is written on the 11th day of the season. It’s a day filled with angst as the weather has rendered playing and practice fields unuseable in most parts of the state. The temperature here in Central Columbia County is 32F. Many schools that are on spring break can probably run practices today as school was not cancelled. For others whose spring break is next week and who awoke to announcements about school closings as is the case here are not allowed to practice due to the school cancellation.
It’s softball season in Wisconsin, that’s all we can say.
As I sit here at the computer and look outside there is precipiation varying sizes and types flying past my window, The wind is from the ast and the tiny flakes/droplets/ice crystals race past horizontally.
Some would say, “Hey it’s just one day of practice, what difference could that possibly make?”
My answer to that query is, “Lots of difference.”
We don’t cut players at any level here so early season practices are paramount in determining rosters and depth charts. It has always seemed to me that doing it in any other fashion than practicing, putting kids through drills, giving them opportunities and coaching up players who are not as talented as others so they can have fun and succeed is the way to do things.
It’s now Saturday morning here.
The snow and ice crystals that fell did indeed cancell our practices on Wednesday and Thursday but we were able to get outside yesterday and go at it for a couple of hours. The snow had melted and the grassy areas of the athletic area and the batting cages were serviceable. Today the band takes off for New Orleans so we won’t see those players until next Friday.
The mail arrived today and included the latest used Demarini we purhased off Craig’s list. The high cost of high tech bats doesn’t allow us to purchase new bats for our program as we do no do any fundraising for the softball program. Instead we shop on Craig’s List and ebay for used but nice high tech bats. The bat used to hit t he walk-off home run in the state semi final is a bat that we bought used about three years ago. The latest is a Demarini CF4 Black at 33x24. I prefer bats that are 33x25 but trhey are really hard to find. People seem to think that those minus 10s are what the kids can handle. Still, I shop for the bats that are minus 8s and buy them when they come available. Today’s delivery produced a nice bat with minor blemishes. It will suffice nicely for us.
If our kids want a high tech bat they have to use the ones we buy used or buy their own. Many and most have their own bat, some bought new and some bought the same way we buy them.
There ought to be plenty of games for fans to get out and watch starting Monday. Take a look at the schedules on the wissports.net site and take in a game.
Have a great weekend!
Keep it Rising!
Bob
