:: teamSmith Softball - 18 Gold Team

8/1/08

Update:

This summer teamSmith players did a tremendous job on and off the field. Although we did not qualify for Nationals, our players represented themselves as true champions. A highlight of the summer was working the Harlem RBI clinic giving back to the game we respect so much. There were many people who complimented our TEAM on their character, leadership and how they played the game. No score will ever touch that. Those are special memories that will always stay with us.
All of our Seniors (08's) are off to their respective colleges in a few weeks, carrying the teamSmith philosophy with them. We couldn't be more proud of them.

Paige Smith- signed with St. Francis; Jessica Richards signed with Fordham University; Alli Taylor signed with UC Santa Barbara; Danee Collett signed with Penn State; Mackensey Carter signed with Georgetown; "DD" Burns signed to Syracuse- she also is part of the ROTC program; Kendall Gorham signed with Cal Baptist University. All these players did a great job all the way around. Their work ethic and desire for the game will carry with them to the next level and their futures are extremely bright.

A special congrats to our (09's) that have verballed. Nalani St. Germaine verballed to Long Beach State; Chelsey Anderson verballed to Cal State Fullerton; Kailyn Johnson verballed to Penn State. We are proud of everyones achievements and are looking forward to great things from this group in the upcoming teamSmith season.

Julie and Terry

As the 2008 school year winds to a close, Teamsmith gears up for a summer of hard work and great softball. The break for high school softball has proven successful for many of the Teamsmith players. Alli Taylor (El Modena, Div. II) and Paige Smith (Valencia, Div I.) both helped their schools win CIF titles. Through challenges and triumphs in high school, our team has grown and changed. Senior Brittney Hubbard, headed to University of Georgia next year, added to this by saying “we've all grown individually stronger both physically and mentally thus making us stronger as a unit, as a team.” This summer is going to be filled with physical challenges and unforgettable memories.

These next few months will include tough practices and workouts, showcase tournaments, and national qualifiers. Our goal is to not only qualify for nationals but to also compete once we are there; we are on a mission. We will get there by supporting each other and working hard every day. “The mission that we have for this summer can be accomplished because we are all working hard to get there,” said junior pitcher Chelsey Anderson. This attitude is seen across the board throughout the Teamsmith organization.

Teamsmith has exciting events ahead, such as the annual New York trip. Senior Jessica Richards, headed to New York next year to attend Fordham University, is excited along with the our whole team to go “play in the New Jersey classic and then our whole New York trip after: Harlem clinic, shopping on Canal Street, and Yankee game.” These memorable events will not only bring us closer as a team but, like sophomore Jenna Stark commented on the chemistry of the team, all of these memories make us “much more than a team we are a family.”

So as we start this summer, let’s make it a successful, challenging, and unforgettable one!!