thatsafact

Did the pitcher from Ooltawah- Thomas- qualify her team this weekend for the 18U Gold nationals? How about Renroe from Trinity on the southern force did they qualify this weekend? Anybody know? I think this was the last chance.

Why are discussing this???? Isnt this personal? Who cares what this family does or where these kids go to school? Best of luck to them whatever they do.

She goes down in the high school hall of fame. What a great honor for not only her, but for her school and all of Tennessee softball! That has to be the highest honor any softball player could ever recieve. Congrats Cat!

I wish good luck to whoever takes over this program. They are going to need all the luck they can get .

It is wrong to blame a team for errors and losses while saying the pitcher pitched great. Ivy was walking/ hitting batters up to 4 to 6 a game. Almost every game. Runners cant score when the ball is hit if your pitcher doesnt put them on in great numbers. Maybe the trinity girls did make an error or two a game, all high school teams do, but you cant blame errors on them for all those runs scored that weekend. Ellen did pitch well, I watched the Goodpasture game. The score of that game was 1-0, now that is a different story.

They play each other a little. But the majority the of the season they play a lot weaker teams and to get to state for many of them is easier: Trinity, defending A champs: Got pounded by Riverdale, lost to Beech, and Creekwood , and almost lost to Siegel and Blackman, again Siegel, Blackman and Riverdale arent at State in AAA. To get to A State they only had to defeat teams like : Jacksonville Christian -record: 4-10 Adamsville-record : 10-15 South Fulton-record: 2-6 Decatur county-record 1-8 Fayettee Acadamy- record 0-4 They are defeating all teams with losing records to get to state. Only 13 of the 39 games they played against in-state teams had winning records in any level this season. Goodpasture, defending AA champs: Losses to Riverdale, Mt. Juliet ( twice) Siegel ( 22-17), and Ooltewah. Three of these AAA teams didnt make state. The good AAA they beat were Brentwood ( twice), and Mt. Juliet once, and Wilson central ( 13-8). They also played and won against Hendersonville ( 22-16), and Lavergne ( 1-14)and Oakland ( 20-10). 24 games were against AA or A teams , 14 were against AAA, which resulted in 5 or 6 of their losses. To get to state they had to defeat: White house( 15-24) Greenbriar ( 20-17) Smith County ( 12-18) Dekalb county ( 36-9) Chattanooga Christian ( 10-11) I dont know but it seems a lot easier to get to state in A or AA than AAA and it is a lot easier to put up high stats!

Tennessee does have some great players. I am most impressed with those players and teams winning and putting up numbers on the AAA level. Could the schools at the AA level win it all at the AAA level? How about the A level, could these teams clean up consistantly at AAA? Could they even make it to state? I know the better teams play and may win a game here and there against a AAA team but across the board and in post season play it isnt the same. Mt Juliet didnt even make state in AAA, niether did Ravenwood or other really good AAA teams. I think I should say kuddos to those teams, players and pitchers who even make AAA state because that is a TOUGH road!!!!!!!!!!!

The fantastic pitcher we all saw on the Sparkman team that was signed with Alabama ( they were in the Lincoln County Border Battle) broke her ankle in two places this weekend sliding into home. Sparkman was ranked in the top 20 nationally. Her metal cleats caught and she kept going. From her dad and others taken off of the Alabama forum: Amber is waiting to go into surgery at St. Vincents in B'ham. She fractured her ankle in two places while sliding into home. Thanks for all the calls of encouragement and support we have received, not only from her team, but from her friends on other teams. Also thanks to every one that responded and helped her at the park. Please keep her in your prayers, she is very disappointed that her season ended like this. Also from the forum: We lost our shortstop for the season today when she tried to reverse her direction. maybe it's just my imagination. but i seem to be hearing about more knee and ankle injuries this year than ever before. best of luck to amber. saw her once and she's awesome. If any of you get a chance send a card to this coach so he can get it to her. She and her team and her family need our prayers and support right now.

Sounds like some interesting things happened in the game. Why dont you describe to us just how exactly Coffee County won the game down in Coffee County.

Sorry to disagree.

Are you sure they dont mean Mt. juliet , I mean it is up there in the same area with the other two. How do you know they MEAN to say Beech and NOT Mt Juliet?????? My point is the system is severely flawed. The people voting dont have a clue as to what they are doing. You dont KNOW they mean Beech, you are guessing.

Duhhhhhhh, but it isnt rocket science to know this is the second time in a row they have said Hendersonville! If they meant " Beech" they would have said Beech. ( you know that team that cant seem to beat Mt. Juliet)

I think it is none of your business and I think you are overstepping your bounds and I think you need to shut up.

It says Hendersonville, not Beech, none of the other schools are misnamed

How in the world do they come up with Hendersonville being one of the top teams in the nation? Not that Hendersonville is bad it is just how did they come up with that????????? USA TODAY/NFCA RANKINGS The USA TODAY/National Fastpitch Coaches Association High School Top 25 is compiled by state representatives from across the country. Records are as of April 7. Among the criteria considered are a school's strength of schedule, the quality of competition in its state or league, and the quality of its players. 1 - Pembroke Pines Charter (Fla.) - 22-0 - (12) 2 - Sheldon (Calif.) - 15-1 - (1) 3 - Aledo (Texas) - 26-1 - (3) 4 - Santiago (Calif.) - 15-1 - (4) 5 - Broad Run (Va.) - 7-0 - (5) 6 - Eau Gallie (Fla.) - 24-1 - (2) 7 - Canyon del Oro (Ariz.) - 21-4 - (8) 8 - Plano (Texas) - 23-3 - (9) 9 - Butler (N.C.) - 11-0 - (11) 10 - Lubbock Coronado (Texas) - 30-1 - (13) 11 - Chamberlain (Fla.) - 19-2 - (6) 12 - Kennedy (Calif.) - 16-3 - (7) 13 - Shadle Park (Wash.) - 4-0 - (14) 14 - Wren (S.C.) - 12-0 - (17) 15 - Byrd (La.) - 27-1-1 - (18) 16 - Ooltewah (Tenn.) - 9-1 - (16) 17 - Sandburg (Ill.) - 9-0 - (20) 18 - Sparkman (Ala.) - 31-3 - (15) 19 - St. Amant (La.) - 25-6 - (10) 20 - Ryle (Ky.) - 7-0 - (23) 21 - Cibola (N.M.) - 16-0 - (24) 22 - South Panola (Miss.) - 20-2 - (25) 23 - Simi Valley (Calif.) - 17-0 - (NR) 24 Central Davidson (N.C.) - 11-0 - (NR) 25 - Smithson Valley (Texas) - 20-2 - (21) Also receiving consideration: Canton Hoover (Ohio), Castle (Ind.), Escondido (Calif.), Hendersonville (Tenn.), Kentlake (Wash.), Mesquite Poteet (Texas), North Davidson (N.C.), Riverton (Utah), Tallahassee Lincoln (Fla.) *****

For the safety of your girls report her and her team. They can not wear them.

THANK GOODNESS!!! NO!!

That was really uncalled for. Show just a little class. Until your team learns how to win or lose gracefully you will never get respect.

Maryland High School Softball and Metal Cleats News Bulletin The MPSSAA has issued a statement concerning metal cleats and high school softball. Please be advised of the following. Concerning metal cleats for softball we would like our athletic directors and coaches to be proactive and notify non- MPSSAA member schools on their schedule of our decision not to allow metal cleats well in advance of their game when they are the host. The softball committee will be asked to help in disseminating this information to the various regions of the State. It is likely that most players have a pair of non-metal cleat shoes that they could wear if given a timely notice. In the event a non-member school shows up to play with metal cleats, the determination to play (or not) should be made by the game management (athletic director, coach, etc.), hopefully in concert with the other team. Since NFHS rules allow the metal cleats, the umpires should not be at jeopardy regardless of the final decision to play or not. The issue of games involving non-public in-state schools playing MPSSAA schools should be handled in the same manner. However, the Standards of Competition require them to use NFHS rules and metal cleats are allowed under NFHS rules. Again, we would suggest that athletic directors and coaches be aware of this issue and make proactive contacts with their future opponents. The umpires should not be put in the middle if the schools can not agree. When/if our schools travel out-of-state or to a non-public school, we would suggest they find out in advance what their position is on metal cleats. Again, the ""when in Rome"" rule would apply and they would have to make a school decision whether to play the game.

I dont know why I am responding as I feel Your comments dont even warrant a response. Why dont you email your little comments to Bethany Holley, Cat, Holli Kilcrease , Lindsey Hall, Melissa Folsom, Sabrina Drogos, Kathleen Chase, Chanin Naudin or the hundreds of others across the country. Google "metal spike injuries and softball" to gather other names. Tell them and their parents your cute little remarks because quite honestly I dont think they carry any merritt.

Debate over steel cleats rages in softball circles By Jeremy Wise Published: March 30, 2008 It started as just another day out on the softball field for Kinston pitcher Bethany Holley. The Class 1A state all-tournament team member was playing in Kinston??™s fourth game of the season, facing Providence Christian on the road Feb. 25 in an important area contest. Little did she know it would be her final game of the 2008 season. Holley, who has pitched for the Kinston varsity since she was in the eighth grade, said she noticed her back foot kept getting caught on the pitching rubber early. The pitching rubber was a bit raised above the ground, possibly because dirt was dug out from in front due to usage. In the third inning, her metal cleats caught the mound again, and as Holley planted, her leg gave away. She heard a snap, she said. It was the sound of her anterior cruciate ligament ripping in two. Holley said the injury could have happened with rubber cleats, but ???I have never experienced my foot getting caught with rubber cleats.??? Holley??™s injury has helped fuel discussion of a new rule in softball in high schools nationwide. Every year, the National Federation of State High School Athletic Associations (NFHS) reviews rules in all sanctioned sports and makes changes where they see fit. One rule change for 2008 has thrown the softball community into a heated debate. Before 2008, softball players were not allowed to wear metal cleats, which are sometimes made of steel. That changed with a revision to the rule book for 2008. The move to approve metal cleats was deemed necessary due to safety concerns. The following statement was released by the NFHS in regard to the rules change: ???Metal cleats provide better traction for athletes on nearly all surfaces, including hard, wet or under-maintained fields,??? said Cindy Simmons, chair of the NFHS Softball Rules Committee from Oregon. ???They also help prevent slippage on the bases, especially home plate.??? Some teams, coaches and players would disagree, for Holley is not the only stalwart pitcher to be felled with an injury blamed on metal cleats. Earlier this year, Riverdale (Tenn.) High School pitcher Cat Hosfield broke her ankle sliding into a base, according to The Nashville Tennessean. Hosfield, a Tennessee signee, struck out a national record 659 batters last year. When Hosfield attempted to pop up from her slide, the metal cleats did not give, according to The Tennessean. In the report, Riverdale coach Jeff Breeden said,???It all comes back to the metal cleats. Before the injury, I liked us having them. But if these guys are doing a pop-up slide, they better not pop up. When her cleat hung, it broke the bones instead of rolling the ankle.??? And Holley is not the only one on her team to suffer an injury blamed on metal cleats. The defending 1A state champion Kinston Lady Bulldogs lost second baseman Holli Kilcrease to a severe ankle sprain when she slid into home in a tournament in Troy Feb. 29 and March 1. Kilcrease has not played since. Those two injuries, coupled with a few others, have depleted the Lady Bulldogs, who own a 4-7-1 record through last week. ???We took all of our girls out of steel cleats. I didn??™t want them to begin with, but you don??™t want to be at a competitive disadvantage,??? Lady Bulldogs head softball coach Janie Wiggins said. The advantage of metal cleats, according to many coaches, is the traction, which allows for more speed. ???The girls like it because of the better traction,??? said Ben Thompson, Lady Wildcats head softball coach. ???When they get to college, they??™re wearing them there.??? Jaime Carruthers, New Brockton head softball coach and a former Alabama A&M softball player, said, ???I??™ve played with them in college. You were laughed at if you wore plastic cleats.??? She also said her players love them, including her pitchers, who say they can push off better with them. Other players like them for other reasons. ???I love them. They??™re lightweight,??? said Hannah Beth Baker, an Enterprise Lady Wildcats infielder. Lady Wildcat catcher Sara Hilton, who will play next year at Shelton State Community College, said she likes the metal cleats for the better traction in wetter conditions. She also likes them for their durability. ???The cleats, when they are rubber, they wear down,??? she said. In addition to concerns about injuries when hitting a bag while sliding, another concern is getting ???spiked??? while playing defense. ???My biggest fear was girls not knowing how to slide properly in them,??? Carruthers said. ???We went over how to slide a whole practice. As long as (players are) not malicious when sliding, I??™m for them.??? According to the NFHS release, ???current rules prohibit runners from illegal tactics when sliding, and if sliding is executed correctly, the risk of defensive players being ??

So what makes you think a parent is going to know they NEED to get on line to find out how to do things differently when wearing plastic vs metal?????????????? I mean other than the obvious of how to tag a runner wearing spikes coming into a base how is one to know? How is a parent to know there is a safety issue if you say even the high school coaches dont know? From reading the posts on this board and how CAREFULLY the college coaches are to make the transition I now know. After what happened to that poor girl I now know. Thank god for this board and the information provided because I was clueless. Quite honestly if the coaches were aware and the people who passed the decision were aware of danger these articles from the college coaches concerning transistion SHOULD HAVE COME OUT FIRST! Not after kids are hurt.

Good, then let your daughter wear them. Insensitive slug.

Sure Riverdale will be Ok, they have a great coach and great kids but that doesnt take away the pain. I have no doubt they will step it up. I feel bad for them and Cat. Cat is such a sweet young person and with out a doubt a great leader. She always had a smile and a kind word for everybody. I am sure she will step it up too and help her coach make this team the best it can be. Good luck Cat, I cant wait to see how else you can help this year and I cant wait to see you pitch next year on ESPN. /biggrin.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin.gif" />