Below is a sad story about a young softball player. Brianne's untimely death leaves so many unanswered questions about specialized sports and the pressure that is brought on the kids who play only one sport in search of that so illusive college scholarship. Read the story and it will break your heart.
To the Matthews/Martinez family our prayers and thoughts go out to them. A beautiful young lady and a tremendous athlete will now be forever 16.
Lonnie White is a NCAA writer and columnist for FanHouse
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. -- A few months ago, Nadia Martinez and her 16-year-old daughter, Brianne Matthews, drifted into an uncharacteristic conversation about life and death.
Martinez is not sure about what led to the discussion, but she felt a little odd when Matthews calmly told her how she would like to be remembered after she died.
"She wanted her ashes to be sprinkled all over a softball field because that's where she lived," Martinez said about Matthews, who had a 14-4 pitching record as a freshman last year for Mater Dei (Calif.) High School. "It didn't matter where. As long as it was a softball field with a mound. That's where she dominated."
Always an overachiever, Matthews had gotten it done off and on the softball diamond. She carried a 4.0 grade point average at academically testing Mater Dei and was committed to pursue a career as a neonatologist. Despite being only a high school sophomore, Matthews already had accepted a full-ride college scholarship offer to play softball for national powerhouse Arizona after she graduated in 2012. A phenom.
Socially? Forget about it. At 16, Matthews had friends for days, thanks to a dynamic personality and her huge softball following. Considered the No.1 young pitching prospect in the nation, Matthews had a way for attracting crowds and had grown into a Pied Piper character for the sport.
For unknown reasons, though, Matthews did not feel right in this role and on Feb. 25, she killed herself hours after returning home from softball practice.
A tragic ending to a young life with so much promise.
An ending that has left many unanswered questions.
"I don't want to talk about the suicide," Martinez, who found Matthews dead at their Anaheim apartment, told FanHouse recently. "And I don't want to talk about what may have led her ... we can only speculate and I don't want to do that. No answer is going to be good enough."
According to official reports, on the night of Matthews' death, Anaheim fire and police were sent to the family's apartment regarding a girl not breathing. Paramedics administered CPR to the girl and she was taken to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead at 8:22 p.m. PT.
The Orange County Coroner's report ruled Matthews' death a suicide, "by ligature hanging."
"I don't believe it was spontaneous," said Bill Jackson, who coached Matthews for three years when she played for the Firecrackers, a youth softball travel team based in Orange County. "She was depressed. Everything you hear indicates to us that it was something that was thought out a little bit. She knew what to do and how to do it. ... Teenagers and the internet nowadays. I don't think we're ever going to know why she did it."
Last week, a standing room only crowd of more than 1,500 attended an outdoor ceremony for Matthews at the Huntington Beach Sports Complex, a multi-softball field site where many of her games were played.
High school players and travel ballplayers were encouraged to wear their uniforms and most did. With a stage set behind second base and the remainder of the softball diamond filled with well-wishers, the afternoon felt more tribute than wake as family and friends took time to talk about Matthews, called Bri by family and friends.
"Sometimes, you meet people and right away you know that they were supposed to be there [in your life]...," said Shannon Bustillos, a teammate on Orange County Batbusters, a travel team Matthews joined a year ago. "Anybody who knew Bri, knew that she was filled with life, love and happiness. She had a laugh that anybody could hear. A hug that could crack anybody's back and a drop-off [pitch] that nobody could hit."
For Martinez, the ceremony was a fitting sendoff.
"We are taking it moment by moment and day by day," Martinez said. "That's really all we can do. It's unimaginable."
"Bri just loved sports and she probably got that from me ... But she was different. She was very driven. She competed in everything she did in life. She just went after everything 100 percent and I don't know where she got that from. I don't know what her motivation was but she was very very motivated.
"That's just who she was. If she was going to throw a ball, she was going to throw it harder and farther than everyone else. If she was going to hit it, she was going to hit it harder and farther. I don't know ... that's just how she was made."
Pressure of the Sport
News about Matthews' death traveled fast among southern California's softball followers, a community where everyone seems to know each other. And that's because they basically do.
For years -- from elementary school to college -- the same group of softball players and parents not only play and travel together but also compete against one another on a regular basis through school teams, local park leagues and travel squads.
"The softball community is a very small world," said Jackson, who coached Matthews for three years with the Firecrackers. "The entire country is on the phone, the internet and everywhere else. We are a very in-touch community, even though we are very spread out geographically."
It's this type of family environment that has added to the sadness. Many families can relate to the demands that come with the sport.
Cindy Kelly, whose daughter Jenna started playing against Matthews when they were both nine, is one of those parents.
"It was just a terrible shock," Kelly said about Matthews, who on the day of her suicide reportedly gave her athletic bag to a teammate and told her that she likely would not need it the next day. "You don't know if she put too much pressure on herself or what. But the thing is, she had so much going for her. She had a full-ride for college and a bright future. You just had to think that everything was good with her."
Some people involved in softball believe the sport's ultra-competitive nature has evolved into a major problem for today's players. Too many are working under tough circumstances in hopes of making it to the highest level and that has added extra pressure to their lives.
"You realize that these kids give up many many hours to develop their softball skills," veteran southern California softball umpire Paul Morines said. "They sacrifice social time with friends. They spend all weekend on the ball field. Some days they want to go home, but they can't because they have to play.
"I am always so impressed in how these kids are willing to give up so much of their time to dedicate themselves to one sport in order to be a top notch softball athlete. But that's the only way that you're going to get yourself a scholarship."
According to Morines, that's one reason why Matthews was considered a hero to so many.
"These kids are hard core and Bri was probably the epitome of that type of ballplayer," Morines said. "Everyone looked up to her as the model for the commitment that you needed to make in order to go to the highest rank as possible.
"I only umpired one game with her last year and you could tell that she was one intense kid. She definitely had a presence on the field. She just stared you down. And you knew that she put in hard work to become so good."
Always an All-Star
From young biddy players to crusty, old coaches, it was always "The Bri Show" whenever Matthews was around. Dominating ability can attract that type of attention.
"Obviously we thought very fondly of Bri and her talents," said Arizona Coach Mike Candrea, who along with his coaching staff attended Matthews' tribute. "That's why we wanted her to be a Wildcat.
She wanted to achieve things in life. Everything she tried, she excelled at and physically, she could have been a star in any sport -- Bill Jackson, Former Coach"She was such a very special athlete. A very special student. She worked very hard to be the best at what she did."
Umpire Mike Carver, who worked numerous games involving Matthews, said he will always remember how she played.
"I've been around the game for over 20 years and you can spot a kid with that much raw talent a mile away," Carver said. "She was throwing at least 70 miles per hour, and that's something. I know some people may not agree but I thought [Bri] was as good or better as [U.S. Olympic gold medal pitcher] Jennie Finch."
Matthews -- who grew up in a modest environment with her sister, mother and stepfather, Diondre Price -- played a variety of sports. After excelling in everything from basketball to volleyball, she took to softball after Martinez signed her up for a local youth league when she was 8.
"She didn't know what it was to go half-speed, literally, with anything that she did," Martinez said about her daughter, who had a 0.94 ERA with 138 strikeouts in 107 innings last season for Mater Dei.
"I remember when she was 8 or 9 years old and was just starting pitching lessons. Her pitching coach at the time wanted her to slow down and feel what she was doing with her pitching. So they moved her up closer to the catcher and told her to take her time so she could feel her pitch.
"But my daughter couldn't do it. She just could not slow down. She threw the ball as if she was pitching at full distance. That's just how she was. Everything she did, she did it at full speed."
It's this never-back down attitude that helped separate Matthews from her peers. She was known to arrive to practice an hour early in order to warm up for warm-ups, and was always the last person you wanted to promise a ride home after practice.
That's because Matthews also put in extra time to work on her game and often considered her workouts just half over once practice ended.
"She wanted to achieve things in life," Jackson said. "Everything she tried, she excelled at and physically, she could have been a star in any sport."
Matthews, who had a complete career goal list by the time she began to play for Jackson when she was 11, also proved her toughest critic.
"Bri always had kind of a little cloud in her life," Jackson said. "She was a happy kid who worked hard but she always had a little cloud. Personally, I don't know why. But it was there."
At the tribute for Matthews, Jackson addressed rumors that have surrounded her death.
"People are saying different things," Jackson said. "They come up to me and say, 'Do you think it was the pressure? Do you think it was the boyfriend? Whatever it was, it really doesn't matter now. So that's what I didn't want to do and that's talk about those issues. I was trying to make the point that if you even discuss what it might be, you are lending credence that one of those reasons might be good enough."
It's been the out-of-sight whispers that have bothered Martinez the most since her daughter's death.
"The toughest thing has been coming to grips with the fact that your child is no longer here and that you did your best but somehow that wasn't enough," Martinez said. "You can't help but think about why you couldn't do more.
"I know that it's probably something that I should not have done but to fill my time, I've read all of the comments that people have left on stories about her death and on different internet sites.
"Anybody that has done anything at the level that [Bri] was at knows that you don't get that good without a personal commitment. I know that people like to speculate about pressure being put on her but I would like to stress the fact that there's nothing anyone can do to push people to excel at the level where she was.
"It takes a personal commitment and that's the truth. You can't make people go run. You can't make them put in that extra work to be great. ... It's something that she did. Something that she wanted to be the best at."
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NEW & RETURNED LEAGUES 2010
It is great when new leagues join Dixie Softball but it is also an equal feeling of pride when a league, after having dropped out of Dixie Softball for one reason or another, decides to return to play Dixie Softball. Listed below are the new and returned leagues for 2010.
NEW
Lantana, Florida
Albany, Georgia
Seminole County, Georgia
West Brunswick, North Carolina
RETURNED
Bolivar, Tennessee
Stevenson, Alabama
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2010 WORLD SERIES SITES
DIXIE DARLINGS - Denison, Texas
DIXIE ANGELS - Vancleave, Mississippi
DIXIE PONYTAILS - Columbia County, Georgia
DIXIE BELLES - Pineville, Louisiana
DIXIE DEBS - Vancleave, Mississippi
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CHANGES FOR 2010
There were no rule changes for Dixie Softball in 2010 but there were some rule clarifications, policy changes and some recommendations made:
1. June 1 is the deadline to notify State Director that a division(s) in your league will not be participating in DSI tournaments for the current year.
2. No DSI tournament may start before June 17 with the exception of SweeTees.
3. July 30 is the arrival date for teams participating in the World Series.
4. The population that a league may have within its boundary was changed for 20,000 to: 25,000.
5. Two or more leagues operating under separate boards may operate within the same boundary by written agreement of the leagues concerned with written permission of the District and State Directors.
6. Break-away bases are recommended at second and third bases.
7. Tournament bats must be stamped "Official Softball", "Youth Softball" and/or "FastPitch Softball" along with the name of the manufacturer.
8. Uniforms shall not have on them anywhere and in any color or manner designs that resemble a softball. This includes uniforms, socks, pads, etc. Any patch or uniform design, etc. approved by DSI can be worn. DSI reserves the right to refuse any design on uniforms, clothing or equipment worn by a player, coach or fan. EXCEPTION: Due to an error, the new 2010 35th Anniversary patch for Dixie Softball resembles a softball and totally violates this new policy of Dixie Softball's. However, the patch will be sanctioned and will be legal as long as it is worn properly. The patch must be worn on the shoulder or chest area. Dixie Softball apologizes for this error.
9. DSI recommends that lightning detectors be installed at all softball complexes.
10. Coaches may either wear exact uniforms their team wears or wear uniforms of coordinating colors of their team. If coordinating color uniforms are chosen the coaches uniforms must be of like fabric. No denim jeans/shorts, overalls, etc. are allowed. Coaches may wear a combinatin of long slacks or shorts as long as the slacks and shorts are of like fabric and fit properly. Coaches may wear jerseys outside the slacks/shorts.
11. All umpires who registered in 2009 need only send in their $25.00 fee along with their 2009 DSI umpire card number in order to be registered in 2010. Umpires who were NOT registered in 2009 must send in their $25.00 fee and pass the approved DSI umpire test in order to be registered in 2010.
12. If any player, manager or coach (regardless of catching position) is caught warming up a pitcher without the proper helmet/faceguard protection the manager/head coach of that team shall be removed as a manager/head coach and shall NOT be allowed inside the playing field/dugout area for that or the next game. whichever is applicable. NOTE: Any subsequent violation of this rule during season play a coach should be removed from coaching for the rest of the season.NOTE: Any subsequent violation of this rule during tournament play the manager/head coach shall be removed from further managing/coaching in the tournament.
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2010 APPROVED SUPPLIERS
EQUIPMENT
NATIONS BEST SPORTS
SOFTBALLS
A. D. STARR
DIAMOND SPORTS
JP SPORTS
BATS
ANDERSON BAT CO.
COMBAT
DEMARINI
HILLERICH & BRADSBY (Louisville Slugger)
MIKEN
MIZUNO SPORTS
NOTE: Not every bat manufactured by an "Approved Supplier" is approved for Dixie Softball play. Dixie Softball uses the approved bat list that the governing body of USA Softball publishes for the purpose of deciding which bats are approved for Dixie Softball play. If any bat on the approved USA Softball list is not approved for Dixie Softball play we will list such bat on this website. For the list of approved bats please go to www.asasoftball.comand look for the certified equipment button and click on it then click on the bats button and then click on the display all button. When the drop down list appears click on the manufacturer you are looking for.
FUND RAISER
BRAX, LTD.
WORLD'S FINEST
TROPHIES & AWARDS
BIRMINGHAM TROPHY SHOP
CROWN TROPHY
DINN BROTHERS
INSURANCE
SADLER & CO.
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2010 AGE DIVISION CHART
WHATEVER AGE A GIRL IS ON DECEMBER 31 WILL BE HER LEAGUE AGE FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR. EXAMPLE: A GIRL IS 10 YEARS OF AGE ON DECEMBER 31, 2009, HER LEAGUE AGE IS 10 for 2010. IF A GIRL TURNS 10 YEARS OF AGE ON JANUARY 1, 2010, HER LEAGUE AGE IS 9 for 2010.
Dixie Softball wishes to thank Dianne Oliver of the Dothan, AL Leisure Services for designing the below age chart. Remember, the age control date is December 31st which determines which age division a player will play in.
During the 2009 Dixie Angels World Series hosted by Sumter, South Carolina, Ashlie Lyn Pipkin played for the Host team. Her team did not win but sadly circumstances proved that there are more important things in life rather than the game of softball and the winning of championships.
Ashlie had participated in the Sumter Dixie Softball program for a number of years and participating in the Dixie Angels World Series would be the apex of her Dixie Softball experience. Ashlie played to the best of her ability in the World Series and her team represented Sumter well.
Following the World Series all was well until September. Ashlie fell ill with H1N1 (Swine Flu). Other health issues complicated her recovery and Ashlie died. Ashlie was buried in her World Series softball uniform.
Over the 35 years of watching girls play the game of Dixie Softball the worst thing that happens is when a player dies way too young. This has happened over the years and the majority of the time it was an automobile accident. Ball fields have been named for some of the girls, some have been honored by Dixie Softball presentations but nothing is more precious than the memories of these young girls.
Ashlie was the first player to participate in a Dixie Softball World Series and shortly thereafter died. The National Board of Directors decided to honor the memory of Ashlie and in essence, honor all Dixie Softball players (past and future) who have and will lay down their sweet heads in the deep sleep of death. The Board declared that beginning with the 2010 Dixie Angels World Series the Dixie Angels World Series Sportsmanship Award will no longer be presented as the James E. "Obie" Evans World Series Sportsmanship Award but will be the: ASHLIE LYN PIPKIN DIXIE SOFTBALL SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD.
In no way was the change a dishonor to Obie Evans for it was Obie himself who proposed the change.
In January 2010, during a ceremony honoring the championship (state and World Series) teams of Sumter's Dixie Softball and Dixie Boys teams Ashlie's family was presented with a perpetual plaque to represent the naming of the Dixie Angels World Series Sportsmanship Award in honor of Ashlie. The plaque was presented to Ashlie's mother and brother by Dixie Softball Board members Obie Evans, Preston Leonard, Zack Black, Ron Hudson and Phil Parnell. Each year Ashlie's family will be sent a plate for the plaque engraved with the team name of the current winner of the Ashlie Lyn Pipkin Dixie Softball Sportsmanship Award.
All the Dixie Softball family extends their love and sympathy to the Pipkin family and are so proud that we played a small part in the life Ashlie and the memories of her family and friends.
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HANNAH SUE MILLS
As an adult, it breaks my heart when community softball/baseball leagues will choose to focus their program on the better players by either choosing to play in a “travel ball” style of play or allow the local school’s success to overshadow what is best for all the girls and boys in the community. The games of softball and baseball have historically been America’s games and have offered millions of girls and boys the opportunity to play “ball”. “Play Ball” has been the rallying cry for many pickup games for the kids in a neighborhood to come together and learn to play ball, have fun and to become friends. This was great for the kids, the parents and the community as a whole. Every child that showed up could play even though they may be the last person chosen. I remember as a young boy when I was the last one to be chosen but I didn’t care for at least I got to play even though it was in “right field”. However, there were some children who did not get to play ball because of health reasons. I will never forget Jerry Kendrick, a childhood friend of mine. Jerry was one of the last people to contract polio before the Salk polio vaccine was discovered. He walked on crutches with both legs stiffly locked into place by leg braces. He never got to play baseball with me but he loved the game. For hours he and I would play a baseball board game and I learned from that experience that every person who wanted to play “ball” should be given the opportunity to do so. Even though Jerry could not play, he placed in me a desire to make sure children got to play ball. When I got older and I got to choose the team I would sometimes make my first pick someone who normally got picked last. My desire to see that all children got to play has carried over to my adulthood and I am proud that the softball program I helped to found, Dixie Softball, had, and still does, the rule that every girl that wanted to play softball would play if they played Dixie Softball.
MICHAEL LeBLANC, a player from Huffman, Alabama played on 5 Dixie Softball World Series championship teams (1976, ’77, ’78, ’79 and 1981) even though she suffered from severe scoliosis and had to wear a back brace when not playing. In 1999, Michael was inducted into the Dixie Softball Hall of Fame.
ANNA CURRY, a player from Vestavia Hills, Alabama suffered from “brittle bone” disease but she wanted to play softball. Her parents received permission from her doctor that she could play with restrictions. 1) Was allowed to play in a younger age division; 2) Could only bat off a tee with another player running the bases for her. After a couple of years of playing the decision was made to allow Anna to run to first base. Into the season Anna hit a ball that reached the outfield fence and the first base coach decided to let her run to second base. The stress of trying to reach second broke bones in both of Anna’s legs. Even with her season ended and eventually her softball career Anna had a big smile and a joy for the game of softball. She was awarded the Dixie Softball Spirit Award in 1987. Just this past year (2009) Anna, now a lawyer, and her father, Ashley, climbed to the top of Mt. Killimanjaro.
In Chilton County, Alabama a young girl, COREY LANGSTON, played Dixie Softball while suffering from spina bifida. Only when she had to have surgery and could not play did she stop playing softball. Corey was awarded the Gordon L. Hobbs Dixie Softball Spirit Award in .
TORI HINTON, from Alexandria, Louisiana was diagnosed with leukemia and had to curtail her softball play. Tori was a very good player and had played in a Dixie Softball World Series. Her desire to play softball remained and she was able to return and continue for a limited time her Dixie Softball career. She received the Gordon L. Hobbs Dixie Softball Spirit Award in 2006.
That cruel disease, leukemia, struck another young Dixie Softball player. ALLYSA DURHAM, from Tallassee, Alabama had to curtail her softball play as well. After a year’s hiatus Allysa came back to play Dixie Softball and to play on her school team as well. Allysa was awarded the Gordon L. Hobbs Dixie Softball Spirit Award in 2006.
In 2007, a Dixie Softball player from Burkeville, Virginia fought a battle against leukemia. Her name was TAYLOR FINCH. Taylor missed the 2008 season but played in 2009 and had fun. She was presented the Gordon L. Hobbs Dixie Softball Spirit Award in 2009.
During the 2009 Dixie Angels World Series played in Sumter, South Carolina, a young lady 16 years of age was allowed make a play during the Angels World Series. The age for the Angels is 10 and under. HEATHER McCOY was allowed to play only one season of Dixie Softball when she was 12 years of age. Heather was born with cystic fibrosis and could not participate in the game of softball like other young girls. Her wish was to one day play in a Dixie Softball World Series and that dream came true at the 2009 Dixie Angels World Series. Heather McCoy was awarded the 2009 Gordon L. Hobbs Dixie Softball Spirit Award.
On March 5, 2009, I received a letter from JOLEEN MILLS of the Fannin, Texas Dixie Softball league requesting that her daughter, HANNAH SUE, be allowed to play in the Darlings (8 and under) age division even though Hannah was 9 years of age. Every year many requests are received to allow a player to leave one league and play for another, wanting a player moved to another team because of disagreement with a coach, wanting a player to be moved to another team because more of her friends play on the other team, and various other requests for player movement.
Ms. Mills stated in her letter that Hannah was not ready to move up to the Angels (10 and under) age division but Hannah was fully capable of playing in the Darlings (8 and under) age division. This request is received often mainly for the reasons of: 1) My child is too small; 2) My child has a late birthday and more of her friends are in the younger age division; 3) My child likes the coach in the other age division better, etc., etc., etc. Such requests are usually rejected but every now and then special cases arise and an exception is made.
At the bottom of the letter a note was circled stating that Sharon Lafitte, Texas Dixie Softball National Director, had cleared Hannah Sue to play in the younger age division. I called Texas’ Dixie Softball State Director, Pat Belinowski, about the letter and he told me that he too had approved the request. Now the approval was not in my jurisdiction but I had no problem with letting Hannah Sue play in the younger age division.
Accompanying the letter was a photo of a beautiful young 8-year old Hannah Sue Mills. There stood Hannah Sue in her maroon team jersey with her pink Wilson fielder’s glove on her left hand, a maroon bat and a silver batting helmet hanging in the dugout behind her, and a big smile on her face.
I try to tell people what Dixie Softball is about when I visit areas and try to sell them on joining Dixie Softball and sometimes the right words do not come out. Looking at that wonderful little girl, Hannah Sue, with her big smile and ready to “play ball” the words come easy.
Dixie Softball is a softball program that was established strictly for the girls. Dixie Softball is not an extension or the second thought of adult or a boys program. Rules have been established that fit each particular age of the players and not written in order to necessarily prepare them for the next age group. The rules automatically graduate a player’s ability to the next level. Dixie Softball allows the leagues to govern their own program with limited oversight by Dixie Softball, Inc.
The health of the players is always the utmost goal of Dixie Softball and that is why: a limited number of games in a season are required, a pitching limit on each pitcher is in place, and a health safety and coaching certification program is available. Every player is required to play in every game she is present for.
Tournament play is offered for those girls selected by their league to be on the “all-star” team and tournament host teams. True winners advance to the next level of play. Dixie Softball still believes in the old adage that a team’s accomplishment should be awarded not be watered down by allowing teams that have been defeated in tournament play by the championship team to advance to the next level of play where the team that defeated them will be playing.
All the officials of Dixie Softball are volunteers and receive no pay for their work in offering a fun softball program for girls. This includes all the members of the National Board of Directors. All district, state and national officials are elected by the leagues. Leagues and those involved with Dixie Softball can suggest rule and policy changes for Dixie Softball.
Many innovative rules and policies that Dixie Softball put in place have been adopted by most organizations that offer youth softball and baseball. Dixie Softball was laughed at and ridiculed in the late 1970s for mandating face guards for batters and base runners. Today that rule has been adopted by all youth softball and baseball program who value the safety of their participants. Even school ball today is mandating that batters and base runners wear face guards. Limited number of pitches and innings pitched are becoming prevalent in other softball programs. Dixie Softball is proud to have been the leader for 35 years in blazing the trail for safety of the players.
I meant to post this story about Hannah Sue in 2009 but things happened that hindered me from completing her story. In January 2010 I revisited what I had already written in 2009 concerning Hannah Sue following a visit to Sumter, South Carolina where Dixie Softball Vice President PRESTON LEONARD presented the 2009 Gordon L. Hobbs Dixie Softball Spirit Award to Heather McCoy. I decided to finish the story and circumstances since I started this story produced other comments.
In reviewing Hannah Sue’s story I could not help but think of the aforementioned Michael, Anna, Tori, Allysa, Taylor and Heather. All, except for Michael, had received the Spirit Award that Dixie Softball presents. Dixie Softball did not present a Spirit Award when Michael was playing.
Hannah Sue was awarded the Gordon L. Hobbs Dixie Softball Spirit Award in 2009. I have no record how Hannah Sue did during the 2009 Dixie Softball season played in Fannin, Texas but I bet she had fun. Hannah Sue is a Down Syndrome child.
Dixie Softball is for all girls regardless of playing ability. Michael, Anna, Tori, Allysa, Taylor, Heather and Hannah Sue prove that fact. Perhaps the greater Dixie Softball spirit can be seen through those players, coaches, umpires and officials who accepted these young ladies and allowed them to play softball regardless of their playing ability. I salute all of those and the young ladies who have brought sunshine a dose of reality to Dixie Softball.
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ABOUT TIME!!!
by Obie Evans
For many years I have taken grief from travel ball people and parents and lately school ball people because I have been an outspoken advocate for youth sports health and safety. I have written many blogs about these two programs having little or no regard for the health and safety of players of the game of softball and it can relate to other sports as well.
I believe that there is a need for limiting the number of innings/pitches a pitcher can throw. There is also a need to limit the number of games played by all the players. Dixie Softball, since its beginning in 1975, has limited the number of innings a pitcher can throw in a week and in tournament play. Dixie Softball recommends that no more than 25 games be played in a season and tournaments are extended over a period of days and no more than two games can be played in one day. This limits the chances a player can be injured and keeps the game of softball fresh and fun to play. It does not allow players to become burned out as travel and school ball does.
Sadly, school ball is becoming as much of a nemesis to the health and welfare of the players as travel ball has always been. Schools are scheduling 50 to 100 games a year and in a lot of cases using only one or two pitchers to pitch the games. In Alabama, my home state a pitcher was allowed by her coach to pitch in every game of the 2009 state tournament even after the pitcher developed a sore arn. Where is the good sense of coaches and parents?
Below is an article that appeared in The Birmingham News on August 20, 2009 and was written by Dave Parks, a staff writer for the newspaper. I took the liberty to add some personal comments to the article. The Dr. Andrews mentioned is a world renowned orthopedic surgeon and has operated on the top sports stars in the professional and amateur ranks of all sports. The names would make up a Hall of Fame of super athletes. In fact, I have been one of his patients.
The article:
More than 7 million high school students now play everything from football for boys to softball for girls.
And that number excludes younger kids playing soccer and baseball leagues, which are now offered year-round.
Given those numbers, Dr. James Andrews says many young athletes are taking an unnecessary beating, playing too much and stressing young bodies to the breaking point.
"It's to an epidemic proportion," said Andrews, one of the nation's top orthopedic surgeons and a leading authority on knee, shoulder and elbow sports injuries.
And he plans to do something about it.
Working in conjunction with the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine, Andrews is creating a nationwide initiative to prevent injuries in young athletes.
"These kids are just getting injured unnecessarily," Andrews said.
Andrews is forming a Council of Champions - many of them professional athletes that Andrews has treated in his practices in Birmingham and Gulf Breeze, Florida.
The council will help raise money for research and to run a national media campaign to raise awareness about injuries to young athletes.
Andrews said the main problem is that youngsters are playing sports too much, too often (My side note is "Boy, is Dr. Andrews right on here"), the problem has been worsened by a proliferation of year-round youth sports, such as baseball and soccer. (My side note here is that softball can be inserted here as well.)
"We're seeing it all over the place," he said.
Early specialization in a sport (My side note here is that this means playing one sport all the time), immature bones, insufficient rest after injury and poor training or conditioning are the ingredients for permanent incapacitation, he said.
Youngsters need at least three to four months or rest each year before resuming sports, he said. Unfortunately, that's not happening, and Andrews said he can see the painful results in the waiting room of his practice.
"I have five or six examining rooms where I go from one to another," he said.
The Center for Disease Control reports that high school athletes make about 500,000 doctor visits a year seeking care for about 2 million injuries.
Andrews said there are more safety regulations governing professional and intercollegiate athletes than there are for youth sports.
"And our young athletes are more vulnerable," he said.
In addition to raising awareness, Andrews said more, professionally trained athletic trainers are needed for youth sports, and better research is needed into the risks for young bodies playing different sports.
"We've got to develop a lot of programs in public schools," he said.
My comment: Before anything can be done on the school level I believe Dr. Andrews must first educate the leaders of state school athletic associations. That will be a chore. I wish Dr. Andrews well in this venture and I am going to offer the support of Dixie Softball to his cause. After all, he is one of my doctors.
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A PARENT GETS IT RIGHT!!
by Obie Evans
It always amazes me that parents can get it right.As most of you reading this know, I have for years made my opinion known about the effects of travel ball on local community programs.I will say it again.Travel ball, overall hurts local community programs and where it can be avoided it should be.Not only has travelball hurt local community programs but when local community programs put the local school team ahead of what their local community program goal should be that too can cause problems for a local community program.
Recently Preston Leonard, Dixie Softball National Vice President, received an e-mail from a parent in North Carolina.The e-mail says it all.I have chosen this as my one of my best annual e-mail of the year .I have made editorial changes to make the e-mail readable for my column and not just an e-mail type of wording.I have chosen not to name the softball programs involved for it would not serve the common good to do so.The email is paraphrased below:
Hello!
I am not sure where I need to begin.My daughter played this year in the all-star games for her local league Angels tournament team.She had a really great time and she enjoyed herself greatly up until the point and time she had to play against another league which I believe this other league's team is made up of 3 traveling teams.A true unfair advantage against our girls.Why take away perhaps a once a year moment for some girls that the girls on the other team have the opportunity to do almost every weekend.
There is no doubt that the girls on the other team are really good ball players.But AWFUL defines them better. They have no respect, talked ugly to our little girls and to us as parents.When my child cries as she pitches a ball because they are being too rude, there is a problem.Again, there is no doubt that the other team's Angels players are good but isn't there a rule or regulation that is in place or can be put in place about travel ball teams and restricting their participation in the "recreational" style of softball that Dixie Softball presents.My daughter gets one chance a year to play tournament ball and try to make it to the state tournament.The girls on the other team have a lot of opportunities to play and reach higher level so they should not be allowed to stand in the way of Dixie Softball oriented teams.
There was a problem that I will contact my district director about.No one is perfect but I feel he mishandled a situation at the tournament.We should be playing ball for the CHILDREN.I pray all will realize the true meaning of why the girls are playing softball.Thank you for your time.
The above parent realizes that girls softball should be fun to play and that travel ball players should go play travel ball and leave community ball to those who want to play it.She also realizes that travel ball players/teams really mess up tournament play for their attitude is different because they play so many tournaments and instead of the Dixie Softball tournament being an event it becomes just another softball tournament along the way.If the opposing team was rude and disrupting the game with rude comments the umpires should have stepped in.Dixie Softball does have rules against harassment of players from the other team.Sportsmanship is the utmost goal of Dixie Softball for any softball game.
Dixie Softball has rules and policies that regulate travel ball players/teams as much as possible.Over 10 years ago Dixie Softball was sued by a league which was backed by the governing body of United States Softball, namely ASA.Because of circumstances of the lawsuit, Dixie Softball cannot restrict players from participating with travel teams while playing Dixie Softball as well.It was a terrible decision but one Dixie Softball was forced to accept.Oh, how I wish Dixie Softball could restrict players from playing with other softball organizations while playing Dixie Softball.I told the court at the time that allowing players to dual participate would hurt the "recreational" style of softball that Dixie Softball was offering and sadly, I was correct.
I wish the e-mailer, her daughter and her local program well in the future and perhaps one day they will have the opportunity to make it to the state tournament and even to the World Series.If enough parents would stand up for fun softball for their local program the world of girls softball will be better.
Thank you ma'am for realizing that softball is for the kids!
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WHAT DIXIE SOFTBALL IS ABOUT
By Obie Evans
Every now and then something comes along that makes my season or even my 41 years of Dixie Girls Softball feel worthwhile. A note I received from Lynette Edmondson of Dickson County, Tennessee stating that the Dickson County Dixie Softball program would be adding an additional Darlings team to their program and this would make a total of 8 Darlings teams for their program thus making the Dickson County program having to have 2 leagues in the Darlings age division. A number of programs try to keep their number of teams to no more than 7 teams in an age division because it would force the program to have 2 tournament teams in that particular age division. They feel this would weaken their "all-star" team. I ask, "Which is more important, a super "all-star" team made up of 12 girls or 24 girls being "all-stars" on 2 good teams?" Thank you Lynette for confirming what I feel, that Dixie Softball is a good thing. Below is that note:
We need to apply for an additional franchise number because we have eight teams in our Darlings!
This is very exciting!!
Our draft and scheduling were done with the teams divided into National and American. However, it was only recently I learned we had to apply for another franchise number.
Just three years ago, there were only three Darlings teams. Last year (2008) it grew to five, and now we are thrilled to have eight teams! I think it is because we started SweeTees three years ago. The girls and families are really enjoying the SweeTees!! Kudos to Dixie Softball for starting the SweeTees!
Thank you,
Lynette Edmondson
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2009 SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
Doug Garrett, DSI Scholarship Committee chairman has announced the winners of the 2009 Dixie Softball scholarships. The winners are:
BILLY ADKINS MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP - BRITTNEY LYNN CLARK of Erin (Houston County league), Tennessee;
FRANK L. BAXTER HONORARY SCHOLARSHIP - ASHLEY NICOLE SHELL of DeRidder, Louisiana;
R. T. ADAMS MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP - ALYSSA JUNE DANIELS of Carthage, Mississippi;
TIM NEELY MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP - SKEETER ALICE BRANNAN of Paris (Lamar County YWCA league), Texas;
AUBREY TAPLEY HONORARY SCHOLARSHIP - CRYSTAL LORANE YOUNG of Pineland, Texas; and
the first GEORGE D. MATTHEWS, SR. MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP - MARY ELIZABETH DRIVER of Abbeville, SC.
Congratulations to each of these young ladies. The Dixie Softball family wishes them well in their future educational endeavors and thank them for playing Dixie Softball.
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DIXIE SOFTBALL DIRECTOR'S ELECTIONS - 2010
The below positions will be up for election in 2010:
All national officers
Alabama - National Director
Louisiana - National Director
South Carolina - National Director
Texas - National Director
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COACHES IN ALABAMA COLLEGES, UNIVERSITIES AND HIGH SCHOOLS HONORED BY DIXIE SOFTBALL
A number of college, university and high school coaches who played Dixie Softball were recently honored. An article pertaining to these Dixie Softball Hall of Famers can be found below in an article entitled "Proud to be Dixie".
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2011 WORLD SERIES SITES
DIXIE DARLINGS - Pineville, Louisiana
DIXIE ANGELS - South Hill, Virginia
DIXIE PONYTAILS - Pineville, Louisiana
DIXIE BELLES - South Hill, Virginia
DIXIE DEBS - Alexandria, Louisiana
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CURING KIDS' CANCER
For the past few years Dixie Softball has been supporting the "Coaches curing Kids' Cancer program. Below is an article send to Dixie Softball by e-mail. It tells the story of "Coaches Curing Kids' Cancer". Over the years too many stories of Dixie Softball players being stricken with cancer have become known. If you or your program can, it would be very benefical to all if the "Coaches Curing Kids' Cancer" program be supported and hopefully one day there will no more stories of kids with cancer.
This article appeared on the website EAST COBBER.
CURING KIDS' CANCER
Being a mother has been the biggest blessing of my life. My husband, Clay, and I have four amazing and wonderful sons - Pierce who is 17, Garrett and Killian - the twins - were born 15 years ago, and Finnian who is 11 but he thinks he's 18!
But even the most blessed life is tempered by hard times. And in our case, we faced the unthinkable - losing Killian to cancer on July 27, 2003, when he was only nine years old.
The story begins in 1999. I was having a miserable year. I snapped my ACL playing tennis, and had to have surgery. Three weeks later, I was told that my mum, who was in England, had suddenly become very ill. I immediately traveled to England to be with her. After two agonizing weeks she passed away. I thought my world had fallen apart - but there was more to come. Six weeks after Mum died, Killian got sick with a fever and stomach ache that would not go away. The doctors finally ran a blood test, which came back with a devastating diagnosis: Killian had leukemia. He was just five years old and to all appearances was a normal happy and very healthy looking little boy with big green eyes and a head full of curly blonde hair. How could he have cancer? That happened in movies and on TV, not to our little boy!
It was December 10, 1999 - Diagnosis Day. So we all embarked on a long journey of chemotherapy and its horrible side effects - the mouth sores, the hair loss, the nausea, the pain and weakness and the forced isolation in hospital rooms. But Killian never wanted to be treated like he was sick. His dream was to be a "normal healthy child." He insisted on playing sports throughout his treatment: baseball, basketball, swimming. In fact, he once participated in a swim meet after having a spinal tap - and got upset when he came in third! His spirit was unbreakable.
After nearly three years of chemotherapy - with the end of treatment in sight - our world crashed in on us again. Killian relapsed. The leukemia was back. Now he was really fighting for his life, with his chance of survival dropping from 75 percent to 20 percent. His best chance was a bone marrow transplant. We were all tested for compatibility, but it was Killian's twin, Garrett, who was a perfect match!
Bone marrow transplants are not the magic treatment shown on popular hospital TV series. They are simply brutal. After high-dose chemo, Killian had to undergo radiation to destroy his existing bone marrow - along with the leukemia cells in his body. The transplant itself is relatively simple - much like getting a blood transfusion. Then Killian's body had to go through the process of trying to accept the new marrow. He was placed in isolation again - this time for nine weeks while he struggled with nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and horrible pain. Killian's bravery and spirit hit me anew as I watched him fight to beat the disease. He exercised constantly - walking around and around the nurses' station, with medicine pole and monitors in tow. He was given the "Strong Legs Award' by his nurses for his efforts. It worked. We received the joyful news that Killian's bone marrow was now 100 percent engrafted with Garrett's cells - this was as good as it gets.
But sometimes leukemia is tougher than even a nine-year-old boy. Ninety days post-transplant - just 10 days short of the point where the transplant is considered successful - a routine blood test showed the leukemia had returned. The following week, Killian's doctor told us we were out of options and that Killian had about two months to live. He said we should go make some memories while Killian was still well enough to enjoy himself. So we went to Disney World, telling Killian and his brothers that we were celebrating a successful bone marrow transplant. That was one of the hardest weeks of my life - pretending to be happy when my heart broke every time I looked at Killian. It felt as if my heart was tearing apart.
But we weren't ready to give up. The day we got back from Disney World, I read an article about a new drug which was first developed here in Atlanta for chemo-resistant childhood leukemia. The drug, BL22, is a targeted treatment which attaches itself only to the cancer cells and destroys them. It does not destroy healthy cells - only cancer cells. I called our doctors immediately and asked if Killian could try the drug. They said he couldn't because it was not open to clinical trials for children. That didn't stop me. Miraculously, I managed to contact the doctor at the National Cancer Institute and we got special permission from the FDA to use the new drug just for Killian. Within a week, we were at the NCI in Bethesda, Md., where Killian became the first child in the world to try this new drug. The drug worked well enough to stop the leukemia cells from multiplying for a short time but because the drug was experimental the doctors were not allowed to give Killian a big enough dose to cure him. If the doctors had had the money to fund the development of this drug earlier, it could very well have saved his life. But this miracle was not meant for Killian so we took him home.
Over the next few weeks Killian deteriorated rapidly, needing blood and platelet transfusions every other day. He developed a fungal infection in his lungs which the doctors said would kill him in about three days. Killian's spirit kept him alive for his little brother's 6th birthday three weeks later. The day after Finn's birthday Killian told us three times that he was ready to go now. When I told him that was okay but asked where he was going, he smiled and said, "I'm going home.' He was very peaceful and at 10pm on Sunday July 27, 2003, Killian left us.
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. -- A few months ago, Nadia Martinez and her 16-year-old daughter, Brianne Matthews, drifted into an uncharacteristic conversation about life and death.
News about Matthews' death traveled fast among southern California's softball followers, a community where everyone seems to know each other. And that's because they basically do.
"Bri always had kind of a little cloud in her life," Jackson said. "She was a happy kid who worked hard but she always had a little cloud. Personally, I don't know why. But it was there."
