Contracting/Finance team look good in season opener Published June 17, 2008 By Walt Johnson 21st Space Wing sports reporter PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- The 21st Contracting and 21st Comptroller Squadrons have combined forces this year in the Peterson intramural recreation league and the team looked as good as gold June 5 as it defeated Team Colorado 30-13 to begin its season. The Contracting/Finance team looked to be in mid-season form offensively as it blasted hit after hit against Team Colorado. The Contracting/Finance team was able to hit long drives and base hits when it needed to keep a good comfortable margin on the Team Colorado squad. That the Contracting/Finance team looked so good in its season opener was contrary to the way the team thinks of itself. Jason Phillips, Contracting/Finance coach, said his team looks to participate in the intramural league for the pure pleasure of being able to play a sport and having some fun. He said his team is not concerned about winning and losing during the season as it showed last year. The team played loose and care free last year and that earned it a trip to the playoffs where it lost in the second round of the playoffs. "We had a couple of practices in the offseason and we were able to work on hitting the ball," Coach Phillips said. "We have also taken off the pressure of trying to win all the time and that helps us relax when we are playing. We are out here to have fun exercise and see what happens." Losing in the second round of the playoffs would probably make most teams angry but this group of athletes has a unique way of looking at playing intramural softball. Coach Phillips said the team wants to put its priorities in the right order and then see what happens from there. "We have about eight guys back from last year's team. We are a team that is not necessarily here because winning is the only thing. We have a team that likes to have fun and play the game," Coach Phillips said. "Winning is really secondary to us (at this point in the season) because we just want to come out and have fun, build some camaraderie and build some relationships within the two units and our co-workers." "We made the playoffs and lost in the second round. We were a little surprised to have gotten there and once we did we wanted to win at that point. When we made the playoffs our philosophy shifted to since we are here why not try to win some games? We had the same philosophy last year and after we made the playoffs and we won enough games to get to the playoffs then that competitive nature kicked in and gave us some extra push to play well in the playoffs," Coach Phillips added. Contracting/Finance has some talented players on its team make no mistake about that. They know they are good enough to compete in the recreation league with just about anyone but they have a demeanor about them that is refreshing in this age of winning is the only thing according to Coach Phillips. "We realize that we don't have the type of talent that could win in a competitive league. We know we are good enough to have a lot of fun and win some games but not good enough to challenge in a competitive league. If we make the playoffs this we want to go a little further than we did last year. When I look at the team we have this year I know we are talented enough to do some good things this year and if we play all year like we played in the first game (against Team Colorado) then I think we can definitely go further in the playoffs this year, but our goal is to come out and have fun, get some exercise and play softball," Coach Phillips said.