Varsity team makes ready to represent Peterson

Published April 29, 2008
By Walt Johnson
21st Space Wing sports reporter

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Peterson varsity women's softball coach Angela Young looks like a professor in a college English class as she puts players through a tryout April 24 for this year's team at the Peterson softball complex.

Young looks over the prospective players as they try out at different positions and she grades them on their ability to make plays from the position like a professor would grade a term paper. What she is writing is also the stuff that would make a professor proud as she is giving out some good "grades" to the potential members of this year's women's varsity softball team.

It's been a long time since the Peterson community has had a softball team at the varsity level for women but that drought is about to end as Coach Young and some outstanding players are in the process of putting this year's team together that will compete in the Colorado Springs women's softball league. Coach Young said this year's team will serve the Peterson community on two fronts, one will be the chance to give women here a chance to play competitive softball and the other should give the base some valuable interaction with the sports community in Colorado Springs.

"I think having this team will be another good tie to the community. We'll be playing in the city league and it will give us some good visibility in the (sports) community," the coach said.

The base team may be selected after the conclusion of tryouts April 26 at the softball complex. Coach Young said she has more than 30 women that would like the honor of representing the base on the team and judging from April 24's practice the task of getting 15 players for the team will not be easy. Coach Young said she has not seen all the players yet but there is more than just softball talent that has her excited about this team's potential.

"I have only had one tryout and haven't seen too much of the talent level here," Coach Young said. "What I have seen is there is a lot of enthusiasm and the women that are here are prepared to compete in softball. Also I have seen the women here are very athletic and I think that will make this a very competitive tryout."

Coach Young, with her detailed sports resume, has played softball since she was five years old, and also played quarterback for a women's professional football team in Hawaii. Additionally, she played four years (1994, 1995, 1997 and 1999) on the All-Army softball team as a pitcher. She said she is willing to see what happens this year as the base once again has a women's sports program in softball and while she wants to win as much as possible she is tempering her expectations for the season.
"I would like to see the women display sportsmanship, teamwork and the spirit of wining as a team," Coach Young said. "My focus is not on winning per se but more on fundamentals and people who play good solid softball. I also look for people who have commitment and will put in hard work to be successful. If you have those three elements then you will have a winning team."

One of the players that is competing for a spot on the team is Crystal Darling who is the youngest player competing for a roster spot. Mrs. Darling said she is continuing a life long love for sports by competing for a spot on the team while also helping her adhere to the fitness requirements of the Air Force.

"I have been playing softball since I was six years old. I believe that as a military member we need things other than work to fill our time," Mrs Darling said. "This gives us a chance to be physically active and stay in shape which is a big part of our Air Force career. I've always played fast pitch softball and I've never played slow pitch softball before. I've been looking for a team to play on and I have never been involved with a varsity slow pitch team in the military. I played with our intramural team for a few games last year and when I found out there was going to be a women's team this year (which I actually thought was going to be fast pitch) I decided to give it a try and it seems to be working out all right. I also hope to be able to play on an Air Force level softball team if I work hard enough and hopefully this will help me achieve that goal."

Andrea Driscoll is a veteran player that is also vying for a spot on this year's team. She said she is excited about the prospects of a base team here because of the benefits beyond the sports field.

"I have played on the women's varsity team at every base I have been to," Mrs. Driscoll said. "The best thing about playing on a team is the friendships you make and keeping up with old friends. One of the bad things about being in the military is you travel a lot and one of the good things is you travel a lot. You can form ever lasting friendships with your teammates and the exercise you get from playing the game is valuable."

From what I understand this is the first year we have had a women's team here in a while and it's kind of exciting. I am very competitive but I also want to come out and have fun and win some games. This is going to be the first time the players on this team have played together so it's going to be a little different," Mrs. Driscoll added.

Practice makes perfect