NPFSep 14, 2015 by Sarah Hoffman
NPF Players Busy in the Offseason
NPF Players Busy in the Offseason
Lest you think now that the Chicago Bandits have been crowned Cowles Cup Champions and the National Pro Fastpitch league’s season has ended that the women o
Lest you think now that the Chicago Bandits have been crowned Cowles Cup Champions and the National Pro Fastpitch league’s season has ended that the women of the league have gone quiet, think again. We’re bringing you current with all the exciting adventures your favorite pros are doing in their offseason... if they’re having an offseason at all.
Everyone’s favorite legendary pitcher, Cat Osterman, hasn’t slowed down since her Last Ride finished with a Cowles Cup finals appearance. The former Texas Longhorn pitcher moved just 30 miles south of her old college stomping grounds to continue her stint as the Texas State Bobcats assistant coach, working primarily with the pitching staff.
Osterman joined the Bobcat coaching staff last year after spending the three previous seasons with St. Edward’s Hilltoppers. In her three years working with the Hilltopper pitchers, Osterman’s staff won two Conference Pitcher of the Year awards and received All-Region honors twice.
More Episodes of Cat Osterman's documentary are coming this month!
Stay tuned for more from Cat Osterman as FloSoftball will be releasing two more premium documentaries this month on the legendary pitcher’s career. You can watch episodes one and two of her series The Last Ride on FloSoftball.com.
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Six of Osterman’s USSSA Pride teammates traveled to Italy after the NPF season ended last month to run a three-day softball skills clinic with young Italian players ranging in ages from 10-19.
Andrea Duran, Megan Willis, GiOnna DiSalvatore, Brigette Del Ponte, Hannah Rogers, and Breja’e Washington spent their first two days of the six-day trip sightseeing in Rome and Milan before beginning the skills clinic that focused on a range of topics from defense and throwing, to offense, to base running and agility.
The USSSA players worked with a total of 40 girls over the three-day camp, sharing their softball knowledge and skills while, perhaps more importantly, building lifelong memories with the young Italian softball players.
Pride third baseman and former UCLA Bruin and Olympic silver medalist Andrea Duran had this to say about the experience in an interview with Jami Lobpries:
“Anytime we get the opportunity to travel to different countries and give back to the sport is a very unique and special experience for me personally...The girls in Italy really reinforced this for me every day I worked with them because they were so hungry and eager to learn...This is why I play softball. We have the greatest job in the world not only because we are able to still play but to give back. USSSA and USA Elite Select created this very special opportunity that I am so grateful I was a part of and I can’t wait to see what the future holds internationally.”
Eight-year NPF veteran and Pride catcher Megan Willis echoed her teammates feelings about the Italy experience in her interview with Jami Lobpries. “It was such a pleasure being able to go over and represent USSSA Softball. The Federation of International Baseball and Softball is really looking to grow both baseball and softball so it was our job to continue this relationship and show them that we can become great partners and really help grow sports together. I felt we saw a need for more softball knowledge and hope to continue this relationship moving forward. My hope is that we can come back over to Italy and visit new regions with the same goal, to build the knowledge of the sport to both players and coaches.”
On a related note, the Pride confirmed on its Twitter account on September 10 that Megan Willis will be traveling to France in October to be a guest speaker for the French Baseball and Softball Federation.
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Though not traveling internationally to hold skills camps, USSSA Pride rookie slugger Lauren Chamberlain is doing her own part to train the next generation of young softball players and promote exercise and health.
The former Oklahoma Sooner broke the all-time NCAA home run record this past season and was nominated for Sportswoman of the Year by The Women’s Sports Foundation. Most recently she hosted a three-session camp in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area for young softball players while promoting the #5forPE campaign to keep physical education in public schools.
The #5forPE video challenge encourages people wanting to promote the importance of physical education in public schools to record a short video explaining why physical education is important them, do five reps of their favorite exercise, challenge five others to continue the challenge, and post their video with the #5forPE and sign the pledge.
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While many pros are hosting camps and clinics in the offseason, some aren’t getting the luxury of an offseason. Chicago Bandit ace Monica Abbott and USSSA Pride shortstop Natasha Watley are currently teammates in the Japanese Pro League, playing together on the Toyota Women’s Softball Team the Red Terriers. By the looks of Monica Abbott's Twitter photos, it certainly seems like the two are enjoying the change of scenery while playing the game they love.
Good luck reading the stats and standing from the Japanese Softball League and the Toyota Women’s Softball Team websites, but from what I could deduce, it looks like Toyota is tied atop the league standings with a record of 14-2.
Tell us who your favorite NPF stars are and we’ll find out what they’re up to and keep you posted on all their whereabouts!
Everyone’s favorite legendary pitcher, Cat Osterman, hasn’t slowed down since her Last Ride finished with a Cowles Cup finals appearance. The former Texas Longhorn pitcher moved just 30 miles south of her old college stomping grounds to continue her stint as the Texas State Bobcats assistant coach, working primarily with the pitching staff.
Osterman joined the Bobcat coaching staff last year after spending the three previous seasons with St. Edward’s Hilltoppers. In her three years working with the Hilltopper pitchers, Osterman’s staff won two Conference Pitcher of the Year awards and received All-Region honors twice.
More Episodes of Cat Osterman's documentary are coming this month!
Stay tuned for more from Cat Osterman as FloSoftball will be releasing two more premium documentaries this month on the legendary pitcher’s career. You can watch episodes one and two of her series The Last Ride on FloSoftball.com.
———————————————
Six of Osterman’s USSSA Pride teammates traveled to Italy after the NPF season ended last month to run a three-day softball skills clinic with young Italian players ranging in ages from 10-19.
Andrea Duran, Megan Willis, GiOnna DiSalvatore, Brigette Del Ponte, Hannah Rogers, and Breja’e Washington spent their first two days of the six-day trip sightseeing in Rome and Milan before beginning the skills clinic that focused on a range of topics from defense and throwing, to offense, to base running and agility.
The USSSA players worked with a total of 40 girls over the three-day camp, sharing their softball knowledge and skills while, perhaps more importantly, building lifelong memories with the young Italian softball players.
Pride third baseman and former UCLA Bruin and Olympic silver medalist Andrea Duran had this to say about the experience in an interview with Jami Lobpries:
“Anytime we get the opportunity to travel to different countries and give back to the sport is a very unique and special experience for me personally...The girls in Italy really reinforced this for me every day I worked with them because they were so hungry and eager to learn...This is why I play softball. We have the greatest job in the world not only because we are able to still play but to give back. USSSA and USA Elite Select created this very special opportunity that I am so grateful I was a part of and I can’t wait to see what the future holds internationally.”
Eight-year NPF veteran and Pride catcher Megan Willis echoed her teammates feelings about the Italy experience in her interview with Jami Lobpries. “It was such a pleasure being able to go over and represent USSSA Softball. The Federation of International Baseball and Softball is really looking to grow both baseball and softball so it was our job to continue this relationship and show them that we can become great partners and really help grow sports together. I felt we saw a need for more softball knowledge and hope to continue this relationship moving forward. My hope is that we can come back over to Italy and visit new regions with the same goal, to build the knowledge of the sport to both players and coaches.”
On a related note, the Pride confirmed on its Twitter account on September 10 that Megan Willis will be traveling to France in October to be a guest speaker for the French Baseball and Softball Federation.
———————————————
Though not traveling internationally to hold skills camps, USSSA Pride rookie slugger Lauren Chamberlain is doing her own part to train the next generation of young softball players and promote exercise and health.
The former Oklahoma Sooner broke the all-time NCAA home run record this past season and was nominated for Sportswoman of the Year by The Women’s Sports Foundation. Most recently she hosted a three-session camp in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area for young softball players while promoting the #5forPE campaign to keep physical education in public schools.
The #5forPE video challenge encourages people wanting to promote the importance of physical education in public schools to record a short video explaining why physical education is important them, do five reps of their favorite exercise, challenge five others to continue the challenge, and post their video with the #5forPE and sign the pledge.
———————————————
While many pros are hosting camps and clinics in the offseason, some aren’t getting the luxury of an offseason. Chicago Bandit ace Monica Abbott and USSSA Pride shortstop Natasha Watley are currently teammates in the Japanese Pro League, playing together on the Toyota Women’s Softball Team the Red Terriers. By the looks of Monica Abbott's Twitter photos, it certainly seems like the two are enjoying the change of scenery while playing the game they love.
Good luck reading the stats and standing from the Japanese Softball League and the Toyota Women’s Softball Team websites, but from what I could deduce, it looks like Toyota is tied atop the league standings with a record of 14-2.
Tell us who your favorite NPF stars are and we’ll find out what they’re up to and keep you posted on all their whereabouts!