Jugando softbol con el corazón: Los Bandidos de un solo Brazo

Yoel Adames F.  11/27/2009

Les puede faltar una mano, un antebrazo, pero le sobra corazón Sin límite.

Los Bandidos de un solo Brazo es un ejemplo a seguir, un grupo de gente sin límite en busca de la superación personal. Santo Domingo.- Es de las pocas veces que una desventaja se convierte en un gran incentivo para ser mejor y derrotar a los “superiores”. En este extraño equipo la calidad no es lo primero, le precede la honestidad, amor al trabajo, superación personal y el compañerismo.

“Los Bandidos de un solo Brazo” es un conjunto que su nombre lo delata, su común denominador es la desgracia de haber perdido miembros de un brazo: dedos, la mano completa, el antebrazo o la totalidad de esa extremidad. Sin embargo, esto no es obstáculo para progresar ni lo convierte “en una carga para la familia o para la sociedad”.

 Jugando softbol especialmente ante equipos sin limitaciones, de cualquier grupo social, ellos lo demuestran en el terreno de juego, le puede faltar un antebrazo, ¡todo el brazo!, pero les sobra corazón.

 Robert Cessé, presidente de los Bandidos, fue víctima de una máquina de moler carne durante su labor en un supermercado, todos sus dedos de la mano derecha se confundieron en la molienda. “Le doy gracias a Dios por ser discapacitado, esa condición me hizo superarme para que nadie me humillara, hoy tengo una constructora; fui a la universidad y me hice diseñador gráfico, no le tengo miedo a la vida”, explica Cessé.

 Miguel García, de Villa Trina, fue víctima de un asalto en una cafetería que atendía, uno de los asaltantes le disparó un cartuchazo que le hizo perder el brazo derecho… Hoy es un jardinero por vocación, pero tiene varios invernaderos de donde vende la producción para exportación. Su filosofía “Aquí todos tenemos una historia diferente, pero somos uno cuando estamos debajo del uniforme, nos enfrentamos a los mejores equipos como una muestra de que hay que seguir el camino correcto, mirar hacia el futuro con energía sin que nada ni nadie te detenga, esa es parte de nuestra filosofía, por ello, para ser un Bandido, hay que trabajar, ser útil, no un estorbo”, afirma Manuel Reyes, uno de los fundadores del conjunto y quien perdió su brazo izquierdo completo para detener la cangrena a pocos días de caer de un árbol caimito.

 Reyes dice que lo enyesaron con una herida y eso provocó su “mal”, pero no se acompleja y aunque no tiene con que agarrar un guante, su mano derecha le ha llevado a ser el mejor pitcher del conjunto. Si alguien cree que tiene limitaciones para conseguir sus metas, que asista a un partido de los Bandidos de un solo Brazo y observe cómo derrotan a sus rivales sin limitaciones físicas, pero sobre todo, como enfrentan, sin miedo, la vida.

DEFIENDEN SU TÍTULO MUNDIAL El modelo de equipo de Bandido de un Solo Brazo nació luego de que el boricua Víctor Rosario viera como una máquina con un brazo automático retiraba dinero y fichas de las mesas de los casinos en Las Vegas, Nevada. Cuando preguntó el nombre del artefacto, le respondieron: “La Bandida de un solo Brazo”. Rosario lanzó la motivación por internet a los minusválidos del mundo, formándose equipos de softbol en Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, Estados Unidos y Santo Domingo. Precisamente, desde inicios de semana estos conjuntos disputan su IX Torneo Mundial, dedicado al artista Fernando Villalona, en el estadio Domingo Rosario, de Los Jazmines, en la ciudad de Santiago de los Caballeros.

El conjunto dominicano ha ganado ese evento en los años 2000, 2003 y 2008, por lo cual está defendiendo su título esta vez. El evento inició el pasado 24 y se extenderá hasta el día 30.

Tomado de LISTIN DIARIO seccion EL Deporte.

In case you missed it earlier this week:

If you’re in the neighborhood, head down to a Softball Sales retail store this Friday.

Shake off the turkey hangover and visit one of our stores in San Antonio or Laurel, Md., to take advantage of some serious Black Friday deals. You can get a Louisville Slugger Omaha Bat — which usually retails for $199.99 — for just $49.98 this Friday.

Get an Accupitch Pitch Trainer — normally $199.99 — for just $24.98!

Here is an e-mail flier with some of the details:

Click for bigger

Both stores will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Visit us in San Antonio:
1003 E. Nakoma Ste 104
San Antonio, TX 78216

Or Laurel:
9375 Washington Blvd.
Laurel, Maryland 20723

Related: Didn’t get the flier? Sign up for e-mail updates at the Softball Sales homepage.

En vista de la competitividad que viste al equipo Blutús y acogiendo el pedido del equipo de Arquitectura hemos decidido aprobar el cambio de fecha para los próximos dos juegos de la serie final del torneo PUCMM 2009 (Esto en vista de que ninguna autoridad dentro del torneo se ha pronunciado al respecto).

Debido a que el equipo de Arquitectura no se encontraría completo para jugar este próximo sábado y en conocimiento que nosotros queremos ganar dentro del terreno de juego, decidimos jugar el próximo sabado 5 de Diciembre pese a que nuestro equipo para esa fecha no estará completo, pero es que la gallardía la llevamos en la sangre azul blutusense que tenemos dentro.

Así que jovenes de ambos equipos nos veremos el próximo sábado 5 a la misma hora y por el mismo canal…..recuerden que lo importante es competir limpiamente para ganar con HONOR. Sólo queda recordarles que somos un equipo sumante unido pese a todo lo que vean y escuchen de nosotros; esto quedara demostrado cuando nos volvamos a enfrentar en el campo de batalla, que es el único lugar donde no somos amigos y que gane el que mejor desempeño tenga.

“El fuerte hace su destino; el débil, sufre el que le impone la suerte…..”

A JUGARRRR!!!!!!!

We’re giving you our Black Friday coupon code a day early.

It’s good for free shipping and 20% off your order at Softball.com. There is no minimum purchase.

Just enter the coupon code JGEBAP6 at checkout.

Remember, this coupon code is only good on Friday, Nov. 27.

Related: Head over to the Softball Sales homepage to start shopping.

SoCal Magic Softball is hosting in Beaumont, Ca.

10U thru 18Gold

(TEAMS COMING)
10U (need 2 teams)
1.SO CAL REIGN (Paid)
2.HIGH DESERT STORM (Paid)
3.SO CAL RAMPAGE (Paid)
4.WEST COAST LIGHTNING (Paid)
5.VALLEY KRUSH (Paid)
6.TRAVIESAS
7.
8.12U (full)
1.SO CAL MAGIC (Paid)
2.SO CAL REBELS (Paid)
3.SO CAL DYNASTY (Paid)
4.SO CAL STORM (Paid)
5.TRIPLE THREAT (Paid)
6.SO CAL HEATERS (Paid)
7.CHINO HILLS STORM (Paid)
8.PASS BLAZE (confirmed)

14U (full)
1.SO CAL MAGIC (Paid)
2.WRECKING CREW (Paid)
3.PASS HEAT (Paid)
4.I E ELITE (confirmed)
5.SO CAL REBELS (Paid)
6.TEAM EASTON 96(RAHIER)(Paid)
7.LIGHTS OUT (Paid)
8.SO CAL HEAT (Paid)
9.DIAMONDS 96 (Paid)
10.NO DOUBT (Paid)

16U (FULL)
1.SO CAL MAGIC (Paid)
2.INFERNO (Paid)
3.SUDDEN IMPACT (Paid)
4.SIK CHIX (Paid)
5.ELITE-CGF (Paid)
6.KNUCKLE UP (confirmed)
7.ENIGMA SOFTBALL (confirmed)
8.SO CAL ATHLETICS

18U (need 1 team)
1.SO CAL MAGIC GOLD (Paid)
2.SO CAL MAGIC RAY (Paid)
3.KAPU (COACHELLA) (Paid)
4.R.C. REVENGE (Paid)
5.SO CAL STARS (Paid)
6.
7.OC DYNASTY (Paid)
8.SO CAL RIOT (Paid)

So Cal Magic
2nd Annual
AFA Qualifier
Thanksgiving
Shoot-out
Tournanment
November 27-29

6 Games Guaranteed / 6 Games Guaranteed

AFA NATIONAL QUALIFIER

This is a great opportunity to play lots of games all weekend. It is a 6 game guaranteed Tournament. 1 nonpool games and 1 pool game on Friday starting at noon (nonpool games are for players on your roster that don’t play alot at tournaments), 1 nonpool game and 2 pool play games on Saturday, and single elimination bracket on Sunday.
This event is open to 10u, 12u, 14u, 16u, and 18u which will pitch from 43 feet.

All games in all age groups will be played at Noble Creek Fields 390 W. Oak Valley Pkwy Beaumont California 92392

Enter fees for the tournament
$450.00 if paid before November 9th.

Reserve your spot today by e-mail lordsmyking@aol.com or call David Rios at 760-508-9653 or 760-247-3649

Make checks payable So Cal Magic and mail it in with enter form to
12563 Caballero Court
Victorville, Ca. 92392

Pay by Visa Call 760-949-1110

Softball season is just a few short months away. That means it’s time to kick your training into high gear.

When you start training, do it in style and in comfort. Wear a pair of Nike Women’s Shox Turbo running shoes, which you can get for dirt cheap on Friday.

With an outsole of quality carbon rubber and Nike’s Shox cushioning in the heel, the Nike Women’s Shox Turbo running shoes will keep you injury free while you train.

With a lightweight mesh upper portion of the shoe that comes in a variety of slick designs and colors, your training will never be boring.

The Nike Women’s Shox Turbo running shoes usually retail for $114.99. You can buy them now online for $49.98.

Or if you come by our retail stores in San Antonio or Laurel, Md., on Black Friday, you can also get them for $49.98! That’s a 57% discount from the original price!

Related: Browse our entire selection of softball training shoes.

My friend Adrienne and I have been BFF’s since 1st grade. FIRST. Grade. That’s a whopping 18 years if you were wondering. As the story goes, we were in the same 1st grade class at Hazel Dell Elementary. We hadn’t befriended each quite yet, but when we showed up to our first softball practice we both were excited that someone from our class was on our new softball team. We played catch, she hit me in the head with the ball, I cried, and there was an immediate connection. I’m guessing we bonded over our underdeveloped hand-eye coordination. We went to different middle schools, high schools and colleges but have remained very close over the years.
Ironically, a couple of weeks before I moved to New York, she moved to New Zealand. I suppose I find that ironic because we both made the biggest moves of our lives, thus far of course, within days of each other. And because they both start with “New”.

She has also been blogging about her adventures way over yonder. Check out her blog here!

This is us on her wedding day. As you can see, I pretty much did what she told me to that week.

If you’re in the neighborhood, head down to a Softball Sales retail store this Friday.

Shake off the turkey hangover and visit one of our stores in San Antonio or Laurel, Md., to take advantage of some serious Black Friday deals. You can get a Louisville Slugger Omaha Bat — which usually retails for $199.99 — for just $49.98 this Friday.

Get an Accupitch Pitch Trainer — normally $199.99 — for just $24.98!

Here is an e-mail flier with some of the details:

Click for bigger

Both stores will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Visit us in San Antonio:
1003 E. Nakoma Ste 104
San Antonio, TX 78216

Or Laurel:
9375 Washington Blvd.
Laurel, Maryland 20723

Related: Didn’t get the flier? Sign up for e-mail updates at the Softball Sales homepage.

Como es sabido por todos los equipos de Arquitectura y Blutus se enfrentan en la actualidad en la final del torneo PUCMM 2009, el cual debería de concluir el sábado 28 de Noviembre según el calendario y en vista de un atraso que tiene el torneo se espera concluya el sábado 5 de Diciembre si es necesario jugar los 5 partidos estipulados para esta parte del torneo.

Esta fecha coincide con el inicio de exámenes finales en nuestro calendario académico y lo primero que se sostuvo en las reuniones era no llegar a esta fecha por el problema que esto puede acarrear a muchos estudiantes y profesores que participan en el torneo.

Además es de antemano sabido que en el calendario no se pueden mover mas fechas de juegos simplemente por que un equipo no pueda estar completo a la hora de jugar el primer partido.

Nosotros los integrantes de blutus estamos en acuerdo de que el calendario continúe sin más suspensiones, ya que este próximo sábado tenemos jugadores ESTELARES con inconvenientes para jugar, pero daremos la cara de igual manera.

Además en recientes reuniones se ha dicho y se hizo hincapié para no cambiar las fechas de juegos.

Nosotros como parte integra de este torneo estamos dispuestos a acatar lo que decida la directiva de este torneo, solo deseamos que se nos comunique la decisión a tiempo.

Así que este próximo sábado estaremos en el campo de batalla listos para jugar a partir de las dos de la tarde…..los esperamos…….

 El pasado sábado 21 se dio inició a la esperada serie final del torneo PUCMM 2009 en donde se enfrentan dos colosos de esta disciplina. Los equipos BLUTUS y ARQUITECTURA son los protagonistas de esta batalla que se tiene como sede el campus de dicha entidad. La serie pactada al mejor de 5 encuentros aparece empatada a un juego por bando, donde el poderoso equipo de ARQUITECTURA sorprendió a los BLUTUS luego de caer en el primer encuentro de la doble jornada. Los jóvenes de arquitectura tuvieron que emplearse a fondo para poder sacarle un partido al sólido equipo de BLUTUS que no contó con una buena labor, en el segundo encuentro, de su estelar lanzador BIG-A, debido a una lesión en unos de sus pies; pero como equipo al fin, entro El fuerte Hernández y maniató a la poderosa artillería. Realmente el equipo de BLUTUS salió un hueso duro de roer para el trabuco de ARQUITECTURA a pesar de que tienen todas para ganar. Quedo demostrado que ARQUITECTURA es el favorito para ganar el torneo ya sea jugando o arrebatando. Al parecer lo malo solo es la actitud de BLUTUS, no importa lo que el contrario a BLUTUS haga…..pasará desapercibido….pero BLUTUS estornuda es algo de que hablar…..esta claro para quien esta hecho este torneo, pero no importa BLUTUS seguirá compitiendo con gallardía y respeto como hasta ahora lo ha hecho (Aunque no se lo que otros llaman respeto). Si con ganar bajo las reglas que ha dispuesto este torneo es algo malo o digno de aborrecer….sólo díganlo…..Saben en BLUTUS nacimos de muchas madres pero aquí sólo hay hermanos…..

Esperamos que esta conversación sea de provecho para que en los juegos futuros  no sigamos incurriendo en los mismos errores que no permiten el equipo termine de acoplarse.

The holiday season is creeping closer and closer, which means there is less time for shopping.

Get a head start on your gift giving this week.

For 48 hours only — from today through Tuesday — you can get free shipping and 10% off your order at Softball.com. There is no minimum purchase.

Just enter the coupon code JGEBAN8 at checkout.

Speaking of discounts, the biggest shopping day of the year is coming up at the end of the week. And we’ve got a heck of a Black Friday coupon to pass along to you.

And we’re going to post it a day early.

Check the Softball Sales blog, our Twitter page or our Facebook page to see the coupon code on Thursday.

Related: Get the New York fan in your life some Yankees gear.

“Talent without discipline is like an octopus on roller skates. There’s plenty of movement, but you never know if it’s going to be forward, backwards, or sideways.”

-H. Jackson Brown Jr. 

The first time I saw this drill, or something similar to it, was in Dixon, IL. My friend Dan Crawford was using it as part of his team’s pre-game routine.  Whiffle balls were flying in every direction. Players were placed all over left field. Jokingly, I said, “Dan, it looks like a octupus exploded out there. What’s going on?” He told me it was a drill.  I liked it so much, that night I scribbled something similar to it on paper.

Equipment needed:

• 1 bucket
• 4 dozen whiffle balls
• 4 bats

Purpose: The purpose of this drill is to get each of your players 24 purposeful swings with in less than 8 minutes. It makes a great pre-game hitting routine. I especially like it on the road.  It also makes a good practice drill when time or space is limited for hitting.  Lastly, it’s a good indoor drill when a cage is not available.

Set up & Grouping: Take your team and divide them into three or four equal groups. I recommend no more than 5 in a group.  4 in each group is just about perfect. Place the bucket of whiffle balls in the center and one group on each side of the bucket. Each group needs a hitter, pitcher, and shaggers.  The hitters are nearest the bucket.  The pitchers are throwing towards the hitters standing by the bucket.

After a hitter gets 6 cuts, he or she rotates to become the pitcher of  his group. The pitcher rotates to shagger. A shagger comes to the bucket and becomes a hitter.  Make one of the groups “the lead group”. When all of the hitters in the lead group have hit, that group yells “ROTATE” and all of the groups rotate clockwise.  It should take a little less than 2 minutes for a group of 4 to hit at each station. Each station has a purpose. See below:

• Station #1: Pulling inside strikes
• Station #2: hitting up the middle
• Station #3: hitting outside strikes
• Station #4: I like to use this one as a wildcard station in order to mix it up.  You can make it a bunting station, top hand drill, 2 strike hitting, etc. Most often, I like to use a paddle drill.

Hints:

• The first time you run the drill, it will take a bit longer than 8 minutes due to explanation. It will get to be more fluid each time the drill is run.
• For younger players, eliminate the rotation. As the coach, call out a new hitting purpose every 2-3 minutes.
• Monitor your pitchers. Make sure that they are throwing the balls hard enough and trying to hit locations.
• Monitor your hitters make sure that they are swinging at strikes. Much to often, when the whiffle balls come out, hitter start swinging at everything.
• Emphasize no pop-ups.
• Make sure your hitters are not getting to close to one another. Safety first

Have you heard the rumors? A men’s league coming in 2010 to SJSL? Could it be?

Well…it could be true…and it is! That is if all goes according to plan! We are in the process of doing our research to make it all come true. If everything falls into place, we’d like to host our 1st run of the SJSL men’s league for the Spring ‘10 season! It would be weeknights, and teams who choose to play in both the co-ed and men’s league would receive a nice discount!

Of course, more info will be posted as it progresses, so make sure to keep on top of the blog ot find out the goods!

In the interim, take our poll so we have a good idea of what you are looking for!

….as featured in the Daily Press

The So Cal Magic girls travel softball team won first place at the Halloween Classic Tournament in Wildomar.

Great job!!!

Pictured back row from left: coach Dave Rios, Alyssa Campos, Kat Morgan, Kayla Detinne, coach Brian Detinne, Erica Gray, Gaby Vera, Christy Espinoza and coach Ruben Gil. Front row: Roxy Allen, Precious Herrera, Miranda Gil and Diamond Rios.

For some quality Friday timewasting, here is another USA Softball video.

We’ve showed you video before of Team USA’s gold-medal game against Australia and its exhibition game against Stratford University.

Here’s another, from USA Softball’s game against Virginia Tech last year. Hokies pitcher Angela Tincher throws a no-hitter in the victory.

It’s in a bunch of parts. Here they are:

We have no idea what they’re saying, but we know this is pretty crazy.

Two-time USA Softball Olympian Michele Smith recently made an appearance on a Japanese TV show.

We’re not sure exactly what’s going on, but it looks like Smith and Japanese Olympic softball pitcher Ueno took turns pitching to various contestants. It runs the gamut from comedians and children to professional baseball players.

Smith currently plays for the Toyota Shokki.

We think if they got a hit, they won some money. But your guess is as good as ours.

Check out the video:

If you were paying attention, and I’ll assume that you were, as hanging on my every word is quite unavoidable, you’ll notice where I called this page a sports site. This is only partially true (you’ll find, as we go forward, that partial truths are one of my many fortes, along with sneaky lies, eloquent hyperbole, and expertly placed scorn). In addition to sports, I will also be covering games. To deal with issues of server space and short attention spans, the two have been amalgamated under the catch-all phrase “sports” in such a way that they’ve lost all distinction. Well, I’m here to set the record straight… which should have been listed amongst my fortes… setting the record straight. I’m very good at it.

And actually, the distinction is quite simple to understand… and here’s the litmus test; if a fat 60 year old can do it moderately well, it’s not a sport, it’s a game. Simple as that.

So let’s get to it, shall we?

But first, let’s start by saying I’m not going to mention anything that’s so obviously a game that its’ combatants won’t even complain at having it called so. These include poker, backgammon, Madden challenge, Scrabble, spelling bees, etc… These have at most a very little physical aspect to them, and thus don’t qualify as a sport under any definition of the world. Plus, a fat 60 year old, after some practice, could be the best in the world at any of them.

American Football – Sport. Clearly, our fat 60 year old could strap on a helmet and shoulder pads and proceed to play the game, but this is where the “moderately well” portion of our litmus test comes into play. I would also recommend a stretcher, ambulance, priest and his loved ones be nearby.

Archery - Game. Games can be broken down into two categories… strictly mental games, like the ones mentioned above (Poker, Backgammon, etc…), or games that combine both mental and physical aspects. Alas, when it comes to archery’s physicality, we’re talking hand-eye coordination (true of many games) and average levels of strength. A fat 60 year old can handle those aspects.

Australian Rules Football – Sport. I would, though, like to see our fat 60 year old in one of these. Wait, no I wouldn’t. Forget I said that.

Auto Racing – Game. Let’s be honest here… the cars are the athletes. They’re the ones competing in a sport. The drivers, not so much. Yes, it’s physically and mentally demanding… but can you really sit there and tell me, perched on your high chair like you most certainly are, that a fat 60 year old couldn’t win one race, let alone do moderately well? Already, Mark Martin of Nascar fares quite well at age 50, and the oldest winner was 52. Formula one’s oldest winner was 53. And we’ve got a fat guy that regularly wins in Tony Stewart. Would he win? Probably not. Could he do moderately well? Definitely.

Badminton – Sport. Yes, our fat 60 year old, depending on what strata of society he finds himself within, might play regularly… probably with regular breaks for tea and judging people. But put that same fat 60 year old in a competitive environment, and he loses every time. There’s nothing “moderately well” about that.

Baseball – Sport. Baseball’s one of the trickier ones to call, actually. Most players are involved in a sport, but pitchers, particularly those pansies from the American League (what with the designated hitter rule), might be playing a game. We’ve seen plenty of successful fat guys… C.C. Sabathia, David Wells, Bartolo Colon, Jumbo Brown… most of them pitchers (though certainly the aforementioned designated hitter and first base are prone to successful fat guys, like Cecil Fielder, and John Kruk)… but could our 60 year old do it, at least moderately well? Maybe, but he’d have to be pretty special. And since most baseball players qualify as athletes playing a sport (unless you could see our fat 60 year old chase down a fly ball, or steal second… I don’t), we’ll call baseball a sport.

Basketball – Sport. Through and through. Even if our fat 60 year old was 7′4″, he still wouldn’t hold up, and that’s saying something.

Bobsleigh – Game. Any activity where gravity does the most work is a game. That fact should maybe be at the top, but at least it’s here. A fat person actually benefits from these kinds of games. As a matter of fact, until the governing body instituted a weight-limit rule in 1952, bobsleigh crews were very heavy. It should also be noted that bobsleigh inverse to baseball, as the pusher might actually be playing a sport, at least at the start of the race. This is of course before the gravity takes over, and it’s the pusher’s job to get the sled moving. But for most of the race, all members of the team are playing a game, hence, its’ designation here.

Bossaball – Sport. And a wild one at that. And just look at that photo (you’ll have to hover over “bossaball” to see it)… if any of you know a fat 60 year old that could even do that without gravely injuring him/herself, I want their name and number. I have an idea for a viral video. Oh, and if you want to know just what the hell bossaball is, check this out.

Boules – Game. Uh, yeah. This one’s obvious, right? From a class of games that includes Bocce, Lawn Bowling, Petanque, Boule Lyonaisse, Klootschieten and Varpa… games seemingly specifically created for the elderly (but fun nonetheless).

Bowling – Game. Again, no questions here, right? If so, just head to your local bowling alley. You’ll see plenty of fat, drunk 60 year olds bowling in the 200’s regularly. Not a sport.

Boxing – Sport. This one’s a bit thorny. George Foreman, at this very moment, is a fat 60 year old (ironic for a man synonymous with the Lean Mean Fat-Reducing Grilling Machine, but I digress). Could he really not fare at least moderately well in the ring today? Probably so… but this one comes with a caveat. The only way this could work is in the heavyweight division, where lumbering, plodding heavy punchers will always have a place. You can be all of those things as a fat 60 year old. In no other weight class would this be plausible. So on the whole, boxing’s a sport, whether the heavyweight division is a game or not.

Competitive Dance – Sport. So us macho types, like, for instance, myself, don’t like to admit that dance is a sport. But step back and take a look at it… extreme athleticism? Check. Very competitive? Check. Exclusion of fat 60 year olds? That’s a big fat check. And those of you who have been to a competitive dance… uh… competition?… and seen the merciless backstabbing and cutthroat sabotage that regularly unfolds know damn well that this is no game.

Cricket – Sport. The art of bowling sets cricket apart from baseball. As opposed to the standstill throw a pitcher delivers, the bowler’s is a violent, full-body action with an extended run-up that would certainly throw out the backs of most fat 60 year olds. Even the act of batting is more involved, as batsmen have been known to switch sides of the wicket while the bowler is in his run-up (this would be akin to a right-handed batter jumping over home plate to bat left-handed during a pitcher’s windup). No easy feat, and no place for a fat 60 year old to tread.

Curling – Game. There’s nothing about this game that a fat 60 year old couldn’t handle. They might be the best in the world at it, for all I know.

Cycling – Sport. A fat 60 year old in spandex? We don’t think so.

Darts – Game. One of the few games where being a fat 60 year old is an advantage.

Decathlon/Heptathlon/Pentathlon – Sport. This would, of course, be the end of our fat 60 year old. We had some good times, fat 60 year old. We’ll always remember you.

Disc Golf – Game. Another addendum; if stoners, hippies and other movement-reluctant bums fancy it, it’s a game.

Discus Throw – Game. The actual throwing of the discus any fat 60 year old could handle, and while some of them might be hilariously awful, some could reach the “moderately well” threshold… that’s the rub. It’s the leadup to the toss that gets a bit dicey. Most athletic 25 years olds will end up on their ass following it… and a fat 60 year old? He’ll get vertigo… unless… he/she was already an experienced discus thrower. A former champion, let’s say. Could he/she still fare moderately well? Of course.

Diving – Game. Here’s the thing… at the elite level, yes, diving is heavily populated by 15 year old, 58 pound Asians. But tack on 45 years and 200 pounds to those same Asians… and splashy, cannonball-esque entry aside, could they not at least fare reasonably well in a diving competition? I think so, yes.

Downhill Skiing – Sport. OK, let me explain. Yes, gravity plays a major role here, in fact, it’s the agent propelling the skier down the hill. But what sets downhill skiing apart from say the bobsleigh or the luge is that the skiier must use his/her athleticism against gravity, to turn, sometimes sharply. Without the ability to do so, the ability to fare, oh, I don’t know, let’s say moderately well, goes down the tubes. Our fat 60 year old would be carried faster than most down the hill, thanks to the “fat” part, would his/her 60 year old muscles be able to turn him/her appropriately? We have our doubts.

Equestrian – Game. Again, who’s the athlete here? Is it the person riding the horse, or the horse doing all the work? The horses are certainly competing in a sport… the person sitting on the horse? Not so much. Though we will admit that we certainly feel for the horse that has a fat 60 year old on its’ back.

Fencing – Game. We’ll admit, fencing takes incredible instincts and quickness, and the reflexes of a… uh…. well, something that has really fast reflexes. So we’re under no illusion that a fat 60 year old could be a champion. But let’s say renowned champion Sergei Golubitsky hits 60 and has let himself go a little (or a lot, whatever picture you throw into that head of yours). Were he to enter a competition, could he not fare at least moderately well? It says here he could.

Figure Skating – Sport. Unless points were awarded for sliding along the ice on your ass or stomach, our fat 60 year old would stand no chance here. None at all. Though, this does give me an idea. Who wouldn’t pay money to watch fat 60 year olds attempt some of these advanced moves. It’d be a train wreck, and train wrecks make good televsion… hmmmmm…. We’d have to come up with some appropriate clothing, but yeah, I think I could make it work.

Fishing/Angling – Game. Go watch your local fishing tournament this weekend. Take note of the number of people that aren’t fat 60 year olds. Now, nod in agreement with me.

Gaelic Football – Sport. A fat 60 year old would spend the entire game getting embarrassed, thus causing him, if he’s Irish (as we would expect, if he’s playing Gaelic Football), to pick a fight with every player on the pitch, followed by that particularly intoxicating brand of Irish violence… utter chaos, generally speaking… which would subsequently lead to everyone getting drunk together and singing songs. Stereotypical? You betcha… but I’ve lived it. And stereotypes exist for a reason, right?

Golf – Game. First, it’s a favorite of fat 60 year olds. Second, you could easily see one heating up and shooting a 70 on the same day Tiger Woods shoots a 72. An activity where you could play better than the world’s best? That’s a game, my friends. Let’s put that same fat guy up against Lebron James in a game of one-on-one. Does he ever win? Of course not. If we tied one of James’ arms behind his back, does the fat 60 year old ever win? Of course not. I believe I’ve eagled this one.

Gymnastics – Sport. OK, picture the fat 60 year old, and let’s go with a male. Now… and this won’t be easy… picture him in a unitard. Get past it, you can do it. OK, good. Now, picture him going through a routine on the pommel horse. How many times did he crush his nuts? 30? 40? No, this is no place for a fat 60 year old.

Hammer Throw – Game. Like the discus throw, the problem lies in the lead up to the throw. And like the discus throw, most people would end up on all fours attempting such a thing, with probably a vertigo supplementation for our fat 60 year old. But, like the discus, an experienced discus thrower who just happens to be fat and 60 could fare moderately well… thus… it’s a game.

Handball – Sport. Like many sports, a fat 60 year old could play handball, and like all of them, against decent competition, he’d get embarrassed to the point of taking up shuffleboard.

Hockey – Sport. Whether it be the ice or the field variety, the end results are the same. Our fat 60 year old hospitalized, probably with a feeding tube and catheter. It wouldn’t be pretty.

Horse Racing – Game. A great sport for horses, a decent game for humans. Again, how is this a sport for jockeys? Actually, let’s put it this way, if the real athlete in the sport (the horse) would be better off without human involvement (you know, faster without something on its’ back), then it’s no sport for humans. There. And yes, we’d need a very special, strong horse for our fat 60 year old, but there’s one out there that could lead it to a moderately decent finish.

Hurling – Sport. And one I’m not sure should be legal. Picture, Americans, a combination of baseball, soccer and handball. That’s right, they run around with what amounts to baseball bats in their hands, freely swinging them on the field of battle, with others all around them. Hence the helmets. I don’t think we should allow our fat 60 year old to even try this one. Let’s move on.

Hydroplane Racing – Game. Another sport where the humans are just controlling the athletes… in this case, crazy-fast boats. And another one a fat 60 year old would fancy his chances in. He might even prevent things like this from happening, what with the extra weight and all.

Jai Alai – Sport. I don’t think “the fastest sport in the world” is any place for a fat 60 year old. I don’t know, maybe that’s just me, but I’m gonna go ahead and give this one the sport nod, and move on, thus saving the life of our fat 60 year old, in all probability. Ed Honcho, hero.

Javelin Throw – Game. As with most throwing sports, where your average fat 60 year old wouldn’t be able to compete, one with experience should be able to at least fare moderately well. Hence the designation as a game. They are the Olympic Games, after all, right?

Jumping – Sport. This includes the High Jump, Long/Broad Jump and Triple Jump, not to mention certain obstacles for fat 60 year olds… namely, the whole jumping part.

Luge – Game. This falls under our aforementioned gravity rule (see: bobsleigh). Our 60 year old’s girth would do nothing but help him/her. Sure, he/she might end up in the hospital, but that’s true of thin 26 year olds as well.

Martial Arts – Sport. Unlike boxing’s heavyweight division, there are very few plodding, heavy hitters when it comes to any discipline of the martial arts. My recommendation to our fat 60 year old? Start tapping out as soon as the competition begins. I’m tired of these hospital bills. It’s starting to add up.

Motorcycle Racing – Game. Again, and maybe I should just put this on repeat. The humans here aren’t the real athletes. The motorcycles are. They’re the ones competing in a sport. The humans… simply enjoying their game. And sure, your average 60 year old would struggle… but a former motorcyle jockey who spent 10 years gorging on Tastykakes? He could fare, you guessed it, moderately well.

Netball/Korfball – Sport. Very similar to basketball, though not quite as arduous physically as one’s movement is restricted. Thus, at amateurish levels, a fat 60 year old could hold his/her own. But once we start to creep into the levels of “moderately decent”, the fat 60 year old falls short.

Orienteering/Rogaining – Game. Navigation-based competitions will always fall into the category of games, for obvious reasons, the most clear being that many fat 60 year olds already participate, and can certainly fare at least moderately well. The “fat” part undoubtedly doesn’t help, as these competitions are all on foot, but this deficiency can be made up for in other areas.

Pole Vault – Sport. The mere idea of a fat 60 year old attempting the pole vault has me sitting in my chair laughing my ass off (or SIMCLMAO, from here forward). This is no game.

Polo – Game. This is a combo event between the horse and the human, with the horse playing a sport and the human playing a hand-eye-coordination-based game. Our fat 60 year old could play this game, with a big enough horse, and play it quite well.

Racewalking – Game. This one just feels like a game, doesn’t it? It’s got that game funk all over it. And I’m not coming at this from a “what’s shoved up those guys asses?” point of view either. Nope. I know they’re great at what they do, and it takes talent. It’s just, what’s the ceiling on speed if you’re walking? And what’s the ceiling on speed if you’re a former racewalking champ who’s put on a few and 60 years old? Are they that far apart? That’s the thing. The slower racewalking speeds allow for the discrepancies in time to remain close, as opposed to running, where the difference increases exponentially. Thus, our fat 60 year old can log his/her moderately well and move on with his/her life.

Rock Climbing/Bouldering – Sport. Yeah, our guy would be dead. Fat and rock climbing/bouldering go together like…. uh, fat and… modeling. I don’t know. Two things that don’t go together very well. Cut me some slack, I’ve run out of coffee.

Rowing – Game. This one’s not so easy. Could a fat 60 year old row well. Yes, and with great power. Would his/her girth keep him/her from our “moderately well” standard? We say no, not if he/she were an experienced rower. This one definitely toes the border between sport and game, though. But hey, the rules are the rules… hard and fast. Just like me. Except for fast. Sometimes… depends what we’re talking about. Let’s just move on.

Rugby – Sport. Sure, Rugby (both League and Union) has its’ fat guys, but they’re not really fat guys, they’re just sports fat guys. You know, the kind of guy that drinks all night and doesn’t pay any attention to what he puts in his body… fish & chips, meat pies, etc… But they’re not really fat, not by society’s standards, at least. They’re just sports fat. Our 60 year old is society fat, plus, you know, he’s 60. He might hold his own in a scrum, but otherwise, it’s back to the hospital with him.

Running – Sport. Including sprints, marathons, hurdles, etc… And we’re moving on.

Sailing – Game. Now, we certainly don’t want to downplay what they do, but could a fat 60 year old be part of a winning team? You betcha. Could he win an individual competition? Unlikely, but could we expect him to do reasonably well? Were he a former champion, yes, we could. And I’m sticking with it, no matter how many hateful emails I get.

Shooting – Game. Encompassing sporting clays, skeet and trap shooting, our fat 60 year old is already moving into the semifinals.

Shot Put – Game. Our fat 60 year old is excited to try this one out. No running, no jumping, just sheer strength. And it says here they’ll fare at least moderately well.

Shuffleboard – Game. Funny story, our fat 60 year old is actually the reigning world shuffleboard champion. True story.

Skateboarding – Sport. We’re eagerly anticipating our fat 60 year old’s turn on the half-pipe. We’re guessing the judges don’t throw the term “moderately well” around. Maybe something more along the lines of “OH MY GOD! CALL 9-1-1!!!”

Ski Jump – Game. The ski jump, as opposed to downhill skiing, requires very little active resistance to gravity. Gravity hurls it’s participants down the ramp, a small, quick, powerful burst of the legs when the ramp turns up, then it’s all about holding your form. Our fat 60 year old, a former ski jumper, could handle this sort of thing, and his performance would be deemed “moderately well,” grammar be damned.

Snowboarding – Sport. And this includes virtually every form of snowboarding sport there is, whether it be boardercross, halfpipe, big air, slopestyle or simply racing. Now, some of them do start to creep into game territory… for instance, our fat 60 year old could get good air, and maybe perform enough tricks to fare moderately well… but we doubt it. And the rest of the events would leave him/her at the ski lodge in a full body cast… so yeah, we’re going sport.

Speed Skating – Sport. It’s a matter of sheer physics, really. As our fat 60 year old made a turn, provided he/she had any sort of speed built up, the centrifugal force would carry him/her into the boards, everytime… partly because their mass would be difficult to stop/turn, and also because their older legs wouldn’t be able to do it. I like to call it the “law of hilarious crashes where hopefully nobody gets hurt”. I am having some trouble getting it to stick. Maybe you guys can help me out? Spread the word. Spread the love.

Soccer/Football/Calcio/Futbol – Sport. Sure, lots of fat 60 year olds play soccer, but have you watched them? Let’s just say that their version is a sedentary one, rife with mis-kicks, hand-balls, shin-shots, beer and singing. OK, so it’s not that much different than the EPL… but just enough that our fat 60 year old narrowly fails the test.

Softball – Game. Though really, the way women play it, it’s a sport. But the way the vast majority of people play it, it’s barely a game. More like a mixer, or a party, or something between grilling and horseshoes. Our fat 60 year old is right at home.

Surfing – Sport. First of all, fat, in the surfing world, means shark food. Second, well, let’s go back to physics. The best surfers don’t sit too far down in the water. They skim the surface. Fat means skimming becomes more difficult… means jumps don’t look as good… means tubes aren’t properly navigated… means “moderately well” is out of the picture.

Swimming – Sport. Unless you consider drowning a success, in which case, you need to go talk to someone. Seriously.

Table Tennis – Game. To play at the highest level, with the best of the best, you cannot be fat, or 60. It takes hummingbird-like reflexes that, let’s face it, have left our fat 60 year old over time. But to play the game moderately well? Our fat 60 year old can handle that, especially if he/she has history in the game.

Tennis – Sport. It’s like table tennis, if the table were expanded to 10 times it’s normal size and you got on top of it. This means 10 times more ground to cover for our fat 60 year old. That’s about 9 times too much.

Triathlon – Sport. Maybe if the swim were 25 yards, the bike 1/4 of a mile, and the run 30 steps… maybe, our fat 60 year old could fight his/her way into the “moderately well” category. Anything more and he/she suffers a stroke.

Ultimate Frisbee – Sport. That’s right. Ultimate has moved out of the realm of hippies and stoners and been taken over by real athletes. The amount of athleticism required to catch the many errant throws that occur alone dooms our fat 60 year old (and if you don’t believe me, check out the photo if you hover over “ultimate frisbee”, or this one).

Volleyball – Sport. If we’re talking water volleyball, our 60 year old might stand a chance. But beach, or indoor? Uh, no. Even if he/she were 7′0″ tall, his/her lack of quicks would doom him/her. Plus, that’s not even an insurmountable heighth these days when it comes to volleyball. No, we’re quite sure our fat 60 year old would be humiliated.

Water Polo – Sport. Treading water is an underestimated exercise. It’s exhausting. Trust me. Ed Honcho spent his formative years as a lifeguard (what did you expect?), where part of the certification process was to hold a brick over your head and tread water for 1 minute. Go ahead and try it, we’ll wait… no? Pansies. What you’d find is that it’s not the sort of thing a fat 60 year old should be attempting under any circumstances, brick or no. Though, I will admit, it might come in handy during a lifeguard certification class, as you would most certainly be dragging them off the bottom of the pool, maybe putting them on a backboard, and potentially administering a little mouth-to-mouth. Three birds with one stone. I’m surprised they haven’t thought of this one yet. What I’m not surprised about, is that I have.

Waterskiing – Sport. Have you seen some of the things these people do? Yes? Can you imagine a fat 60 year old doing any of them? Yes, but only poorly, and quickly followed by a horrible wipeout? Me too!

Weightlifting – Game. Plenty of fat people excel at weightlifting… remember, fat people can be very strong, whether they be 20, 40, 60 or 80 years old.

Wrestling – Sport/Game. Truly, in wrestling moreso than any other sport, it depends on the discipline. Freestyle or Collegiate wrestling is a sport. Fat 60 year olds would get twisted into pretzels. Greco-Roman wrestling is a game, since it relies almost solely on upper body strength, which a fat 60 year old might have in spades… or, at least enough to fare moderately well. Submission wrestling is a sport, as a fat 60 year old wouldn’t have the speed to contain someone at the top of their game… not to mention someone at an average level of their game. Arm wrestling is a game, which should be patently obvious to anyone but the dullest of minds. Sumo wrestling is a sport, as, though our 60 year old is fat… that gives him no advantages. Instead, it’s about quickness at that size, something that puts our 60 year old at a decided disadvantage. And, of course, professional wrestling is neither a game or a sport, it’s what we like to call “acting” in the business.

So there you have it… I would normally spend the next few hours waxing poetic about my prophetic… ness. But it does appear as if our fat 60 year old is in need of immediate attention. What do eyes rolled back in the head usually mean? Is that bad? Yeah. OK, I gotta go. Spread the word people. Let’s make this stuff fact. Oh, and if you want to send any particularly hateful emails my way, sure, I can take it. Just send it to icanbesurprisinglysensitive@edhoncho.com. Yo.

USSSA Florida Pride to be based out of Kissimmee, Fla.

NASHVILLE –- The National Pro Fastpitch League announced today that the USSSA world’s largest amateur sports association has finalized their purchase of an NPF franchise. The USSSA Florida Pride will be at home at the Association headquarters in Kissimmee, Fla.

During the 2009 NPF Season, the USSSA managed the team entity known as the Pride, but yesterday finalized their commitment to women’s professional fastpitch softball by inking the deal. USSSA became involved shortly before the NPF season last year and saw their Pride team go all the way to the finals of the Championship Series, finishing second to the Rockford Thunder.

“The involvement on the ownership level of the USSSA is a game-changer for women’s professional fastpitch softball,” commented NPF Commissioner, Cheri Kempf. “For an organization of this size and influence to join the National Pro Fastpitch team is a great day for the future of this game at the professional level.”

The USSSA Pride had a star studded line-up last season that included former Olympians Kelly Kretschman, Caitlin Lowe and Monica Abbott. Kretschman and Abbott both cut their teeth on highly competitive SEC softball, while Lowe was twice an NCAA National Champion at the University of Arizona.

“The USSSA has taken a very important step in the transition from being involved with the NPF and the USSSA Pride as a managing partner to actually owning and operating the team. We were very fortunate to have had the opportunity of managing and running the franchise prior to making the decision to permanently acquire it,” stated Don DeDonatis, Chairman/CEO of the USSSA. “Clearly, I was very impressed with the League and the foundation on which it is built, along with the talented group of players that are playing in the NPF as a whole. Top to bottom it is showcases the best talent in the world,” continued DeDonatis. “The NPF & USSSA are both striving to expand and grow the interest in fastpitch softball. We are very excited and are looking forward to the 2010 season.”

The 2010 NPF Season runs from June 3rd through August 29th. The Season will culminate in the 2010 with its hallmark Championship Series event hosted in Sulphur, La August 26th-29th.

USSSA is headquartered in Kissimmee, Fla. Offering over 13 primary sports programs, including baseball, slow pitch and fastpitch softball and basketball, USSSA has over 3.7 million participants nationwide.

National Pro Fastpitch is headquartered in Nashville, Tenn. The League, created to give elite female fastpitch players the opportunity to pursue a professional career in their chosen sport, has operated since 1997 under the names of Women’s Pro Fastpitch (WPF) and Women’s Pro Softball League (WPSL).

Related: Visit the Softball Sales homepage.

In the past, I have always photographed in small gym’s and they always have terrible lighting! I mean, in order to stop action, especially very fast action like dribbling basketballs and 6′9″ guys slamming a serious dunks, etc., you need expensive lenses and top-of-the-line cameras, ie: Canon 1D Mark 2’s or Mark 3’s that can follow focus that fast action. 

At a minimum you need 1/500th of a second and in those dark gym’s that means shooting 1600 or higher ISO’s. What’s wrong with that, you ask? Quality! The newer camera’s are starting to get better with the grain quality but what better way to get good quality but to lower that ISO down in the 400 range, and stop the action with flash duration (I will probably make a blog post in the future regarding flash duration but a basic explanation is the time the light from the flash that falls on the subject) but anyway…. use arena lighting!!

So, with the upcoming basketball season I thought I would finally sit down and create a couple video clips to share with potential clients. The argument is this “oh, I dont want those bright flashes going off during the game because it will distract the players….”. Uh, not if you do it right! The positioning of the lighting is crucial, yes, but if proper testing is done, it can be perfected and create amazing results!

Oh, and remember, I don’t charge a fee for shooting action so email me your team’s schedule and have me shoot a game for your team!

Here are two videos I created that show the full-speed action, along with some still images in between. ENJOY!

Can’t forget the ladies!….

The gym at Mt. Hood Community College with 2 lights bounced off the ceiling:

2 lights bounced off the ceiling

photographed with 2 arena lights

photographed with 2 arena lights

photographed with 2 arena lights

photographed with 2 arena lights

photographed with 2 arena lights

Now this is taken without the lights firing, same settings, horrible quality!

Sí,  así como se lee, el equipo de Blutús hizo un sorprendente regreso en el juego decisivo de la serie B para quedarse con la victoria y así pasar a la final del torneo de softball PUCMM 2009, el equipo de Blutús ahora enfrentara a los campeones vigentes “El trabuco de Arquitectura” en una serie pactada al mejor de 5 y que se dará inicio este Sábado 21 de Noviembre.

En una tarde sumamente agradable para practicar cualquier tipo de disciplina deportiva, en especial uno que nos apasiona como lo es el softball, los equipos de Ingeniería Industrial y Blutús se enfrentaron en un duelo a muerte, en un único y decisivo encuentro que definiría el contrincante del equipo de Arquitectura que esta descansadito esperando en la curvita de la paraguay. El encuentro empezó con un descontrol poco usual del pitcher de Blutús “Big Alex”, lo cual fue aprovechado por los bates de Industrial para madrugar en el marcador y fabricar 4 carreras; el equipo de Los Blutús inmediatamente descontó y puso el marcador por solo dos carreras. El pitcheo soberbio del estelar lanzador de industrial, George, maneató al equipo de Blutús que ya no encontraba la manera de batearle, además le agregamos la desafortunada labor defensiva del cuadro de los Blutús que permitió a Industrial sacar una ventaja de 9 carreras por 4 y se veía venir una tarde negra para este competitivo equipo, pero como siempre el orgullo y la gallardía del afamado equipo salio a relucir, agregando el impulso que dieron personas que deseaban este mal desenlace empezaron a atacar y a celebrar la posible derrota de este unificado y sólido equipo. Estos vivieron en carne propia la historia del ave fénix.…….. Ya en la última entrada luego de dos out, perdiendo por tres carreras, con el corazón de león, destreza de tiguere, fortaleza de un toro, el aplomo de un gigante, esperanza de estrella y la inteligencia de un águila…..la sinergia blutusense logró dar vuelta al marcador y dejar en el terreno de juego a este sorpréndete y envidiable equipo de Industrial, que en ningún momento se rindió. Luego de de ese segundo todo fue alegría por los predios azules blutusenses y tristeza pero con orgullo por los predios de Industrial…tristeza con llanto de vergüenza por esos otros predios que no esperaban ver a este equipo en este punto… Honor a quien honor merece, salve equipo Industrial que demostró ser un verdadero contrincante de todos en el torneo mereciendo mejor suerte, desde esta humilde columna un abrazo de hermanos tal como sucedió luego de este encuentro. Aunque algunos le ha de pesar, Blutús esta en la final!!!!!!

 Felicidades Jóvenes solo les queda un escalón más en esta nueva meta que nos pone el destino….

CSC - If you would like to sign up for Steubenville this year please tunr in your $50 non-refundable fee by Wednesday, Nov. 25. We will be attending June 18-20. All money should be turned into the CSC office.

On Thursday, Nov. 19, Jostens will be available at all lunch periods to collect your graduation orders, measure you for your cap & gown and will be available to answer any questions. Please make all checks payable to Jostens

Ring Adjustments – Any junior or senior who needs a ring adjustment or replacement for any reason may do so at this time.

Freshman Student Council – Voting for the 12 members will occur in hoomrooms on Thursday Nov. 19. Those elected will read during the 7th period announcements. Check the flyer in your homeroom for additional directives.

Polish Club  will meet on Monday, Nov. 16 in room 9. We will be discussing December’s activities. All must attend.

JV Mathletes will meet on Monday, November 16 at 2 pm in room 21.

French Club will meet in room 15 on Monday, Nov. 16 at 2:05 pm. Please have your payment for t-shirts ready that day.

Guidance – First period report cards were sent to all colleges on Thursday, Nov. 12.

Chem Club – Next meeting will be on Monday, 11/30. We will be making clouds.

Spanish Club – There will be a meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 18 in room 36 after school.

Athletics – If you are planing on trying out for the swim, basketball or indoor track team, the PIAA Physical form, Emergency form and athletic fee must be turned into the trainer by Nov. 19. There is a folder on the athletic training room door for these items. You will not be permitted to try out for any team without having paperwork on file.

Tryout dates and times:

Basketball: Friday, Nov. 20: 3-5 pm; Saturday, Nov. 21: 9-11 am; Sunday, Nov. 22: -9-11 am

Swiming: 11/20/09, 11/23-11/25 at Shafer Middle School from 4-6 pm. There will be a mandatory meeting at Shafer Middle school on Thursday, November 19 from 4-6 pm for anyone who is trying out for the team. You must attend this meeting if you want to tryout.

Indoor track: 11/23-11/25: 3-5 pm. Please meet in the cafeteria.

Anyone who is interested in trying out for the softball team in the spring MUST attend a mandatory meeting Wednesday, Nov. 18 at 2:15 pm in the Religion Center. Information regarding the upcoming season and clinics will be given out at this time.

Any student who  needs service hours and in interested in working the Coaches vs. Cancer tournament is asked to see Miss Wilson no later than Monday, Nov. 16.

Any fall athlete who missed the sports banquet is asked to see Miss Wilson at their lunch Today, to get their pictures and letters.

The following soccer players have not turned in their uniforms and will recive demerits if it is not turned in by today: Gabby Balara, Danielle Gasperi, Kelsey Joniec, Mary Kate Logue, Elizabeth McBride, Michelle Paul, Laura Pharo, Brittney Pospiech, Alex Sawicki, Jen Schmidt, and Taylor Steinberg

Take 20% off any order of $100 or more this week at Baseball Express.

Just enter the coupon code JGEBAN5 at checkout.

Use it to save some serious money.

For example, we ordered $100 worth of stuff: A spray bottle of Rawlings glove oil, some low-rise softball sliding shorts, a Tee Stackers hitting trainer, a mini softball keychain, a Reebok NFL long-sleeved t-shirt, a box of eye black strips, a pair of Mueller Slider G2 batting gloves, a Schutt one size fits all batting helmet and a set of Nike Sparq resistance bands (which we’ll need to build the strength to carry the box inside.)

Our total comes out to $108.90.

But when you enter the coupon code JGEBAN5 at checkout and take 20% off your bill — it shrinks down to $87.12!

Not a bad deal, but it doesn’t last for long. This deal is only good through Saturday.

Related: Save even more money when you shop the Discount Dugout.