slr52

Indeed, congratulations to Lindsey! This is a wonderful accomplishment. I haven't been on CoachT for about eight years, but was made aware of this thread today and want to echo the good wishes. Megan has already sent congratulations. Also, for those that were wondering, Megan pitched four+ years. I say the "+" because her eighth grade year she played behind three upper classmen, so she barely made it on the field. Best of luck at Marshall, Lindsey, and I hope you have a great college experience! I am sure you will make all of us in Tennessee proud. Steve Rhodes (father of Megan Rhodes Smith)

Go get 'em Antwan!! I'm with you. Those games between Lipscomb and Smith Co. were nail biters. Great games between two great teams. The score easily could have gone either way, especially in the game where the winning score came on the intentional walk. Intentional walks still scare me...to many chances for something to go wrong.

Rhodes had 1807 strikeouts with 26 or 27 coming in the eighth grade. But this thread is about Ashley Elrod. Congratulations! Anytime a high school pitcher can total more than 1000 strikeouts, it reflects a lot of hard work and sacrifice.

I hope Christine Davis can recover soon. This nagging problem has certainly been frustrating for her. She looked great working out during the Christmas holidays before the pain returned. She has a lot of promise, and her talent has not gone unnoticed by some college coaches.

Swingaway, Thanks for the information in your post. I'm curious about your figures. You show an increase of women in sports over a 29 year period from 31,858 to 150,916 for a 4.7 increase. Increasing the participation almost five times certainly makes the argument for Title IX. Then you site the men's increase from 172,447 to 3,921,069 for a 22.7 increase. Is there a typo on the number of men in 2001? That number is huge. Thanks for any clarification.

Congratulations to both coaches! Coach Davis, you have been a great inspiration to Megan from the very first pitching lesson years ago to the present. Words cannot begin to repay what you have done for her. Glad we could be there for the win Friday afternoon. You, Coach Knott and Coach Swang have meant so much to countless girls over the years. Thanks for all you do. Now, for the next 500 games......!!!! Steve Rhodes

Abbott being "an even bigger national talent" is an understatement. She is 6"3" and gets in the mind of the batters very quickly. When you are 5"7" it is hard to intimidate anyone!

Bleacherbum, Of the six fall signees at UT for next year four are from Tennessee - Vaughn from Lenoir City, Hammond from GPS, Fulmer from Maryville, and Peroni from Goodpasture. Currently there are seven Tennessee girls on the UT squad. So there are some Tennessee girls getting noticed. Deadeye, Glad your daughter is enjoying a great year at her JUCO. I think I know who she is, and she is a very fine pitcher. I'm not surprised at her success. I noted also from your post that she is opting to move up to DI next year instead of playing out her option at the JUCO. On the other hand, regarding Megan "riding the pine," she was very much aware of what her playing time would be when she chose UT. Her reasons for choosing Tennessee were the coaches, players (she has really enjoyed her teammates), and a particular academic degree that she is interested in which is not offered at many schools. She also wants to see if she can be successful at that level of play. She knew going in that she would pitch behind an All American and she was fine with that. The most important thing is for each girl to find the situation that is best for her.

Academic aid comes from a student's grades, ACT or SAT score, rank in class, etc. It is awarded by the university independent of any athletic money a student receives. The more academic aid a student receives, the less the athletic department has to spend on that student. A coach can spread out the 11.5 scholarships out at his/her disgression - some full, some partial. The more lottery and academic money a recruit receives, that frees up more money for someone else.

Two other factors are in-state or out-of-state tuition, and the lottery. A "full ride" for an in-state player is totally different than a "full ride" for an out-of-state player, presuming that their is no out-of-state tuition waiver. Out of state is going to cost a coach at least double the tuition, if not more. If you are in-state, the lottery, plus some academic scholarship money, helps a coach put a decent package together.

Thanks Shari21, If we can get everybody healthy and playing at 100% we ought to be able to make a pretty good run.

32 innings.... I wonder if it was with or without tie breaker.

In theory it sounds good to say that everyone should be tested for drugs - the idea being that those who don't use drugs have nothing to worry about. Apparently it isn't quite that simple. Certain "over the counter" drugs can cause a false positive that could get an athlete in trouble. A lot of education would have to go hand in hand with the testing to make sure that innocent people are not falsely accused. For instance, my daughter has been informed that next year as a college athlete, she will be subject to surprise testing. For that reason she will be under strict guidelines not to take any kind of medicine that she does not receive through the university. So no running down to the corner Walgreens for cold medicine.

Congratulations Allison. Great article in the City Paper. You are at the end of an outstanding career at Brentwood - never lost a game at home. That is remarkable! Wish I had been there for the water fight. Hope Coach B caught a little of the action. Looks like you and your teammates have your eye on state!

This morning's Tennessean had a great article on Laura Hippensteel. Congratulations, Laura. You are a great ball player and a tremendous young lady. You make the game of softball proud.

"CLUB D" -- pretty catchy. I think you are on to something there.

Bem71957 - I think you are underestimating the other girls on the team. I can attest to the hard work many of them put in. Last year there were some young players in key positions that a few of them had never even played before. I wouldn't say the talent is drying up because I believe in what Lipscomb's coaches can do. Besides, I don't want to let you forget that Christine Davis is a hard worker who I believe is going to turn some heads this year. She's gonna be around for awhile too. Basically - quit bashing my team Megan

Thanks Nat! You bring the music. I'll bring the moves. (Ali's been working with me) Megan

bem71957, Players come and go, but teams stay on the radar because of consistency in the program. Coaches Davis, Knott and Swang are a class act. They teach the game of softball well, run extremely efficient practices, never bend or break the rules, and teach the players to win and lose with class. I expect Lipscomb will be on the radar screen for a long time.

Congratulations Lauren!! I'm so proud of you! I know you'll do great! Go easy on me this spring. Megan Rhodes (I'm the elephant celebrating!)

Thank you! Good one Nat Megan

I can see your point, but I feel there is another way to look at the situaiton. Why would a player want to be on a team where they are already the best without having to work for it? Instead, shouldn't the player be seeking a challenge by surrounding herself with others who are also talented, and who will push them to become better? Ultimately, if your goal is to improve, being the star is irrelevant. Besides, motivation for joining a team should not depend on whether or not the player will be a stand out. Also.... In my personal recruiting experiences, I never found a coach who promised me the moon or anything else beyond reasonable. In fact, none of them made any sort of promises but merely outlined what they felt my role COULD be. Most of them even threw in the disclaimer that, of course, it all depended on the work I put in. If a coach is promising a player that they will be a star, then maybe that's the time to reevaluate their interest in the school. Megan Rhodes

I presume you are referring to college coaches, as high school coaches would NEVER recruit!! Do you have any specific schools in mind? If sftblcoach is referring to travel team players and parents, then it seems that the "two way street" would be those coaches who do not honor players who have been there for the team all summer by having them sit the bench at nationals. These coaches pull in outsiders at the last minute to boost their chances to win at the expense of the girls that got them there. For the most part, I think last minute additions should only be considered when replacements are needed for players who elect to not play because if conflicts, illness, or.... lack of commitment (left the team).

Wow, what a memory, EzellSoftball04. Waldo is impressed!

Std, You may be correct. I didn't get to see that game. It's possible that Tracey Gibbons caught that game. If so, she hadn't caught Megan before (her older sister was behind the plate the preceding two years), and Coach D probably helped ease her into the situation. Tracey learned quickly and did great down the stretch.