Lesson's learned

Well here I am here in Orlando Florida, Home of Disney!

We are actually playing right on the Disney property at the Disney, ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.  The Atlanta Braves are even training down here for Spring training.  The place is simply amazing.  The softball diamonds even have 2 little extra circles at the back of them so that the pitching circle looks like Mickey Mouses head :-)  So cute.  I took photos and will post when I can.  ESPN is evening taping most of the games and they will be shown on TV over the coming days.  They didn't film our games though.

So on day one down here we played Notre Dame first and then Long Island 2nd.  We were really up for the Notre Dame game and won 2-0.  Our pitcher threw one hell of a game.  I think most viewers didn't give us much of a chance but we showed them.  Then we played Long Island who are a developing squad and beat them pretty good by the 8 run rule.  So we were all pretty happy last night and celebrated with a great dinner at Outback :-)

Today was not so good at all.  We came up against Maryland and lost 16-0.  That was a a school record for a loss.  Then we faced Illinois University and lost 7-5.  We were down by 7-1 most of the game and got 4 in the last inning.  So we were all pretty down hearted about today's outcome.  So what do you learn from such an outcome?  Not much.  I am serious.  Sometimes you have a bad game, things don't go your way or the other team is just better!  A lot of the time we try to analyse these things and you could drive yourself mad thinking you can work out what went wrong.  "we coulda swung the bat like this or that" but honestly, a great hitter in this game gets a hit only 33% of the time! Outside of todays results I would have said 3 or 4 runs is a high score.  It is a tough game, it is a game dominated by good pitching.  Sometimes you just have to take your hat off to the opposition and say "hey, well done".

I am loath to put anyone down here but I am going to make special mention of Maryland University.  When they were 8 runs up, they were still bunting and still stealing.  This is completely of no class what-so-ever and anybody who knows the game knows you just don't do this and anyone who does will forever be remembered as a team with no class.  In Baseball or mens softball, the next hitter to stand in the box after stealing or bunting, would get a 130km/hr riseball right in the ear!  Its been 12 hours since that game and thinking about this still gets my blood boiling.

So what positive things did come out of today?  As much as you do hate to lose, sometimes it reminds you that it isn't an easy game and it reminds you to keep working hard every day to get better.  Next we have young pitcher on our team who has been going through some adversity and has just come back from an injury.  We have been working pretty hard on a number of things this week and when she got the chance to go in today she threw 2 great innings.  I was so proud of her.  She worked on her routine and some of the technical things we've worked on.  Also we clocked her at 60mph this week and I think it has been a great surprise for her to see that she throws just as hard as some of the best girls here this weekend.  I think she can throw a LOT harder as well, who knows how hard.

Next comes the word intensity.  I watch a lot of sports, especially of teams I have spent a lot of time supporting.  When I watch them lose I sometimes wonder what it was, what was missing, and ultimately something I feel often, "Why didn't they seem to try?"  It is no doubt a lack of intensity.  What causes it? traveling long distances? fatigue? intimidation?  Some or all?  Well there is no doubt that intensity was missing from our second game today.  I don't think it was anything I listed here but a lack of intensity is like an infectious bug.  It goes through you and a team like a bad virus.  I think under such circumstances we sit around waiting for someone else to 'do it', to inspire us into action.

But intensity has to come from within and if everyone brings their own intensity to a team situation then that team will enter the field of battle as one dynamic force.  Not necessarily unbeatable, but in a head space where when you walk off of the field, you know you gave it everything you had.  Under such circumstances, it doesn't matter whether you win or lose, it matters whether u gave it everything.  The result will then take care of its self.

When we did start hitting today, the temperature rose in our dug out and if we had one more inning, I am sure we would have run that team down.  The intensity was back.  But where had it gone for 6 innings?  It is very hard to say, but it was such a reminder that it has to start from the beginning of the game.  We cannot wait for someone else to inspire us, we must find it from within.  We must be the person who is going to inspire others on our team.  Then perhaps we can inspire each other.

On a lighter note.  All Australian's know how expensive clothes are in Australia.  I hit the Outlets last night and bought 7 items from the Ralph Lauren store.  I can tell you that I know for a fact 3 of those items combined in Myer or David Jones would have been more than all 7 combined!  Australia really does need to get its act together.  We have some of the most sought after natural resources on the planet, yet we insist on paying so much for items coming back in.  But I do know why we pay so much taxes.  Our health care system, does leave the USA for dead.

I will leave it there for now.  Very early start in the morning and a long day.  One game against Illinois State University and then 7 hours till our flight, so it might be back to the outlets :-)

Speak soon.

Damien