FALL 2014 SEASON P.O. Box 670056, Marietta, GA 30066 770.281.7202 sandyplainssoftball.com A Note from the President Paul Neleman Changes, Changes, Changes. It s been a fantastic year once again with Sandy Plains Softball Association. We had over 500 young ladies play out of both Sandy Plains Park and Bells Ferry Park this past Spring. For the fall season we have moved operations to Bells Ferry Park full time with the recent SPLOST renovations taking place. On behalf of the Board of Directors at Sandy Plains Softball Association, I want to thank our tax payers for enabling the improvements at Sandy Plains Park. Our Board worked closely with Cobb County to attempt to make the best use of funds and provide the best facilities for our young ladies in the area. Our upper equipment building is being replaced, Fields 1 and 2 are getting a complete makeover, Field 3 fencing and Field 4 will be improved. In addition lighting and sprinkler upgrades are being made to make those systems the most efficient so our government can operate our parks as cost efficiently as possible. It will be really exciting to see the improvements at Sandy Plains. While many of the changes will not be visible to most folks I can assure you the playing surfaces will be vastly improved. We have also been guaranteed by the county that we will be back at Sandy Plains for our Spring Recreation season. It is our hope that we provide a great experience for the young ladies that play at Sandy Plains/Bells Ferry. Our Board, Coaches and all of those involved in our program volunteer countless hours between managing the league, attending coaching seminars, coaching teams, and improving our facilities. We are glad you have chosen Sandy Plains Softball and thank you for the faith and trust you have shown. We look forward to a great fall season and many more. Join us on Wednesday, September 10, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. for our fundraiser night at Zaxby s! Come to Zaxby s and help raise money for Sandy Plains Softball and not have to cook dinner! Swing by before or after practice. 10% of inside sales during fundraiser night will benefit Sandy Plains Softball. Make sure to mention Sandy Plains Softball when ordering. Take pictures of your team having dinner and put them on the zaxby s sandyplains facebook page! The team with the highest percentage of participation will receive a prize from the concessions stand AT THIS LOCATION ONLY: 2756 Sandy Plains Rd, Marietta 678.383.4600 PAGE 1
FALL 2014 SEASON Steve Cutler, Softball Director softbaldirector@sandyplainssoftball.com Sandy Plains All-Stars 2014 Each summer all recreational parks participate in what is called All Stars. All Stars can be defined easily as the best players who played the Spring recreational season at the park from each division. Those teams then play anywhere from 3-5 tournaments throughout the summer. Often girls use this as a stepping stone to travel ball, as if gives them the opportunity to see how it feels to play tournament after tournament. The past Summer Sandy Plains fielded (2) 8uteams (Sandy Plains Red Blaze & Sandy Plains Blue Blaze), (2) 10u-teams (Sandy Plains Red Heat & Sandy Plains Blue Heat) and (1) 12u team (Sandy Plains Ice) and they accomplished a feat never reached by Sandy Plains teams. Each team walked away with at least 1 trophy! The Red & Blue Blaze played in (5) tournaments together this summer. The Blue Blaze took 1st Place in the Silver Bracket @ Sandy Spring Slam and 1st Place in the Gold Bracket @ the West Cobb Invitational while the Red Blaze took 2nd Place in the Silver Bracket at our very own Sandy Plains Summer Slam. While the Red Heat played in (5) tournaments, the Blue Heat played in only (3). The Red Heat won 1st Place in the Silver Bracket at Murphey Candler Invitational and the Blue Heat took 2nd Place at Summer Slam. Playing in (5) tournaments as well, the Ice seemed to get better and better each week which propelled them to (2) 1st Place finishes their first at NYO's Andee Army Invitational and the next one at the West Cobb Invitational. These walked away with 7 trophies which was one of the most successful summer All Star programs produced at Sandy Plains. All Stars begin to form in February/March, so please keep an eye out for the information. PAGE 2
Player Development Did you know you can find links to resources, articles, and tips like the one below to help your daughter on our very own website? Just visit www.sandyplainssoftball.com and go to the Player Development menu. Minimizing Anxiety By Mike Candrea (8/18/14) Anyone who has played the game has felt jitters, butterflies, and even the yips. Yes, these are all terms used to describe when your body goes into the panic mode. It is shortness of breath, heart pounding, sweating, mind racing, and muscles too tense to perform a fluid motion and allow us to perform the game with no thought and optimal performance. Unfortunately, none of these sensations help with performance. So, why does our body act this way? Think back to evolution and when the first humans were walking along and came across a lion. Their system activated with the fight or flight response and it helped them run to safety. But every time they heard a noise, they thought yikes, it a lion, what would they ever accomplish? In the sport world, being anxious about your abilities (am I good enough?) may help motivate you to work harder in practice sessions. But when it comes to competing, anxiety more often than not decreases performance. This can lead to getting too hyped up which can lead to a player swinging too early or under-react like Freezing Up or not swing the bat at all. Often, it is our thoughts and perceptions about the event that make us anxious more than the event itself. I would make myself sick over having to do an oral report in high school to find out when it was over, 90% of what we worry about, never happens! So what types of thoughts induce anxiety? Anxiety inducing thoughts are always about some future event. Additionally, the future event is never a good thing; rather it is some type of perceived catastrophe or danger. There are 2 types of dangers: 2. Danger to sense of self If I fail, everyone will think I am a total failure, including me. Danger to one s reality If I fail, then I will be removed from the team, lose my scholarship, and have to go back home. Thinking about these dangers does NOT help. So here are some ways to challenge and attack your fears from a good friend and clinical psychologist Dr. Scott Goldman: 1. Re-labeling Did you know that anxiety and excitement look exactly the same? When we are excited we get short of breath, our heart pounds, and our mind races. Sound familiar? It should because it is the same way we describe anxiety. Thus, if you feel anxious before your next athletic event, re-label your sensations from worry to excitement. Tell yourself: This is my body getting pumped up for the next event or This is my body telling me I am ready to perform. Take a deep breath If you purposely slow down your breathing, your heart rate will also calm down. Once you feel calmer, your mind will follow. (continued on page 6) PAGE 3
SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS. PAGE 4
Minimizing Anxiety (continued from page 3) Feel confident Try to recall your greatest performance. Then replay in your mind that awesome moment. Really focus on the way your body felt during that activity. How did your muscles feel? Strong? Fast? What was your mind like? Clear? Focused? Once you feel totally confident again, try to use this feeling to turn off the sensations of anxiety. Focus on the Controllable Focus on the present, focus on the process, and focus on the positive. SAY CHEESE! Did you catch a thrilling play, perfect smile, or proud moment on film? Send it to publicity@sandyplainssoftball.com for a chance to have it featured on our Facebook page. Like Sandy Plains Softball on Facebook to see if your team is featured this week. Play Softball at Sandy Plains for FREE! HOW? It s EASY! Just acquire a Platinum $500.00 sponsor from a local vendor. The business receives these excellent benefits: 4 x4 Banner in the field Team picture/plaque Business name on the sponsorship board Business name in the newsletter Business name on the SPSA Website with a link to their business Great exposure PAGE 5