Spring Fling

While Alyssa has been playing school softball for some time, Darcie's age level does not have a school softball program, and there's also no city program either, so for the next 2 years, she will only be playing travel ball.

Darcie's Sting team from last year dissolved and fell apart into a couple of different teams. Darcie was offered (and we took) a position on another team. This team is older girls that play down one year from Alyssa's age level. Every other year, they play at her level. This is the "down" year for them. But some of the girls on this team are in Alyssa's grade at school.

Darcie is the youngest girl on this new (to her) team, and I think she's felt a little quieter because of that. We think it's a real testament to her strong softball talent that this older team's coach asked for her. Last year she had been the #4 or "cleanup" batter on her team. We knew she wouldn't get that same place in the lineup for this team, but she's not at the bottom of the lineup, either. Darcie batted 6th during the first tournament, and did a good job in her at-bats. I'd be interested to see what her on-base percentage was, because she did well.

Alyssa took some of my photos for this tournament, and even though this shot is definitey through-the-fence, I love this photo of Darce -- it's classic!

The coach told us he would play Darcie in different positions, but was definitely looking for her to play catcher sometimes, since she's got experience in that position. I tell her that part of what makes a pitcher look good, is that she's got a good catcher. Darcie has the potential to really become a GREAT catcher, if she wants it.

Her bat may LOOK like Alyssa's, but this is her own Mikken "Rain" bat. Most of her hits this tournament were hard grounders that went up the middle & got her a base hit.

So we expected she'd be played in the outfield, since the established team members would probably be in the infield. And though she did play outfield, I was pleased to see her coach put her also in the infield. He wants her as a utility player, so she played third base........

..... and also first base......

And at the end of the tournament, her team took 2nd place. When presenting the trophy, I think the director gave it to the tall girl in the middle -- oh, wait, that's Darcie! She's got those tall genes, because she is the youngest girl on this team, and also the tallest!! Note to self: measure her again, because she just may have passed me up.

This coming weekend is their second tournament, which conflicts with Cameron's graduation.... but we're exploring our possibilities for doing both (since there's no way we'd miss graduation, but we still love softball!!)