Softball: Throwing like a girl

Softball season is underway and girls everywhere are out there practicing their skills. So you probably know that if you’ve ever been told “You throw like a girl,” it means your throw kinda sucks.

The “girl throw” refers to a wimpy style a lot of girls seem to have. Girls often face the target with their forearm cocked back and the ball in their upturned palm. Then they throw with just the arm (rather than the whole body). The action is usually limited to a quick extension of the forearm. Essentially, girls tend to “push” the ball rather than hurl it.

Well, before we go any further – let’s get one thing straight. Girls can throw. In fact, many girls can throw harder and faster than a lot of guys. Softball players like Jennie Finch can pitch a ball close to 90 miles per hour.

Some people think the reason for the “girl throw” is based on physical differences between guys and girls. Not. If you ask an orthopedist, an anatomist, or a coach of a women’s softball team, they’ll tell you that there is no anatomical reason why boys and girls throw differently.

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Sneak Peek: Reese Witherspoon plays ball

Softball fans have been hearing the buzz about a Hollywood movie starring Oscar winner Reese Witherspoon for months. While details are sparse, we do know shooting for the film wrapped in Los Angeles a couple weeks ago.

The still untitled romantic comedy, directed by James L. Brooks (Simpsons, Spanglish, As Good As It Gets), features Witherspoon as a Team USA Olympic Softball player torn between Owen Wilson as a MLB player and Paul Rudd.   Jack Nicholson joined the star-filled cast as Witherspoon’s dad after Bill Murray dropped out of the film.

Legendary former UCLA Head Softball Coach, Sue Enquist, has been involved from the beginning and was hired by the production company to serve as the softball consultant.  Part of Coach Enquist’s challenge has been to surround Reese Witherspoon’s character with legitimate teammates.  Enquist also helped with the choreography of the softball scenes and it’s encouraging to note that the producers have been concerned with authenticity in shooting the fim.

Players from the National Pro Fastpitch league, the PFX Tour, and local college softball graduates will be featured throughout the scenes.  Jess Mendoza and Taryn Mowatt are among those who have been seen on set.

This is sure to be a feel-good film and there is high excitement in the softball world about the  project which is due out late 2010.

Check out more images  of Witherspoon on set from Splash News.

(h/t to The Softball Network)

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More Pretty Tough Stuff

Sporty Saturday Spotlight 10-17-09

This Saturday the sporty spotlight shines bright on Pennsylvania pitcher and 2009 Patriot News Player to Watch, Hanna Bennett. Hanna shares two amazing pics, her work ethic, the importance of heart, and much more. Check out her insightful interview below.

Name: Hanna Bennett

Age: 16

Sport(s): Fastpitch Softball

Hometown: Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania

High School/Middle School/College: Mechanicsburg Area Senior High School

Number: 12

Position: Pitcher

What’s your fave sport? Softball

How many years have you been playing your fave sport? 8 years

What is your fave sporty moment or memory?

Making my high schools varsity team my freshman year.

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned from playing your sport?

That sometimes it’s not how good you are its how bad you and your teammates want it.

What lessons have you learned about work ethic from your sport?

That you only become good if you work hard. You’re not going to get any better by just sitting around.

What have you learned about teamwork?

That everyone on your team has to want to be a team you can’t just have some people wanting to be a team and other people not wanting to be a team, because it won’t work if its like that.

How do you balance school and sports?

It’s definitely hard, but I have a weekly scheduler that my dad and I sit down with at the beginning of each week and plan out the days I have work, the days I have softball practice/pitching lessons and the day I have to go to the gym. So keeping a schedule has definitely helped me a lot, so I’m able to see it visually.

List some awards or accolades you’ve received.

Freshman Year:

Freshman Varsity Letter

Sophomore Year:

Patriot News Player to Watch

Patriot News Top 10 Pitcher

1^st Team Mid-Penn Keystone Division All Star

Varsity Letter

Who’s your fave athlete, both male and female?

Male- Aaron Rowand

Female- Cat Osterman

What’s the girliest thing you like to do?

I like to just chill at my pool with my friends and tan. I could seriously do that all day.

Thanks, Hanna! Fabulous advice – hard work is definitely uber important, along with teamwork and heart. Looks like you’re definitely a softball superstar on the rise and congrats on your accomplishments. Best of luck with your career.

Do you want to be spotlighted? Send an email to kerimikulski(at)gmail(dot)com.

Happy Saturday!

Sporty Saturday Spotlight 10-3-09

This Saturday the sporty spotlight shines bright on thirteen-year-old Megan Mount, AKA ‘Game Face’. Megan is a happy fan this week since her hometown and fave baseball team, the Philadelphia Phillies clinched the 2009 National League Eastern Division Title. Check out her interview below where Megan shares the story behind her nickname and her thoughts on teamwork.

Name: Megan Mount

Age: 13

Sport(s): Softball

Hometown: Kingwood, New Jersey

High School/Middle School/College: Kingwood Township School (presently in 8^th grade)

Number: 27

Position: Pitcher, first base, and left field

What’s your fave sport? Softball

How many years have you been playing your fave sport? 5 years

What is your fave sporty moment or memory?

Enjoying the game with my teammates and winning tournaments.

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned from playing your sport?

When you get older, you have to really be dedicated to the sport, because everyone around you is older and stronger, which means you have to become a better player, and become a stronger person physically and mentally.

What lessons have you learned about work ethic from your sport?

I have learned that you really have to work hard to become better at the sport and always practice, but you also have to study hard, to keep up your grades in school.

What have you learned about teamwork?

That to win and to be a good team, you all have to work together and help each other out, because if one person is down on the team, everyone has to help pick her up, no matter the score, or importance of the game. We have to work together as “one.”

How do you balance school and sports?

By getting as much homework done during a free period at school that I can, so I have less homework when I get home, and can then concentrate on Softball Practice with my team.

List some awards or accolades you’ve received.

I have received MVP awards at tournaments and tournament trophies with my team. In school I have received high honors and honor roll.

Who’s your fave athlete, both male and female?

Philadelphia Phillies team and Jennie Finch

What’s the girliest thing you like to do? (Pretty Tough signature question)

Wearing Jennie Finch glitter headbands to tournaments.

What’s your fave thing about the game when you pitch?

When I pitch I love the pressure that is put on you. Nothing rattles me when I am on the mound, I just pitch. There could be bases loaded, two outs, tie game, and I don’t get rattled. That’s how I got my nickname “Game Face.”

Thanks, Megan! Congrats on your accomplishments!! I’m with you. I’m loving the Jennie Finch sparkly headbands too. :)

Do you want to be spotlighted? Send an email to Keri Mikulski at kerimikulski(at)gmail(dot)com.

Happy Saturday!

Hugs,
Keri :)

Sporty Saturday Spotlight 9-19-09

This week the Pretty Tough Saturday Spotlight is shining bright on New Jersey MVP, Bailey Ferrara. Check out Bailey’s interview below where she shares her thoughts on teamwork, softball, drop stepping, and dancing.

Name: Bailey Ferrara

Age: 13

Sport: Softball

Hometown: Kingwood, NJ

High School/Middle School/College: Middle School

Number: 26

Position: mostly center field or right field

What’s your fave sport? Softball!!! <3

How many years have you been playing your fave sport?

I am going on my 5^th year.

What was your fave sporty moment or memory?

My team was in a championship game and we were only winning by a couple of runs. This girl comes up and has a huge hit to right field (where I was playing). I ran over and sort of dove for the ball and caught it! Drop stepping really game in handy!

What was the biggest lesson you’ve learned from playing your sport?

That there definitely is no “I” in team, everyone has to work as one. If one person is playing selfishly than they could lose the game for you.

What lessons have you learned about work ethic from your sport?

That in whatever sport you play, you have a responsibility on the team. You have to show up for practice because if you don’t, you will not play in the game. The team needs everyone to make a perfect one.

What have you learned about teamwork?

Everyone has to work together and to the highest potential to make everyone play their best game!

How do you balance school and sports?

My mom says that if I do not finish my homework I cannot go to practice until it is done. I try to finish all of my homework in o.p. (opportunity period) on days that I have practice.

List some awards or accolades you’ve received.

I have won championship medals, M.V.P. medals, a world language certificate for Spanish, High Honor Roll, and Honor Roll.

Who’s your fave athlete, both male and female?

My favorite female athletes are…Jennie Finch, Caitlin Lowe, and Meghan Gibson. My favorite male athlete is Thurmon Munson.

What’s the girliest thing you like to do? (Pretty Tough signature question) J

I love to go shopping, do hair and make-up, and I love going to dances and dancing!

Thanks, Bailey! Nice list of fave athletes and congrats on all the championships and medals. Sounds like you’ll be collecting a lot more in the future.

Do you want to be spotlighted? Send me an email at kerimikulski(at)gmail(dot)com.

Happy Saturday!

Sporty Saturday Spotlight

This week marks our very first Sporty Saturday Spotlight. Jersey Girl softballer, Lauren Lesser, shares with us her thoughts on teammates, injuries, softball, and balancing it all. Check out Lauren’s insightful interview below. And be sure to stop by Pretty Tough every Saturday to check out  interviews with sporty girls like you from across the country. Enjoy! :)

Name: Lauren Lesser

Age: 15

Sport(s): Softball and Field Hockey

Hometown: Mt. Laurel, New Jersey

High School/Middle School/College: Holy Cross High School

Number: 40

Position: I’m a pitcher and short stop for my softball team, and I protect the net as a back for my field hockey team.

What’s your fave sport? Softball! :)

How many years have you been playing your fave sport?

I started playing softball on a team 10 years ago, but I first picked up a ball and bat much earlier than that!

What was your fave sporty moment?

My favorite sporty moment definitely wasn’t my fave when it happened, and it actually didn’t even happen while I was playing!  I injured my ankle and had to have several surgeries along with months of casts, crutches, and doctor appointments.  After my first surgery I went to watch a softball tournament and every single one of my teammates either came up to me before or after the game telling me about games I missed or informing me that my nickname was about to change to something that related to being injured.  Even though I couldn’t be on the field, it was great to feel the sense of being part of a team and knowing I had a group of friends to put a smile on my face.

What was the biggest lesson you’ve learned from playing your sport?

The importance of teamwork and support of one another!  The way you treat your teammates and how well you work together really affects the way you play and your relationship with one another.  No matter how big of an error someone may make or how many times someone strikes out, you have to keep motivating your teammates and refrain from getting frustrated or annoyed.  By caring for only yourself and not working well with the others on your team you’re only hurting yourself in the long run and meanwhile you are also hurting your team.

What lessons have you learned about work ethic from your sport?

By playing sports I have learned how important it is to give 100% in everything I do along with responsibility.  It’s not fair to your team if you decide not to give it your all because you stayed up late and you’re tired or something along those lines.  You have to learn to be responsible enough to do what is best for yourself while keeping your team’s best interest in mind.

What have you learned about teamwork?

Teamwork is key!  If you and your teammates don’t act as a team, you’re not going to play as a team.  You should be a personal cheerleader to every single one of your teammates whether you’re best friends with them or not.  Rather than being angry and aggravated when someone makes a mistake, you should brush it off and try to keep the other person from getting frustrated.  It doesn’t matter how well you play yourself if your team doesn’t play well together.

How do you balance school and sports?

School has always been very high on my priority list, especially after my injury this year.  I’m in honors classes at my high school which require a lot of hard work and very little time for sports and fun, and there have been quite a few times where I have stayed up extremely late to finish up a project or homework that should have been done well in advance.  I try to make deadlines for myself to force myself to get my work done so I’m not scrambling at the last minute.  I also try to get ahead of school work on days I don’t have practice or games.  The time management skills that I’ve learned over the years from sports helped me a lot this year when I had to make up the work I missed when I had my surgery.

Who’s your fave athlete, both male and female?

Jennie Finch and Jamie Moyer! :)

What’s the girliest thing you like to do?

I love painting my nails and reading teen Chick Lit!

Thanks, Lauren!! I’m definitely with you on the value of teamwork, giving 100%, and loving Chick Lit. :)

Happy Labor Day!

Rockford Thunder wins 2009 NPF Championship

AKRON, Ohio – The Rockford Thunder captured their first Cowles Cup at Firestone Stadium on Sunday afternoon crowning them the 2009 NPF Champions as they defeated the USSSA Pride 2-0 in the final game of the season.  Rockford climbed back from a 1-0 deficit and near elimination to win both of their series on the weekend and become champions.

Cat Osterman led the way with her second complete game shut out of the day only allowing the Pride to have one single and a walk on the day.  Between the two games on Sunday, Osterman struck out an amazing 26 batters and only gave up four hits.  For the tournament, Osterman struck out 50 batters in 31 innings in five starts, pitching 31 of her team’s 41 innings.

The only player to get on for the Pride in game three was Oli Keohohou who drew a walk and hit an infield single that bounced off of Osterman’s glove in the fifth inning.

The Thunder picked up enough offense for Osterman against tough pitching by Sarah Pauly and Monica Abbott.  Leadoff hitter Shanel Scott got Rockford going right away with a hit to left field just past a diving Kristin Schnake.  Scott would eventually score on a sacrifice bunt by Lyndsey Angus to give Rockford a 1-0 lead.  For good measure, Chelsea Spencer added another run when she blasted a towering shot that soared over the center field fence for a solo home run.

The home run would be the last pitch Pauly threw as the Pride turned to Abbott, who shut down Rockford’s offense the rest of the way.  Abbott gave up a signle to the first hitter she faced, but then retired 12 of the next 13 hitters to close out the game.  Even though Abbott kept the Pride close, Osterman wouldn’t allow the Pride offense an opportunity to get back in the game.

Following the Championship Game, Osterman was announced as the MVP of the NPF Championship Series presented by The Game after picking up all of her team’s victories.  The Thunder ace only gave up an astonishing two runs, one earned, in her five starts of the tournament

(via press release)

NPF Championship Series opens today

Hey softball fans. Join the Regular Season Champions, the Chicago Bandits as they defend their 2008 NPF Championship Series title against the Akron Racers, Rockford Thunder and USSSA Pride at the NPF Championship Series…Firestone Stadium , Akron, Ohio, August 20-23, 2009.

Focus is on the future for National Pro Fastpitch

MLB’S STATEMENT REGARDING THE IOC’S DECISION

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