College Club Sports: Consider as Valuable Alternative to Varsity Play

Thanks in part to Title IX, opportunities for you to participate in sports as part of your college experience have expanded substantially. Yet when thinking about competing on behalf of your school, you tend to think varsity sports. I’d like to take this opportunity to expand your horizons in case your radar is limited.

Two alternatives deserve consideration, including recreational and club sports. Recreational play is for everyone, no matter what level, and is intra-school; most likely students will be competing in the various sports (basketball, softball, volleyball, etc.) in a fun school league. Friends, fraternity brothers, sorority sisters and dorm floors can create their own teams and register to play.  It is great social fun and a valuable way for you to stay active.

But my real intent here is to focus on Club sports as an alternative for talented athletes who either may not quite be Varsity level or are indeed elite but don’t wish their sport to consume their college experience. Club is ideal for so many reasons.

The best way to introduce and advocate for Club play is to tell you about my recent experience at Club Volleyball Nationals in Kansas City, MO a few weeks back. What a fantastic few days. Hundreds of men’s and women’s teams congregated for the ultimate tournament after a season of local conference play. Dressed in their school uniforms and demonstrating incredible school spirit, these teams went at it with the same intensity and passion as varsity teams. Sure, the great majority of the teams could not compete with Division 1 varsity teams. But does that matter? The level of competition was good from bottom to top, and the top teams – WOW! They were committed and talented beyond belief and fantastic to watch; as fun and stimulating as watching the varsity levels for me and the so many other fans I spoke with.

Let’s look at the perks of club play:

1)   Level of competition can be excellent;

2)   Practices are typically 2 or 3 times per week as opposed to every day;

3)   Conference play does not usually entail travel afar;

4)   More time to hit the books;

5)   More time for the college social life;

6)   Additional time for engaging in other extracurriculars;

7)   Easier on the body since traditionally less rigorous;

8)   Overall, less stressful;

9)   Offers a way to stay physically active in the sport of choice;

10)  Skill improvement is more than likely;

11)   Presents the same chance for team camaraderie;

 

I can go on.

So if you are a student athlete assessing the opportunities in your sport, be realistic and work on finding the best fit. Certainly don’t feel inferior or feel as though you are settling for less if opting for club play. You are in for a great experience.

As always, look forward to your feedback and discussion.

 

Women’s College World Series ready to throw first pitch

When the NCAA Women’s College World Series opens Thursday at the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, the eight teams represented will have each traveled a thrilling road to the championships.

If you’re a softball fan, you’ve probably followed the season of your favorite team, or at least tuned in to the Super Regionals. But if you’re not a regular fan, this is the time of year when you can witness the game at it’s best – with talented players who have fearlessly been progressing their games since they were little girls on the tee ball field.

There are a lot of exciting match-ups and teams that have battled immense odds to be able to play. Alabama had four home games canceled at the end of April, starting with an April 27 contest against UAB the day Tuscaloosa was devastated by a tornado, only to come back and win their conference.

Of the eight teams competing in Oklahoma City, five team’s starting pitchers have been invited to try out for the USA National Team. In fact 17 invitees to the 2011 USA Softball Women’s National Team Selection Camp will be among the student athletes and coaching staffs at the NCAA championships. That’s an indication of the level of play you’ll see.

Here’s an overview of the teams who have made their way to OKC.

School: Alabama
Nickname: Crimson Tide
City: Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Conference: Southeastern
Record (NCAA selection): 51-9 (at-large, SEC regular-season champions)
Coach (record): Patrick Murphy (713-188 in 14 years overall, 682-208 in 13 years at UA)
NCAA appearances: 13
WCWS appearances (titles in bold): 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011

School: Arizona State
Nickname: Sun Devils
City: Tempe, Ariz.
Conference: Pac-10
Record (NCAA selection): 53-6 (automatic qualifier, Pac-10 champion)
Coach (record): Clint Meyers (798-122 in 25 years, 317-79 in six years at ASU)
NCAA appearances: 23
WCWS appearances (titles in bold): 1982, 1987, 1999, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011

School: Baylor
Nickname: Bears
City: Waco, Texas
Conference: Big 12
Record (NCAA selection): 45-13 (at-large)
Coach (record): Glenn Moore (578-262 in 14 years, 439-220 in 11 years at Baylor)
NCAA appearances: 7
WCWS appearances (titles in bold): 2007, 2011

School: California
Nickname: Golden Bears
City: Berkley, Calif.
Conference: Pac-10
Record (NCAA selection): 44-11 (at-large)
Coach (record): Diane Ninemire (1,058-509 in 24 years at Cal)
NCAA appearances: 27
WCWS appearances (titles in bold): 1986, 1992, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2011

School: Florida
Nickname: Gators
City: Gainesville, Fla.
Conference: Southeastern
Record (NCAA selection): 52-10 (at-large)
Coach (record): Tim Walton (450-141 in nine years, 327-77 in six years at UF)
NCAA appearances: 12
WCWS appearances (titles in bold): 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011

School: Missouri
Nickname: Tigers
City: Columbia, Mo.
Conference: Big 12
Record (NCAA selection): 52-8 (automatic qualifier, Big 12 champion)
Coach (record): ): Ehren Earleywine (386-129 in eighth year, 240-74 in fifth year at MU)
NCAA appearances: 15
WCWS appearances (titles in bold): 1983, 1991, 1994, 2009, 2010, 2011

School: Oklahoma
Nickname: Sooners
City: Norman, Okla.
Conference: Big 12
Record (NCAA selection): 43-17 (at-large)
Coach (record): Patty Gasso (979-326 in 21 years, 817-267 in 17 years at OU)
NCAA appearances: 18
WCWS appearances (titles in bold): 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2011

School: Oklahoma State
City: Stillwater, Okla.
Mascot: Cowgirls
Conference: Big 12
Record (NCAA selection): 42-18 (at-large)
Coach (record): Rich Wieligman (173-114 in five years at OSU)
NCAA appearances: 18
WCWS appearances (titles listed by year): 1982, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1998, 2011

The 2011 Women’s College World Series throws its first pitch at 1 p.m. EDT on Thursday and concludes when the 2011 champion is crowned following the best-of-3 series finale June 6-8. All of the games can be seen on one of the ESPN platforms and you can keep up with a lot of the action via Twitter.  A number of the teams tweet and you can follow NCAA Softball @ncaasoftball.

The NCAA website has the full 2011 DI bracket as well as a printable version you can save to your computer or print out for reference.

Whether you’re rooting for the Cowgirls or the Sun Devils, the Gators or the Crimson Tide, or whether you’re just tuning in for the first time, you’re bound to see some great ball.

If you want to know which games will be broadcast and where, click here.

Batter up.

UCLA wins Women’s College World Series

Living in LA, I was naturally rooting for UCLA in the Women’s College World Series – just as I have for the last five years. But this year, they didn’t disappoint.

The tournament began with a series of upsets leaving everyone to wonder who would emerge as the dominant force.  A number of higher seeded teams were ousted by lower seeded teams in the first round. No. 16 Hawaii beat No. 9 Missouri, No. 5 UCLA beat No. 4 Florida, No. 6 Georgia upset the defending champions No. 3 Washington, and No. 15 Tennessee downed No. 10 Arizona.

But in the final game, UCLA hit four more home runs en route to a 15-9 victory over Arizona at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, a win that gave the Bruins their 11th national title and their first since 2004.

Pitcher Megan Langenfeld, Andrea Harrison, Julie Burney and Samantha Camuso hit homeruns  as UCLA completed its sweep through a series that included victories over Florida, Hawaii and Georgia and two against Pacific 10 Conference rival Arizona in the best-of-three final.

Langenfeld, a senior from Bakersfield, was selected as the series’ most outstanding player after hitting four home runs, driving in nine runs and going 3-0 as a pitcher.

Kelly Inouye-Perez, a former Bruins player and assistant, won the national title in her fourth season as UCLA’s head coach.

The 2010 Women’s College World Series also goes into the record books with the highest attendance record ever.

At the conclusion of the Championship, the final attendance number was 62,562, eclipsing the previous total of 62,463, which was set in 2007 with a three-game Championship Series.

Congrats to the Bruins and the Wildcats!

Field set for the 2010 NCAA Women’s College World Series

Super Regional action is over and the field is now set for the 2010 NCAA Women’s College World Series.

The biggest upset came in the Tuscaloosa Super Regional, where No. 16 Hawaii recorded a pair of one-run wins to eliminate No. 1 Alabama in three games.  Hawaii’s heroics shocked top-seeded Bama, who along with  more than 3,000 fans, watched in disbelief  as the Rainbow Wahine’s  punched a first-time ticket to the WCWS. Miracles do happen.

Who else is headed to Oklahoma City?

1. Tennessee
2. Washington
3. Georgia
4. Arizona
5. Hawaii
6. Missouri
7. Florida
8. UCLA

Check out the bracket here.

Thursday, June 3
10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fan Festival
Noon and 2:30 p.m. Session 1 Games live on ESPN HD
6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Session 2 Games live on ESPN2 HD

Friday, June 4
4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Fan Festival
6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Session 3 Games live on ESPN HD

Saturday, June 5
8 a.m. to noon NCAA Youth Clinic — Putnam City Optimist Complex
9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fan Festival
11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Session 4 Games live on ESPN2 HD
6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Session 5 Games live on ESPN HD

Sunday, June 6
8 a.m. to noon NCAA Youth Clinic — Putnam City Optimist Complex
10:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Fan Festival
Noon and 2:30 p.m.
Session 6 Games live on ESPN HD
6 and 8 p.m.
Session 7 Games (if necessary) live on ESPN2 HD

Monday, June 7
5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Fan Festival.
7 p.m. Session 8 – Championship Game 1 live on ESPN2 HD

Tuesday, June 8
5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Fan Festival
7 p.m. Session 9 Championship Game 2 live on ESPN2 HD

Postgame
Championship Awards Presentation. All-Tournament Team Announcement (if champion is determined)

Wednesday, June 9 (if necessary)
5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Fan Festival
7 p.m. Session 10 Championship Game 3 live on ESPN2 HD

Postgame
Championship Awards Presentation & All-Tournament Team Announcement

All game and television times are local and subject to change.

Honda Award Winners – Best Female Collegiate Athletes

For the 24th consecutive year, Honda has honored the most outstanding female collegiate athletes in the nation with the Collegiate Women Sports Awards.

Winners are selected in each of the 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports by a panel of more than 1,000 NCAA administrators.

Each year, one deserving athlete is also chosen as the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year to receive the coveted Honda-Broderick Cup. This  winner will be announced June 22 in New York.

So, without further ado. The 2009 Honda Award Winners are (drum roll….)

Basketball: Renee Montgomery, UConn senior

Montgomery, a four-year starter as point guard for the Huskies, was the #4 draft WNBA pick this year, chosen by the Minnesota Lynx. A native of St. Albans, West Virginia, she captained her team to an undefeated season this year, culminating with the NCAA championship in which she scored 18 points in the final game.

Other nominees included Angel McCoughtry from the University of Louisville, teammate Maya Moore from the University of Connecticut and Courtney Paris from University of Oklahoma.

Cross-Country: Sally Kipyego,  Texas Tech University senior

Kipyego has been chosen for the third year in a row as the nation’s top collegiate female cross-country athlete. The senior, who  is majoring in nursing, finished her college cross-country career with one of her school’s most impressive athletic records ever. She went undefeated in her three years at Texas Tech and is the most decorated female student-athlete in NCAA Division I cross-country history.

Field Hockey: Susie Rowe, University of Maryland senior

A native of London, England, Terrapin co-captain Rowe is a three-time first-team All-American who led her team to its sixth National title this year (third on her watch), scoring the game’s winning goal to top off her 28-goal, 74-point season, both school records. She was also named the ACC Tournament MVP for the second time, making her only the fifth two-time winner in conference history, as well as ACC Defensive Player of Year.

Other nominees include Jen Long from Penn State, Lauren Pfeiffer from University of Iowa and Shannon Taylor from Syracuse.

Golf: Maria Hernandez, Purdue University senior

Ranked #7 in the nation, Hernandez won six of 12 tournaments this season, with a low round of 67 and a 72.8 stroke average for the season. She recorded a career low of 66 on three occasions, including in 2008 to earn the best third-round score in Big Ten Championships history.

Other nominees included Carlota Ciganda, a freshman at Arizona State University, as well as University of Southern California freshman Jennifer Song and sophomore Lizette Salas.

Gymnastics: Courtney Kupets, University of Georgia senior

Winner of both a Silver and Bronze Medal at the 2004 Olympics as well as the 2007 Honda Award, Kupets was also nominated in 2006.

Other nominees include Kristina Baskett, University of Utah, Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, Louisiana State University and Jessica Lopez from University of Denver.

Lacrosse: Hannah Nielse, Northwestern senior

The Australian helped lead her team to its fifth straight NCAA title. She had six assists in the 21-7 win over North Carolina in the championship game. She also led the nation with 142 points and 83 assists, breaking the previous NCAA record for assists in a season (69) that she set in 2007.

Other nominees for the award included Notre Dame’s Jillian Byers, North Carolina’s Amber Falcone and Maryland’s Caitlyn McFadden.

Soccer: Casey Nogueira, University of North Carolina junior

Nogueira resides in Raleigh, North Carolina. The 5’6″ forward scored two second-half goals to lead her Tar Heels to an upset win in last season’s NCAA Championship game, earning her NCAA Tournament offensive MVP honors. She led the nation last season with 58 points and 25 goals, seven of them game winners.

Other nominees included Kerri Hanks and Brittany Bock, both Notre Dame seniors; and Christina Di Martino, a senior at UCLA.

Softball: Danielle Lawrie, Washington junior

The Canadian helped the Huskies win their first national championship in June. Lawrie had a nation-leading 42 wins and 521 strikeouts. The 5-foot-7 right-hander redshirted during the 2008 season to play for her country at the Beijing Olympics, where Canada came in fourth.

The other three finalists were Florida’s Stacey Nelson, Arizona State’s Kaitlin Cochran and Northwestern’s Tammy Williams.

Swim/Dive:   Dana Vollmer, University of California senior

Vollmer, who transferred to Berkeley from the University of Florida, was named the 2009 NCAA Swimmer of the Year after claiming individual titles in both the 100- and 200-yard freestyle events at the 2009 NCAA Championships and helping lead her team to its first ever National Championship.

Other nominees include Julia Smit, a junior at Stanford University; Rebecca Soni, a University of Southern California senior and Gemma Spofforth, a junior at the University of Florida.

Tennis: Mallory Cecil, Duke freshman

From Spartanburg, S.C., Cecil had a 32-4 record in leading Duke to the NCAA team title. She beat out three other finalists — Aurelija Miseviciute of Arkansas, Maria Mosolova of Northwestern and Laura Vallverdu of Miami.

Track & Field: Jenny Barringer, University of Colorado senior.

Barringer competed for the U.S. Olympic team at the 2008 Games in Beijing and finished ninth in the 3,000m steeplechase, setting an American record of 9 minutes, 22.26 seconds. She is a four-time All-American USTFCCCA and Big 12 Women’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Year, as well as a four-time Midwest Region Steeplechase Champion and three-time Big 12 Champion.

Other nominees included Sarah Bowman, a senior at the University of Tennessee, Tiffany Ofili, a senior at the University of Michigan and Blessing Okagbare, a junior at the University of Texas, El Paso.

Volleyball: Nicole Fawcett, Penn State senior

A 6’4″ left-side hitter, Fawcett is a native of Zanesfield, Ohio. She led the Lions last season to their second consecutive NCAA title, serving the championship point, and helped her team become the first-ever with a no-loss regular season record (96-0). The AVCA National Player of the Year, Fawcett was also named the Big Ten Player of the Year and is a three-time AVCA First Team All-America selection.

Other nominees included Foluke Akinradewo, a senior at Stanford University (and last year’s Honda Sports Award winner), Christa Harmotto, a fellow Penn State senior and Honda Sports award nominee for the second straight year and Destinee Hooker, a junior at the University of Texas.

Past Honda-Broderick Cup Winners

Candace Parker		2007-08		University of Tennessee, Basketball
Sarah Pavan		2006-07		University of Nebraska, Volleyball
Christine Sinclair		2005-06		The University of Portland, Soccer
Ogonna Nnamani		2004-05		Stanford University, Volleyball
Tara Kirk		2003-04		Stanford University, Swimming & Diving
Natasha Watley		2002-03		University of California, Los Angeles, Softball
Angela Williams		2001-02		University of Southern California, Track & Field
Jackie Stiles		2000-01		Southwest Missouri State, Basketball
Cristina Teuscher		1999-00		Columbia University, Swimming & Diving
Misty May		1998-99		Long Beach State University, Volleyball
Chamique Holdsclaw		1997-98		University of Tennessee, Basketball
Cindy Daws		1996-97		University of Notre Dame, Soccer

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Washington edges Florida to claim first NCAA softball title

Wow! What a dramatic series. I’ve been glued to the TV the last week watching some of the best college softball players in the country battle it out for the crown.

Last night, Kimi Pohlman raced home, giving Washington the decisive run in a 3-2 victory for its first NCAA softball championship.

Washington (51-12) kept the championship in the Pac-10 by keeping Florida from bringing the Southeastern Conference its first title. The Pac-10 has won 21 of the 27 Women’s College World Series titles, with Arizona State and Washington joining powerhouses UCLA (11 championships) and Arizona (eight) the past two years.

Huskies players tossed their gloves into the air and gathered in a huddle near home plate after Lawrie struck out Ali Gardiner to end the game. (The same Gardiner who hit a walk-off grand slam allowing the Gators to get into the final). The huddle of players soon fell over onto the ground after being handed the NCAA championship trophy.

Fastpitch 411

1. The College World Series is amazing and full of nonstop action live on ESPN. Follow the games here.

2. The National Collegiate Softball Player of the Year was announced. Check out full coverage of this prestigious award.

3. Follow and Tweet with ESPN commentator, Jessica Mendoza and go behind the scenes of the broadcast.

4. Take a virtual tour of the WCWS.

5. Snag some Huskies and/or Gator college softball gear.

Have a fabulous week, everyone!

Keri :)

(Update: Washington won the 2009 NCAA Softball Championship in two games (8-0, 3-2)  Congratulations Huskies!)

Women’s College World Series: As good as it gets

The Women’s College World Series has been so full of great softball this year. If you haven’t been watching, you’re seriously missing out. So far the series has been a dazzling display of drama. A walk off grand-slam by a Florida senior who was 0-9 for the series to oust Alabama may have been the highlight.

If you didn’t catch it, let’s recap: With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Alabama held a 5-2 lead over top-seeded Florida. But with one swing of the bat, Ali Gardiner unloaded the bases for a walk-off grand slam, sending the Gators into the WCWS finals.

The Washington v. Georgia semi-final series was no less exciting. Despite two home runs and a WCWS record seven RBI from freshman Niki Williams, the Washington Huskies fell to Georgia, 9-8, in a wild World Series game Sunday at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium.

The win by Georgia, which was facing elimination, forced a deciding game with Washington advancing to the championship series which starts tonight at 8:00 CT (ESPN).

Leading up to the finals, there were lots of memorable moments. Take Georgia’s relief pitcher Taylor Schlopy who homered twice in consecutive at-bats to help the team beat Michigan.  And how about UW pitcher Danielle Lawrie who threw a five-hitter and helped her team out on offense with a Grand Slam in the semis?

Now fighting for the championship are the Washington Huskies and the Florida Gators. Neither program has ever won a WCWS title, so it’ll be a first for either program.

The No. 1 ranked Gators have just three loses all season. The odds were completely against Alabama in the semi-final when they were faced with the challenge of having to beat them twice in one day to get into the championship. Having only dropped three games all season, it was highly unlikely that they were going to lose two in one day.

Last week, the Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA)  announced the selection of  Washington’s Lawrie  as the recipient of the 8th Annual USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year Award. The Pac-10 leader in wins, ERA, strikeouts and shutouts, Washington’s Lawrie is also among the nation’s top three in all four categories.

Lawrie, a British Columbia native, is an international veteran having spent a year with the Canadian national team.  In the WCWS, she’ll square off against Stacey Nelson. Nelson confounds hitters with an array of pitches and leaves them guessing at which they can hit and which will result in little more than weak pop outs or ground outs.

Tune in tonight and stay on top of the complete schedule and results with the following links.

• 2009 bracket
• 2009 schedule and results
• NCAA tourney coverage

Pretty Tough Tuesday: Fastpitch 411

1. The College World Series is here! Don’t miss a minute. Check out the television schedule here.

2. The three finalists for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year were announced.

3. Did your favorite team make the College World Series? Check out the brackets and Super Regional results here.

4. Follow the WCWS on Twitter and Facebook.

5. Want to snag some college softball gear? Go here.

Have a fabulous week, everyone!

Pretty Tough Tuesday: Fastpitch 411

1. The NCAA Division 1 Regionals wrapped up on Sunday. Take a look at the brackets to see how your fave team is doing.

2. Recently, Jennie Finch has penned some emotional and amazing posts on her blog. Get to know Jennie here.

3. Softball is on ESPN during the month of May. Check out this week’s Super Regional softball television schedule.

4. Are all bats the same? Find out on Fastpitch TV.

Have a fabulous week, everyone!  

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