Carolina Cardinals are ASA National Champs!

These fine players deserve congratulations for their impressive accomplishment. Their hard work and dedication to the sport and their involvement from an early age, have given them the opportunity to come together for this event.

Congratulations are in order for Coach Chandler. He is certainly masterful at maintaining a quality program. That in itself a big factor that aids him in his outstanding ability to recruit great players from the far corners of North Carolina. It reflects well for NC softball.

Congratulations are also in order for the unsung heroes. They are the ones back home in the quality school and perhaps travel programs that have actually spent the hours over the years teaching these great athletes the skills that have elevated them to stardom.

And last, don’t forget the parents. They are really the ones who made it possible.

Let’s maintain class and keep raising the bar for NC fastpitch softball.

 

Very well said, also congrats to Lady Blues, & CC Challengers for a good yr,& representing NC in winning their Quailifiers, & gettin to the Nationals. Great job ladies ! Maybe next yr there will be some more NC teams shooting for the Nationals, know the Cobras are.

 

Anyone know where any of the '06 & '07 Cardinals players are going to play in college? I heard a couple were going to UNC this fall but I don't know which ones. I think one is going to Va. Tech and another to Princeton.

Does anyone know for sure?

 

Carolina Cardinal Eryn Teague is going to Villanova University.

 

Gina Allen-UNC-Charlotte
Destiny Covington-Va. Tech

 

Two cards to UNC

Pitt County products Sam Murad and Anna Roberts are both heading to Chapel Hill.

 

Be careful !!!!

Softball Guru

 

In the nation?

Yes. The Cardinals a fine group but no need for hyperbole. I'm sure there are number of "organizations" who would take exception to that claim including Gary Hanning's Batbusters. They've won 4 ASA Gold titles since 1994. No question east coast is coming, though. VA Shamrocks were Gold champions last year. LB's won the qualifier in CO this summer and now the Cardinals win the "A's".

East coast girls are still held back by the lack of overall depth in the coaching ranks, especially in high schools where far too many softball jobs are held by unqualified individuals. This is no one's fault, just part of the evolution of the sport that is only about 10 years old in NC versus 40 years in California.

Two important things that could improve NC softball: move HS ball to fall like in GA (that way football coaches wouldn't be coaching it) and move the pitching rubber to 43'.

 

Have to disagree

HS coaches could make a considerable difference if they were qualified and motivated. They really have more practice time with girls than any travel organization. Look @ HS football. Best programs are virtually year around. One example . . . weight training. Most HS have facilities yet few softball players touch the weights. TB teams don't/can't do wt training . . . no facilities . . . so girls are left to work on their own. Some can afford a gym, others can't. HS coaching can make a difference.

As for 43' being only good for hitters nothing is further from the truth. In the long run the pitchers would be far more ready for college ball if they began throwing @ 43' in the ninth grade. The transition is easy for some. My DD had no trouble because we started working @ 43' when she was 15 but I saw some NC HS stars struggle this summer when moved back. The three feet does hurt girls who rely almost exclusively on "junk" pitches.