We're in it.

Being completely honest, after our series against Monterey Bay and having two heartbreaker losses in the seventh inning, not performing to our potential, and being honored for the first time thus far as being one of the five seniors on the team I think everything really started to hit me and soon after my mini breakdown had begun. 

While the team was mingling I headed to the van and loaded my stuff up, perched myself in the back left corner, with no iPod because it was dead and just empty space to think and feel.  I had felt like my season may or may not be slipping away from me, that my career is coming to an end and it may happen much sooner than I had anticipated and hoped but worst of all that I was allowing it to happen by not contributing enough and stepping up in situations that would better set us up for success.  Tried to fight back some of the tears but it was inevitable and they weren’t really tears of sadness but just so many mixed emotions because of how bad I want this, how much I love what I do, and how close we are to capturing it all and letting it all go at the same exact time.

I couldn’t sit and lament about this for all that long though because the three biggest series we were about to embark upon were happening in the next two days because of having to make up our four game series with Chico State.  It was made very clear to the team that we were a little bit down but most definitely not out, we had the opportunity to bounce back in a big way against (at the time) the number two team in conference standings, Chico State.  That Monday morning we decided to come ten minutes earlier into the locker room because we figured it might take us a little more time to get into softball mode since it was pretty irregular for us to be playing in that sort of time frame.  First, our opponents pull into the loading dock as I am walking to the locker room with music blasting.  Next, as we are already in the locker room they stroll in and start to get ready as well.  All of this was on top of the already lengthy discussions about when we would make up these games so that they were best prepared despite the inconvenience it played for our team.  These things were bothersome to me than it would or even should be to anyone but it made me want these games that much more.  I truly felt that Chico thought they were going to take four from us, that these games were going to be cake and that our performance would have been similar to our past games played against each other this past season.  They could not have been more wrong and out of this entire season so far and all the games we have played there were no four games that I personally wanted more than our four game series against Chico.  It was made very clear to our team that we owed them our best and that with our best we could not fail.  We came out on top swept the first two games of the series and after that first day filled with momentum I was sure we were going to sweep and send a big message to our conference that we were not to be counted out and the only reason Chico State and UC San Diego were the top two teams was because they had yet to face Sonoma State.  We won the first game on Tuesday, our offense had been really productive and consistent one through nine but in the second game of the day mindless errors and sub par defense plagued our chance at a sweep.  Coach had mentioned that she was unsure if we had all truly wanted four games and that it looked like we had settled for three wins and were content with that because deep down we weren’t really sure if we were going to get that. 

The sense of complacency was felt throughout and I knew something had to change and fast because once again within the next two days we were headed down to San Diego for another huge series, one that would put us in the running for first place in conference.  Prior to flying out to sunny San Diego we had a sports psychology meeting with Carrie Cheadle where we got a little bit off topic as far as what she had on the agenda for us but brought up some much needed discussion about the desire that we as a team have but more importantly as individuals and self checking to see if each and every one of us was embracing our roles and giving 100% of absolutely everything they have to contribute to this teams success.  In this discussion we brought up the need to call each other out when we recognize someone is not performing to their potential in addition to being able to receive that criticism and feeding off of it and being thankful that someone cares enough to call you out.  I was sensing that this conversation was being driven by seniors and returners and I wanted to make sure that it was not being made out to be a plea by the seniors to do well so we can go out with a bang but so that each and every one of us is fighting and working and playing with everything in them for a personal reason in addition to the common goals that we all committed to so many months back.  After that meeting, I had never felt more confident that our team was on the same exact page and truly felt that if we physically brought our best game to the table in San Diego we couldn’t be beat. 

San Diego was absolutely fantastic with so much support from our friends and families coming from near and far made the competition that much more exciting.  Winning game one in exciting fashion in the seventh inning thanks to a clutch lead off single by sophomore out fielder and San Diego native, Vanessa Currie followed by a bomb over the left field fence by our most consistent long ball hitter, Ali Palermo.  Unfortunately we could not get our bats going the second game and fell to the Tritons finishing with a split on the day.  We were still anxious to make a statement on their senior day on their home field and close the gap between first and second place standings.  We knew neither of our teams were going to give up a lot of runs because in the previous three games they were truly pitching duels.  San Diego came with an athletic defense but not comparable to ours if you ask me, so I was hopeful our bats would come alive and we would be the ones to flub one less ball or come up with that one clutch ball in the gab because deep down we all knew that’s what it was going to come down to.  In the final game of the series were dominant early by scoring first and recognizing the need for everyone to contribute by getting on base, executing signs, wanting singles instead of hacking for homers, and simply getting the job done.  UCSD would not go down without a fight and actually loaded the bases in the bottom of the 7^th down one run but the combination of our three pitchers put them to rest and we came out on top with the eventual win leaving San Diego a half of a game behind the Tritons and hopeful to a great series against Dominguez Hills on our senior weekend, were still in the running for first place and we want it bad!

The end is near...

This past weekend at the Tournament of Champions started off really well.  We came in looking, feeling, and acting like the defending Tournament Champions.  We were eager to play, wanted to make a statement, and some of us even had personal agendas where we felt we had something to prove.  We faced some adversity with our pitching staff while both Sam Lipperd and Jules Martinez were being overwhelmed with illegal pitch calls from just about every single umpire at Pedretti Park.  This was the perfect opportunity for our freshman Ciara Becerril to step in the circle and earn her stripes by really coming clutch for us all weekend long and we weren’t the only ones to recognize as she earned All Tournament Team honors. 

Finally for two days straight we took the first game of the day and this really gave us some much needed momentum for playing multiple games in a day.  Another exciting change to our usual game plan was the fact that we were scoring early.  In almost every game that we played in which we scored first we were the most successful.  It was easy to recognize that it took a great deal of pressure off of our pitchers knowing early on that they had run support.

Losing to the defending National Champions, Hawaii Pacific was a very bitter end to hard fought weekend.  At first I was very angry because I felt that had our team not been plagued by the umpires the game would have been much different but in the same regard we cannot blame them for taking the game away from us because we had plenty of opportunities to make that game ours.  Next, I began to get emotional because that was my last appearance ever at the Tournament of Champions and also was feeling that I didn’t really pull my weight and had I done so maybe things would have ended differently.  Then, I began to feel optimistic because I truly had felt this team that showed up this weekend was the team that very well could be the Conference Champs, Regional Champs, and who knows…National Champs?

It is really beginning to hit me how near the end of this regular season, which makes the end of my softball career that much closer.  As I call family to make sure they are taking time off to attend my Senior day and I attempt to predict how these next few weeks will pan out as far as conference competition goes I am trying to figure out every way possible to elongate my senior season.  I met with the coaches to help tweak some components of my games that I felt were lacking because I didn’t truly grasp how important every opportunity I get is because in a few weeks I might not get anymore and that makes my eyes water at the thought of it. 

I am so looking forward to an incredibly long and successful second half of the season and will enjoy every bit of it; the good, the bad, and the ugly but hoping for far more good than bad J

Time to DO WORK.

We started off this last Friday in Turlock in dominating fashion having Samantha Lipperd on the mound gave us the momentum to get the win considering she threw her second career no hitter. We were really happy with our aggressive mentality at the plate, we did not have a ton of hits but we were attacking early, hitting the ball hard, and were confident that our balls would soon find gaps and end up dropping.  This approach would be sure to help us find offensive success in the near future. 

Game two of day one was an interesting one where we struggled early on with giving up free bases and crediting Stanislaus with a few clutch hits in the gap allowing them to score early.  Down early for a few innings we finally busted out our bats and were actually even to gain the lead for an inning.  Even though we were able to muster up 7 runs we were unable to get the win and were outscored by Cal State Stanislaus 12-7.  In a game where 19 runners crossed the plate and 7 of them were Seawolves we were obviously disappointed with the loss but happy with our fight and offensive performance at the end of the day.

Going into this series we were looking to take four.  I personally had predetermined this series as being one that was either going to boost our success onward and really solidify ourselves a spot in the top of the conference standings or we were going to have to fight our way up and rely on other teams to fail in order to make moves because we had dropped games.  Losing one game on Friday still left us with the opportunity to win the series so long as we took both games on Saturday. 

QSaturday morning we were excited to see Weatherford again and were eager to face her a second time for we had charted her tendencies against each of us and had an even better idea of what we would see from her.  Our eagerness didn’t exactly equate runs scored.  We were able to get people on base but struggled with getting them in as well as struggling with execution.  Fortunately with Brittanie Verissimo getting on base early with a single up with middle she set up senior, Kayla Ledford with a familiar situation, one where we needed her to come through clutch.  In my personal opinion Kayla Ledford is the most clutch offensive player in our lineup and has been for quite some time.  If you asked me to choose someone to get the winning run in, during a pressure situation I would choose number 3, Kayla Ledford every single time.  She thrives under pressure, has a tremendous amount of power, and has every reason to be extremely confident at each plate appearance.  Sure enough she blasted a 2 run bomb to give us the lead 2-1, and the eventual win. 

Where we were once struggling with winning the first game of the day that was not the case this past weekend.   In similar fashion to Friday’s performance we dropped the second game of the day and the final out come of this series with Stanislaus was a split.  From the coaches point of view they are hinting at the fact that offensively many of us are different players at practice then we are when it comes to games, implying that we need to take hacks just as big and just as confidently in the game as we do when we receive front toss of coach.  Coach Mack gave us some food for thought and told us to “go out and play like we had never failed”; like we had never popped out, never struck out, never flubbed a ball, committed an error etc. 

Hopefully we can carry this mentality over into our series against Chico this weekend.  Still I feel that we are seriously struggling with leaving runners on base and not stepping up and being the person that gets those runners in and instead our waiting for our “clutch” players to get the job done.  In what I feel is our biggest series to date against Chico we have a lot to prove to them and need to fill some voids in our game in order to find the success we deserve. Cross your fingers for weather that at least allows us to get these games in this weekend and till then we will prepare and take on Notre Dame de Namur tomorrow in a single game at home.

On A Mission.

Our series against CSU San Bernadino was a performance much closer to what we expect out of ourselves.  Prior to playing I had suggested that we have a meeting with the Captains/Council; which consists of the three captains and one council member from each of the remaining classes.  We sat with coach in left field and caught up on how we thought the team was doing and brought up whatever we felt needed to be addressed.  My biggest concern was the as captains we were conveying the same message to the team and that we didn’t have conflicting ideas to the team.  I felt that at this rate we have had the opportunity to get our feet wet with this years team in our conference but now is the time to expect more out of ourselves and that our performance was not good enough and we needed to put a little more pressure to perform even better.  Everybody was on board with that idea and the next step was determining what was the best way to approach this idea and how we would get this message across without beating a dead horse and without seeming as if what we are doing is not good because it is, this team is just destined to be great.

The six of us made it our personal missions, to be the driving force behind changing the road that we were on and it was apparent that it sunk in with our team and our approach to this past series was much different from the series earlier this season.  We really wanted to change the theme of dropping the first game of the day and we were able to do that Friday afternoon.  We really looked more aggressive at the plate but our adjustments weren’t made quite as early as we would have liked but coming out with two wins at the end of the day was a big accomplishment for us.  Day two of the series was again about making the adjustment we had two games worth the day before to asses our competition and we were well aware of what we were going to face.  Again we came out swinging and were starting to string our hits along and we even scored early which is a bit of a rarity for our team.  We were able to pull out a win the first game thanks to good at bats which loaded the bases and an insurance run thanks to a solo shot by sophomore, third baseman, Brittanie Verissimo which sailed high over the left field fence.

Looking to sweep the Coyotes, we were let down dropping the final game of the series.  Without a doubt the only thing that held us back from sweeping that series, was errors.  Our defense is something that we as a team pride ourselves on and we know that it is a strong suit and we know how much we excel in that area of the game.  We made some poor decisions, questioned our ability to make command decisions and carry them out, and simply were not anticipating the ball a play ahead.  With that said though Coach Mack gave us something to be proud of in stating that finally we showed up and played an exciting game, she felt that it was the best game we have played to date, aside from the errors of course. We are really looking forward to the next series in Turlock and hopefully solidify our spot in the top half of conference standings but before that happens we will come out taking hacks in our doubleheader against the Academy of Art in San Francisco.  

Time to step up, No more waiting.

After the trek up to Humboldt we came out with a split this weekend and are far from satisfied.  These first few series that we have played have had a common there; waiting. We have waited to score, we have waited to attack and we have waited to find out what type of team we are going to play as.  We have predetermined early on in the season when we created our team goals the type of team that we were going to be this year, we are going to be the team that increases it’s success each year, the team that helps build a legacy, the team that is going make a post season run, and the team that is going to be feared and where the target on our back all season long because we will be the best.  Unfortunately early on we have not played like that and the current frustrations that we have need to come to an end.  

Our pitching staff has really helped us out by absolutely dominating our competition, it seems as though our trio is playing to damn near perfection.  As great as that is to have that it’s unfair to load them with that much pressure because of lack of run support.  Thankfully though this weekend our issue was not that we weren’t getting runs across but we were just getting going way too late.  Our pitching staff kept us in the game or we were in a situation where most teams wouldn’t come back and then someone would spark something, like freshman, Tatiana Pizarro’s three run triple turned home run on a throwing error.  That then gave us reason to fight and a reason to answer back.  This game went extra innings and we ended up losing which simply proved that we cannot wait to score because all it is going to take is one mistake, one good swing, or one great play to end the game.

There is no doubt that our team has fight but it would be ideal to see this earlier on, to take the first games of the day so we can then have that momentum carry over into game two.  Game two of our, second day of games Sonoma State Softball came to play.  We scored early, we found the gaps, we made adjustments, and we forced 4 pitching changes in the 7 innings, 3 of which happened in the first few innings.  There were several hard hit balls, a few home runs, and plenty of runs scored to solidify the final game of the series in our favor with a 9-1 win.  Offensive production is something this team is more the capable of and this weekend junior, catcher Skylynn Myers was often the spark that got our team going with great at bats, getting a hit more than half of time she made a plate appearance.

Going in to this next series against San Bernadino we know we will face better pitching and are ready to attack the ball, put pressure on early, and prove to ourselves that we are more than capable of being the team we have set out to be.  We’ll get some game time action in before the conference series against the Academy of Art, San Francisco in a non conference doubleheader and we’re looking to take two wins to take momentum into this weekend.

Make A Statement.

After sweeping East Bay at our home opener we were anxious at another shot to prove ourselves.  Although we came out with the four wins we knew deep down that our performance was not representative of the team that we have worked to be.  We had faced San Francisco State earlier this February in the Best of the West Tournament in Turlock but our team was lacking then too and we had owed them a much better performance on our end.  Eager to host them at our home field, in front of our fans we were ready to get a head start in conference standings and rack on some more wins.  Really cannot say enough about our pitching staff who have really been the driving force in our teams success thus far and I truly believe they will give us the upper hand against all of our conference opponents but it is long over due for our offense to step up and take some pressure off of our three pitchers via run support.  In game one, our offense was sporadic and we continued to struggle scoring early but were able to come out on top. Game two seemed to mimic game one a little bit and both pitchers were dueling and we were constantly getting runners on base, even runners on early but were struggling getting them in.  Our need to capitalize with runners in scoring position was very apparent but after twelve innings in the freezing cold the game had to be carried over to Monday because we had eventually lost daylight.  We felt very confident that we were going to protect our house and at the conclusion of Sunday evening we had made it a team goal to end game two in one inning.  Sunday morning we did exactly that, Jules took the mound and the defense had a solid three up, three down inning and then turned it over to the offense to seal the deal.  In outstanding, crowd pleasing fashion despite the rejection of her beloved bat Ro came up clutch yet again and drilled the first pitch that she saw for a walk off jack to finish game two in our favor.  Game three started almost immediately after and our hits were coming in spurts and our inability to execute hurt us.  We lost game three by one run but were determined to end our weekend on a high note and win this series.  Our team was in agreement that our first series, although it ended in our favor was not what our team was about and we wanted to make a statement to our conference, to our competition and especially to the non-believers and that is what this final game was about…making a statement.  A change in the line up was the spark that changed the lull in our offense and we finally scored early.  We put five runs on the board in the first innings and it sparked a hit parade, everybody was attacking and taking big hacks.  We scored nine runs early to mercy San Francisco in five innings.  We ended the series on a good note and finally gave a bit of a sneak preview of what should be expected out of Sonoma State Softball this season.  We take on Humboldt this weekend at their field and are expecting them to come out swinging but we’re ready to do the same thing in addition our solid pitching staff continuing to do exactly what they do best.  

Thanks.

No particular rhyme or reason behind my blog this time just have some time to kill as I sit here and watch my little sister at her indoor practice facility in downtown San Jose as she was just added to the roster for the 16U Lady Sharks and watching is making me reminisce on all the time I've spent doing the exact same thing.

It's so funny and mind boggling to me that amount of time that I myself and my parents and family have invested in my softball career over the last sixteen years.  The never ending carpools to and from practices, the weekend tournaments that occurred every single weekend of every single season, and all the money that was poured into tournament fees, uniforms, gear, travel, etc.  What sticks out most to me out of all of the sacrifices made on my behalf because I simply loved to play and could not get enough is all the time and effort.  I used to roll my eyes and mutter things under my breath when my parents and siblings would hold it over my head how each summer was devoted to me and the tournaments but now I'm not even mad, go ahead because I am so damn thankful that we did all of that because had we not the likelihood that I would be in my final year of softball having damn near reached the finish line of what is ultimately the highest level at which a female softball player can compete at.  I am so grateful.

I can't help but laugh to myself as I write this because theres so many times where I have seen my sister drag her feet about not wanting to trek downtown in the middle of the week after school, homework and other extracurriculars just for a couple hours of hitting.  Mind you, I am sure that I was guilty of something similar when I was younger.  Really though, myself, my sister, all of my teammates and those that we compete against are so lucky to have had these opportunities and the support behind us to achieve great things.  There's no framed picture of me in my uniform or team hoodie that I can give to my parents and my family as a token of thanks and appreciation for all that they have done in supporting me reach the ultimate level of competition.  I am hoping that I can show a bit of that thanks this season by doing some things I have yet to accomplish in my career at Sonoma, my family, friends, and supporters can all look forward to an entertaining season filled with thick competition.

Like I said, not really sure where all of this came from but I figure there is never really a bad time to say thanks...so "thanks". Happy Holidays everyone!

YES.

A new post from me is extremely overdue, I am thinking that my lack of writing may be due to the madness that has come from applying for graduation, transferring units, appealing classes, trying to relocate for my job after graduation along with team related things like dealing with the loss of two players, readjusting to the smaller team, getting everyone on the same page, creating team goals, and assessing what actions need to take place this Christmas break to ensure success when we return in January.

We have come a long way since fall and our team is definitely making strides as far as strength and conditioning is concerned. The natural and raw talent that each girl on this team possesses is incredible and every single person is holding themselves accountable and putting in the extra work. This may be taking us a little longer than most teams or more time than we had anticipated coming in this past August but I feel that our primary concern and focus as a team right now is coming together and getting everyone on the same page. In our last sports psychology meeting we really discussed in depth how each person was feeling about the team, the program, and what is to come. We did an exercise where we were able to gauge each persons comfortablity with certain topics and it opened up everyone's eyes and laid out on the table what we need to work on as a team and what areas we are excelling in.

My personal goals for this team is to increase the competitiveness with one another, between each position player, from infield to outfield, pitchers and catchers, middles to corners, and even between the team and our coaching staff. The playing field is very even and we worked alot this fall on getting better, improving our skills, and being the best but now I would just like to see who exactly feels they are the best and deserves that starting spot. I feel that this will pull out the competitive edge that I might not have seen just yet in every single one of us and it inevitably brings out the best in each individual. We have recognized that we are not playing for ourselves but for the team and the program and we're no longer going to hold back because we know it could hinder our possible success.

This last weekend we had a team bonding event at coaches house where we ate lots, laughed even more, did some activities that had us open up even more with one another, and what seemed to be the most difficult for me was when we did our secret Santa gift exchange. The person giving the gift had to state something that they were proud of themselves for doing and then explain something that they were proud of their teammate for whom they were giving the gift to. We all kind of laughed it off and poked fun at the idea most likely because if felt awkward and uncomfortable but coach quickly assured us that this was a skill set we needed to acquire and be comfortable with. There is a great deal of things that I am proud of myself for but have never put it into words and shared it with a large number of people even if they are my teammates and close friends. I explained not very eloquently and rather emotionally that I am simply proud for still being here and doing what I am doing. With both athletics and academics when there were quite a few who doubted me and simply told me no and that I was not cut out for this caliber of play or when I endured what very well could have been a season ending injury, I am proud for sticking with this and fighting through it. I have never once regretted doing any of that because it has all been so worth it for me and I am so looking forward for whats to come from this team for my final season. I came across this quote and found that it was rather fitting and pretty inspiring, so enjoy and I'll catch all of you up on life over intersession....

"All your life you are told the things you cannot do. All your life they will say you're not good enough or strong enough or talented enough; they will say you're the wrong height or the wrong weight or the wrong type to play this or be this or achieve this. THEY WILL TELL YOU NO, a thousand times no, until all the No's become meaningless. All your life they will tell you no, quite firmly and very quickly. AND YOU WILL TELL THEM YES." -Nike




Happy Holidays :)

Fall semester dwindles down

Brand new baby blue sweatshirts from coach? Yayyy, that marks almost the end of the fall season as a gift from Coach.  She clearly knows how much we love free stuff J Now it’s back to individuals where we get some more personalized time with the coaching staff as we are broken down into small hitting groups, groups based on our positions, and then of course the always exciting team conditioning and weights.  I am really proud of where my team has came from considering we had the most difficult start this fall, out of all my seasons played here at Sonoma.  Our fitness has improved tremendously and we are pushing ourselves every day in the weight room, Coach Mack really has us focusing on pushing the limits and reaching our full potential because we won’t know what that is if we don’t test our strength by pushing boundaries.  On the field I am hoping to really see the competition between position players to increase because we have a great deal of depth to this squad with some hard working, and very experienced players along with some committed and very eager underclassmen.  Unfortunately our fall game schedule was somewhat short lived but we make up for that with lots of practices where we get to see live pitching from our staff and off of Coach Bridges.  I am incredibly eager to see how much more we will improve over Christmas break and let everyone know how ready we are for the traditional spring season to be here. 

In SAAC things have finally settled down just a little bit and I’m not mad one bit.  We are currently working on supporting all of our teams that are making to the post season.  In the coming weeks our game of the month to attend is going to be Women’s Volleyball vs. Cal State LA on November 11^th at 7:00pm in the Wolves Den. We’re also working on brainstorming some of our community events for next semester so we can start our partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of Sonoma County.  We just had our bi-yearly SAAC Conference where legislative grids were reviewed and input was given on all things regarding the conference from apparel that’s sold to mandated time off during Christmas breaks.

Reality still has not set in for me that I am going to be graduating next Spring but it will after I meet with my advisor tomorrow to get my graduation application signed off and I add up all my units completed thus far and determine what my next steps will be as my final semester approaches.  I am enjoying writing for the sports section for the school paper more than I thought I could and I am holding A’s in all my classes and plan on doing so for the duration of the semester. 

The NBA season could not have come at a better time since the Yankees choked in the post season.  I am really looking forward to the addition of all the newbees on the Lakeshow roster, Blake and Barnes especially.  Oh and can’t forget to give credit to the 49er win in London last weekend, hopeful for a strong finish.

Until next time, farewell J

Committed.

I'm not really even sure if there are people out there reading this other than my mom and Auntie but I'll apologize to the world wide web for my lack of posts lately. My life these last two weeks has been incredibly hectic due in large part to the planning of Midnight Madness in a record breaking 8 days with an immense amount of help from several other organizations on campus and as always SAAC.  Midnight Madness is the traditional kick off of Basketball season for both our men and women's teams.  We filled the night with team introductions under the spotlight, performances from our dance and cheer team, give aways, live DJ, 2ball competition, dunk contest and the biggest crowd pleaser was the dance off to close the night.  It was something I was unsure I was even going to be able to pull it off but in my four years here we had the largest number of people in attendance and from what I have been told everyone had a great time and it was appreciated by all of the athletes who got some well deserved recognition from our peers.  It was definitely well worth the stress and the lack of sleep and it got me real excited for this upcoming basketball season.

In SAAC we have one of our projects underway which is gathering people to joining the "SSU BLUE CREW", which is our attempt at creating a rally crew if you will filled with spirited people in support of athletics.  We have made shirts and are asking for an $8 donation to Breast Cancer Awareness, Make A Wish Foundation, and the Boys & Girls Club of Sonoma County in exchange along with specialized seating at all sporting events.  We are hoping this promotes more support school wide for athletics and we get more people out and attending these games.

As far as softball is concerned, things have not stopped or slowed down in the slightest bit.  We started getting into goal setting which is a big focus for our team and individually so we can really track our growth and focus on achieving something attainable.  You focus on a long term goal, then your short term goal pertains to how you will achieve that goal, and then your operational goal is each step you will take in order to conduct your short term goal.  My goals consist of one defensive which I have made in order to improve my blocking, offensively my focus is staying linear to the ball, and my last goal is managing my stress of classes, softball, SAAC, graduating, life after graduating etc.  This weekend we play William Jessup in a double header this Saturday which will be nice to get some live competition in and really enjoy the few games we get to squeeze in this fall.  

School is going, with two successful Psychology and Media Law midterms under my belt it's time to prepare for the next one this upcoming Tuesday.  The PR/Ad team I was apart of in a trial run this semester is not working out as anyone had planned so I guess I'll begin writing for the Sports section in the schools paper from here on out.  I have no experience in writing for a publication but I'm sure I'll find a way to get myself adjusted to this new avenue of writing.  Lastly my goals for this week are to file for graduation which is still unreal to me and meet with my advisor to choose my final classes of my college career here at Sonoma. 

In case any of you were wondering I am 100% frustrated with the performance of my boys, the New York Yankees in this post season right now.  If the offense doesn't improve and our bullpen can give up less bombs we'll make it out of this series by the skin of our teeth but till that time we're gonna have a hell of a time competing with the Rangers who seem to be everyone's favorite team now that the post season has arrived, them and the Giants....sheeesh. I'm still hopeful so now it's time to cease the typing and let the biting my finger nails continue in hopes of a Yankee win at home tonight.  Go Yanks!

Fall Ball is hereeee!

Sorry for the delay on posting, this post will make up for the last two weeks which were pretty eventful.  Two weeks ago marked the beginning of our traditional fall season and also the conclusion of self conducted morning conditioning because as a team we have reached a point where we can practice more efficiently because our fitness is up and we are now holding ourselves more personally accountable.  I love the traditional fall season because it means more time on the field, more freedom to work outside of practice because there are less restrictions, inter squad scrimmages on  Saturdays, and this upcoming weekend we face Solano JC and San Francisco State in doubleheaders to start our preseason play.  Although very new still our defense looks pretty strong we've got a roster full of just raw talent and we literally don't take a day off from improving that with lots of repitition, live defense drills, and "game time".  Offensively we are still getting into the swing of things (no pun intended) with hitting circuits and trying to get as much live hitting as possible.  It's nice to have four pitchers who are really making us earn it but it's hard to handle that with only two catchers and a somewhat short handed coaching staff but we're making the most out of what we have.  This year I think it is really going to be a goal of ours to prove that we are capable of using short game to our advantage.  Last year we were known for our big bats, power hitting, and record breaking stats in home runs but this year we want to use all the speed that we have and attack the defense with changing things up by perfecting our short game and mixing that in with our powerful offense. I look forward to what the rest of this fall season brings and am excited for the preseason play starting this week with Solano.

SAAC has been super busy in preparing for Sonoma State's second annual Homecoming Week.  It is really in efforts to create more school spirit and gain some more support of athletics.  We have collected money and are sending it off to the American Cancer Society in order to help fund the Breast Cancer Walk in San Francisco next month while also brainstorming some ideas of how we can aide in the disaster relief in San Bruno.  We are really excited about hosting the first ever home meet for our Cross Country girls this week in Santa Rosa and are going to show that via a breakfast tailgate this Saturday and representing Sonoma State proudly by wearing our "SSU BLUE CREW" shirts.  We're hoping these shorts will spread and students, families, and fans can wear them to all of our schools sporting events.

School is really underway with a midterm approaching and deadlines coming out of nowhere, at least that's how I feel.  I have a media law midterm this week where I have to memorize a million cases about the first amendment, libel, privacy law etc.  So it looks like the library is where my next few evenings will be spent while trying to sell some ads to local businesses for the schools newspaper which hasn't been that successful this far but hopefully things will turn around for me in that avenue.

In other unrelated news I'm so disappointed in the 49ers and their performance lately, after that great showing against the Saints I was hopeful but I had to change the channel yesterday because I couldn't take it much longer.  On the brighter side of sports the Yankees pulled it off and clinched their spot for playoffs, ARod coming super clutch with the two run jack and the reserves coming in and stepping up to the plate with runners on base is exactly what I like to see.

Byeeee :)

Keep on, Keepin' on.

This week was really focused around personal improvement because we are almost certain that this fourth  week we will be tested once again on the 12 gassers and we have to make them within the allowed time frame or the coaches will take our improving fitness into their own hands and this is something we as a team we feel we can handle on our own.  We are still going out there twice a week at 7 am doing our own self conducted conditioning along with optional conditioning on Sunday's where those who need it attend.  Practices are becoming a lot more engaging and instead of spending a great deal of time on actual skills we handle that during our individual sessions with the coaches where we are split into groups based on positions; corners, middles, outfield, pitchers/catchers.  This allows us to spend our time wisely and efficiently on the field and we've been able to work on things like cuts, run downs, pick offs, live defense, and "game time".  Game time is basically a game like situation where Coach Bridges is the pitcher and Coach Mack gives signs and rotates players in and out of defense and offense.  This allows for everyone to get time on the field whether it be offensively and defensively.  It is definitely one of the more fun components of our practices.  Things are looking up and I am confident that this Friday we will get the job done and satisfy the coaches.

School is in full swing right now and for one of my Communications classes I work as a Public Relations specialist for the school newspaper and sell ad space.  It's a really cool opportunity to take on real life responsibilities in a somewhat controlled setting.  My goal is to sell 4 ads each week so I'm definitely going to need to network myself throughout Rohnert Park and Cotati if I plan to meet that quota each week.  My media law class is pretty tedious and four hours of late night class after hitting, weights, and conditioning isn't the most lively of times but I'm hopeful the agenda will start to have some variety and I'll dread that class less.

I'm really excited about what we have planned for SAAC, we are currently working with the American Cancer Society and contributing to their annual Breast Cancer Walk because with all of the teams conflicting schedules with games and practices we cannot physically attend but we are gathering funds to donate. We are also planning on partnering with the Boys & Girls Club of Sonoma County this semester and seeing how we can contribute to their cause.  Also, with the recent disaster in San Bruno we would like to see how we can donate their and help with those relief efforts.

Wish me and the team luck this week!

1 week down, 7341535 more to go... . . . .. . .

Gosh, never thought week one was going to end.  Unfortunately the team didn't come back in the best of shape and everyone noticed and the coaches clearly not pleased.  The first day of conditioning we were to run 12 "gassers" which consists of 12, 100 yard sprints; fast people finish in under 17 seconds, medium speed people finish in under 18 and slower people finish in under 20.  Sadly, we didn't even get that far because in the middle of the 90+ degree weather people were dry heaving, dropping, pulling muscles, and puking.  Needless to say we have our work cut out for us this fall and are going to have to work twice as hard to get back into shape so we don't waste our valuable time on the field.  Myself along with my fellow seniors came up with a plan where we now condition twice a week on the days we don't already condition and lift with the coaches, we head to the track at 6:45 am and create and conduct our own conditioning for an hour.  We also do optional but "recommended" conditioning on Sunday evenings.  Since we set this in place, gassers are less of a struggle for the team as a whole and hope to complete all in the allowed time in the coming weeks.  Though its a minor set back Im hoping that some good will come of this and we will come together as a team sooner than anticipated and some leadership roles will emerge in the process.  Conditioning and weight lifting aside, we have a talented group of girls out there and there is going to be thick competition at just about every position.  I am flip flopping from catching to outfield and enjoy both but my arm isn't enjoying the double time because the strain it puts on my arm is tremendous.  But nothing lots of hours rehabbing and strengthening in the training room can't help. Ice baths have become a common thread among my teammates and I to help ease the hurt of this strenuous fall season.

As far as SAAC is concerned we were very pleased with the turnout of our first event of the year and earned a good chunk of money that will help dig us out the financial hole that we are currently in.  After doing that our next plan is to join the American Cancer Society in their Breast Cancer Walk in Golden Gate Park toward the end of October.  Another side project that we are attempting to embark on is to create shirts that we can sell to the school and the community that read "Blue Crew" and it essentially will be a shirt you can wear in support of athletics at any of the games, races, matches, tournaments, etc.  While that is currently a work in progress our current focus is raising the money for Breast Cancer and getting all of our teams out there to support the fall sports which are currently in season.

Senior year is not exactly what I expected it to be or maybe I was unsure of what to expect from the get go.  I am taking four classes this semester; Media Law, Life Span Development (Psychology), Public Relations Team for The Star, and Senior Internship.  This only leaves one more upper division GE, Senior Seminar, and taking the WEPT for second semester and then I'll graduate?  Well, seems like I need to narrow my focus and just live in the moment and with that said my current goal academically is to get a 4.0 this semester.  For SAAC I want to earn $300 for the Breast Cancer Walk among the student athletes and for softball I want to attack the outside pitch and learn to love it as much as I do the up and in pitch.  With week one being done and now apart of my past, I'm hopeful for the future. Buh Bye :)

The beginning of the end...

After 3 days of living life as an "average student" since school started all of that ends starting this Monday when we break out into softball class, individual sessions, weight lifting, and conditioning.  We have almost 30 girls working out in the fall consisting of 5 returning seniors, 1 returning junior, and bunch of returning underclassmen, 4 committed incoming freshman, and a handful of walk on's that will be trying out.  I am anticipating a lot of circuit type work outs, pushing weight, and increasing out endurance as a team to set ourselves up for success this Spring.  I also have a couple personal goals in mind where my main focus will be to get 100% healthy by the time Spring rolls around as I continue to recover from a severe strain to my Ulnar Collateral Ligament in my throwing arm.  In addition I will be trying out some other positions on the field to determine where  I will become the biggest asset to my team.  I came into this program as a left handed catcher, played some outfield, tried out the role as a designated hitter and I have come to realize that I will be willing to play wherever is best for my team, personal feelings aside.  Academically, much to my surprise I will be graduating on time in only 4 years this spring.  Looks like the 20+ units these last few semesters is going to pay off and now I need to apply for graduation and sooner rather than later determine what my next step is.  As SAAC (Student Athlete Advisory Committee) President we are beginning to determine what organizations we would like to work with this year while preparing to kick off the fall sports seasons with homecoming week and other festivities.  Until next week, peace!