ASA State Tournament in Cary

Nice Article

The day after the ASA State tournament, the Raleigh News & Observer ran a nice article about Coach Chandler of the Cardinals.

The quote about signing on the dotted line says it all.
www.caroilinacardinals.com

Coach rallies girls for Cary tourney


David Ranii, Staff Writer
CARY - Girls' softball coach Ray Chandler doesn't keep track of his win-loss record, but he does keep score in his own way.
By the 62-year-old coach's count, more than 100 of the girls he has coached over the past two decades have received either full or partial college athletic scholarships.
"Whenever these girls sign on the dotted line, that's winning," he said.
To be sure, Chandler is a winner on the field, too.
His 18-and-under girls fast-pitch softball team -- the Carolina Cardinals, which hails from Tobaccoville in Forsyth County but includes players from across the state -- is a three-time N.C. Amateur Softball Association champion. Last year, the Cardinals went the distance and won the national ASA championship.
The Chandler-led Cardinals were in Cary over the weekend to defend their state title in a double-elimination tournament. Organizers didn't have an attendance estimate Sunday, but 58 teams competed in five age brackets at three field complexes in the town. As many as nine games were played at a time, with each game attracting a host of parents, grandparents and friends of the players.
Despite Sunday morning's blazing heat, Chandler kept his cool even after his team suffered a tough 3-1 loss in its first game of the day against a local entry, the Triangle Lightning.
Chandler gathered the team together and gave the girls a brief pep talk. "Any of you folks remember Sunday morning at the nationals?" Chandler asked, referring to how the Cardinals put themselves in a hole during last year's national championship tournament in Owensboro, Ky., where they also lost the first game they played on Sunday. "Remember what happened early and how good things kept happening because you believed you could do it? We can do that today. We will do that today."
"He is definitely the best coach I ever had," said Jessica Boni, 16, a Cardinals utility player from Fuquay-Varina. "Most coaches yell. He doesn't. He always says something encouraging."
Pam Teague of Wilmington, whose daughter Eryn plays first base on the Cardinals and won an athletic scholarship from Villanova, said Eryn "will do anything to keep from disappointing him. He never points fingers. He never blames anybody."
Certainly there was no need for finger-pointing Sunday. The Cardinals responded to Chandler's accentuate-the-positive attitude and made it to the championship game. The game hadn't been decided at press time.
Chandler, whose bushy white beard and gentle manner give him a grandfatherly image -- he has four grandkids -- also coaches girls softball at Ronald Reagan High School in Pfafftown, where he is a teacher.
Chandler started out coaching his daughters' Little League team and stuck with it after the girls grew up.
He downplays his role in the Cardinals' success.
"The young ladies are so talented. My job is to get them at the right place at the right time," he said.

​

Staff writer David Ranii can be reached at 829-4877 or [email protected].

 

14's

Who ended up with 14's title?

Are they going to Oklahoma?

 

Hats off

Congrat Cards. You played tough ball coming back through the losers bracket to win in Cary and it was a tough Cobra team you beat to win the title.
It was a little sad to see after the effort you put in the coach had to read the names off the lineup card to hand out the trophies. In all my years I have never seen a coach that didn't know each and every player on the team by name.
I belive there is a post on TBR, as I type, about coaches bringing in players to win titles. This must be the case here because I can't think of any other reason why he would have had to look at a piece of paper to get their names right.
Must have been tough for the regular girls to sit there and know the coach didn't think they had it in them to win without bringing in ringers.
I could be wrong and if so sorry, just how it looked to me.
Wonder if the news paper caught any of that in their article?

 

HATS OFF

YOU ARE NOT WRONG, IT IS SAD TO THINK THEY HAD TO PLAY AGAINST ALL THOSE COLLEGE GIRLS, BUT ON THE OTHER HAND YOU SHOULD FEEL PROUD KNOWING THEY HAD TO BRING THE BIG GIRLS IN TO BEAT YOU,ALWAYS PLAY WITH HEART AND HAVE FUN DOING IT. YOU REPERSENT N.C. WELL. GOOD LUCK THE REST OF THE SEASON, WIN ARE LOSE YOU HAVE ALREADY SHOWN YOU ARE CHAMPION. BE READY TEXAS HERE THEY COME.

 

why is it sad , our girl's love playing against the best and the college girl's have to be some of the best to get were they are , it's 18u come one come all at ASA state , this week at florence it's 18u with no college player's and the talented younger teams should do well there

 

I agree

If I've said it once I've said bookoos of times, RAISE THE BAR! Good post djaw. I'll bet the Cobras, the Storm who lost 2-0 in the 6th, or for that matter all the other players who faced the cards and/or the other so-called stacked teams could care less about some opponents having already played in college. Looks to me that the 08 and 09 class of kids will be taking some playing time away from those players. JMO.

 

Please.............

You know, I could get very defensive and start a whining session or be a smart ass like many people do here, but i won't. This is a great forum for being positive and supporting the girls, the teams and the game in general.

However, until you have had to stand in front of a crowd after playing 6 games in a row in 90 degree plus weather and try to remember everyones name, don't criticize. I have had to do it after only playing one game and unintentionally forgot a name or 2. I don't think the other team's players were introduced at all as they were just handed their 2nd place plaques. But either way is fine, Neither way should be looked at in a negative way.

As for bringing in "ringers", we had 3 players who just completed their freshman year, the rest had never played one game of college ball and 3 had just graduated HS and the rest have years to go in HS. Each of the 3 players who had played a year of college, played with the Cardinals last year or longer, so we know all the players very well!

But the bottom line is- they all can play 18U. The younger players understand this is how we do things as they learn a tremendous amount from watching the older girls on and off the field. This way of doing things has worked very well for over 20 years for the Cardinals as well as for most high school and college teams. Plus, the college coaches always ask their players who are Cardinals to play for the Cardinals when they can during the summer.

One other thing to consider is once all the teams who have qualified get to the ASA Nationals in TX, most of those teams playing there will have many more girls who have played a year of college ball. So hopefully this was good preparation for the cobras as i am confident they will do very well.

The cobras have a very talented team and all of the players have great attitudes and are very friendly. You can bet the Cardinals will be pulling for all the NC teams at the ASA Nationals and we will be in the stands when we can to support each one.
Bmac
www.carolinacardinals.com

 

Great Games

From my standpoint, the games between the Cards & Cobras were great games. It could have went either way in both games. BMac made a great swatting tag at home in 2nd game that could been a big run.In 1st game was dead even till Mo left 1 hanging, & boy was it a shot. I think it was a good measuring stick for the Cobras. If we could hang tough with the 06 National Champs, then I am looking forward to Texas. I believe we can be competitive, & represent NC well, as with the Blues, Triangle Lightning,& of course the defending champ Cards. I do know the Cobras will be rooting for all NC teams there, & feel it will be mutual. Good luck everyone, lets go show them what Carolina Girls can do again. Again, Congrats Cards, I really enjoyed both games. Todd Peeler

 

Bmac1 and softball nut! I wish I could have been there. From all I have heard about the games, it's the kind of games I love to watch. Good luck to all NC teams in TX.

 

Good Luck

Bmac is right. If a player is of age, and they can help, and the purpose of playing in particular tourn. is to win and advance, then play your best nine! I'm pulling for the Cards, Cobras, and Lightning 18u, and the Lightning 16u as well. Good luck!