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I will take this approach.
Never stop doing
what you love!
As a six-year-old I started catching. Play Bobby Socks and started travel ball when travel ball started here in Southern California I was about 12. Was the starting catcher for about five years on the original Orange County Batbusters team. When I got to High School a high school coach who had a very strong reputation in softball she coached alongside Phil Bruder on the National Champions Raiders team ( won 18's nationals something like 12 years in a row,) Her name is Colleen Silva. God bless her have learned a lot of tenacity from her. When I tried out for the high school team as a freshman she told me you are not a catcher you are a 3rd baseman. I kind of stared in amazement at her, knowing she was an intelligent woman and great coach. I did think and look at her like
" no I'm a catcher and that's exactly what I am". That season as a freshman I did play Third Base. Outside of that season I had the opportunity to continue catching and I continued catching with the Orange County Bat Buster's. (who by the way was one of Phil Bruder and Colleen Silva's greatest rival team the Raiders) As a sophomore Junior and Senior Year at Edison High School took over the starting catching position and made all conference, all-cif and made Hall of Fame as a catcher at Edison High School. I continued my catching career at Long Beach state again starting catcher and received numerous awards, including being named to the 1986 College World Series First Team as a catcher. After coaching at 'The Beach'
Continued my catching career in womans open travel ball. And became an All-American in travel ball and continue catching till I was 30. In 2009 I was inducted to the Long Beach Hall of Fame. As a catcher.
I have been teaching catching now for 32 years. My first students as catchers started being awarded scholarships 29 years ago and ever since have been.
I am still a catcher.
I am still teaching catching.
Never stop doing what you love!
*Very important to note that in this story Colleen Silva and Phil Bruder were the winningest travel ballcoaches in softball for over a decade!