Minnesota Softball Hall of Fame - Class of 2012

Minnesota Amateur
Summer/Fall 2012
Official Publication of the Minnesota Sports Federation
27th Softball Hall of Fame
Banquet Memorable
St. Cloud, Minnesota hosted the 27th
Minnesota Softball Hall of Fame Banquet on Saturday, November 3.
Nearly 300 softball enthusiasts were in
attendance to recognize the 16 honorees who played, managed, umpired or
administered the great game of softball.
Inductees spanned six decades from
the 50’s through today.
Many funny and heartfelt stories were told and a tear or two
was shed.
Wayne Eddy did his customary fine job keeping the program
light and moving.
To see bios of this year’s Hall of Fame Class, go to page 3.
The 28th banquet will be held in Southern Minnesota the last
Saturday in October, 2014. See you there!
Despite the uncertainty, 2012 MSF
Softball program a success
With the decision of the National ASA to “abandon” its local
association the ASA-MSF in 2012, it was unclear at the start
of the season just what would happen to the local program.
Fortunately, 95% of the state softball leagues remained loyal
to the local association (MSF), so the local program remained
virtually the same with nearly 600 teams competing in MSF
post-season play. That was six times the number of teams
our previous affiliate had in post-season play and more than
twice as many as our other competitor.
All men’s fastpitch and modified pitch leagues remained loyal
to the MSF, so state tournaments were unaffected.
Already, we have heard from many of the 5% that were not
affiliated with us last year that they will be in 2013.
Many promises that were made to JO Softball leagues by
competitors were not kept, so we are hopeful to rejuvenate it
in 2013.
JO Fastpitch league directors should watch for more info on
the 2013 program shortly.
Umpires have also remained loyal en masse with more than
twice as many registered MSF than with our previous affiliate.
Almost all adult tournaments in the state were sanctioned
MSF in 2012 and we expect the same in 2013. If you want
teams in the state of Minnesota to know about your tournament and for your umpires to be insured, it is important to
sanction it MSF.
Continued on page 2 ►
Five champions crowned at Inaugural
NSF North American Championships
The NSF North American Championships took place over a beautiful Labor
Day Weekend in Faribault, MN and the
results are in. The first pitch was
thrown by local Minnesota Softball Hall
of Famer Jerry Hatfield to get things
started on Friday. The last pitch was
thrown early Sunday evening to put a
cap on a great weekend of softball.
IN THIS ISSUE...
Hall of Fame Photo Gallery………… 2
Class of 2012 Hall of Fame Bios…... 3
2013 Adult Winter Schedule……….. 11
Remembering Bob Laufenburger…. 12
Ask Coach Wolff…………………….. 13
Group: Obesity in United States…... 15
Ballfield accident strengthens family bond… 16
Adult Softball Champions…………... 18
North American Championships…… 26
JO Softball Champions……………... 27
Girls Fastpitch High School All-Star Series… 27
Vol 5, No. 2
Good calls help Keller earn national……….. 28
Teen athletes in overdrive can’t keep up…... 29
Walker receives honor……………… 30
Youth Baseball State Championships………. 31
Touch Football State Results………. 36
Youth Volleyball Preview……………. 37
Youth Volleyball State Entry Form…. 39
Anger management: Coach-parent conflicts.. 40
Tobacco-in-Parks Debate Not Over…………. 42
Youth Basketball Preview…………… 43
Youth Basketball State Entry Form… 45
Continued on page 26 ►
NSF ♦ MSF SOFTBALL
MINNESOTA SPORTS FEDERATION
P.O. Box 368
Big Lake, MN 55309
(763) 263-9993
Fax: (763) 263-5657
www.msf1.org
Summer/Fall
Minnesota Amateur
MSF Softball Program (continued)
2
Softball Hall of Fame Photo Gallery
A few tweaks will be made to the MSF program in the
form of combining some post-season tournaments at
the same site and combining district men’s play into a
north and south state tournament, and just one weekend of play, something the teams want.
We will continue to use the 375/44 ball which does
not produce the wicked bounces the 300/52 ball
does. The teams we surveyed during the National
Softball Federation North American Championships
were adamant about wanting status quo on the ball; if
there’s a liveliness problem it’s still with the bats, not
the ball.
Randy and Sue Czarnetski from Willmar
attended the 2012 Softball Hall of Fame
Banquet. Randy is a former MSF staff member and has been an MSF umpire for over 20
years.
Mrs. Dick Hudson (with purse) accepted Hall
of Fame honors for her husband, Dick, who
passed away in 2005.
Carolyn Laufenburger, right, and daughters
Kirsten and Tammy attended the Hall of
Fame Banquet in memory of her husband
Bob, who passed away last August. One of
Bob's final generous acts was to nominate
his umpiring colleague, Mark Rieber, for the
Hall of Fame.
Duke Weisbrod, Cambridge-Isanti League
Director and MSF Vice President and Raquel
Bushman, Crow River JOFP Director, player
and umpire, graciously agreed to assist with
registration and memorabilia sales.
Paula Bergren's family set up a fabulous
memorial for her at the banquet. Paula was
killed by a drunk driver this past year.
Jean Kingsley was presented a Hall of Fame
plaque in honor of her husband, Ed, who
passed away in 2008. Son, Tim, looks on
while Wayne Eddy, Emcee, congratulates
Jean.
Nearly 300 attended the 2012 Minnesota
Softball Hall of Fame Banquet in St. Cloud
where 16 distinguished softball devotees
were inducted.
Mark Rieber, Softball Hall of Fame umpire
from Mankato thanked all those who have
helped him along the way in his umpiring
career including best friend Bob Laufenburger, or "Laufy" as everyone knew him.
Mark served as MSF President from 19901993.
The designated runner rule has been changed to the
courtesy runner rule leagues currently use, to simplify
things.
The inaugural North American Championships got off
to a very good start with the Faribault Softball Association hosting, led by Joe Clammer.
2013’s version will be held in Minnesota again for
both men and women, with the hope we will begin to
attract some out of state and Canadian teams. Forty
teams competed in 2012.
For umpires, we promise to hold at least two state
umpire schools in the state. If your umpire association would like to host one and can get a suitable indoor venue, please contact [email protected].
Our thanks to all league directors, umpires and tournament directors who made the 2012 season a tremendous success. We deeply appreciate your loyalty
to the MSF and dedication to the softball program in
Minnesota.
Indeed, the Minnesota Softball community recognized this year that they are much better off keeping
their dollars local. By doing so in 2012 MSF softball
participants and umpires saved over $75,000 that
previously would have been went to a national organization.
See you again at the 2013 district meetings and umpire clinics!
Robert "Sam" Werner was the final inductee
of the evening and didn't disappoint, telling a
story about a rock and a window when he
was a young boy.
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Minnesota Softball Hall of Fame - Class of 2012
Gene Bartz
Edina/Richfield/Minnetonka
Nominated by Bob Kojetin
and Sharon Essig
Gene, or “Geno” as he’s often called on the field, was born the
third of four “Bartz boys” who can attest that they’ve been playing
ball since they were old enough to walk in the cow pastures. As a
kid, Gene played town ball for Wendell/Elbow Lake/Norcross/
Herman. It is said that his team once played against Roger Maris
in a game played in Fargo.
Front Row (L-R) - Marilyn Hudson (for Dick*), Barb Olson, Sam Werner,
Anna Anderson, Bonnie Muzik and Jean Kinglsey (for Ed*)
Back Row (L-R) Barb Northway, Denny Malarkey, Gene "Geno" Bartz,
Bud Heidgerken, Dennis Johnson, Mark Rieber, Dennis Karp (for Dennis*) Paul Harrington, Dianne Dingmann
Anna Anderson
Minneapolis/St. Paul
Nominated by Jo Jorgenson
In 1957, Gene began playing outfield for Elim Lutheran Church,
which is where he’d play for the next 24 years. Gene was well
known for his “big bat” and “full body swing”. As his teammate and
son-in-law Bill describes it, “the viciousness of Geno’s legendary
swing resembled that of a garage door spring breaking – seriously, that thing could kill you.”
Not only does he have a big bat, he’s got a mean knuckle ball. So
much so that people rarely want to even play catch with the guy.
In 1959, the city of Edina fielded their first ever slow pitch team for
which Geno was recruited to play leftfield. Gene’s son-in-law Bill
and grandson Dusty also played for the City League. They played
against one another at many “Fossils vs. Punks” tournaments.
The “Fossils” routinely showed the “Punks” how it is done.
Anna Anderson started playing softball in 1953 for the Rebels of
St. Paul. She played at Dunning Field for two years before being
invited to Minneapolis in 1955 to play for Schapers. The Schapers
later became Dave’s Comets, then the Minneapolis Comets.
During one city game, as Geno was playing first base – a baserunner collided with him and broke Geno’s arm in three places. To
avoid a forfeit, Geno sent his grandson for ice and he continued to
play one-handed for the remainder of the game.
When playing for the Rebels, Anna was a pitcher. She also played
third base for the Schapers. She quickly earned a reputation as a
slick fielder with a shotgun arm.
During another city game, onlookers were caught off guard to see
him batting cleanup in a lineup full of youngsters. With his grandchildren cheering “Go-Grandpa-Go”, Geno knocked one out. He
was presented with a game ball signed by his teammates stating,
“I saw Geno hit this ball over the centerfield fence”.
Anna showed her versatility as well by playing the outfield, first
base or catcher when called upon. In 1962, she played in the Pan
American Games in Winnipeg, Canada. The Comets finished third
place and won a bronze medal. Besides the Pan American
Games, she also played in 7 National Tournaments.
While playing for the Comets, Anna was awarded the most valuable player award in the 1961 Sioux Falls Tournament. In 1962,
she was named the Outstanding Player in the Red River Valley
Tournament in 1966 and was named to the All Region Team.
When Anna was a student at the University of Minnesota from ’53’57, she played co-rec softball with the physical education majors.
Anna’s ability to excel in softball led her to a Title Nine Letter in
softball in 2007 from the University of Minnesota.
Anna became the softball coach at Inver Hills Community College
in 1976 and led her team to a State Tournament Championship in
1977. She was then invited to coach at North Hennepin Community College where she coached from 1978 to 1984. North Hennepin won the Regional Tournament and went to the Nationals in St.
Louis, Missouri.
Anna umpired in Minneapolis from 1950 to 1955 was a high
school umpire from ’78 to ’84. When she retired from highly competitive softball, Anna played slow pitch for another three years in
Fridley.
On April 25, 1991, Anna was honored by being inducted in the
inaugural class of the Minnesota State High School League Hall of
Fame for serving as the state volleyball rules interpreter for over
25 years. She was also inducted into the Minnesota State Volleyball Coaches Hall of Fame in 1997.
Geno began playing Senior Softball in 1990 in Edina/Richfield
(now known as the West Metro Senior Softball League). He has
played for many Senior Softball teams: The Prize Company, Minnesota Legends, Minnesota Long Haul, Jimmy’s & The Legends.
In 2005, Jerry Otto presented Geno with the game ball for being
the first 70+ player to hit a ball over the 300 foot fence!
Geno’s long list of accolades includes:
• 2001 65+ AAA World Championship team
• 2003 Senior Softball World Championship Team
• 2005 Senior Softball World Series
• 2006 National All-Star Team
• 2006 All-American Team at the Nationals
• 2008 60’s Senior Softball National Championship Team
• 2009 USA Las Vegas World Championship Team
Geno hasn’t done this alone. His wife Arliss has been a dedicated
cheerleader, logging many hours at the ballfields. Before a game
in Bull Head City, Arliss handed Gene a new bat and told him to
“hit one out of the park”. Sure enough, Gene hit one that cleared
the fence. You can’t say he doesn’t do as he is told.
Outside of softball, Gene has remained a mainstay in the community as an active member in his local church. Gene also served in
the U.S. Army Reserve.
Geno’s softball career can be summed up by the signed baseball
he received from Dan Gladden which read, “From one World
Champion to another”… however, Geno still believes the only reason he’s asked to play is for his famous roast beef.
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Minnesota Softball Hall of Fame - Class of 2012
Paula Bergren
Dianne Dingmann
Nominated by Robert Johnson
Nominated by Ellie Ghostly
Anoka
Duluth
Paula Bergren was a pioneer and advocate of women softball
within the City of Duluth. She was a player, she was a coach, she
was a tournament director and she was a leader.
Dianne Dingmann started playing organized softball at the tender
age of 14. She played for a number of teams throughout her career including:
Women’s softball was just becoming popular when the Rustic Bar
and Mr. Frank’s were the two top teams in town. A car accident in
rural Douglas County in the summer of 1973 took the lives of
Diane Tessier and Chris Waltman, two Duluth players returning
from a tournament. The tight-knit softball “sorority” banded together and a memorial tournament named Waltman-Tessier was
born. Paula served as the tournament director co-chair. It became
the premier women’s softball event in the region each summer,
spanning 35 years, and generated funds that helped the sport
prosper and raised thousands of dollars for women’s softball fields
and scholarships.
•
•
•
•
•
Paula loved sports; playing, coaching and watching. She was a
player and co-manager of Rustic Softball Team that went on to
win the Women’s Class A National, the first slow pitch team from
Minnesota to ever win a national title.
While playing and coaching softball, Paula met many men and
women who would become her closest friends and remain friends
throughout her lifetime.
She was instrumental is establishing the Duluth Softball Players
Association in 1982, which was amongst the first players' associations to be established in the State. She became its first president
and served for many years. With a partnership with the City of Duluth, player fees were collected and placed in a special account at
City Hall to be used for capital improvement of a new softball complex. In 1990, the finishing touches to the Wheeler Field complex
were completed giving Duluth some of the finest softball facilities
around.
In 1983, she lead a contingent to the National Council Meeting in
Las Vegas and secured the bid for the City of Duluth for the 1984
Men’s Class A Slowpitch National Softball Tournament. The tournament was held on August 31-September 3, 1984, at which was
the tournament director. This was the first time a national slowpitch tournament was held in the state of Minnesota.
The Minnesota Recreational Sports Federation was created in
1982 with Paula serving as a board member. In 1985 she became
the President.
Unfortunately, Paula is not with us tonight as she was killed on
January 21, 2012, by a drunk driver while driving her grandson to
school.
In her belongings we came across a letter dated August 26, 1985
from a coach of the "Spooks of Anoka" that said "Thanks again,
Paula Bergren, you're quite a girl who in your quiet way has done
much more than you're perhaps are given credit for in regards to
softball and yes, in your own community too". "Way to be and
thanks for letting us come and participate".
With fond memories, "Yes, Paula, way to be.....you were quite a
gal!"
Loretto fastpitch team (72-75)
Medina Ballroom (74-80)
Betsy’s Corner Bar (76-82)
Americs (83-88) and
Anoka Spooks (89-97)
The Spooks were the beneficiary of her talents during her prime
years as she helped the team in a number of ways. Dianne consistently had a batting average of over .500.
She was a very talented hitter who had great power to all fields.
She was amazing at coming up with the extra base hits and
homeruns when they were needed the most. She had 521 RBI’s
to her credit in her time with the Spooks.
Dianne was a big contributor to the 1990 and 1996 Spooks National Titles. She was named an All-American Player in the 1996
National Tournament.
Dianne was a very unselfish player, putting the team first. She had
a great attitude and always had an encouraging word for her
teammates.
Defensively, she played first, third, and catcher.
Dianne is a very gifted athlete who is very deserving of this honor.
Paul Harrington
Farmington
Nominated by Dick Taylor
Ken Schonning states, “I have known Paul for 34 years and in that
time have found that he eats, breathes, and sleeps fast pitch softball.” In his early years Paul was a heavy hitting manager/player
for the Bobbers. Ken recalls another Paul event. In a tournament
in Zumbrota, Paul hit two home runs, one landing on the roof of
the school.
As the manager of the Bobbers they won the Farmington League
several times. They won the Class B State tournament twice and
finished second or third six times. Paul was the manager for the
Farmington team in the West St. Paul league.(1987-2001) They
were league champs several times. Paul has appeared in eight
National tournaments. Knee problems ended Paul’s playing days
in 2005. Bobber players describe Paul as an astute manager who
masterfully juggled the lineup to keep the bench happy and still be
a competitive team on the field.
Continued on next page ►
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Minnesota Softball Hall of Fame - Class of 2012
Paul was Director of the Farmington league from 1976 until 2012.
He organized and headed-up a group to improve the softball fields
in Farmington. They improved the fencing, dugouts, bleachers,
and lighting. Paul has served as a host for several fast pitch state
tournaments in Farmington.
Coaching has always been a passion in Paul’s life. He has
coached at least one team every season since 1976. His high
school career began when he was the assistant at St. Louis Park
from 1994 until 2000. Totino-Grace was his first head coaching
job. In eleven years they made five state tournament appearances
and won five conference titles. In 2012 he moved to Farmington
High School. In his first year they appeared in the state and won
the conference title. He has been named section coach of the
year six times and coached the H.S. All-Star Series in 2012. He
organized the first JO Girls Fast Pitch Bobber Tournament in
1995. He was the Director for two years. The tournament still exists today, as a fund raiser for Farmington girls’ softball.
Paul is a certified umpire. He started his umpiring career in 1990
and is still active today. Paul has umpired in many Youth Girls’
and Adult Men’s tournaments at the state level. From 1992 to
2005 he was the UIC for many local invitational tournaments. Darren Betzold writes, “In every area of the game in which he has
participated, Paul has excelled.”
Paul is serving his 22nd year on the Men’s State Fast Pitch Committee. This board helps to keep men’s fast pitch in Minnesota
alive and well.
Bernard “Bud” Heidgerken
Freeport
Nominated by Dave Dziengel
Dave Dziengel writes, “Buddy Heidgerken is long overdue to become a member of the Minnesota Softball Hall of Fame. His accomplishments as a sponsor, organizer, and player in my mind
have made him one of the most influential people in the history of
fast pitch softball in the state.
Bud arrived in Freeport to find no fast pitch softball field. The
baseball team had the only field in town. When that baseball team
folded, the city wanted to turn the field into a housing development. Bud led a group of about 20, five being his brothers, to go to
the Council to develop the old baseball field into a lighted softball
complex. In 1965 Bud organized the Central League, today it is
the Freeport League with Bud as President, a position he has held
since the league was organized. Freeport soon had four fast pitch
and 16 slow pitch teams playing on this field. People of Freeport
told Bud that slow pitch would soon cause fast pitch to fold, but
Bud refused to let the game die. He convinced some of the
Brooten teams to come to Freeport to play. He found baseballplayers willing to give the game a try and found and helped them
develop a pitcher.
Bud started the league in Brooten- one field, no fence, no lights
and with his leadership, they developed two fenced, lighted fields.
The fast pitch league started with four teams. It soon expanded to
twelve teams. Bud left Brooten in 1991, returning to Freeport to
work with his brother running Charlie’s Cafe. Two years after Bud
left, the league unfortunately folded.
Bud sets up schedules, umpires, and stays active on the Freeport
Softball Recreation Board today. At age 69 Bud continues to play,
as a pitcher he has won over 500 games and seven state championships and promises to return in 2013. Since 2008 there have
been 15 fast pitch teams in the Freeport League. In 2013 Freeport
will have 16 fast pitch teams in their league. Freeport applied to
the Minnesota Twins Community Fund for help to expand the softball facilities. Today, with the Twins help, Freeport has two lighted
and fenced fields with digital scoreboards. Bud continues to be an
important part of Freeport Fast Pitch softball. Bud has a youth program developing boys and girls softball skills. All of this couldn’t
have been done without the hard work of Bud Heidgerken.
Dick Hudson
New Ulm
Nominated by Steven Fluegge
In the spring of 1958 Dick started pitching for Fluegge’s Skelly in
New Ulm. Fluegge’s had been the doormat of the league before
Dick joined the team. He transformed those also-rans into City
League and Playoff Champs. They played in the state tournament
in Alexandria that year.
The next twenty years he led New Ulm teams, Fluegge’s and
Nicklasson Athletic to many more state tournaments. The team
record from 1966 to 1970 was 226 and 49. Dick pitched almost
everyone of those games. He was a durable pitcher often pitching
4 or 5 games in a week-end tournament. He had great control to
go with his pitches. He had a rise ball, curve ball, and change up,
but his drop was his out pitch. It fell “off the table” resulting in a
strike out or a routine ground ball. Along with being a great pitcher
he was an outstanding hitter, most seasons hitting over .300 including hitting many home runs. Teammate E. James Senke
writes, “He won with finesse, guile, and experience as he aged.”
Dick had many All-American traits. He was a true sportsman, hating to lose, but he took losing graciously. He was a friendly, hard
working, and respected person. He was a capable carpenter,
business owner, handyman, and singer. He devoted time to promoting fast pitch by working with boys and girls from New Ulm’s
local high schools. These teams won numerous state titles with
the help of Dick Hudson.
Dick’s accomplishments are many — ten times most valuable
player of the New Ulm city league, 16 times named to league AllStar team, and twice home run and batting champ of the league.
New Ulm Journal Sports Editor Don Brand writes, “Dick Hudson of
the Nicks is one of the finest gentlemen athletes I’ve ever met...
Hudson is quite modest about his softball pitching accomplishments, and he’s a team man first.”
Two of Dick’s greatest games would be the Championship game
of 1965 when New Ulm beat the Austin Moose and the great hall
of famer BoBo Johnson. A second, also in 1965, was when pitching for a Faribault team he beat Whitaker Buick and Dutch Elbers
on a no hitter 1-0. In his day, there was no finer fast pitch softball
pitcher or player in Southern Minnesota than Dick Hudson.
Dick passed away on December 13, 2005.
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Minnesota Softball Hall of Fame - Class of 2012
Dennis Johnson
St. James
Nominated by Leroy Jolstad
Dennis began playing fast pitch in 1959 in the St. James Church/
City league. In 1961 he joined the St. James VFW team for 14
years. Dennis soon became involved in other aspects of fast pitch.
He was Southern Star League secretary/treasurer from 1962 –
1991. He served as Director of St. James City League from
1972 – 1976. His last directorship was the Gopher State ISC
League 1981 – 2004.
In 1988 Dennis directed and worked on the building of two softball
fields at the Watonwan County Fairgrounds in St. James. He still
maintains these fields today. The city of St. James named the
area Dennis Johnson Fields. In 1964 Dennis revamped Memorial
Park for slow pitch softball.
Dennis has been a member of 26 teams that have played in State,
National, or World Tournaments. These tournaments included
stops in Clearwater, Bakersfield, Las Vegas, Tempe, and Gadsden, Alabama. He was a member of the Super Sound Tapes team
that played in the 1998 World Masters Games in Portland. In most
cases Dennis kept the score book. On occasion, he put on the
spikes to pinch hit or play an inning in the field. In all the years
Dennis was involved, he was a member of only one team with a
losing record.
Dennis traveled with Super Sound to all the 40/45/50 and Over
Tournaments from 1985 to 1997. Super Sound won five state titles and three national titles. Dennis was the keeper of stats for all
VFW, Band Box, James Gang, and Super Sound Tapes teams as
they traveled to all the different tournaments.
Dennis has saved ALL those score books. So as a player if you
want to know how you did while playing with Dennis, he can get
you the facts.
Dennis joined the Minnesota Softball Hall of Fame Committee in
1998 and continues to serve today.
One final fact about Dennis, he has kept the score book for St.
James Boy’s basketball for 53 years. That is a total of about 1100
games, never missing a game.
Dennis Karp
Carlton County
Nominated by Becky Skog
Dennis Karp captured everyone’s respect and attention with his
spirited dedication to softball.
After serving in the Air Force from 1966-1970, including a tour a
duty in Vietnam, Dennis returned home to Carlton County where
he was immediately recruited by the Blackhoof Valley men’s fastpitch team and soon proved to be a versatile player. In 1974, a
motorcycle accident changed the course of his life, leaving him a
paraplegic and in a wheelchair.
Loving the sport of softball, Dennis wanted to remain involved in
the game. He used his infectious personality, radiant smile, great
sense of humor, knowledge of the game, and passion to become
a great coach. He also served as an umpire from 1978-2003. Just
as women’s slowpitch was beginning to evolve in northern Minnesota in the mid 70’s, Dennis was instrumental in organizing the
first Carlton County Women’s Slow Pitch League. He served as
Co-President of the league for 25 years.
From 1974-2004, Dennis coached the Blackhoof Valley Women’s
Slow Pitch team, which through the years had three sponsors:
Carlton VFW, Juntunen Oil and D&B Trucking. He never missed a
district or state tournament unless he was in the hospital (and
even then he would keep updated via telephone).
When another field was needed to host games, Dennis rose to the
challenge by organizing the fundraising and coordinating the volunteer efforts of constructing the Blackhoof Valley Community
Center ballfield and playground. He took great pride in volunteering to drag the infield and mow the outfield and surrounding
grounds with his own riding lawn tractor. Dennis never let his disability get in the way of his ability to coach softball. At the 1986
Regional Tournament in Barnum, Dennis was forced by the umpire to leave his 1st base coaching box because of his wheelchair.
500 people immediately signed a petition at the tournament protesting the unfairness of the rule not allowing him to coach in his
wheelchair. At a tournament in Duluth two weeks later, Dennis
decided to coach from the ground (without his wheelchair) to comply with the rule. That was Dennis’s spirit taking hold!!
Dennis knew the umpires were following the rule, but he vigorously advocated for change. Dennis believed strongly in the rights
of all people and urged Barb Northway, Associate Director for the
MSF at the time, to propose a rule change at the upcoming national meeting. She did just that just that and the rule was
changed. Two years later, the American Disabilites Act was
passed. Dennis was ahead of his time in facing obstacles and
overcoming adversity with great courage and conviction.
Dennis continued to coach until lung cancer claimed his life at age
57 on January 17, 2005. With great pride, his wife Sue took on the
challenge of coaching with the same spirit and dedication as Dennis.
Edgar “Ed” Kingsley
Princeton
Nominated by Tim Kingsley
In 30 years of participation in softball as a player, coach, umpire
and league director, Ed Kingsley dedicated a lifetime to making
sure the Princeton community had a competitive, safe and fun
league to play in.
Ed always went above and beyond what was needed or expected,
always on his own time, and always in a professional manner. He
was well known and respected throughout the Princeton community and the entire state.
Ed played in the men’s leagues from 1978 to 2008. He also
played in the co-rec league from ’94 to 2008. He could play third
Continued on next page ►
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Minnesota Softball Hall of Fame - Class of 2012
base, but was most known for his 20 plus years as a pitcher. Ed
also had an average that exceeded .545 throughout his career. Ed
passed away June 8, 2008 and to the disbelief of all the doctors
that treated him, Ed played softball until the week before he
passed.
Ed also enjoyed umpiring. He began umpiring in Princeton in 1979
and went on to umpire numerous district and state tournaments.
Ed coached a women’s slow pitch team, Olson Construction that
played in both Cambridge and Princeton from 1981 to 1991. He
also coached a co-rec team he assembled from ’94 to 2008. Although he took his coaching duties seriously, he was better known
for making sure everyone got to play, and giving everyone a hard
time no matter the situation.
In 1982, Ed was asked to assume the role of League Director for
the Princeton Softball Association. Ed, along with his wife, accepted the position, and together they ran the league until he
passed away in 2008. The league is still run by his wife Jean and
son Tim.
Ed had a number of important accomplishments. In 1991, he
worked side by side with the city of Princeton and the Princeton
Park Board to demolish the old playing field at Mark Park and
build the existing facility. The new facility has an additional third
field, and new concessions building and a covered park shelter –
all centrally located behind the backstops. Ed dedicated countless
hours to grooming the playing fields to ensure a clean, safe and
well-maintained playing facility. Ed will be forever missed and remembered by the softball players in and around the Princeton
community. It is no surprise that he has a field dedicated in his
name for all his hard work and selfless dedication.
Denny Malarkey
Roseville
Nominated by Dick Anderson
Denny Malarkey is described by his teammates and opponents as
a true gentleman. His love and passion for softball make Denny a
great steward of the game.
Denny’s softball playing days began in 1967, at the age of 24. It
didn’t take Denny long to start racking up some big numbers. He
hit over .600 in slowpitch for the first time in 1971. He raised some
more eyebrows when he went 11 for 16 for Minnesota Sewer in
the 1972 State Tournament. 7 of the 11 hits were home runs.
Denny went on to hit .600 every year from 1971 to 1987 except for
two. The two years under .600 were .599 and .597 respectively.
Denny played many years for the Roseville Vikings softball team.
The team won seven state championships and had two national
runner-up finishes.
As a member of the Vikings, Denny’s career year came in 1974
when he established most of his individual highs for a single season. Denny played in 150 games, had 624 at bats, collected 385
hits, scored 339 runs and hammered 103 home runs, all career
bests.
Perhaps no season was more memorable than 1976 in which their
team went undefeated while winning 2 leagues and 7 tournaments
including the state championship. Starting in 1994, Denny played
with a core group Masters and Senior players under a number of
different team sponsors including Gregory’s, Park Tavern, MN
Supreme Sportswear and MN Masters. These teams netted 3
state tournament championships and finished second 4 times. In
total, Denny has played on teams that have won 12 state championships and attended 11 national tournaments.
He has hit over 850 home runs and has a lifetime batting average
of .607. He’s been named Tournament MVP at least 8 times.
Denny also was named a 1996 First Team All-American at the 50over nationals in Coral Gables, FL.
Bonnie Muzik
Brainerd
Nominated by Minnesota
Softball Community
Bonnie Muzik got her start on the diamonds in 1955. It was for a
baseball team in Alexandria called the “Little Cardinals”. There
was no girls softball.
Three years later, Bonnie played on her first girls softball team –
the “Kitty Cats”. She weighed about 50 pounds and was the smallest kid on the team, but she was fast. Bonnie played centerfield
and pitched.
By the time Bonnie attended high school, a Girls Athletic Association had been established. She played softball, volleyball, basketball and ran track. Bonnie held the girls softball throw record until
1980 when it was broken by her cousin.
Bonnie’s first experience getting a full uniform including pants and
a real jersey was when she was 16 and playing for a town team –
a team which she would play for until she graduated high school
in ’66.
Bonnie attended St. Cloud State where she played softball and
basketball. During the summer, she also got her first taste of a
state tournament when she played for a team sponsored by
Tempo Retail Store.
Bonnie would transfer to Bemidji State a couple years later where
she would earn degrees in Physical Education, Speech and
Drama.
After graduation, Bonnie student taught in Brainerd and joined a
fast pitch team called “The Drop Inn”.
Bonnie got her first teaching job in Sebeka in 1972 and coached
softball, cross country and basketball. After four years of teaching,
Bonnie went to Grad School at Kansas University and earned a
Master’s in Adaptive Physical Education. She decided to move
back to Brainerd and played again for the Drop Inn team. Bonnie
was also able to join the Pillager Bar slowpitch team.
Continued on next page ►
Summer/Fall
Minnesota Amateur
8
Minnesota Softball Hall of Fame - Class of 2012
It was in 1978 that Bonnie became employed with the City of
Brainerd Parks & Recreation. Wanting to give more opportunities
to girls, she started a girls fast pitch league. The teams played
different towns in the area. Bonnie administered all the youth and
adult leagues for the city. She also continued to play and coach
softball. Bonnie coached the Brainerd Explosion, a girls fast pitch
11 and 12 year old team to a state championship in 2001. It was
their first of 9 state titles over the next several years.
In 1990, Bonnie’s slow pitch softball team, Viking Coke, won the
Class A State Tournament. They went on to attend their first nationals in Texas. They repeated as state champs in ’91 and again
attended nationals.
Bonnie was a board member for the Minnesota Sports Federation
from 1986-1990. She was also the Minnesota National Player Rep
from ’87-’91. She received the Walt Feldbrugge distinguished service award for being President on the MSF Board in 1989-1990.
In 1988, Bonnie led the efforts for improved softball fields in
Brainerd. Potlatch donated two fields to the City of Brainerd. A
fundraiser was held to add lights to both fields.
In 1995, Bonnie once again led the way to raise money to build
the first girls softball fields at Buffalo Hills Park. Two years after
construction, a sponsor allowed dugouts to be added. In 2000, an
additional field was built at Mill Avenue.
In 2000, fundraising for a youth softball complex began and in
2005, a restroom/concession stand and pavilion were built. It
marked the first time that teams and fans didn’t have to use portapotties. The next year a second field was added, and in 2010,
grants and donations added dugouts to the new field.
In 2012, Bonnie received the Minnesota Parks and Recreation
Lifetime Achievement Award… and now in the same year is being
inducted to the Minnesota Softball Hall of Fame. It doesn’t get
much better than that.
Barb Northway
State of Minnesota
Nominated by Minnesota
Softball Community
When it comes to Minnesota Softball, especially JO, Women’s
and Co-Rec no one has contributed more in organizing and promoting the game.
Barb Northway served as the Associate Director of the Minnesota
Sports Federation from 1982 until 2004 and during that time devoted countless hours to making sure Minnesota softball participants both young and old, had the best organized, professionally
administered softball program possible.
Proof that Minnesota did came in the form of countless membership awards from the national organization which recognized Barb
for high membership totals, quality of programming and years of
service.
During her tenure Minnesota had a 700% increase in Junior Olympic Softball participation and 300% increase in adult softball.
Recognizing her talents and dedication she was named National
JO chair in 1994 and served until 1998. She also served on the
National board of directors in 1990-1991 and established a “meet
the candidates” forum where voting delegates could ask those
running for national president their position on various important
issues in the softball world before casting their vote for a candidate.
Barb was elected to the High School Coaches Hall of Fame in
2004, the same year she was recognized for 22 years of outstanding leadership by the ASA.
During her “career” with the Minnesota Sports Federation Barb
administered at least 10 national softball tournaments in Minnesota and repped several outside the state. During tournament time
it was not uncommon for Barb to work 90-100 hour weeks and
work eight weeks in a row without a day off. (Her family gathered
here this evening can attest to that.) Her attention to detail and
service to the participants could not be replicated.
Barb wasn’t satisfied accomplishing her ample day today event
staging, accounting and human resources duties though, she
went well beyond that by establishing the “High School Girls Fastpitch All Star Series” In 1984 with assistance from the High School
Coaches Association President Tom Begich.
She also assisted on “Softball Night at the Dome” and the
"Softball Hall of Fame" for many years and created the “Junior
Olympic Softball Festival” with assistance from Dave Anderson of
the Elk River Softball Community.
Barb encouraged Eden Prairie to bid on a Junior Olympic Fastpitch National Tournament which they secured. She then worked
with Mike Jensen and his staff to assure its success. It remains
the only Junior Olympic Girls Fastpitch National Tournament the
state has ever hosted.
Last but not least she created annual clinics for Junior Olympic
players and coaches to assure they were at the top of their game.
In 1998 Barb was honored by the State of Minnesota by being
presented the Minnesota Breaking Barriers award during the National Girls and Women’s in Sports Day at the State Capitol. The
award is given to individuals who have succeeded in breaking
through barriers to provide athletic opportunities for girls and
women in sport. Not only has Barb provided those opportunities,
but she also found time to partake herself being named allconference in girls high school basketball and playing women’s
slowpitch softball competitively for many years. She practiced
what she preached when it came to the value of participatory
team sports.
Upon “retiring” from the Minnesota Sports Federation in 2004
Barb went on to direct the Rockford Community Center for seven
years during which time she hosted several MSF basketball and
volleyball state tournaments.
Today she serves as the Deputy Director of Park and Recreation
for the City of Plymouth which is widely known and respected for
its system of parks, trails, facilities and recreational programming.
Summer/Fall
Minnesota Amateur
9
Minnesota Softball Hall of Fame - Class of 2012
Barb Olson
Duluth/Proctor
Nominated by Sherri Odlevak,
Kris Lyons & Michael Johnson
Barb Olson started her softball career as a teenager in Duluth
playing in the Duluth playground recreational league in 1963 as an
eighth grader. Her team won the city championship in her first
year playing competitive softball.
At the age of 16, Barb was recruited to play centerfield by CZ Wilson of Duluth fastpitch team. She was an offensive and defensive
star making the all-state team several times. With her speed and
rocket throwing arm, she took many “would-be base hits” away
from opposing players.
Later as women’s fastpitch dissolved in the area, Barb started her
slowpitch softball career with Mr. Franks East. She played many
years with Mr. Franks, winning several city titles and numerous
“big name” tournaments in the Twin Cities area. Barb was a power
hitting outfielder who also had the ability to read the batter and
field the ball quickly. As the outstanding Duluth women’s slow
pitch teams Mr. Franks East and the Rustic Bar faded with age,
Barb, as a player and coach, combined the two teams to create
the Duluth Spirits. The Duluth Spirits were active in the softball
world for several decades. Barb played and coached with the
“Spirits” team at state and national competition in the 1980’s.
Throughout Barb’s softball career, she dedicated every season to
volunteering her time and working at the Tessier/Waltman MemorialTournament that benefits all female softball players at all levels
in the Duluth area. College scholarships and dollars donated for
softball camps and national tournaments were used from the proceeds of this tournament.
Barb continued to give her support and knowledge to the game
serving as head coach for the Junior Olympic program beginning
with 12U until winning the state title at the 18U level. Barb also
coached the Proctor Rails varsity girls softball fast pitch team and
helped lead them to their first ever state tournament in school history.
Barb has always promoted the game in many different capacities.
Her leadership and talents are well known in the Duluth area and
around the state of Minnesota.
Mark Rieber
Mankato
2011, 6 of these being slowpitch and 25 being Junior Olympic
Tournaments, the rest being Men’s fastpitch. This certainly shows
Mark’s willingness to do all games he is assigned without complaining and with a smile on his face.
He has performed the duties as Superior of Officials for 12 State
Tournaments from 1989-2001. Mark also umpired with distinction
at 6 National Qualifiers, 9 ASA Regional Tournaments and 14
ASA National Tournaments.
In addition, Mark is one of the most respected NCAA umpires in
the area and has been invited to work at 16 Regional and one National NCAA tournament. He has also umpired with distinction at
ISC World’s 11 times.
All of this exhibits Mark’s consistency and longevity in the umpire
world. He has always demonstrated a willingness to go beyond
the requirements he has been given. He has mentored many umpires getting them started in successful careers in umpiring.
Mark has a true passion for officiating and especially enjoys the
camaraderie of other officials, players and yes, even the fans.
Robert “Sam” Werner
Minneapolis
Nominated by Paula Ballanger
Sam started baseball as a pitcher, but shifted to first base while
starring at Minneapolis Vocational High School. After high school
Sam began his softball career as a member of the legendary Jersey Ice Cream team. The team played in the Minneapolis National
League playing at Parade Field. Sports writer Ronny Mortensen
said, “Sam Werner has let everyone know he has taken over first
base for good with his potent bat, nailing the horsehide.” Sam was
a part of a duo that more than adequately covered the ground between the first and keystone sacks. The Minneapolis Argus called
Sam the “Diamond Dynamite.”
The great years for Sam were in the early 50’s. In 1952 the Jersey
team won the Park National Tournament and the Region 11 Tournament. In Region play, the Jersey beat Johnny Vollmer twice in
the same night to qualify for the World Tournament played in
Stratford, Connecticut. It was the first time since 1933 that a Minneapolis team was playing in the World. They finished tenth. They
did it again in 1953 playing in Miami, finishing fifth. The tournament field included the Clearwater Bombers, Elmendorf A.F.B.
Rockets, and Phillips 66 Oilers. In 1954 they played again in the
World in Minneapolis. World Tournament stats show his batting
average to be about .300, including several key hits.
During his years of umpiring Mark has always been willing to help
when called upon. He has served on the board of the Mankato
Area Umpire Advisory Association and was the Umpire In Chief
for the MAUAA for several years, subsequently inducted into the
Mankato Softball Hall of Honor.
Sam’s stats show he batted third, fourth, or fifth in most games.
He had an overall batting average around .310. He proved to be a
clutch hitter in many of the big games. His fielding skills helped to
win many games over his career. The East Minneapolis Argus
writes that Sam Werner fielded many ground balls that most infielders wouldn’t even touch. Another Argus article shows Sam’s
key three run triple led the Jersey to victory. Sam had many of
these key hits over his career. Playing softball has always been
close to Sam’s heart. The game taught him how to play on a team
and display good sportsmanship.
Not only did Mark provide his expertise in umpiring locally, he also
put in two separate terms on the MSF Board and served as President of the board from 1990-1993.
Sam joins several former legends in the Minnesota Softball Hall of
Fame: his brother Jack Werner, Bill Klesk, Joe Kundla, Joe Perzel, G. R. Mc Closkey, and Leo Mc Collow.
Some of the highlights of Mark’s post season accomplishments
include: 18 MSHSL State Tournament appearances, 7 State Softball tournaments; 67 MSF/ASA State Tournaments from 1975-
Sam is 82 years old now and resides in the house he has lived in
for over fifty years with his wife, Eldora. Together they have four
children, eleven grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
Nominated by Bob Laufenburger
Mark began umpiring in Owatonna, MN in 1974 (3 seasons), Normal, IL, (2 seasons) and Mankato, MN (35 seasons).
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Summer/Fall
BROOMBALL
Minnesota Winter Outdoor
Broomball State Championship/
State Indoor Qualifier
January 19-20
St. Paul
Class A/B/C Co-Rec
March 2-3
Blaine Super Rink
Class A/B Women’s
March 8-10
Blaine Super Rink
Class A/B/C/D Men’s
March 8-10
Blaine Super Rink
USA Broomball Nationals
Women’s/Men’s & Co-Rec
March 22-24
Oxford, OH
Minnesota Amateur
VOLLEYBALL
Class B-C Women’s
March 16-17
Hutchinson Rec Center
11
BASKETBALL
Class B/C/D Men’s
March 16-17
Site TBA
Class AA/A Women’s
March 17
Hutchinson Rec Center
Class B-C Men’s
March 23-24
Hutchinson Rec Center
Class AA/A Men’s
March 24
Hutchinson Rec Center
Class B-C Co-Rec
April 13-14
St. Cloud State
Class AA/A Co-Rec
April 13-14
St. Cloud State
Women’s (32) & Men’s (35) Masters
Sunday, April 21
St. Cloud State
2013 Fees
Team Membership - $15.00 per team
Tournament Entry Fees - Basketball - $180.00 Broomball - $355.00 Volleyball - $155.00
MSF offers the lowest entry fees based on the most generous tournament formats available anywhere!
Summer/Fall
Minnesota Amateur
12
Remembering Bob Laufenburger
Robert “Bob” Laufenburger of Redwood Falls died Wednesday, August
15, 2012 at his home. Funeral services were held at 6 p.m. on Saturday,
August 18, 2012 from Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Redwood Falls with
burial following in the Redwood Falls
Cemetery.
Robert Dale Laufenburger, the son of
Arthur Robert and Marge (Haugen)
Laufenburger, was born January 2, 1945 in Minneapolis. Bob
was raised in Waconia where he received his elementary and
high school education. He attended Hamline University,
Bemidji State, and Mankato State College, graduating with
Bachelor of Science degrees in Physical Education and “Park
& Rec.” He entered the United States Navy in 1969 and was
stationed in San Diego, Cal. with Com Nav Air Pac. Bob received a commendation from the Admiral of the Pacific Fleet
and was honorably discharged in 1972.
He married Carolyn Simondet on March 24, 1992 in Las Vegas, Nev. and they have resided in Redwood Falls since. He
was previously married to Patricia Martino; that marriage
ended in divorce.
In 1973 Bob began his administrative career with the Redwood
Falls school district and city as the first Community Education/
Recreation Director. The “lighted school” concept was in its
infancy with the premise that schools need not be locked up at
night. Thus began many programs which Bob established and
are still in effect today. Along with the usual adult offerings, he
instigated and oversaw Early Childhood/Family Education,
SAC, (School Age childcare), the GED program, supervised
the mural painting in downtown Redwood Falls, and was
highly involved in the building of the Community Center and
the Intergenerational Center. He was highly respected
throughout the state and at National conventions was sought
out for advice because of Minnesota’s advanced Community
Ed system.
Bob supervised the Redwood Falls school and city programs
by himself with a part time assistant secretary; then, after 20
years, the city took over the rec program with a staff of five.
Bob continued on with Community Ed with added responsibilities such as school rentals, building supervision and school
bus training. He served on the Board of the Minnesota Community Education in l994, l996-98. After retirement he became
sexton of the Redwood Falls Cemetery and worked recently
for the U. S. Dept. of Commerce as a field representative in
the Census Bureau.
Bob was an athlete in high school, playing all sports, but went
to college with scholarships in football. He played at Hamline,
Rochester Community College, and Bemidji State. He began
his officiating career 40 years ago while in college in Mankato.
The name Bob Laufenburger was synonymous with softball in
Minnesota for more than three decades, leading to Bob’s induction into the Minnesota Softball Hall of Fame in 2004. He
began his umpiring career 40 years ago and officiated at
countless district state and regional tournaments, seven national tournaments and several NCAA regional tournaments
Bob was a positive influence on the development of hundreds
of umpires throught the state through the positions he held as
MSF District Two Umpire-in-Chief, State Men’s Fastpitch Umpire-in-Chief, Head Clinician and Rules Interpreter for the Minnesota State High School League and a member of the National Federation of High Schools baseball rules committee.
His teaching, mentoring and evaluation of officials greatly increased participation and helped raise the standards of amateur sports officiating.
He also has officiated football for 39 years, volleyball and basketball; he was honored by the Minnesota State H.S. Baseball
Coaches Association, in 2010, with the Angelo Giuliani Award.
Bob has been described by Kevin Merkle of the Minnesota
State H. S. League as the face of Minnesota Baseball/Softball.
Sadly he was unable to supervise officials this spring for the
MSHSL State Softball and Baseball tournaments and Championship games at Target Field as his cancer became very aggressive and health deteriorated, even though he had the
scheduling completed and ready to go.
His wife often said, “See the world, marry an umpire,” as most
of their travels were to ball fields. For many years she accompanied him and met a diverse group of officials from all over
the country who remain friends with great respect for Bob. He
was not boastful or took himself too seriously but was dead
serious about “the game” and practiced and taught it. One of
his strong attributes was his ability to remind players they are
playing a game and to keep things in perspective. He usually
accomplished this with his disarming sense of humor. Bob was
a member of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church and often accompanied his wife to St. Cornelia’s Episcopal Church where she is
the church musician.
Bob was happiest when with his children and grandchildren
and proud of their accomplishments big and small, whether it
was an Eagle Scout award, football game, dance recital, soccer game, or first trip to the grown up potty. Each accomplishment received equal praise. Bob’s thoughts were never far
away from his daughter, Greta, who also had a valiant fiveyear fight with cancer.
He is survived by his wife Carolyn of Redwood Falls; sons
Ryan (Sarah) Laufenburger and Rhett (Kimberly) Laufenburger all of Sun City, Ariz.; daughters Tammy (Mark) Almich
of Buffalo Lake and Kirsten (Larry) Krier of Inver Grove
Heights; grandchildren Alex, Zach, Claire, Casey, Carly,
Asher, Kevin, Michael and Parker; sister Lea Ann (Gary)
Berau of Waconia; brother Dennis (Ruth) Laufenburger of
Chanhassen; brother-in-law Norm (Ginny) Simondet of Mound;
and sister-in-law Mary Simondet of Glencoe.
He was preceded in death by his parents; and his daughter,
Greta, in 1991.
He will be sadly missed by his family and beloved wife, Carolyn.
You hit it home, big guy.
Summer/Fall
Minnesota Amateur
Winning is not the pathway to
success? A new approach from
Canada
Rick Wolff  May 23, 2012
Something very curious is happening in the Land to the
North.
13
What the heck is a BBCOR bat?
Rick Wolff  August 8, 2010
They’re the next wave in the aluminum bat battle. Starting in
January, 2011, any and all aluminum baseballs that are
used in NCAA baseball will have to carry a seal of BBCOR
approval.
Clearly Canadians are just as competitive as we are when it
comes to excelling in sports. But very quietly, our friends are
taking a different approach when it comes to developing
young athletes in sports.
BBCOR stands for “Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution”
and it focuses on how much of a trampoline effect the barrel
of a bat has on a ball. Bat manufacturers will have to, in effect “deaden” the trampoline bounce that pitched balls experience when a batter makes contact. Basically, aluminum
bats will theoretically be the same as wooden bats.
According to a recent account in the Globe & Mail, Sport
Canada – which is the governing body for 56 national sports
bodies – is adopting extensive Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) programs.
Then, starting in 2012, all HS baseball bats will follow in the
same way; that is, they will all need at BBCOR stamp on
each bat.
That translates into a real shift at the youth level in Canada
where won/loss records are now going to be viewed as less
important, team rosters can be shifted throughout the season, kids are encouraged to play a variety of sports, and so
on. The idea is that Sport Canada wants to provide the best
possible environment for each child to compete, and winning
at all costs at the younger ages is not necessarily what’s
best.
Will this work? No one, of course, knows. Will aluminum
bats become just as dull as wood bats? Well, many years
ago, when aluminum bats were first introduced in the early
1970s, the original aluminum models were heavy and the
ball did not jump off them. The only real advantage of using
a metal bat in those days was that they wouldn’t break on an
inside pitch; batters benefited by getting cheap dink hits to
the outfield instead of having to deal with broken bats.
This sea change in youth sports will take some time to settle
in, especially with strong traditional team sports like ice
hockey, baseball, basketball, and so on. But Canadian authorities are buying into the philosophy that only by allowing
a kid the chance to develop their passion for their sport AND
to allow them to develop over the long run will they be able
to reach full potential. They point to comparable programs in
countries like New Zealand, Chile, and many others.
So are the new BBCOR bats going to be like the old ones
from 40 years ago? Probably not. Instead, I imagine the new
bats will continue to be light-weight, easy to swing, and feature a very large sweet spot. At least that’s what I think.
One of the main misconceptions, the LTAD supporters believe, is that overspecialization in one sport actually becomes detrimental in the long run. One Canadian study of
180 Olympians showed that they didn’t specialize in one
sport until they were 14 or 15 – -not when they were 8 or 9,
as too many parents would believe. The study also revealed
that most of the Olympic athletes competed in the Games in
a sport that they did not specialize in when they were 8 or 9.
Working from this new mindset of looking at the bigger picture, the Canadians are convinced that this is the way to go.
In short, allow kids to have fun and chase their passions
when they’re young…don’t specialize before 14….and then
sit back and see what develops.
Y’know…this approach sure seems like a refreshing way of
running youth sports.
And who knows? Maybe the aluminum bat manufacturers
will come up with some way to give the BBCOR bats a
stronger trampoline effect after repeated usage – -just like
many of the composite bats do now. This past June at the
College World Series in Omaha, more than 30 composite
bats were thrown out of competitive play because their barrels were too springy. The irony is that these bats were legal
when they were first purchased, but after repeated use, the
resins in the bats became springier and thus gave batted
balls greater exit speed off the bat.
Confused by all of this? Well, I am too. There’s only one
simple answer that gets rid of all this nonsense — just tell
kids that they’re only allowed to use wood bats. After all,
that’s what they use in pro ball, and the game seems pretty
good to me.
Reprinted from askcoachwolff.com
Minnesota Amateur
Summer/Fall
14
The “Inescapable Problem”: Remaining Active in Sports After the Last Game
Doug Abrams  May 31, 2012
Sooner or later, all youth league, high school, and collegiate athletes confront what writer James A. Michener called “the inescapable problem” – the need to readjust when their playing career
ends. The end comes sooner for some athletes than for others, but
it comes — about 70% of youth leaguers quit playing by their early
teen years, only a few high school players reach the top college
ranks, and even fewer collegians ever reach the pros.
The athlete may get cut from a higher-level team, suffer a serious
injury, or graduate from school. Other extracurricular pursuits may
replace time spent playing, or family responsibilities may beckon as
career obligations consume time once spent on play. For players
who continue in less formal community leagues into their twenties
or thirties, physical skills diminish.
I often talk with my former youth hockey players about the
“inescapable problem.” Sometimes the conversations come years
after the players graduated from high school, when they are in their
thirties or forties and they tell me how much they still miss playing.
Many have not laced up their skates for years.
My former players’ ears sometimes perk up when I tell them that
they can return to competitive hockey immediately if they really
want to. Without tryouts or windsprints, without having to shed the
few extra pounds, and without seeking pointers from The Twilight
Zone or Back to the Future. I tell them that they can stay active by
working with today’s kids as a youth league coach or official.
youth hockey coach at all age levels for nearly 35 years after I
played my last collegiate game, and I never felt that hockey had
ended for me.
The transition from player to youth coach or official takes planning
because time — a person’s most valuable commodity — is limited
for most adults who also have obligations to family and employment. Despite their best intentions, many adults simply cannot
make the considerable time commitment needed to be a head
coach or full-time official in youth leagues, particularly if their own
child does not play on the team. But many of these same adults
can enlist as assistant coaches or part-time officials. Leagues and
teams can appreciate the services of a man or woman who candidly promises less-than-total availability, and then delivers.
Assistant coaches normally do not shoulder the heavy burdens of
planning practices, arranging road trips, and maintaining direct relations with parents. Depending on their background in the sport, a
former player can sometimes volunteer as a specialty coach, such
as a pitching coach in baseball or a goalie coach in hockey. In
some leagues, qualified officials are in such short supply that a limited schedule can also find a warm welcome.
When an adult turns to youth coaching or officiating, the players
come first. As writer Thomas Wolfe said, “You Can’t Go Home
Again.” Coaches agree to teach from background and experience,
not to try in vain to relive the “good ol’ days” vicariously through the
kids. The coaches had their day; today belongs to today’s kids.
Time and Change
Conclusion: “Can This Really Be the End?”
An old proverb advises that “all good things must come to an end.”
For most people who love playing in youth leagues or in high
school or college, sports is a “good thing.” When the cheering
stops, some players move to new pursuits without looking backward. But other players find it difficult to let go because sports has
become such a big part of who they are.
In his perceptive book, Sports in America (1976), Michener emphasized a person’s needs for continued physical exercise throughout
adulthood, often in carryover sports such as swimming, jogging,
aerobics, racquet sports, or in “over-40” or “over-50” leagues in a
variety of games. I too tell my players about the value of a healthy
lifestyle rich in physical activity, but I also tell them something
more.
I tell them that if an athlete does not want to leave the sport, the
last game does not necessarily have to be the “end.” Indeed the
athlete can view the last game as a new beginning in the sport, as I
did when I turned to youth league coaching after my last collegiate
contest. The transition to coaching or officiating usually means
enlisting in a local youth league, recreational or high school program, which adults can do regardless of whether their child participates. Most adults devote some time to volunteer community service, and coaching or officiating for the younger generation is ideal
for an athlete whose background and experience can help make a
difference. Officiating was never my cup of tea, but I coached
“Oh, momma, can this really be the end?”
Bob Dylan asked this question in his hit song, “Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again.” I tell my former players that
when an athlete plays the last game and faces the “inescapable
problem” of what to do next in sports, the answer to the question is
really up to the athlete. By sharing their background and experience in the game while setting the right example, youth coaches
and officials can postpone the end of their sports careers for as
long as they wish.
Come to think of it, the decision whether to begin coaching or officiating also reminds me of inspirational lines from “Forever Young,”
another song by Dylan (who received the Presidential Medal of
Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, from President
Obama earlier this week):
“May your hands always be busy/ May your feet always be swift/
May you have a strong foundation/ When the winds of change
shift/. . . . May you stay forever young.”
[Source: James A. Michener, Sports in America, ch. 9 (1976)]
Reprinted from askcoachwolff.com
Summer/Fall
Minnesota Amateur
15
Group: More than half in 39 states will be obese
By Mike Stobbe  September 19, 2012
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — We Americans already know
how fat we are. Can it get much worse?
Apparently, yes, according to an advocacy group
that predicts that by 2030 more than half the people in the vast majority of states will be obese.
Mississippi is expected to retain its crown as the
fattest state in the nation for at least two more decades. The report predicts 67 percent of that state's
adults will be obese by 2030; that would be an astounding increase from Mississippi's current 35
percent obesity rate.
The new projections were released Tuesday by
Trust for America's Health with funding from the
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Trust for America's Health regularly reports on obesity to raise
awareness, mostly relying on government figures.
The group's dismal forecast goes beyond the 42
percent national obesity level that federal health
officials project by 2030. The group predicts every
state would have rates above 44 percent by that
time, although it didn't calculate an overall national
average.
About two-thirds of Americans are overweight now.
That includes those who are obese, a group that
accounts for about 36 percent. Obesity rates have
been holding steady in recent years. Obesity is defined as having a body-mass index of 30 or more,
a measure of weight for height.
Trust for America's Health officials said their projections are based in part on state-by-state surveys by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 1999 through 2010. The phone surveys ask residents to self-report their height and
weight; people aren't always so accurate about
that.
The researchers then looked at other national data
tracking residents' weight and measurements and
made adjustments for how much people in each
state might fudge the truth about their weight. They
also tried to apply recent trends in obesity rates,
along with other factors, to make the predictions.
Officials with Trust for America's Health said they
believe their projections are reasonable.
And New York City's health commissioner agreed.
"If we don't do anything, I think that's a fair prediction," said Dr. Thomas Farley whose city banned
just supersize sugary drinks to curb obesity.
Trust for America projects that by 2030, 13 states
would have adult obesity rates above 60 percent,
39 states might have rates above 50 percent, and
every state would have rates above 44 percent.
Even in the thinnest state — Colorado, where
about one-fifth of residents are obese — 45 percent would be obese by 2030.
Perhaps more surprising, Delaware is expected to
have obesity levels nearly as high as Mississippi.
Delaware currently is in the middle of the pack
when it comes to self-reported obesity rates.
The report didn't detail why some states' rates
were expected to jump more than others. It also
didn't calculate an average adult obesity rate for
the entire nation in 2030, as the CDC did a few
months ago. But a researcher who worked on the
Trust for America's Health study acknowledged
that report's numbers point toward a figure close to
50 percent.
CDC officials declined to comment on the new report.
Whichever estimates you trust most, it's clear that
the nation's weight problem is going to continue,
escalating the number of cases of diabetes, heart
disease and stroke, said Jeff Levi, executive director of Trust for America's Health.
By 2030, medical costs from treating obesityrelated diseases are likely to increase by $48 billion, to $66 billion per year, his report said.
Summer/Fall
Minnesota Amateur
Ballfield accident strengthens family bond
■ Princeton man loses eye after being hit by softball
By Jeffrey Hage
Editors note: Nick Ostman suffered a terrible injury during a May
31 softball game. Ostman’s wife Cindy Ostman shared her story
with the Town & County to ensure that at similar accident doesn’t
happen to others. We rewrote Cindy’s account into story form so
it could be shared with others.
PRINCETON — Nick Ostman stood on the mound of a softball field
and threw a pitch to the opposing batter.
With one swing of the bat, Ostman’s life changed forever.
The Studweisers were taking Ostman’s team, Son of Pitches, on May
31, a night that Ostman took a line drive to his right eye.
Ostman suffered horrific injuries — injuries that his wife Cindy says
would have never occurred if Nick has been wearing a mask.
But through the tragedy suffered during a softball game, Nick and
Cindy Ostman found something that will forever be irreplaceable — the
true meaning of love.
As a result of that May 31 line drive, Nick Ostman’s eye “exploded,”
Cindy Ostman said. He suffered an orbital blowout fracture, which resulted in retinal detachment as a result of the blunt force directly to his
eyeball.
Ostman was immediately taken by ambulance to Cambridge Medical
Center.
“When I got the call from a friend on the team I knew right away
something bad happened,” Cindy Ostman said. “They wouldn’t tell me
anything just that he way on the way to the hospital.”
She rushed from her Princeton home to the Cambridge hospital to be
with her husband.
The problem was, he wasn’t there yet. Cindy had beat her husband to
the hospital.
“I was so shaken up that I couldn’t think,” Cindy Ostman said.
When Nick Ostman arrived at the hospital, his wife couldn’t see him
for about 20 minutes. When the nurse finally came to get her, and as
she was walking back to see him, she hadn’t prepared herself for what
she was about to see.
“I came around the corner and could see his feet as I got closer to
him. I saw him and I almost hit the floor,” Cindy Ostman said.
There was so much blood, he was even vomiting blood. She tried to
hold it together for her husband’s sake.
“I think I did a great job until I left, and that’s when the floodgate
broke and I sobbed for the longest time,” she said.
Hospital staff took Nick in for a CT scan. Cindy remembers her reaction when she later saw the results.
“I could see how bad it really was. He had three places where it
broke. I could see his left eye on the scan, but not the right. I knew he
wouldn’t have the eye after that,” Cindy Ostman said.
Soon afterwards, Nick Ostman was transferred from Cambridge
Medical Center to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis.
Cindy got lost on the drive to the hospital to be with her husband.
When she called for directions, they not only gave her directions, but
informed her that Nick was about to go into surgery.
“I was in a panic because I wanted to see him before he went in,” she
recalled. “I asked if they could wait until I got there and they said they
couldn’t.”
Cindy Ostman says she cried so much harder until she found the hospital. When she arrived at the hospital she ran up to the hospital and
where her husband was.
“I just got there in time to see him and talk to him before he went up
to surgery,” she recalled.
“I whispered to him
that had better come back
to me and he said he
would.”
On June 1, Ostman has
surgery to repair his right
eye, but it was unsuccessful, Cindy Ostman said.
That surgery took three
hours and every second
that went by seemed like
it took forever, she said.
Cindy was joined in the
waiting room by her Nick Ostman is seen here at home
mother-in-law and, later, in mid-June. He has now undergone
her father-in-law.
two surgeries.
“We watched the time
slowly ticking away. We hadn’t slept and were all exhausted but we
stuck it out,” she said.
Surgery was finally completed and the surgeon came in it to visit
with the family.
“He told us there was no way to save his eye. My heart sank,” Cindy
Ostman said.
Cindy and Nick’s parents were talking and they did not want to be
the ones to tell him about the fate of his eye.
“So we asked the doctor to tell him after was more awake. He
agreed,” she said.
Nick had been moved into his room after surgery. While he slept,
Cindy drove home to Princeton to make supper for their children and to
get clothes for herself and her husband.
When she got back at the hospital Nick was wide awake and very
alert.
When I walked into his room I didn’t get a “hi” or “hello”, Cindy
recalled.
“I got him telling me he lost his eye and is blind. I looked at him and
the look on his face was terror.”
On June 7, Nick had reconstructive surgery which resulted in him
having two plates installed to repair the blowout fracture.
“In about two months Nick will have surgery to fix his right eye with
either a fake lens or a prosthetic eye,” Cindy Ostman said.
“We are having a hard time trying to get through this emotionally
right now,” Cindy said. “He can’t work right now and he feels horrible
he can’t. My husband is in so much pain on a daily basis and I feel bad
because I can’t help the pain.”
In a split second their lives were turned upside down and inside out.
Nick and Cindy have been together for 13 years. They were married
five years ago.
They celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary on June 2 — in the
hospital.
Cindy didn’t care.
“I had my husband alive and we were together. He is my whole
world and I would be a mess without him,” she said.
Even though their lives may be upside down and inside out, it doesn’t
matter.
Nick and Cindy Ostman have taken this tragedy and have watched
their relationship strengthen because of it.
“He told me that was the one holding him together.” Cindy Ostman
said, “But I think it’s him holding me together.”
“He has been as strong as a rock through this and I have been like a
wet mop.”
Reprinted from the Town & Country
Minnesota Amateur
Summer/Fall
18
NSF♦MSF Champions
NSF♦MSF Softball - Minnesota Sports Federation 2012 State Results
DIVISION
CHAMPION
FINALIST
THIRD PLACE
FOURTH PLACE
Men’s Church SP
St. Joe’s, Mankato
Celebration Lutheran, St.
Cloud
Watertown Free, Westonka
Cross Pointe Church, Dalbo
Co-Rec SP Tier I
Oak Lawn/Zorbas, Brainerd
Steve’s Meats, Sauk Rapids
Co-Rec SP Tier II
Express/Agston, Owatonna
Minnehaha Liquors, St. Paul
Co-Rec D SP
Bernick’s, Brainerd
Northwind Grille/Pine
Square, Brainerd
Corvuso Meats, Hollywood
Dirty Biscuits, Sauk Rapids
Men’s Masters B SP
Rueters/Jimmy’s Pour
House, Sauk Rapids
Kostecka Farms/Becker
Trucking, Cambridge
Spectrum/Diamond Point,
Little Falls
Brothers Porky Pine Bar &
Grill, Pierz
Men’s Masters C SP
Boulder Tap House, Sauk
Rapids
Hardy Auto Parts, Gilman
C & L Excavating/PCC, Rice
Sand Prairie Trucking,
Chisago County
Men’s Masters FP
Jordan Realty, West St. Paul Blair’s Painting, Farmington
Anytime Fitness, New Ulm
Men’s FP B
Jordan Realty, West St. Paul Jonny’s Saloon, St. Charles
Odin, Mankato
Harley Davidson, St.
Charles
Men’s FP C
Morelli’s, St. Paul
Gamecocks, St. Charles
Blvd, West St. Paul
Beaver Creak
Men’s FP D
St. Paul Snappers
Holland Fastpitch/Woebee’s
Bar & Grill, Holland
Sizzlers, St. Paul
Hills Town, Hills
Men’s SP C
CJ’s, Chisago County
Bill’s Well Drilling, Elk River
Buzz Kill, Brainerd
Jimmy’s/Top Choice, Sauk
Rapids
Men’s SP DD North
The Tee Hive, Brainerd
Patrick’s Piranhas, Pierz
Gamblers, Pine River
Midwest Bank, Detroit Lakes
Men’s SP DD South
Easton Jax, Belle Plaine
The Eleven Hair Salon, Sauk GDR Bashers, Faribault
Rapids
Dugarel’s, Hastings
Men’s SP D North
Brothers Porky Pine Bar &
Grill, Pierz
Crooks Club, Crookston
TnJ’s/Voyageurs View,
Crookston
Wild River Electric Eels,
Chisago County
Men’s SP D South
Complete Nutrition, Mankato Greenwood/Johnny’s
Saloon, Rochester
Moose Lodge, Albert Lea
Albert Lea Eagles
Men’s SP EE
ROC, Chisago County
VFW/Park Place, Cottage
Grove
Impact Technologies, Hewitt
S&S Woodworking, Faribault
Men’s SP E
Mustang Bar, Sauk Centre
Lazy Jacks/ABC Seemless,
Bemidji
McPete’s/Paragon, Elk River BTD, Detroit Lakes
Women’s SP C
Schroeder Explosion,
Brainerd
Bubba’s, Sauk Rapids
Elsie’s, Bloomington
Bessler Brothers/Tom Stop,
Bemidji
Women’s SP DD
Hanson Accounting/CJ’s,
Chisago County
EHM, Chisago County
Thompson Ward, Rochester
Vanilla Gorilla Tattoo,
Burnsville
Women’s SP D
Panthers, Chisago County
Angels, New Prague
JC Girls, St. Paul
Fine Line/Lindner Media,
Brainerd
Women’s SP EE
Zoomies, Thief River Falls
Thielen’s Excavating, Park
Rapids
Village Inn, Chisago County
Men’s Modified Tier I
Luce Line Lodge, Hollywood
B’s on the River, Hollywood
Down South, New Germany
Hayes & Sons, Hollywood
Men’s Modified Tier II
Corvuso Meats, New
Germany
Riverside, Hollywood
Cedar Crest, Cosmos
Snap Fitness, Hollywood
Minnesota Amateur
Summer/Fall
19
NSF♦MSF Champions
NSF♦MSF Softball - Minnesota Sports Federation 2012 District Results
DIVISION
CHAMPION
FINALIST
THIRD PLACE
FOURTH PLACE
EE District I-IV
Fountain Industries, Faribault
Next Generation/Snap Fitness, Johan’s Pub, New Prague
Owatonna
Blvd Bar & Grill, South St.
Paul
EE District V
West Union, Sauk Centre
Impact Technologies, Hewitt
All Stars Black, St. Rosa
Rookies Sports Bar, Albany
EE District VI
ROC, Chisago County
Jari’s Boys, Chisago County
Who’z Up, Cambridge-Isanti
EE District VII
Coke, Clearbrook
Renu Dental, Rhode Roofing,
Crookston
Moondance, Walker
Mich Golden Light/
Barbershop, Perham
NSF♦MSF Softball - Minnesota Sports Federation Men’s Slowpitch Qualifier Results
Tournament
DIVISION
Lucky 7
DD/D
Lucky 7
EE
Ed Oliver Memorial
DD/D
Ed Oliver Memorial
EE
CHAMPION
FINALIST
Dan Gruber Construction/Bashers, Faribault
Bashers/Magney Construction, Faribault
S&S Woodworking/Breakroom/Mich Golden, Faribault
Hoehn Trucking, Owatonna
Patrick’s Piranhas, Pierz
Patrick’s Woodpeckers, Pierz
Sunshine Depot, Elk River
MIMIS, Brainerd
NSF♦MSF Softball - Minnesota Sports Federation 2012 Fall State Results
DIVISION
CHAMPION
FINALIST
THIRD PLACE
FOURTH PLACE
Co-Rec Slow Tier I
Tree Frogs, Sauk Rapids
Bubbas Blue Line, Sauk
Rapids
Corvuso Meats, Hollywood
North Branch Chevrolet,
Cambridge-Isanti
Co-Rec Slow Tier II
Tootsies/State Farm, Elk
River
Watertown Food & Fuel,
Glencoe
Bashers/Potter Chiropractic,
Faribault
Decks by Jeff,
Cambridge-Isanti
Co-Rec Slow Tier III
Sherwood Financial,
Owatonna
C&A Pro, Glencoe
JS Drywall, Hollywood
Braham Pizza Pub,
Cambridge-Isanti
Men’s Slow Tier I
Mankato Iron & Metal,
Mankato
Roadhouse 169, Mankato
Call Me Maybe, Sauk Rapids Top Choice, Sauk Rapids
Men’s Slow Tier II
Dan Gruber Construction,
Faribault
Studweisers, CambridgeIsanti
Wild River Eels, Chisago Cty
DeShaw, Rogers
Men’s Slow Tier III
Story Landscaping, Faribault
Kostecka Farms, CambridgeIsanti
SRP Heating & AC, Mankato
The Buzz, Cambridge-Isanti
Minnesota Amateur
Summer/Fall
20
NSF♦MSF Champions
Men’s Church Slow Pitch State Tournament
Co
Co--Rec Slow Pitch Tier I State Tournament
CHAMPION: St. Joe’s, Mankato
CHAMPION: Oak Lawn/Zorbas, Brainerd
2) Celebration
Lutheran, Mankato
3) Watertown
Free, Westonka
2) Steve’s Meats, Sauk Rapids
4) Crosse Pointe
Church, Dalbo
Co
Co--Rec Slow Pitch Tier I State Tournament
Co
Co--Rec D Slow Pitch State Tournament
CHAMPION: Express/Agston, Owatonna
CHAMPION: Bernick’s, Brainerd
2) Minnehaha Liquors, St. Paul
2) Northwind Grille/
3) Corvuso Meats, 4) Dirty Biscuits,
Pine Square, Brainerd
Hollywood
Sauk Rapids
MASTERS (35) B Men’s Slow State Tournament
MASTERS (35) C Men’s Slow State Tournament
CHAMPION: Rueters/Jimmy’s Pour House, Sauk Rapids
CHAMPION: Boulder Tap House, Sauk Rapids
2) Kostecka Farms/
Becker Trucking,
Cambridge
3) Spectrum/
Diamond Point,
Little Falls
4) Brothers Porky
Pine Bar & Grill,
Pierz
2) Hardy Auto
Parts, Gilman
3) C&L Excavating/
PCC, Rice
4) Sand Prairie
Trucking, Chisago
County
Minnesota Amateur
Summer/Fall
21
NSF♦MSF Champions
Masters (40) Men’s Fast Pitch State Tournament
Men’s B Fast Pitch State Tournament
CHAMPION: Jordan Realty, West St. Paul
CHAMPION: Jordan Realty, West St. Paul
2) Blair’s Painting,
Farmington
3) Anytime Fitness,
New Ulm
2) Jonny’s Saloon, 3) Odin, Mankato 4) Harley Davidson,
St. Charles
St. Charles
Men’s C Fast Pitch State Tournament
Men’s D Fast Pitch State Tournament
CHAMPION: Morelli’s, St. Paul
CHAMPION: St. Paul Snappers
2) Gamecock’s,
St. Charles
3) Blvd, West St.
Paul
4) Beaver Creak
2) Holland Fastpitch/
Woebee’s Bar & Grill,
Holland
3) Sizzlers,
St. Paul
4) Hills Town,
Hills
Men’s C Slow Pitch State Tournament
Champion
Runner-Up
Third Place
Fourth Place
CJ’s.
Chisago County
Bill’s Well Drilling,
Elk River
Buzz Kill,
Brainerd
Jimmy’s/Top Choice,
Sauk Rapids
CJ’s wins C State Championship
Cody Bergquist
Aaron Bistram
Adam Bistram
Glenn Carlson
Matt Cottingham
Chad Hollister
Jeff Hollister
Pat Levasseur
Eric Reed
Pete Sandmann
Brad Schneider
Joel Schneider
Kevin Schneider
Darren Simmons
Bart Sladky
Zach Stimson
Ben Utech
CJ’s defeated Bill’s Well Drilling out of Elk River
by a score of 20-6 in 5 innings to claim the Men’s
Slow Pitch Class C State Championship. Bill’s
Well Drilling scored 5 runs in the top of the first
inning, but was only able to add one more run the rest of the way. CJ’s responded with seven runs in their half
of the first. Cody Bergquist led off with a double and was promptly driven in by Zach Stimson’s single. Chad
Hollister’s single put runners at the corners. Brad Schneider’s single drove in Stimson. Kevin Schneider’s single drove in Hollister. Pat Levasseur’s double drove in Brad Schneider. Then Matt Cottingham delivered a
three-run homer. CJ’s added another run in the second when Aaron Bistram’s single drove in Stimson who had
reached on a double. The third inning saw CJ’s strike for eight more runs. Kevin Schneider started the rally with a single followed by a Levasseur
double. Jeff Hollister tripled in both runs then was driven in on a double by Eric Reed. Bergquist singled to drive in Reed. Stimson then doubled to
put runners at second and third. Chad Hollister doubled to drive in both runners. Aaron Bistram capped the rally with a two-run homer. CJ’s added
on with four more in the fourth. Levasseur started things with a double. Cottingham then hit his second homer of the game, a two-run shot. Bergquist delivered the dagger with another two-run homer driving in Jeff Hollister who reached on a double.
Minnesota Amateur
Summer/Fall
22
NSF♦MSF Champions
Men’s DD Slow Pitch North State Tournament
Men’s DD Slow Pitch South State Tournament
CHAMPION: The Tee Hive, Brainerd
CHAMPION: Easton Jax, Belle Plaine
2) Patrick’s
Piranhas, Pierz
3) Gamblers,
Pine River
4) Midwest Bank,
Detroit Lakes
2) The Eleven Hair
Salon, Sauk Rapids
3) GDR Bashers,
Faribault
4) Dugarel’s,
Hastings
Men’s D Slow Pitch North State Tournament
Champion
Runner-Up
Third Place
Fourth Place
Brothers Porky Pine
Bar & Grill, Pierz
Crooks Club,
Crookston
TnJ’s/Voyageurs
View, Crookston
Wild River Electric
Eels, Chisago County
Brothers Porky Pine Bar & Grill claim state title
Nathan Stumpf
Mike Muggli
Chris Gross
Jake Fogel
Chris Rowan
Andy Gross
Joel Gross
Brice Adelmeyer
Lonny Gross
Trevor Gross
Jason Gross
Mike Hemmann
Scott Gross
Kyle Stumpf
Neil Fish
Jake Perkins
Brent Willman
THIEF RIVER FALLS — Porky Pines started out
strong winning all three games on Saturday. On
Sunday morning, they had a tough battle against
the Crookston Crooks Club. Crooks Club came
Championship
Record
out strong with their bats and won 18-4 in 6 innings. After that loss, Porky Pines rallied around
Brothers Porky Pine Bar & Grill
11
11-2
impeccable defense and pitchers and won the
Crooks Club
2
next three games to get into the Championship to
face Crook Club again. They came out swinging
putting 14 on the board in the first inning. After doing a pitching change and playing solid defense, Porky
Pines kept chipping away at the deficit and ended on top with a score of 17-15 allowing only one run to score after the first inning. The “IF” championship game was played on emotion and adrenaline with spirits high and the Porky Pine’s became Class D Champions.
This championship was extra special for the Porky Pines, having never done this well in state and going 0-2 last year. The team is composed of
brothers, uncles, cousins, and family friends. Every time they play it is like a family reunion. The championship was dedicated to the loving memory
of uncle/brother/friend Glen Gross who died on April 8, 2005. He was the backbone of this team which brought everyone together.
Men’s D Slow Pitch
South State Tournament
CHAMPION:
Complete Nutrition,
Mankato
2) Greenwood/
Johnny’s Saloon,
Rochester
3) Moose Lodge,
Albert Lea
4) Albert Lea Eagles
Men’s EE Slow Pitch
State Tournament
CHAMPION: ROC, 2) Park Place/VFW,
Cottage Grove
Chisago County
3) Impact
Technologies,
Hewitt
4) S&S
Woodworking,
Faribault
Men’s E Slow Pitch
State Tournament
CHAMPION:
Mustang Bar,
Sauk Centre
2) Lazy Jacks/ABC
Seemless, Bemidji
3) McPete’s/
Paragon, Elk River
4) BTD,
Detroit Lakes
Minnesota Amateur
Summer/Fall
23
NSF♦MSF Champions
Women’s C Slow Pitch State Tournament
Champion
Runner-Up
Third Place
Fourth Place
Schroeder’s Appliance
Explosion, Brainerd
Bubbas,
Sauk Rapids
Elsie’s,
Bloomington
Bessler Brothers/
Tom Stop, Bemidji
Schroeder’s Appliance Explosion take C State
Steph Lambrecht
Tiff Horn
Lindsey Roos
Megan Carlson
Kayla Huether
Sara James
Karlye Barron
Alyssa Lewandowski
Stacy Barthel
Missy Meixner
Jenna Crawford
Erin Theisse
SAUK RAPIDS — It was Schroeder’s first
women’s state title. Tiffany Dixon and Sara
James each had two pitching wins at state.
Hitting leaders for the tournament were: Erin
Theisse and Kayla Huether with 11 hits each
and Sara James and Megan Carlson with 10
hits each. Steph Lambrecht and Tiffany Dixon
each scored 7 runs while Theisse had a teamhigh 8 RBI.
Championship
Record
Schroeder Appliance Explosion
Bubba’s
11
8
31-8
Women’s dd Slow Pitch State Tournament
Champion
Runner-Up
Third Place
Fourth Place
Hanson Accounting,
Chisago County
EHM,
Chisago County
Thompson Ward,
Rochester
Vanilla Gorilla Tattoo,
Burnsville
Hanson Accounting wins in walk-off fashion
Championship
Hanson Accounting
EJM
Record
11
10
24-8
CAMBRIDGE — Hanson Accounting played an
awesome tournament defensively and offensively outscoring their opponents 72-39. They
had a team batting average of .528. The highlight
of tournament came in the championship game
in the bottom of the 7th playing EJM. The score
was 10-10 with 2 outs. Jenny Reed came up to
bat and hit a game winning inside-the-park home
run. Everyone on Hanson Accounting contributed
over the weekend in some way. It was a proud
season for the whole team.
Alyssa Notermann
Karen Guillard
Becky Lamirande
Dena Johnson
Barbara Hanson
Jenny Reed
Lisa Lamirande
Taola Swenson
Erin Larson
Chelsea Stinson
Sashi Schneider
Akiko Johnson
Priscilla Kuhnly
Darla Fehlandt
Mindy Tatarek
Lori Tiegen
Sarah Nelson
Kristin Lippitt
Lindsey Wilson
Traci Wendorf
Women’s d Slow Pitch State Tournament
Women’s ee Slow Pitch State Tournament
CHAMPION: Panthers, Chisago County
CHAMPION: Zoomies, Thief River Falls
2) Angels,
New Prague
3) JC Girls,
St. Paul
4) Fine Line/Lindner
Media, Brainerd
2) Thielen’s Excavating,
Park Rapids
3) Village Inn,
Chisago County
Minnesota Amateur
Summer/Fall
24
NSF♦MSF Champions
Men’s Modified Pitch Tier I State Tournament
Men’s Modified Pitch Tier II State Tournament
CHAMPION: Luce Line Lodge, Hollywood
CHAMPION: Corvuso Meats, New Germany
2) B’s on the River,
Hollywood
3) Down South,
New Germany
4) Hayes & Sons,
Hollywood
2) Riverside,
Hollywood
3) Cedar Crest,
Cosmos
4) Snap Fitness,
Hollywood
Fall Co
Co--Rec Slow Tier I State Tournament
Fall Co
Co--Rec Slow Tier II State Tournament
CHAMPION: Tree Frogs, Sauk Rapids
CHAMPION: Tootsies/State Farm, Elk River
2) Bubbas Blue 3) Corvuso Meats,
Line, Sauk Rapids
Hollywood
4) North Branch
Chevrolet,
Cambridge-Isanti
2) Watertown Food
& Fuel, Glencoe
T-3) Bashers/Potter Chiro, Faribault &
Decks by Jeff, Cambridge-Isanti
Fall Co
Co--Rec Slow Tier III State Tournament
Fall Men’s Slow Tier I State Tournament
CHAMPION: Sherwood Financial, Owatonna
CHAMPION: Mankato Iron & Metal, Mankato
2) C&A Pro,
Glencoe
T-3) JS Drywall, Hollywood &
Braham Pizza Pub, Cambridge-Isanti
2) Roadhouse 169,
Mankato
3) Call Me Maybe, 4) Top Choice,
Sauk Rapids
Sauk Rapids
Summer/Fall
Minnesota Amateur
25
NSF♦MSF Champions
Fall Men’s Slow Tier II State Tournament
Fall Men’s Slow Tier III State Tournament
CHAMPION: Dan Gruber Construction, Faribault
CHAMPION: Story Landscaping, Faribault
2) Studweisers,
Cambridge-Isanti
T-3) Wild River Eels, Chisago County
& DeShaw, Rogers
2) Kostecka Farms,
Cambridge-Isanti
T-3) SRP Heating & AC, Mankato &
The Buzz, Cambridge-Isanti
Lucky 7 Class DD/D Champion
Lucky 7 Class EE Champion
Dan Gruber Construction/Bashers, Faribault
S&S Woodworking/Breakroom/Mich Golden, Faribault
Ed Oliver Memorial Class DD/D Champion
Ed Ol
Oliver
iver Memorial Class EE Champion
Patrick’s Piranhas, Pierz
Sunshine Depot, Elk River
Minnesota Amateur
Summer/Fall
26
NSF North American Championships
In the Women's Bracket, Vanilla Gorilla Tattoo
out of Burnsville, MN ran the table, going a perfect 4-0 on the weekend. Vanilla Gorilla Tattoo
was consistent the whole weekend with a solid
offense and stellar defense. They held their opponents to only 3.75 runs per game. Vanilla Gorilla Tattoo defeated heavy hitting Hanson Accounting (Chisago County, MN) in the championship game by a final score of 10-6. Hanson
scored a whopping 87 runs on the weekend, by
far the tournament high. The championship game
featured six All-Tournament Team selections Sarah Palmer, Jessie Meyer, Cinta Wachman
(Vanilla Gorilla Tattoo) and Darla Fehlandt, Karen
Guillard, Ashley Gross (Hanson Accounting).
Thompson Ward from Rochester, MN won the
EE division. They defeated the JG Girls (St. Paul)
11-5 in the EE Championship Game. Angela Zieman and Michele Kolasa were named to the AllTournament team from Thompson Ward.
All‐Tournament Team
North American Softball Championships
Women’s Slow Pitch
Vanilla Gorilla Tattoo, Burnsville
Class DD Women’s Slow Pitch Champions
North American Softball Championships
Class DD/D Men’s Slow Pitch
Gamblers, Pine River
Class DD Men’s Slow Pitch Champions
TEAM
Vanilla Gorilla Tattoo
Vanilla Gorilla Tattoo
Vanilla Gorilla Tattoo
Hanson Accounting
Hanson Accounting
Hanson Accounting
Angels
Angels
Panthers
Panthers
Thompson Ward
Thompson Ward
Thompson Ward, Rochester
Class EE Women’s Slow Pitch Champions
All‐Tournament Team
PLAYER
Jason Gilles
Steve Snavely
Chris Klabo
Rick Martin
Jason Sunderman
Brandon Klukow
Ryan Long
Joe Masog
Cody Varner
Tyler Blauert
Jesse Shipman
Shawn Johnson
Art Underhill
Matt Lanctot
Tony Freelove
PLAYER
Sarah Palmer
Jessie Meyer
Cinta Wachman
Darla Fehlandt
Karen Guillard
Ashley Gross
A.J. Simons
Sandy Rezac
Jaime Holmstrom
Tabitha Pillar
Angie Zieman
Michele Kolasa
TEAM
Gamblers
Gamblers
Gamblers
Easton Jax
Easton Jax
Albert Lea Eagles
Albert Lea Eagles
Patrick’s Piranhas
Patrick’s Piranhas
Midwest Bank
Midwest Bank
Gampers
Gampers
Crooks Club
DGC/Bashers
Crooks Club, Crookston
Class D Men’s Slow Pitch Champions
In the Men's EE Bracket, it was hometown team
S&S Woodworking/Breakroom/Mich Golden representing Faribault well. S&S was remarkably
consistent with the bats en route to their championship averaging 10.75 runs on the weekend
(never scoring more than 12 in one game, but not
less than 9). S&S was led by All-Tournament honorees Brandon Thibodeau, Matt Savoie and Jason
Birdsell. They defeated Sunshine Depot (Elk
River, MN) in the championship game by a final
score of 9-1. Evan Johnson, Matt Schleppenbach
and Jared Orrock were named to the AllTournament Team from Sunshine Depot.
The Men's DD/D Bracket got under way Friday
night. The Gamblers out of Pine River, MN did not
get their start until 9:00AM the next morning, but
after a 9-6 and 9-2 victory on Saturday, they quietly put themselves in good position to make a run
on Sunday. That is exactly what they did, reeling
off three more in a row to claim the championship.
The Gamblers only allowed double-digit runs once
the entire tournament (Gampers scored 10 game
34). Representing the Gamblers on the AllTournament Team includes Jason Gilles, Steve
Snavely and Chris Klabo. The Gamblers defeated
Easton Jax out of Belle Plaine, MN in the championship game. Rick Martin and Jason Sunderman
earned All-Tourmament honors from Easton Jax.
Crooks Club out of Crookston, MN took the D
bracket. Crooks Club defeated Dan Gruber Construction/Bashers (Faribault) in the final by a score
of 10-4.
All‐Tournament Team
North American Softball Championships
Class EE Men’s Slow Pitch
S&S Woodworking/Breakroom/
Mich Golden, Faribault
Class EE Men’s Slow Pitch Champions
PLAYER
Brandon Thibodeau
Matt Savoie
Jason Birdsell
Evan Johnson
Matt Schleppenbach
Jared Orrock
Justin Kohn
Byron Ehrich
Steve Bontjes
Tony Brehm
Chris Erdmann
Steve Perpich
TEAM
S&S/Breakroom/MG
S&S/Breakroom/MG
S&S/Breakroom/MG
Sunshine Depot
Sunshine Depot
Sunshine Depot
Fountain Industries
Fountain Industries
ROC
ROC
Renu Dental
MIMIS
Summer/Fall
Minnesota Amateur
27
Girls Fastpitch NSF ♦ MSF Champions
Class C 14
14--Under Girls Fastpitch
Class D 14
14--Under Girls Fastpitch
CHAMPION: Rochester Rockets, Southern Minny
CHAMPION: Fairmont, Southern Star
2) Austin, Southern Minny 3) Rochester Mustangs,
Southern Minny
2) Owatonna American Legion, Southern Minny
Girls Fastpitch High School All-Star Series
Blizzard vs. Breeze
Game 1: Blizzard (5), Breeze (1)
Game 2: Blizzard (5), Breeze (3)
Breeze Roster: Shaylene Bengston, Sabrina Zimmel, Abby Hayenga, Bobbi
Sellner, Jordan Wolfe, Paige Ammermann, Ellen Johnson, Alex Anderson, Kalene
Hill, Jane Varty, Brooke Anderson, Kayla Wenner, Coaches Alison Mach and
Eileen Suter
Blizzard Roster: Breana Van Dyke, Heather Hohenstein, Sydney Remus, Brielle
Hauge, McKenzie Hopwood, Mandee Heiderscheidt, Danielle Harstad, TyLynn
McKeever, Lynsi Emery, Hailey Goeman, Brooke Schilling, Natalie Kalmes,
Coaches Mick Ramey and Gary Moos
Ice vs. Thunder
Game 1: Ice (2), Thunder (0)
Game 2: Ice (4), Thunder (3)
Ice Roster: Megan Nelson, Brooke Decker, Ashley Lewis, Micaela Trainor, Afton
Wolter, Kasandra McCabe, Erica Miller, Lisa Keppers, Joanne Trio, Kaylyn
Oberg, Abbie Hagen, Katie Wheeler, Coach Kevin Nelson
Thunder Roster: Jessy Noreen, Karli Persson, Kristen Forstner, Gretta Schultz,
Veronica Neumann, Sarah Leach, Andrea Scharf, Brittany Nase, Jill Gareis, Laurenn
Johnson, Maari Benda, Katelyn Fritz, Coaches Tom Bang and Jason Baune
Lightning vs. Heat
Game 1: Lightning (1), Heat (0)
Game 2: Lightning (3), Heat (1)
Lightning Roster: Coley Ries, Morgan Nybo, Amber Hoffman, Bethani Athey,
Jamie Rubbelke, Lindsey Kamleiter, Nikki Logergren, Jamie Fleischhacker,
Kristen Nordby, Emily Olson, Shannon Nelson, Hallie Schley, Coaches Paul
Harrington and Aaron Vail
Heat Roster: Nikki Anderson, Carley Pickett, Taylor Lemay, Nicole Tobon, Coco
Rodgers, Danielle Wolk, Brenna Walek, Mandi Mauch, Andrea Mogren, Allison
Eder-Zdechlik, Nicole Rogers, Coaches Penny Witzenberg and Todd Johnson
Summer/Fall
Minnesota Amateur
28
Good calls help Keller earn national position
By Tom Elliot, St. Cloud Times  August 7, 2012
Tom Keller got a late starting in umpiring, not calling balls
and strikes until he was 40 years old.
The 58-year-old Sartell resident quickly has made up for lost
time.
He has been selected to work the Canadian national slowpitch softball championships beginning Wednesday in London, Ont.
It's the first international tournament for Keller, who has
worked seven U.S. national tournaments since his selection
into the American Softball Association's Elite Umpire Program.
"When I found out (about seven weeks ago), I was very
happy," Keller said. "It's an honor to be accepted.
"It's quite an honor when you're selected to work that."
Being an ASA elite umpire is the highest honor one can be
awarded short of a hall of fame induction. For Keller, working internationally for the first time is the culmination of a career of good work that started and continues at the high
school, recreational and college level.
He can be found working slow-pitch games regularly at Bob
Cross Park in Sauk Rapids and at area Junior Olympic 18and-under girls' fast-pitch games. He also is a high school
football official.
"When I started working, the bug really bit me," said Keller,
who grew up in St. Cloud and works for Connexus Energy in
Ramsey. Connexus is an electric co-op. Keller is a distribution design engineer, designing and managing projects for
the company.
Umpore Tom Keller umpires a softball game
between G-Allen’s and G-Nomes. / Times photo
by Kimm Anderson
He works as many high-level slow-pitch tournaments as he
can in the state. Usually, that brings him to the Twin Cities.
But his travels take him all over the U.S. He recently worked
the Hooters Nationals in Oklahoma City, Okla.
His work at national tournaments and his status as an ASA
elite umpire enabled him to apply for international sanctioning. His application was reviewed and he was approved to
work in Canada.
In the slow-pitch softball world, working internationally is the
sport's highest honor.
"It is indeed an honor and your local association and region
should be proud of your accomplishment," wrote Kevin G.
Ryan, the ASA's supervisor of umpires, when Keller received elite umpire status in 2009.
Keller's application was "reviewed and voted on positively at
our recent council meeting" in Reno, Nev.
Keller looks forward to umpiring in Canada. He and his wife
Laurie have three grown children, ages 33, 30 and 21. His
wife is supportive.
"She allows me some flexibility," Keller said.
Umpire Tom Keller watches a short fly ball over left field
during a softball game July 30 at Bob Cross Park. / Times
photo by Kimm Anderson
And that is taking him to Canada.
Reprinted from the St. Cloud Times
Summer/Fall
Minnesota Amateur
29
Teen athletes in overdrive find bodies can’t keep up
By Jason Gonzalez, Star Tribune  July 22, 2012
Repetitive motions and no breaks can cause lifelong problems
Time on the tennis court is a constant issue for Minneapolis
Washburn boys' junior varsity coach Erik Telleen. His young teens
can't get enough, but Telleen knows the consequences of too
much. Sore elbows, shoulders and knees can lead to nagging injuries in the latter part of high school careers -- something the JV
coach experienced himself.
"Ninth grade is about when you start to see kids experience some
soreness in elbows," Telleen said. "A lot of my guys want to stay
after practice and hit for hours and hours, and that is when you get
injuries from overusage. These guys want to make it to the next
level, so they're out hitting every night, and that's when I do have
concerns."
Overcommitment doesn't always mean success, though. Mayo
Clinic Sports Medicine Center athletic trainer Dan Christoffer said it
can often produce the opposite result.
After a year of healing from a repetitive motion injury, Scott Elsass
made the state singles tennis finals. Photo: Jerry Holt, Star Tribune
Thinking back to the summer his shoulder shut down, Scott Elsass
now can easily understand why. The Eden Prairie tennis player
chuckled as he explained how he hit balls several hours, every day,
for six straight weeks.
Worn out, at age 16.
The repetitive motion of hitting serves over and over during his
sophomore summer led to a shoulder injury that required nearly a
year of healing. A nationally ranked player at age 14, he limped
through the remainder of his high school career this spring and battled back to the state tournament finals in June.
"All that stuff was from overuse," Elsass said. "The summer I injured my shoulder, I had played 41 out of 42 days in a row. I had
five tournaments in that stretch."
It's a familiar, grueling physical toll to young athletes swept up in a
sports culture that's demanding specialization and year-round commitment at earlier-than-ever ages. As their training intensifies, injuries rooted in repetitive motion or overtaxed bodies are on the rise - and putting them at risk for longer-term problems as they grow
older, according to local surgeons, sports medicine clinicians and
several recently released national studies.
Dr. Daniel D. Buss, founder of Sports and Orthopaedic Specialists,
based in the Twin Cities, said he operates on a teenager at least
once a week.
"Kids are doing more at younger ages. It's not unusual to see a
fifth- or sixth-grader get hurt," said Buss, who specializes in shoulder and elbow disorders and is a team physician of the Minnesota
Twins. "Kids are trying to do more complicated things for their
skeletal maturity."
"If they start developing injuries in youth ball, by the time they get
to high school they're not going to be effective at all and will have
chronic ... injuries," Christoffer said. "It is becoming a lot more of an
issue. A lot of these kids are singling out one sport."
Worst nightmare
Lying helpless on an operating table, Morgan Stippel saw her athletic career come to an end.
The fourth knee surgery of the Stillwater High student's life revealed another tear in the right anterior cruciate ligament.
The operation and anesthesia, once again, took a toll on the 18year-old. She smiled at her mom in the recovery room and began
describing a nightmare she had during surgery.
The mother's heart broke as her daughter, who played basketball,
softball and volleyball since childhood, said she dreamed that the
doctor found an ACL tear during the procedure intended to fix a
torn meniscus.
"She said 'No, that was real,'" Stippel, now 19, recounted her mom
saying.
The news only got worse. After Stippel learned she would need a
fifth surgery and fourth ACL replacement (two in each knee), several doctors recommended she no longer play competitive sports.
"It felt like somebody had died. That's how upset I was about it,"
she said. "You go from running around your whole life, getting to
the field on time, going to the gym, doing your workouts, lifting
weights, and all the sudden you just have nothing."
Stippel, the first freshman to make the Stillwater varsity basketball
team, pursued the sport year-round. But her first ACL tear sidelined
her the next summer and haunted her through high school. The
injury, Stippel believes, undoubtedly resulted from overuse.
Continued on next page ►
Summer/Fall
Minnesota Amateur
"When you play year-round, those muscles never get a chance to
rest and some doctors say that can lead to the injuries," said Stippel's dad, Roger, who's spent five years searching for answers. "If
we keep using the same muscles and joints and tendons, we don't
give them a chance to rejuvenate themselves."
30
Walker receives honor
Stippel never played a full season of high school basketball and
missed all of her senior season. But she said playing athletics was
worth it.
"I know likely at some point I'm going to need a knee replacement,"
she said after limping through the hall at her alma mater, still fresh
off her fifth surgery. "If I look back on it, I would tell myself to [rest].
Based on my experience, I wouldn't play one sport year-round. Try
to take a break."
Now a coach of youth basketball and softball players, she's pained
when she sees them wearing knee, elbow and ankle sleeves and
braces.
Enough already
Buss' staff regularly patrols the Web for medical news and studies,
good and bad. After a recent study by the Journal of Athletic Training said that nearly 30 percent of all injuries are from overuse, the
staff cringed when it stumbled upon news of a high school pitcher
who threw more than 200 pitches in one game.
Bob Walker (center) is recognized by colleagues Tony Perez
(left) and Emmett Woolfork for 28 years of volleyball officiating services to the MSF. Bob not only provided participants
a fair, consistent contest, but is also a great ambassador for
the game.
"It's disappointing in that you know how these kids get hurt," Buss
said.
Last month at the Mall of America, Mayo's Healthy Living Clinic
held a throwing camp to teach athletes how to avoid injury and improve throwing mechanics. The clinic also offers weekly opportunities for injury assessments and exercise training.
"Right now, youth sports is so big that we have to ... focus on prevention," said Chad Eickhoff, Mayo Clinic's supervisor of athletic
trainer services. "How can we have those kids prevent overuse injuries and also injuries that cause problems when older in life?"
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Buss' staff follows the same principles and avoids surgery at all
costs. They believe the right mechanics and correct strength training provide the body with necessary tools to handle regular use.
"Overuse is an issue because there is just not enough time for
them to rest." Eickhoff said. "Another part of the problem is not doing enough preventative exercises."
Throwing and "overhead" sports -- baseball, softball, volleyball,
swimming, gymnastics, tennis -- lend themselves to more repetitive
motion injuries, studies show.
For Elsass, that meant readjusting his shoulder for hitting serves
and resting.
The adjustments have earned him a chance to play for the University of Nebraska's tennis team. But he wonders how much better
he could have been if he had not overused.
"If I had to redo USTA stuff, I'd wait a year or two to get really intense about it. Since I was 10 or 11, I've been playing tournaments
and competing," Elsass said. "Just see if that would have saved a
little bit.
"You go to tournaments and see everyone taped up and kids serving underhand. It's frustrating."
Reprinted from Star Tribune
SIT BACK & RELAX, WE’LL TAKE CARE OF YOU.
www.mnwsports.com
[email protected]
Toll FREE Minneapolis
Northwest area hotel hotline
877.541.4361
Minnesota Amateur
Summer/Fall
31
Youth Baseball State Championships
2012 MSF STATE CHAMPIONS
Youth Baseball Wrap-up
Age/Class
By Steve Ketter, Program Administrator
2012 marked the 24th Annual MSF Youth Baseball State Championships and it was another successful year. It all took place over the
weekend of July 27-29.
Thousands of participants from teams across the state were able to
see how they measured up against a competitive field. Congratulations and thank you to all players, coaches, and parents.
A special thanks to the tournament hosts who made it all possible.
State Tournament hosts included: Rosemount Traveling Baseball,
Buffalo Baseball Association, New Ulm Junior Baseball Association,
St. Cloud Travel Baseball, Marshall Youth Baseball Association, Austin Youth Baseball, and Burnsville Baseball Boosters. Another thanks
to our umpires in chief who provided our tournaments with qualified
umpires: Tom Lattery, Dan Feigum, John Brueske, Brent Wherry,
Justin Finneman, Jeff Moberg, Josh Kunze, and Gary Gibson.
Enjoy your fall and winter seasons and we will see you next year!
Check the web site this December for qualifier and state tournament
host applications.
Team
10 AAA
Burnsville Black
10 AA
New Prague
11 AAA
Farmington
11 AA
Prior Lake Gold
12 AAA
Highland Park
12 AA
Chanhassen
13 AAA
Burnsville Black
13 AA
Burnsville Silver
14 AAA
Minnetonka Black
14 AA
Wayzata Gold
15 AAA
Eagan
15 AA
St. Louis Park
10
10--UNDER DIVISION AAA STATE TOURNAMENT
Champion
Runner-Up
Third Place
Fourth Place
Burnsville Black
Eastview
Rosemount
STMA
Grant Ahean
Joseph Anderson
Maxwell Carlson
Mitchell Drews
Jett Heinen
Toby Jacobson
Dylan Kiratli
Konnor Kirchoffner
Casey Myers
Mitchell Remarcik
Tanner Smith
Timmy Urlab
3
19
33
2
20
16
12
10
13
2
29
7
Burnsville Black powers their way to title
ROSEMOUNT — Burnsville Black put on an
impressive performance at the 10AAA MSF
State Tournament. Burnsville led all teams
with an average of 13.25 runs per game.
They also held their opponents to 2 runs or
less in all but one of their games. STMA put
up 8 in the semi-finals, but Burnsville kept answering back
putting up 11 runs of their own. They went on to face Eastview in the championship game where they defeated the
Lightning 15-2.
Championship
Burnsville Black
Eastview
15
2
Coach
Record
Jim
Heinen
4-0
10
10--UNDER DIVISION AA STATE TOURNAMENT
Champion
Runner-Up
Third Place
Fourth Place
New Prague
Cottage Grove
Maple Lake
Albert Lea
New Prague comes through in the clutch
Championship
New Prague
Cottage Grove
6
2
Coach
Record
Kelly
Callahan
6-0
Cade Devine
Gavin Bergman
Jake Deutsch
ROSEMOUNT — The New Prague 10AA State
Jay Skogerboe
Championship run did not come without some
Logan Pumper
exciting, perhaps even nerve-racking moments.
Mitchell Callahan
After claiming the top seed out of their pool, New
Nate Picka
Prague was immediately tested in a pitchers’ duel
Parker Johnson
with New London-Spicer in their bracket play
Reagan Koch
opener. New Prague would hang on to win 3-0. Their quarterfi- Will Busch
nal game was an 11-10 shootout over Rockford. New Prague
went on to defeat Albert Lea and Cottage Grove in the semis
and championship game.
6
8
10
11
3
12
15
13
4
5
Minnesota Amateur
Summer/Fall
32
Youth Baseball State Championships
11
11--UNDER DIVISION AAA STATE TOURNAMENT
Champion
Runner-Up
Third Place
Fourth Place
Farmington
Prior Lake
Buffalo
Waconia
Trayton Anderson
Brady Bean
Jacob Bormann
Hunter Conrad
Charlie Fafinski
Zach Jakubowsky
Alex Mach
Tyler McClure
Josiah Needham
Drew Pellin
Jameson Shrum
Adam Weed
1
2
4
6
9
16
25
26
30
32
37
40
Farmington wins championship
BUFFALO — The Farmington
Tigers 11AAA “Brothers” used a
well-rounded attack of offense,
defense and pitching to take
home the 2012 MSF State
Championship. The Tigers only
allowed a total of 10 runs in the five games
played. It was a great finish to a great season for
Farmington.
Championship
Farmington
Prior Lake
5
1
Coach
Record
Kevin
Conrad
33-16
11
11--UNDER DIVISION AA STATE TOURNAMENT
Champion
Runner-Up
Third Place
Fourth Place
Prior Lake Gold
Willmar Reds
Northfield
Alexandria
Prior Lake Gold wins state
Championship
Prior Lake
Willmar
9
7
Coach
Record
Mike
Schwarz
34-14-3
NEW ULM — Offense was the name of
the game for Prior Lake Gold on their
way to the 11AA State Championship.
The Lakers averaged a tournament
high 13 runs per game. The quarterfinals featured one of the highest scoring games in
tournament history as they outlasted Austin 18-14.
The Lakers would defeat Alexandria in the semifinals
and beat a tough Willmar team 9-7 in the championship game.
Sam Bingenheimer
Corbin Cross
Jack Hudoba
Tyler Kelley
Brennan Larsen
Jack Lewis
Jack Plaisted
Nate Schwarz
Russ Tanner
Sam Tanner
12
12--UNDER DIVISION AAA STATE TOURNAMENT
Champion
Runner-Up
Third Place
Fourth Place
Highland Park
Chanhassen
Albert Lea
Rochester
Tommy Dicke
Riley Domler
Roy Palmer
Ray Christian
Michael Kramer
Abiyo Rose
Andy Wingerd
Liam Ryan
Dom Lometti
Gram O’Malley
Tommy Cummings
39
29
21
9
41
40
31
19
8
15
7
Highland Park finishes on top
BUFFALO — For the Highland Park
12AAA baseball team, the keys to victory were pitching, defense and timely
hitting — a familiar refrain in the game of
baseball. Highland Park held their opponents to three runs in each of their victories. They
defeated Rochester 5-3 in the semifinals and followed it up with a duplicate 5-3 effort over Chanhassen in the championship final.
Championship
Highland Park
Chanhassen
5
3
Coach
Record
Mark
Wingerd
3-1
28
14
19
48
6
27
30
25
32
18
Minnesota Amateur
Summer/Fall
33
Youth Baseball State Championships
12
12--UNDER DIVISION AA STATE TOURNAMENT
Champion
Runner-Up
Third Place
Fourth Place
Chanhassen
St. Cloud
Austin
STMA
Chanhassen claims championship
Championship
Chanhassen
St. Cloud
4
3
Coach
Record
John
Cadle
5-1
BUFFALO — Chanhassen came out of
pool play with a split, earning the #2
seed out of Pool A. Their loss came at
the hands of perennial power St.
Cloud. After fighting their way through
the championship bracket, Chanhassen found themselves in the championship game
against St. Cloud once again. Chanhassen pulled off
a thrilling 4-3 win to claim the state championship.
Andrew Cadle
Will Kaeding
Evan Simon
Lucas Nielsen
Jack Hackbarth
Jack Ryan
John Witcraft
Sam Pederson
Cal Bowman
Mark Self
Hayden Fraser
30
31
34
37
47
42
10
28
25
18
76
13
13--UNDER DIVISION AAA STATE TOURNAMENT
Champion
Runner-Up
Burnsville Black Armstrong Cooper
Roman Ahean
William Bean
Ryan Brunner
Sam Carlson
Ryan Dobrzynski
Andrew Hanson
Max Hanson
Jackson Martens
Stephan Olson, Jr.
Henry Ristredt
Derek Thellin
3
20
9
33
13
4
10
48
2
42
12
Third Place Fourth Place
Shoreview
Chanhassen
Back-to-back for Burnsville Black
ST. CLOUD — Burnsville Black went a
perfect 5-0 on the weekend to claim the
13AAA MSF State Championship. This is
the second consecutive MSF State Tournament victory for Burnsville Black. In
2011, Burnsville Black won the 12AAA State Championship in Buffalo. They defeated Armstrong Cooper this
year to make it back-to-back titles.
Championship
Coach
Record
Burnsville Black vs.
Armstrong Cooper
Keith
Hanson
5-0
13
13--UNDER DIVISION AA STATE TOURNAMENT
Champion
Runner-Up
Third Place
Fourth Place
Burnsville
Silver
Marshall
Legends
Hutchinson
Tigers
Chanhassen
Vegas
Burnsville Silver wins state
Championship
Burnsville Silver
Marshall Legends
10
7
Coach
Record
Allen
Steinkopf
43-7-3
MARSHALL — While Burnsville Black was
winning a state tournament in St. Cloud,
Burnsville Silver was trying to do the same
about 130 miles southwest in Marshall.
They were able to do just that going 6-0 on
the weekend. Burnsville Silver defeated
Alexandria 8-5 in the quarterfinals, then knocked out Hutchinson 10-3 in the semis. This led to a championship
matchup against the hometown team — Marshall Legends. Burnsville Silver held off the Legends by a final
score of 10-7.
Travis Steinkopf
Jack Lindsay
Daniel Sandvis
Ben Milhaunt
Sam Carman
Trace Lindstrom
DJ Young
Devin Thompson
Kenny Kirath
Ben Hensley
17
7
77
6
8
3
27
42
25
4
Minnesota Amateur
Summer/Fall
34
Youth Baseball State Championships
14
14--UNDER DIVISION AAA STATE TOURNAMENT
Champion
Runner-Up
Third Place
Fourth Place
Minnetonka Black
Prior Lake
Wayzata
WYAL Panthers
Jake Raether
Fox Leum
Jesus Artega
Liam Connery
Will Feldmeyer
Nick Benz
Eric Steingas
Caleb Makives
Adam Baker
Mario Bertoglast
Jacob Stoeler
Hunter Romas
31
34
47
24
13
5
10
37
11
22
7
18
Minnetonka Black prevails at state
ST. CLOUD — Minnetonka Black ran the
table at the 14AAA MSF State Tournament in
St. Cloud going a perfect 6-0 on the weekend. The Skippers got off to a hot start scoring 45 runs in their three pool play games.
The mixed in some pitching and defense in the championship bracket ultimately defeating Prior Lake to win it all.
Championship
Coach
Record
Minnetonka Black vs.
Prior Lake
Grant
Leum
6-0
14
14--UNDER DIVISION AA STATE TOURNAMENT
Champion
Runner-Up
Third Place
Fourth Place
Wayzata Gold
Alexandria
Cardinals
Alexandria
Redbirds
Burnsville
Gold
Wayzata Gold perfect at state
Championship
Coach
Wayzata Gold
18
Alexandria Cardinals 4
Record
6-0
AUSTIN — Behind outstanding pitching and an
explosive offensive attack, the 14AA Wayata Gold
team ran the MSF State Tournament to go 6-0.
Everything came together at the right time to allow
the Wayzata team to advance to and win the
championship game against the Alexandria Cardinals.
Bill Arndt
Jamison Schuh
Tom Skoso
Jared Bennett
Richard Zejdlik
Cole Jacob
Jack Barbella
Donny Schroeder
Griffin Folven
Trevor Cammoeld
Clayton Price
33
21
11
27
10
20
7
19
34
8
35
15
15--UNDER DIVISION AAA STATE TOURNAMENT
Champion
Runner-Up
Third Place
Fourth Place
Eagan
Burnsville Black
Woodbury
St. Croix
Jack Baker
Callen Duffy
Cole Hibbard
Andy Kemp
Joe Krovach
Jake Mackovets
Hogan Marshall
Jake Ossell
Thomas Peterson
Chase Seiberlich
Austin Style
Samuel Zenner
5
16
8
7
15
14
10
9
13
6
4
11
Eagan Wildcats win tournament championship
BURNSVILLE — After dropping their opening game
to Burnsville Black, Eagan played very well the rest of
the 15AAA MSF State Tournament. The Wildcats got
back on track with a 7-5 victory over Edina. They followed that up with a 12-5 win over Woodbury. This
set up a rematch in the championship game against Burnsville Black.
In a tightly contested game, Eagan would come out on top by a final
score of 3-2.
Championship
Coach
Record
Eagan
3
Burnsville Black 2
Bill
Style
3-1
15
15--UNDER DIVISION AA STATE TOURNAMENT
Champion
Runner-Up
Third Place
Fourth Place
St. Louis Park
Brooklyn Area
Mahtomedi
WYAL
St. Louis Park grabs title
Championship
St. Louis Park
Brooklyn Area
9
8
Coach
Record
Ryan
Titus
4-0-1
BURNSVILLE — The St. Louis Park Orioles
won the 15AA MSF State Tournament that
took place in Burnsville July 27-29. The Orioles fought through a number of close games
including a 3-1 victory over WYAL in the
semi-finals and a thrilling 9-8 win over Brooklyn Area Bulldogs in the championship game.
Jason Keller
Kyle Nordstrom
Adam Petit
William Gleason
Casey Plender
Joey Jaramillo
Joe Burnley
Elliot Slade
Teddie Hoppmann
TJ Rempter
Alex Hanson
Tommy Burnett
0
3
4
5
6
7
8
11
18
20
24
33
Minnesota Amateur
Summer/Fall
36
Touch Football State Tournament
MSF TOUCH FOOTBALL CLASS A STATE TOURNAMENT
Champion
Runner-Up
Third Place (Tied)
Innovative Graphics,
Bloomington
SMS, Minneapolis
Calcutta Clippers, Bloomington
& Westside, St. Paul
Jason Cordes
Josh Otto
Jared Lazer
Gary Schleper
Curt Hartfield
Sean Geisen
Don West
Tim Kasper
Joe Heller
Brent Rieck
Drew Sinke
Championship Game
Innovative Graphics, Bloomington
SMS, Minneapolis
18
12
MSF TOUCH FOOTBALL CLASS B STATE TOURNAMENT
Champion
Runner-Up
Third Place (Tied)
St. Paul Threat
Parkway Pizza’s
Muddjets, Minneapolis
Triple D, Minneapolis &
Eastside Pound, St. Paul
Joseph Gaona
Ken Flores
Joe Mitchell
Jeffrey Vanden Bosch John Noyola
Quentin Perry
Dave Hanson
Tyler Chavez
Mike Bresnahan David Vanden Bosch
Robert Noyola
Julian Luster
Pat Hoban
Ryan Kelly
Marcus Ramirez
Brian Orn
Championship Game
St. Paul Threat
Parkway Pizza’s Muddjets
24
6
MSF TOUCH FOOTBALL CLASS C STATE TOURNAMENT
Championship Game
Bad Newz Kennels, Bloomington
BSA, St. Paul
8
0
Champion
Runner-Up
Third Place (Tied)
Bad Newz Kennels,
Bloomington
BSA, St. Paul
Doherty’s Tavern, Bloomington
& Tower Ave Tavern, Duluth
Jake Dammann
Pat Mengelkock
Mike Christopher
Adam Roberson
Luke Rieger
Josh Rosenthal
Bran Saaf
Corey Dooley
Summer/Fall
Minnesota Amateur
37
2013 Youth Volleyball State Championships Preview
Get Ready For the 25th Anniversary Season of MSF Youth Volleyball!
The 2013 season is almost here and the Minnesota Sports Federation continues to
provide quality tournaments at a reasonable price. Austin, Rochester, Hutchinson,
Monticello, and St. Cloud will host events at their volleyball facilities. For a complete list of dates and sites please see below. Deadlines to join are 10 days prior
to the tournament date.
The 2013 Youth Volleyball guidebook will be available in December and all roster
forms, entry forms, tournament information, and tournament maps are and will be
available online at www.msf1.org under volleyball/youth. Last year many tournament age groups filled up quickly so enter early to ensure your place at state! Over
150 teams competed in four state championships throughout the Winter/Spring
season and we are excited to host another fun season of youth volleyball. Please
note that all USAV teams are welcome to participate! For further information
please contact Tami Morrison at [email protected] or 763-263-9993.
Get ready for some Pass, Set, Spike Fun this season!
Event
Date
Site
Entry Deadline
March I 12-, 13- & 14U
March 9
Austin
February 27
March I 15-, 16-, 17- & 18U
March 10
Austin
February 27
March II 12-, 13- & 14U
March 16
St Cloud
March 6
March II 15-, 16-, 17- & 18U
March 17
St Cloud
March 6
April I 12-, 13- & 14U
April 13
Rochester
April 3
April I 15-, 16-, 17- & 18U
April 14
Rochester
April 3
April II 12-, 13- & 14U
April 20
Hutchinson
April 10
April II 15-, 16-, 17- & 18U
April 21
Hutchinson
April 10
May 12-, 13- & 14U
May 4
Monticello
April 24
May 15-, 16-, 17- & 18U
May 5
Monticello
April 24
Summer/Fall
Minnesota Amateur
38
Minnesota Sports Federation
2013 Youth Volleyball State Championships
COMPETE WITH TEAMS FROM ALL OVER THE STATE
ALL USAV TEAMS ARE WELCOME AND ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN MSF SANCTIONED EVENTS
AND MAY NOT BE PENALIZED FOR DOING SO
DIVISIONS OFFERED:
ENTRY FEE:
TOURNEY SCHEDULES:
12’s-18’s-Under
(12’s-14’s play on Saturday
and 15’s-18’s play on
Sunday). If insufficient
numbers exist to conduct a
specific age division we
reserve the right to combine
two age divisions for pool
play and then reseparate for
bracket play (Note: This is
rarely necessary).
$140 per tournament, discount available if more than
one tournament is entered
(see reverse for details).
Game referees are provided.
Coaches and Players DO
NOT keep score
or line judge or officiate. You
spend all your time just
having fun coaching/playing
volleyball or just
plain relaxing!
Pre-Tournament info will be
emailed and mailed upon request once entry is received.
Schedules will be posted at
www.msf1.org under youth
volleyball by Wednesday
noon preceding the event.
STRUCTURE:
MSF Sanctioned eight game
minimum guarantee. Teams
advance to upper or lower
levels after pool play. Pools
of four, five, six, or seven
teams.
ENTRY DEADLINE:
Entry Deadline is the
Tuesday 10 days prior to the
tournament — 5:00pm
GAME OFFICIALS:
USAV or MSHSL referees
will be provided. Players/
coaches do not officiate, line
judge, or keep score.
AWARDS:
Awards presented are based
on the number of pools and
are more generous and more
distinctive than the
average weekend
tournament. A
championship banner will
also be awarded to the first
place team in
each age division.
2013
Minnesota Sports Federation
25th Anniversary Youth Volleyball Sanctioned Tournament Schedule
Event
Date
Site
Entry Deadline
March State I 12-, 13- & 14U
March State I 15-, 16-, 17- & 18U
March 2
March 3
Becker
Becker
February 20
February 20
March State II 12-, 13- & 14U
March State II 15-, 16-, 17- & 18U
March 9
March 10
Austin
Austin
February 27
February 27
March State III 12-, 13- & 14U
March State III 15-, 16-, 17- & 18U
March 16
March 17
St. Cloud
St. Cloud
March 6
March 6
April State I 12-, 13- & 14U
April State I 15-, 16-, 17- & 18U
April 13
April 14
Rochester
Rochester
April 3
April 3
April State II 12-, 13- & 14U
April State II 15-, 16-, 17- & 18U
April 20
April 21
Hutchinson
Hutchinson
April 10
April 10
May State 12-, 13- & 14U
May State 15-, 16-, 17- & 18U
May 4
May 5
Monticello
Monticello
April 24
April 24
Directions/Motel Accommodations: Directions to the playing site, parking options,
motel options, rules and roster form will be emailed to you upon receipt of entry.
Forms can be mailed upon request by emailing [email protected].
“I wanted to thank you for
a great season of volleyball. We played in the 14
and under group and we
truly enjoyed our experience. We definitely improved from the first tournament. The competition
was great and the tournaments were run smoothly. I
truly appreciate your guidance in getting us going so
we could participate this
past season”.—Parent of
St. Peter Saints player.
Visit us at
www.msf1.org for more
tournament
information
2013 Youth Volleyball State Tournament Entry Form (ONE FORM PER TEAM)
Team Name
Community/Club
Team Coach
Address of Coach
City
State
Zip Code
Day of Tournament Contact Phone
Work Phone
Email Address (IMPORTANT)
Circle the age group you are entering:
12U
13U
16U
14U
17U
15U
18U
Please circle which tournament(s) you are entering:
March I (Becker)
March II (Austin)
March III (St. Cloud)
*April I (Rochester)
April II (Hutchinson)
State Championship Series Entry Fees:
$140 per team per tournament (MSHSL or USAV referees are provided)
If the same team enters 3 tournaments the total fee is $400 (A SAVINGS OF $20)
If the same team enters 4 tournaments the total fee is $535 (A SAVINGS OF $25)
If the same team enters 5 tournaments the total fee is $670 (A SAVINGS of $30)
If the same team enters all 6 tournaments the total fee is $805 (A SAVINGS of $35)
*Add $25.00 to entry fee for Rochester (Facility Usage Surcharge)
Circle:
VISA
Credit Card Number
Name as it appears on card
CREDIT CARD PAYMENT
MASTERCARD
DISCOVER
Expiration Date
May (Monticello)
8 GAMES GUARANTEED
All players participating
must become MSF members to be eligible to participate. A ONE TIME fee per
season is $5.00 per player.
Please include with entry
form or day of tournament.
$_______ team entry fee.
Signature
Please fill out the above and return to: MSF Volleyball, P.O. Box 368, Big Lake, MN 55309 or Fax to 763-263-5657
Summer/Fall
Minnesota Amateur
40
Anger management: Coach-parent conflicts
By Jason Gonzalez, Star Tribune  May 21, 2012
Coaches no longer make decisions in a vacuum. Some parents second-guess every move, and some coaches resent
it. Can they meet in the middle?
Standing in front of nearly 200 pairs of eyes last week outside Roseville High School, Jeff Pauletti began his mission
of change.
"It's a shame that we lose so many coaches," said Pauletti,
the school's former boys' hockey coach, ticking off statistics
of coaches who have resigned or not had contracts renewed
in Minnesota high school sports. "So going forward, I want to
be an advocate for coaches' rights."
With that, Pauletti, for months the subject of claims by parents that he bullied players, had become the boldest to
speak out among coaches who say they are struggling to
survive a new form of bullying. They believe more demanding parents who scrutinize their every move are creating a
cloud over high school athletics.
"This is a common concern of coaches," said North St. Paul
boys' hockey coach Jerry Diebel, who showed up at the rally
organized by Roseville parents in support of coaches and
staff. "But out in the open, it is unique. Jeff is one of the first
guys to tell his story."
Pauletti believes parent bullying ruined his nine-year reign at
Roseville. While the school district never disclosed the nature of its investigation, it is believed to have stemmed from
parents' allegations that Pauletti threw garbage cans, broke
clipboards, bullied and intimidated players, and engaged in
financial fraud.
Only hours before the district held a closed-door meeting on
May 8 to discuss Pauletti's situation, he resigned. The Roseville school district released a statement saying the investigation is complete; it won't discuss findings because of data
privacy laws. On Monday, however, the district said board
chair Kitty Gogins would make a statement regarding the
investigation at Tuesday's board meeting.
"I wanted to tell my story. I needed to get it off my chest,"
Pauletti said after last week's rally. "The climate [of the job]
was not a real good one. It wasn't worth it anymore."
The coach's accusers have been after Pauletti for the past
five years, he says. In November, the allegations prompted
the district to investigate after the coach said he cut the primary accuser's son from the hockey team. According to several e-mails Pauletti read aloud during a recent school board
meeting, the accusing party said their son was mistreated
and put at risk by the boys' hockey coaching staff.
Parents critical of Pauletti retained a lawyer to press their
case.
"[My clients] are relieved team members don't have to put up
with a bullying coach," said Kirsten Libby, a lawyer representing parents aligned in a group called Parents 4 Responsible Coaching. "A lot of people were afraid to come forward.
They had to be brave to do this. Enough was enough."
Surviving amid 'epidemic'
His plain gray sweater displayed no association, and a calm
demeanor kept Diebel mostly unnoticed as he watched from
the rear of the Roseville rally. His presence, however, was
an example that coaches can survive in today's changing
environment of high school athletics.
The environment includes battling what coaches describe as
"overly involved" parents intent on imposing their agendas.
This could mean complaining about their child's playing time,
being unhappy about wins and losses and voicing concern
about discipline.
While the majority of moms and dads restrict themselves to
being fans of their kids' teams, some initiate challenges
some coaches aren't prepared to handle.
It wasn't long ago that Diebel was reading endless letters
and e-mails filled what he considered lies about his coaching
style. People wanted him out.
"It's tough reading letters lying about what you are," he said.
He remained silent during a public process that rose to include the school principal and district superintendent, yet he
managed to survive. Many coaches around the state haven't
had the same luck.
"There is an epidemic across the country where quality
coaches and good people are being pushed out of the profession," said Carl J. Pierson, the Waconia girls' basketball
coach and author of a book called "The Politics of Coaching," which several local coaches say they have read.
"They're overwhelmed by the politics of the position. A lot of
them try to ignore it and do so at their own peril."
Jim Koltes of Maple Grove can relate. As Crimson girls'
hockey coach in 2008-09, he was asked by school administrators to videotape practices and hold weekly meetings to
appease unhappy parents.
"I said 'No.' That's crazy," Koltes said. The coach's patience
had been tested for months after the 2009 season. He said
Continued on next page ►
Summer/Fall
Minnesota Amateur
41
his family had been harassed at local restaurants and rumors were beginning to spread.
Coaches have to talk to the parents more. The parent-coach
relationship has changed."
"I just had enough of it, so I resigned," he said.
During his time as an athletic director at Northfield, Kevin
Merkle said he learned that most parent complaints were
unsubstantiated.
How good is your kid?
Parents can't help their longing to be involved, but what
proud softball parent Mike Smith says they can do is control
it.
Smith is one example of today's "extremely involved" high
school sports parent. At a recent game, he sported a cap,
sunglasses, T-shirt, shorts and shoes -- all with an athletic
style to them -- complete with a bag of sunflower seeds.
"Like you mean it, Syd!" Smith yelled to his daughter, Sydney, a Maple Grove freshman, as she stepped to the plate
against Coon Rapids. His body language became more anxious with each pitch, to the point of leaving his feet when the
umpire called strike two.
Mike Smith has coached his daughter since she was introduced to the sport, guiding her through years of youth
sports. But when she enrolled at Maple Grove, he had to relinquish some of his influence. It wasn't easy, he says, but it
worked because he is at peace with her athletic abilities.
"I don't set unfair expectations for my daughter," he said.
"Parents need to seek [qualified] feedback on how good
their kids are. When you don't, you have parents that have a
misalignment on their kids' level of abilities, and that creates
misunderstandings."
Gruff ways no longer cut it
As a guest at the Oldtimers Hockey Association annual roast
and toast last month, Pauletti -- a former Gophers defenseman -- heard stories of his playing days and revisited the
rugged coaching style that molded him as a player. Those
days were intense at times and included a fair share of expletives.
Effective then, but things have changed.
"Probably 95 percent of these guys wouldn't last a day in
this [coaching] situation," he said, "because of things they
say, and how gruff they are, and the actions they do, and
how they discipline."
Longtime Elk River boys' hockey coach Tony Sarsland's
coaching style was at issue when he resigned in April. The
subject of previous criticism, he resigned amid a new investigation that he was too physical with a player.
"[Sarsland] loves kids as much as anybody, but you've got to
coach different now," said Mark Loahr, the boys' hockey
coach at Totino-Grace. "You have to talk to the kids more.
"It's always hard to judge what is going on. Having been in
those situations, you never know both sides of the story,"
said Merkle, now a Minnesota State High School League
associate director. "But you have to stand up to parents
sometimes. You can't let the parents run the program."
Koltes, who stayed on as Maple Grove's softball coach, said:
"If you have a strong athletic director, they can squash the
mad stuff. Sometimes these ADs get bullied around a little
bit, but a good AD can quash a lot of problems."
'Your time is ticking'
To introduce a new season, Waconia's Pierson said he distributes a survey to players, adding: "The last question is,
'Why do you play basketball?' A couple kids over the years
have put, 'To earn a college scholarship.' I know that didn't
come from the kid."
Parents expect a lot from their investment in their children's
athletic careers, fueled by rising college costs that make
scholarships more appealing and dreams of being the parent of a professional athlete.
"I think parents are probably more the problem," Roseville
parent Robb Stecklein said about parent-coach conflicts.
"Sometimes parents put that expectation on their children,
'Oh, you're going to be a pro hockey player.' So there's
probably too much of that."
Brad Anderson sees the parent-coach dilemma from both
sides. As Wayzata football coach, he has navigated numerous parental situations to build one of the state's most successful programs. As a parent, he writes the same checks,
invests the same time and wants the best for his kids.
"As a parent, by definition you are biased. I have two daughters and when they're playing, I know who I was watching,"
Anderson said.
"[Coaching] is becoming more difficult. Parents are spending
more money and this state and society thinks sports are so
important. With that being the case, it's not a job that is going to get easier as time goes on."
For Koltes, it means paying close attention to parent and
player concerns, organizing ways to keep them informed,
and keeping an eye on a never-empty complaint box.
"But if [parents] want you [out], they're going to get you," he
said. "The day you take the job, your time is ticking."
Reprinted from Star Tribune
Summer/Fall
Minnesota Amateur
42
Tobacco-in-Parks Debate Not Over in Some Communities
October 1, 2012
Bangor Committee debates tobacco restrictions for public parks
Andrew Neff BDN Staff
BANGOR, Maine -- A longtime Bangor resident arguing for
smokers' rights gave city councilors something to put in their
pipes and smoke Monday night.
As a result, a Bangor City Council government operations
committee meeting to evaluate a possible ordinance restricting use of tobacco at all city parks generated a lot of discussion, but no final decision.
Bangor Parks and Recreation Director Tracy Willette presented a joint proposal on behalf of the council's parks, recreation and harbor advisory committee and Bangor's Public
Health Advisory Committee to ban tobacco use at all public
parks and outdoor facilities except Bangor Municipal Golf
Course.
"At what point will some other perceived injustice like smoking be punished and diminish the freedoms of others?"
asked Mary Lu Philbrook, 70, of Bangor. "The public has
been taught to discriminate, shun, demoralize, humiliate and
shame smokers. It seems no one has the courage to say
enough is enough."
The committee, which seemed poised to take a vote on recommending a ban on tobacco use at all parks, debated the
issue before voting to give a thumbs-up to incorporating
comments from Monday's meeting into a less restrictive approach to regulating tobacco use.
"It's one's liberty versus another's," said Councilor Ben Sprague. "The question is where one person's liberty ends and
another's begins."
Councilor Geoff Gratwick, who is also a physician, said it
comes down to prevention of health hazards.
"We need to respect everybody's rights. Back off and leave
it alone."
Councilor and Mayor Cary Weston was less strident in his
take on things.
"Personally, I hate smoking, but I have a problem with the
state taking money in taxes and it going back to the state
level, and not local, while also demonizing it," said Weston.
"I don't have a problem restricting smoking in vehicles with
kids present, but I do have a problem supporting this."
Councilor Nelson Durgin referenced scientific studies showing documented negative effects on others from secondhand
smoke in open air areas. He also pointed out that the University of Maine system, Husson University and other colleges in Maine have either banned smoking on campus or
are moving in that direction.
"While I agree it's a hazard, I don't think it's something we
should totally wipe out," Weston said.
Shawn Yardley, Bangor's Health and Community Services
director and a former smoker, said 15 percent or more of
children today have health issues related to smoking.
"I appreciate the different perspectives here, but there's no
way we can deny the science," Yardley said.
After more than 30 minutes of discussion, the councilors directed Willette to go back to the joint committee and hash
out alternative restrictions such as banning tobacco use
within 50 feet of a children's playground or entrance to a
park and establishing more remote smoking areas.
Philbrook seemed encouraged after the meeting.
"We don't want to become a nanny state, but we do want to
support public health," he said.
Councilor Pat Blanchette said not at the expense of individual rights.
"People have choices. They don't have to stand or sit near
someone smoking. And cigarettes are still legal," she said.
"It's a backdoor way to have a prohibition on cigarettes. I'm
not saying it's right. I just don't think I should have to feel
ashamed every time I light one up."
"I'm not ready to say no smoking at any place in any park in
the city," she said. "Smokers pay taxes, too. Actually, they
pay more.
Reprinted from the Bangor Daily News
Minnesota Amateur
Summer/Fall
43
2012 Boys Basketball State Championships Preview
The Minnesota Sports Federation Boys Basketball program is preparing for another exciting season. The effort and teamwork put into a full season will once again culminate with the MSF Boys
State Tournaments held on March 1-3, 2013. MSF Grade Basketball State Tournaments feature a
more liberal format featuring a higher number of games played than other state tournaments for a
lesser entry fee.
To see the results from last year, visit our web site at www.msf1.org and click on the youth basketball section.
Click ahead two pages and print out the state tournament entry form. Entry deadline is February
1st. Roster forms, maps to sites, and tournament information will also be available on the web
site.
Grade
Site
4th
Buffalo
5th
Hastings
6th
Buffalo
7th
Monticello
8th
Roseville
9th
Roseville
If you have any questions about boys basketball, feel free to
contact Steve at [email protected] or 952-405-6936.
Thank you and we are looking forward to the 2013 Boys State Championships!
Summer/Fall
Minnesota Amateur
44
2013 Girls Basketball State Championships Preview
The 25th Championship Season of MSF Girls Basketball is Almost Here!!
Basketball regular season play is here! Coaches, for many of you practice
has started and that means you are getting your team ready for the state
championships! Mark your calendars for February 23-24 and sign up today
to ensure your team’s spot at the 2013 championships! Deadline for entry is
February 1st.
This past year the Minnesota Sports Federation provided thousands of players an opportunity to show what they have worked all year to perfect. Each
age group will have their own host community. The 4th-6th grade tournament
sites will be at Rockford Community Center and High School. The 7th-8th
grade tournaments will be held in Columbia Heights. For further information
and entry form please see this review and also visit the Minnesota Sports
Federation website at www.msf1.org under basketball/youth. MSF Grade
Basketball State Tournaments feature a more liberal format featuring a
higher number of games played than other state tournaments for a lesser
entry fee. We look forward to hosting your team in 2013! Good luck with the
season!
If you have any questions about girls basketball, feel free to contact Steve at
[email protected] or 952-405-6936 or Tami at [email protected] or 763-263-9993.
Minnesota Amateur
Summer/Fall
45
2013 Youth Basketball State Flyer/Entry Form
Minnesota Sports Federation
25th Anniversary Youth Basketball State Championships
Girls State
4th Grade
5th Grade
6th Grade
7th Grade
8th Grade
Dates
February 23-24
February 23-24
February 23-24
February 23-24
February 23-24
Boys State
4th Grade
5th Grade
6th Grade
7th Grade
8th Grade
9th Grade
Site
Rockford
Rockford
Rockford
Columbia Heights
Columbia Heights
Dates
March 2-3
March 1-3
March 1-3
March 1-3
March 1-3
March 2-3
Site
Buffalo
Hastings
Buffalo
Monticello
Roseville
Roseville
Divisions Offered
Tournament Schedules
Boys & Girls, 4th - 9th Grade, ABC and as needed
Tournament schedules will be posted on our web site 7-9
days prior to the tournament at www.msf1.org.
Format
Pool play into brackets, 3 games guaranteed
Directions/Hotel Accommodations
Seeding Meeting
Directions/addresses to the playing sites and hotel options will
be posted at www.msf1.org.
Seeding meetings are held to make sure that the MSF
tournaments have the best competition within a division
and 24 teams or less. To have a voice in the process, you
must attend the meeting. Dates and times will be posted
on www.msf1.org website and noted in your confirmation
letter.
Declination Policy
The MSF reserves the right to decline entry to any team that
has not exhibited good conduct throughout the season. This
includes, but not limited to: tournaments, league play and the
2012 MSF Basketball State Championships.
Game Officials
Awards
MSHSL Certified Referees, Trained scorekeepers
8+ teams in division, top 4; 4-7 teams, top 2
Serving Minnesota’s Youth Through Sportssm
2013 MSF Youth Basketball State Championship Entry Form
(Important - One Team Per Form)
Team Name____________________________ Association_____________________________
Team Coach__________________________ Address__________________________________
City________________________________ State_______ Zip Code______________________
Cell Phone (_____)___________________ Alternate Phone H/W (_____)__________________
Email Address ________________________________________________________________
Circle Boys or Girls: Boys
Girls
Circle Grade:
Please circle the division you are applying for:
A
4
5
B
C
6
7
8
9
2012-2013 Record to Date (THIS SECTION MUST BE COMPLETED)
Record vs. A teams_________ Record vs. B teams_________ Record vs. C teams_________
TEAMS MAY ALSO ENTER USING PAYPAL OR CREDIT CARD AT MSF1.ORG
Register online or return entry form and $255 by February 1st to:
MSF Basketball ● PO Box 368 ● Big Lake, MN 55309
The Minnesota Sports Federation invites your
community to join the leading and fastest
growing sports organization in Minnesota.
Membership Benefits Include
Lowest team and tournament entry fees available
Amateur Sports Review
Highest quality tournament administration and game officiating
Voting rights for all sports directors
Assurance that all fees are used solely to provide
amateur sports activities
Largest and fastest growing sports organization in
Minnesota
The Minnesota Sports Federation (MSF) is a non-profit, non-discriminatory organization dedicated to providing wholesome community based amateur/recreational sports opportunities that
promote fitness, personal growth, sportsmanship and the development of lifetime leisure skills.
Serving Minnesota Through Sports SM
Minnesota Sports Federation
PO Box 368 • Big Lake, MN 55309
(763) 263-9993 • Fax (763) 263-5657
www.msf1.org
The Minnesota Sports Federation serves as the local association of
the National Softball Federation of America and
administers the local National Youth Basketball Council.