The Anticipation of the First Pitch

As parents, we spend our days waking up early carting the kids to school and then fighting traffic to go to jobs just to become worn down by the day to day trials and tribulations.  Around 5 o’clock we get ready to come back home and jump into the same traffic going the other way.  Many of us try to make it back home in time just to jump in the car (while we are eating what we call our dinner) and take our young star athletes to practice.  For those of us with multiple kids, the schedule can become quite entertaining and never a lack of drama.  Why do we do it?

There are several reasons we put ourselves and family through this grind, and without getting into Freudian concepts, I will share the simple reason.  We are preparing for the weekend stage.  Yes, it is tournament time, and for the Texas Travelers, it will be a six month journey to the ASA National Championship in Normal, Illinois.

This Saturday, March 14 and Sunday, March 15, the Texas Travelers will play in the Ides of March 10U Softball Tournament at the Warren Sports Complex in Frisco, Texas.  The softball tournament has 16 teams (with 7 on the waiting list) that are registered to play.  In addition to the 04 Texas Travelers, the 04 Texas Glory Blue, 04 Texas Glory, 05/06 Texas Glory, Oklahoma Angels 04, Wolfpack, Black Widows 2004, Texas Elite LeClair, MVPz 04, D1 Softball, Wicked, Oklahoma CRUE, 04 Black Widows, Firecrackers DFW Rivera, Midwest Elite 05, and Texas Twist will be competing in the USSSA Tournament.  The softball tournament will consist of 4 Pool Play Games and then single elimination Bracket Play on Sunday.

The Texas Travelers are scheduled to play the 04 Texas Glory Blue Saturday at 8 AM, Oklahoma CRUE Saturday at 11 AM, Texas Twist Saturday at 3:30 PM and Texas Elite LeClair Sunday at 9:30 AM for Pool Play.  Bracket play in the Gold Division will begin at 11 AM on Sunday.  If all goes the way the Texas Travelers plan, the championship game will take place at 5 PM on Sunday.

For many of us parents, Softball Season is a time that allows us to escape from the day to day realities of life!  It is a time, we can sit back in the stands and enjoy the comradery of our softball family.  We get to see the end result of the hard work our daughters’ have put forth over the past year.  There is nothing more exciting than the anticipation of the first pitch of the tournament.

However, did you ever take a moment to think about what is going through the mind of your 10 year-old daughter?

The pitcher is standing on the mound after warming up for the past hour.  She receives the call from the catcher and must hit that spot with pinpoint accuracy.  Is she confident in her team to make the play?  Is her adrenalin so high that she hits the velocity she expects?  Does she worry about the batter? All eyes are on her as she goes through her windup and releases the ball.

How about the fielders?  They too have gone through warmups the past hour.  Are they in the proper position to play a hit?  Where will they move if the ball is hit to another player?  Will they backup their teammate or cover the bag ready to receive the throw?  What if the ball is hit to them?  Will they make the play?

Don’t forget about the first batter.  She has been watching the pitcher in warmups.  She is judging her swing to the speed of the pitcher.  Is she confident she will put a ball in play?  Does she worry about striking out?  Her goal is to make it to first and her the umpire yell, “Safe.”

Everyone wants to succeed.  Everyone wants to win the game.  However, like life, not everything goes our way.  So, how will your daughter act after a victory?  How will she act during defeat?  How will they be judged?  What kind of attitude will the parents have in the stands?  What lessons will be taught?

The Texas Travelers would like to wish all teams’ good luck and have a safe tournament.  We look forward to competing with you on the field.

For more information about the 04 Texas Travelers contact Coach Kyle Bennett at 972.679.7702 or follow The Texas Travelers on Facebook.  The Texas Travelers are a 10 U 2004 team that plays ASA competitive softball.  To follow particular players, games, practices or see any other information about the North Texas Select Softball team visit: 04 Texas Travelers News Site.

Texas Travelers prepare to play in The Lone Star Shootout

Weather permitting, the Texas Travelers Select Softball Team will competing in their first tournament of the Spring Season at Big League Dreams in Mansfield, Texas February 28th and March 1st.

The USSSA Fast-Pitch open tournament billed as the Lone Star Shootout will consist of 13 of the top girls softball teams in North Texas most notably Texas Shock, Texas Glory Blue, Oklahoma Angeles and of course North Texas favorite team to watch; The Texas Travelers.

Recently, the Texas Travelers faced a few of these teams in a friendly tournament style format winning handily against the Texas Glory & Angels while tying Texas Shock with a 1-1 combined no-hitter by Elizabeth Schaefer and Kelsey Adams.  Other teams participating in the DFW tournament are 04 Texas Glory, Next Level, Texarkana Xtreme, Texas Fusion, Firecrackers DFW, Texas Flex, EC Explosion, Midwest Elite and Texas Twist.  This tournament will be a great warm-up for The Texas Travelers as they travel to Alabama to play against some of the top select softball teams in the south the following week in the USFA Turf Wars tournament.

The Lone Star Shootout is a sanction USSSA Fast-Pitch Qualifier.  The format will consist of two pool play games which will feed into single elimination bracket play.

Although, many of the Texas Travelers are finishing up championship games for basketball in their respective leagues; the team will be at full strength for Sunday’s bracket play games.  After a few months of not playing on the Softball Diamond, the girls are ready for some competition.  This tournament will be the final step in getting them in game-ready condition as they take their talents out-of-state and then travel the softball tournament circuit on the road to becoming the 2015 ASA National Champion in Normal, Illinois.

The strong North Texas Softball Club has won at IFA-VTD, USSSA, and ASA levels and continues its push for excellence on and off the field.  The team is a fully funded endorsed softball team that intends on continuing its great success in the softball world.

For more information about the Texas Travelers Girls Select Softball Team contact Coach Kyle Bennett at 972.679.7702 or visit their Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/04-Texas-Travelers/774587365960430.

Texas Travelers Select #Softball plays in a Friendly #Tournament in #Keller #Texas

The weather will start warming up and soon dust will be kicking up in the Dallas areas softball fields.  Top softball teams will start season and tournament play competing each weekend for supremacy of the diamond.

The 04 Texas Travelers coached by Kyle Bennett is looking forward to adding to their success from the 2014 season where they won four competitive area tournaments in Dallas, Lewisville, Flower Mound and Waco while finishing in the top 3 spots in six other tournaments.  In addition to high tournament rankings; the league team finished in first place at the Mesquite Girls Softball Complex.

The Texas Travelers are made up of players from Hillsboro, Celina, Rockwall, Forney, Mesquite, Fort Worth, and other North Texas towns.  They boast some of the top talent North Texas has to offer.

This weekend, Sunday February 8^th the Texas Travelers will play a “Friendly Round Robin Tournament” against the Shock, Oklahoma Angels, and Texas Glory at 299 Sports Parkway in Keller, Texas.  All four teams compete in ASA Tournament play which is the most competitive tournaments in the United States for 10 and under girls’ softball.

At the 10:30 game, the Texas Travelers will play the Shock while Texas Glory will play the Oklahoma Angels.  At the noon game, the Texas Travelers will compete against Texas Glory and the Shock will play the Oklahoma Angels.  The final game at 1:30 pm will be Texas Traveler versus the Oklahoma Angels and the Shock versus Texas Glory.

The 04 Texas Travelers plan to compete in ASA Nationals for 2015.  The strong North Texas Softball Club has won at IFA-VTD, USSSA, and ASA levels and continues its push to become the 2015 ASA National Champion held in Normal, Illinois.  In addition to playing in the ASA National Tourney; the Texas Travelers will also play in each of the national Qualifier Texas Challenge Series, and the Hall of Fame Softball Tournament in Oklahoma City.  The team is a fully funded endorsed softball team that intends on continuing its great success in the softball world.

For more information about the Texas Travelers Girls Select Softball Team visit their Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/04-Texas-Travelers/774587365960430.