Varsity Kansas - The Blog

by joanna

Talked with Corey Lyon this morning, the former Independent softball and football coach who is now coaching softball at Paris (Texas) junior college. His first day was July 1st.

Here’s what he had to say:

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by joanna

Tellmemore gave this update from Colorado on another post:

“(Dave Milspaugh’s) 18U team was at the Colorado Sparkler this past week. Don’t know how his team did but one of his players got hurt. Hope she is okay. The Wichita Wave 16U was also there. They finished 1st in there pool and 3rd overall in the 1st place pool out of 153 teams. It was good to see them rebound from a disapointing state appearence. Appartenly they are getting heathly. They also had a player perform prior to the Kelli Pickler Concert. I was proud to tell my umpire buddies I was from Kansas when see sang. Some of there parents told me they would post her performance on the teams (wichita wave) website. “

Here’s the link to Stephanie Eleeson’s singing before the Kelli Pickler concert

If anyone else has updates from the Kansas teams, feel free to let us know.

As for how Eleeson became the opening act, here’s the background:

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by joanna

Let me get it out of the way: I messed up. I put Jesi Goldring in the softball story today as a junior-to-be at Rose Hill. She’s from Mulvane. Not sure where I got Rose Hill, but I did. A definite mistake on my part, it’s corrected on the web version of the story and I’ll have a correction in tomorrow’s paper.

On to other summer softball stuff.

I spent part of the weekend out at TRYC for the story I did that ran today. It was fun to watch the games and all the people in attendance. I talked to quite a few people, all devout fans of their daughters’ teams.

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by joanna

I believe the dynamic between parents and their athlete children is definitely interesting. Kids whose parents are coaches tend to know the game extremely well, but it has to be tough to have your parent yelling at you in front of a lot of people and then somehow you have to turn that off at home.

Some kids want their parents to push them, others want to be left alone, some need pushing, others have the aggressiveness inside of them. Tonight at the state softball tournament at TRYC, I saw a mom groan, put her hands to her mouth and spin around after her daughter struck out. She then said, that last pitch is always high. Her daughter heard her and promptly said “shut up.” I laughed, although I’m not really sure what I think about it.

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by joanna

I went out to the state softball tournament at TRYC tonight — I plan on being out there this weekend for a story that I’m working on. And I looked around at all the parents, sweating through their shirts as they suffered through the gawd-awful humidity and heat. And I was impressed.

Yes, I know that there are plenty of parents living through their children, parents who push too hard, parents who are jerks, but you know what? They have to love their kids to sit in that heat.

And after leaving there I went to see a couple basketball games at Wichita Collegiate — and my feeling of love for parents died quickly. The games were fine, it wasn’t too awful hot in the little gyms. And then there was a foul that went against one team. It was an OK call. Could have gone either way. But it went against this parent’s kid, so she followed up her berating of the officials with “Next time you foul, really foul.”

Man, I hate that stuff. That’s like asking the kid to hurt another kid because you’re mad at the official. Unbelievable.

by joanna

I got this earlier in the day, but I couldn’t get it up until now because I was out working.

But we finally have them all the all-state softball teams named by the Kansas Coaches Association. Enjoy.

Softball
Coaches All-State
Class 4A
First Team, Pitchers-Nikki Armagost, Andover Central; Starr McLeod,
Girard; Karley Schmelzer, Andale. C-Kayla Sears, Augusta; Jamie Voigts,
Ottawa. IF-Alysha Poteat, Girard; Kaitlin Martin, Andale; Erin Carney,
Andale; Kristin Harris, Paola. OF-Natalie Nelson, Paola; Mackenzie
Salzman,  Eudora; Lauren Himpel, Tonganoxie. Utility-Kylee Mader, Paola.
Second Team
P-Hallie Ray, Ottawa; Katie Logan, Clay Center; Erin Schmidt, Haven.
C-Evan Folks, Eudora; Chelsee Eck,  Andale. IF-Lindsay Doyle, Haven;
Ariel Vinze, Girard; Alex Zordel, Baldwin; Rachael Aguirre, Augusta.
OF-Heather Goetz, Pratt; Kelsee Farmer, Augusta. Utility-Lindsey Himpel,
Tonganoxie.

by joanna

Olathe East coach Jeff Hulse sent me the all-state softball teams last night, but he’s still missing 4A.  So we ran what we had and will put in the rest when we get it. I got 3A this afternoon and the team will run in Friday’s paper. 4A will run when we get it.

Here’s the link.

Kansas Softball Coaches Association

All-State

Class 3A First team

Pitchers_Maddie Holub, Thomas More Prep; Lezley Lawson,McLouth. Catchers_Rachel Damiris, W. Independent; Kendall Patterson, McLouth; Christina Arias, Salina Sacred Heart. Infielders _ Kaylee Hoffman, Thomas More Prep; Chelsea Fieler, Thomas More Prep; Haley McGregor, W. Independent; Dana Elliott, Rock Creek; Britney Workman, Silver Lake. Outfielders_ Cheyenne Stewart, W. Independent; Alicia Hammeke, Thomas More Prep; Jordan Lockwood, Silver Lake. Utility_Amanda Pfannenstiel, Silver Lake.

Second team

Pitchers_ Erin Tuttle, W. Independent; Chelsea Reid, Silver Lake. Catcher _ Megan Wells, Riverton; Makenzie Altman, Thomas More Prep. Infielders_Samantha Farris, McLouth; Kaley Patterson, McLouth; Whitney Gillman, Silver Lake; Mindy Hodges, Rock Creek. Outfielders_Kady Paul, Osage City; Amy Yenzer, Rock Creek. Utility _ Tracey Hoelting, Salina Sacred Heart.

Your thoughts?

by joanna

The most frequently asked question via e-mail and phone the past two weeks? When is all-state softball coming out?

It’s coming. I talked with Olathe East coach Jeff Hulse and all but Class 4A has reported. Some coaches have released the lists already, but he wants to wait until he gets 4A to send it to the media. Feel free to post your class if you have it, but we won’t run it in the paper until we get all the classes.

But take heart, we will run it, we do care about softball, we’ll get it.

by joanna

My weekly installment of summer softball: The Jags and the Twisted Sisters.

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by joanna

Corey Lyon is moving on. The coach of the Independent football and softball teams has taken the head coaching job at Paris (Texas) Junior College.

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