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From Head Coach of the 14U Allstar Diamonds, Rich Shea:
To our Supporters and Friends, A very heartfelt "Thank You!" to all of you for the outpouring of support and well wishes given to our team as we fought through Nationals. It was an absolutely unbelievable experience and the twelve girls on our team, most of whom have played PGSL softball since they were five or six years old, did us all proud! It was an fantastic journey capped by an amazing run through the losers bracket to the National Championship Game. Playing 7 games in a 26 hour period was an incredible test of our girl's determination, endurance, focus and heart and they not only passed every test, they exceeded all expectations each and every game. Of course there were incredible individual performances by our girls during the tournament but, more importantly, our team played as a team, all 12 girls contributed and they drew strength and support from each other as the challenges grew and the obstacles seemed impossible to overcome. They were truly special! One of the significant factors in our success was the encouragement we got from everyone back home. We were hearing every day about how much support you and our other Poway friends were giving us and that helped us keep going even when things were stacked against us! A special thanks to our Website Administrator, who spent countless hours updating the web site and helping everyone back home (including my parents) keep up with how we were doing, which generated plenty of supportive calls and e-mails. His efforts played a big part in our success and we are very appreciative. I also want to recognize the support we received from the families of the girls on the team. Parents, Grandparents and siblings spent the week helping us with logistics, making sure the girls had everything they needed and most importantly, cheering their lungs out! We had, by far, the loudest and most supportive fans in the entire tournament and we wouldn't have made it as far as we did without them! Last, but certainly not least, I want to thank all those who provided financial support for our team's trip. There is considerable expense connected with a group of over 50 people traveling from Poway to Colorado and the contributions we received went a long way towards offsetting that financial burden and making the trip more enjoyable for all. It is hard to believe our season is over! 47 wins, 4 Tournament titles, a District Championship and a final 2 finish at Nationals and it still seems like we started yesterday. The 2006 14U Poway Diamonds were a very special team and I appreciate having had the opportunity to be their coach, it is an experience I will never forget. Thanks to PGSL for giving all of us the opportunity for such a magical season. Coach Rich 
From Rick Ferriss, PGSL President:
2006 Poway Girls Softball League 14U Diamonds take 2nd place at Nationals!
OH WHAT A FEELING! Playing for a National Championship… How many of us get a chance? The Poway Girls Softball League 14U Diamond players, coaches and parents got that chance and took nothing for granted! The amount of softball that these girls played over a 4 day span is amazing. Going 7-2 over that period, fighting their way back through the elimination bracket to have a chance to win a championship, is something that they will never forget. At Poway Girls Softball League this is an accomplishment that will not soon be forgotten either. It wasn't long ago that our league was playing at the "C" level at Districts. Past league President Mike Snell, put a blueprint in place 5-6 years ago to get this league to be a force at he "B" level. Last year, PGSL had 3 teams go to State at the "B" level, with two of those going to Nationals. Many of those same girls from the 12U Diamond team that advanced to Nationals last year made up this year's 14U Diamonds. They were obviously an experienced and confident group, with no quit. Those are qualities that were instilled in these girls over the last 6-8 years by some very dedicated coaches and parents. And, makes the community of Poway a better place to live! What this group of girls of has done has put PGSL on the map! They have shown that although Poway may not have the largest pool of players to choose from, the community's dedication to being the best cannot be doubted. I am sure that I speak for all past players, parents, coaches and PGSL Board Members in saying, "CONGRATULATIONS 2006 14U DIAMONDS, YOU'VE MADE US PROUD!" |
