University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Be a Warrior
10/8/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2003
FROM THE DESK OF COACH - 10/8/03
BE A
WARRIOR
by: Michael Lotief
This morning, I picked up a t-shirt to wear and I stared at the silk screen which read, "2003 Women's College World Series" and then it listed the teams: "UCLA, Arizona, CAL, Texas, Washington, Alabama, Oklahoma and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette". It struck me for the first time that we were the only mid-major to make it to the college world series last year.
Then I started thinking about our new school record for homeruns - 79; with average sized kids. I looked through our media guide - Summar 5'2", Becky 5'6", Grayson 5'7", Jill 5'7", Crystal 5'7", Joy 5'10", Bryant 5"7", Gomez 5'8". Then I was reading an article in Collegiate Baseball about muscle-bound players. No muscle-bound players in that line-up. Don't get me wrong - "they got muscles, they just are not too bound." The article ended by quoting Ted Williams, "The natural hitter? Well, let me tell you one thing. The natural hitter has worked longer and harder than any player on the field." Hard-work - that's us.
After our game with Texas one of the radio guys asked me about Cat Osterman - the NCAA player of the year, etc., etc.. I said, I do not want to talk about her, the real story is Brooke Mitchell. I want to talk about our pitcher, Brooke Mitchell . I told him "BROOKE IS A WARRIOR".
The spotlight this week is on Brooke Mitchell - the last one to be spotlighted of our Junior Class.
5'7". Overlooked by many of the BIG schools (like most of our team), but she is the kid that should be the ROLE MODEL for all the little girls out there. She should have been the pitcher ESPN focused on and the message to all the little girls out there in TV land should be - BE LIKE BROOKE. Why? Because she met the challenges from within as a warrior.
First, size-wise she is representative of the masses in America. My daughter is going to be 5'4" - 5"5" if she is lucky. So size is not going to be her advantage. It is going to have to be her heart and her smarts. Well, Brooke got heart and she got smarts and she has the resolve to "chase her dreams". Next and most importantly, Brooke is an awesome person with the right values and discipline and priorities.
She is the daughter of Dennis and Cheryl Mitchell from Pasadena, Texas -- my kids call Dennis, "Mr. Dentist" or "Dennis the Menace". Dennis is a firefighter but his real love is coaching - he spends many hours giving pitching lessons and teaching young kids exactly what he taught his daugher -- what it takes to compete.
Cheryl is so calm and positive and serene and trusting, but do not let that fool you, she is as competitive as they come; and regardless what Dennis thinks - she is the brains of the operation. Good people who care about others and support US!
How did Brooke become one of the best pitchers in the world?
It started with the values instilled in her by her parents and all of the hours pitching while others were watching cartoons at 12 and under and hanging out at the beach at 18 and under. Any pitcher that makes it to this level will tell you that they have spent many hours throwing and spinning and working - and their dads will tell you that they have spent many hours sitting on a bucket catching and I'm sure they will show you their battle scars from the balls they "almost caught" - and the moms will tell you that they have spent many hours cheering and providing the moral support and playing referee between dad and daughter. There is no better way to spend an afternoon than hanging out with your daughter - one on one - and watching, helping or interacting while they compete, IMO. Most pitchers I know have such a special relationship with their parents - and that is a product of all the hours spent together.
People ask us all the time why did ya'll recruit Brooke? What did ya'll see in her? Well, the answer is simple. Brooke reminds Coach Stef of herself. Stefni and Brooke are both WARRIORS.
Stef came to the Lady Cajuns via Friendswood, Texas and became the university's FIRST-ever All-American. In 1990 she led the Lady Cajuns to their first top 10 ranking AND the program's first NCAA Regionals. She had 78 victories in her career and .66 career ERA; in 1990 her ERA was .28 and she only walked 4 batters the entire season. In 1989, she only allowed 10 runs to be scored against her team the entire season. WOW.
"If one advances confidently in the direction of his/her dreams, and endeveavors to live the life which he/she has imagined, he/she will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. - Henry David Thoreau
Stefni always "chased her dreams" with persistence and tenacity and confidence and faith. She learned at the foot of a master. BUT, before we get carried away, Mommy Rose (or Granny as we call her) is the real brains of that operation. Her dad, Chuck Whitton, taught her the ability of "how to" pitch and he also taught her the skill of how to win and get batters out; but most importantly, Chuck and Rose taught their daughter to be a warrior - the art of living without fear. This was evident to those who watched her pitch; and it was evident again, when she accepted the challenge to become the head coach in uncertain times of a program she loved -- she has no fear.
Chuck gave this gift not only to Stefni but countless others, including former Lady Cajuns, Kyla Hall and Jennifer Clendenin. And it is a trait Coach Stef saw in Brooke and a journey they continue to travel.
Being a warrior is not just about striking out batters or having a low ERA or winning games or receiving honors, it is about learning about oneself and continuing to grow and finding new meaning in our daily endeveavors. This is a hero's journey. A journey in which wins are measured NOT by ERA or scores but by our progress as people in search of a larger quest. Learning about ourselves and growing spiritually everyday. Spiritual training is a secret school. Spectators watch and cheer the external battles - whether the pitcher strikes out the batter or whether the riseball is jumping or trying to figure out how hard she is throwing. But to Brooke or Stefni or anybody who has "toed the rubber", to those who have tasted it, who have reached out, leaped, stretched, and sweated for it, know the sweetness and promise of meeting the challenges of within.
Our quest on the softball playing field mirrors the human journey. We try to use our training as the path and process, the means and end, a bridge to personal evolution. All the hours of throwing and throwing and spinning and running and weightlifting and throwing somemore takes incredible discipline and resilience. Well guess what, Brooke exemplifies discipline in her life without extremes.
A pitcher has to trust her defense - especially her catcher. Well, no surprise Brooke trusts and loves and cares about her fellow man. A pitcher has to rejoice and enjoy the game - the contest, the showdown and take pleasure in throwing the no-hitters or one-hitters. Again, the qualities that make her a successful pitcher are so evident in the way she lives her life -Brooke shows and lives in happiness, and more importantly creates happiness for others with whom she trains and lives. She is such a joy and pleasure to be on the journey with - she makes those around her better people. She is genuinely concerned about the well being of those around her. And she is not afraid to dare greatly or strive valiantly -- all with great devotion and enthusiasm.
Here is a great story that explains what being a WARRIOR is:
One day in feudal Japan, a master of the tea ceremony was running an errand in the marketplace and collided with a foul-tempered samurai. Immediately, the swordsman demanded an apology for the "insult" in the form of a duel to the death.
The tea master was in no position to decline, though he had no expertise with swords. He asked if he could complete his obligations for the day before meeting the samurai for the duel. It was agreed that thy'd meet in a nearby orchard, later in the afternoon.
The tea master completed his errands early and stopped to visit the house of Miyamoto Musashi, a famous swordmaster and painter. The tea master told Master Miyamoto his predicament and asked if the swordmster could teach him how to behave so as to die honorably.
"That is an unusual request", replied Miyamoto, but I'll help if I can". Detecting an air of serene composure about the small man standing before him, Miyamoto asked him what art he practiced. "I serve tea," he replied. "Excellent! Then serve me tea," said Miyamoto. Without hesitation, the tea master took his utensils from a pouch and began, with the utmost serenity and concentration, to perform the graceful, meditative ceremony of preparing, serving and appreciating o-cha, the green tea.
Miyamoto was impressed by this man's obvious composure on the afternoon of his death. The tea master was apparently free of all though about the fate that awaited him. Ignoring any thoughts of fear, he focused his attention upon the present moment of beauty. "You already know how to die with honor," said Miyamoto, ""but you can do this...." Then Miyamoto instructed him how to die well, concluding that "it will probably end in a mutual slaying." The tea master bowed and thanked the swordmaster. Carefully, he wrapped his implements and left for the duel.
As he arrived at the orchard, he saw the swordsman waiting impatiently, anxious to finish this petty killing. The tea master approached the samurai, laid his implements down as gently as he would a tiny infant -- as if he expected to pick them up again in a few moments. Then, as Miyamoto has suggested, he bowed graciously to the samurai, as calmly as if he were about to serve him tea. Next, he raised his sword with but a single thought in his mind - to strike the samurai, no matter what.
As he stood, sword raised, mind focused, he saw the sword expert's eyes grow wide with wonder, then perplexity, then respect, then fear. No longer did the swordsman see a meek little man before him; now he saw a fearless WARRIOR, an invincible opponent who had mastered the fear of death. Raised over the tea master's head, glinting blood-red in the sun's last rays, the samurai saw his own death.
The sword expert hesitated for a moment, then lowered his sword -- and his head. He begged forgiveness from this little tea master, who later became his teacher in the art of living without fear.
Leaving the bushes from where he had concealed himself, Miyamoto stretched with pleasure, yawning like a cat. Grinning, he scratched his neck, turned, and walked home to a hot bath, a bowl of rice, and peaceful dreams.
That story reminds me of Brooke Mitchell. During Regionals, despite the injury, she kept her mind focused and ignored all thoughts of fear and pain. The pain was there. The fear was there. But Brooke was able to let her mind control the situation. Just like the tea master, she was able to have just the one thought in her mind - focus. Despite the fear and despite the pain and despite the fact that this was the biggest game of the season, she had NO FEAR. In fact, she told me in the bullpen before the game started - "we are not going to lose, NEVER". Brooke pitched that game very relaxed and with an effortless quality and a peaceful humor. A WARRIOR - daring greatly and striving valiantly with an incredible focus.
It wasn't just Brooke - this attitude permeated throughout the TEAM. I'd never been around a team quite like this one. The players are only 18-22 years old. Most of them were team players - you would not hear "How come I am not playing" or "I am better than her" or "Why did they interview her and not me" or "woe is me". Neither was there any fear. The players were not afraid to lose. They were not afraid to fail - because they knew regardless of the outcome, whether victory or defeat, WE cared about each other as people and who we are rather than what we do or did. They were not afraid to come to bat when we needed the clutch hit or RBI. They were not afraid to play in pain. They were not afraid to show their hearts to each other. They were not afraid to love one another.
Team success is not just about the coach getting up and giving a speech and expectating everybody to perform. Team success is about relationships. Individual relationships and group relationships - and it's a never ending process. It takes time to build trust.
When Brooke suffered her injury - strained bicep muscle on her pitching arm - we could have panicked. But in the middle of that crisis -- at that moment of truth -- we reached down for something deeper, something we did not even realize was there. It was a deeper form of commitment -- we became much closer because we all knew we needed each other more than we ever had before. As a result, we were able to turn adversity into triumph.
I believe that when the RIGHT environment is present - where people truly care about each other, when they are all willing to prepare and train hard and go after a common goal and where there is enthusiastic optimism - then courageous acts can take place. A warrior realizes that they are a part of something that is a whole lot bigger than just YOU and derives courage from team and US. We are not all equal. The great equalizer in competition is COURAGE.
In talking to a good friend of mine, he made the point to me and my wife that through softball you are teaching these kids how to become "masters". If they can show the discipline and work ethic and commitment and courage and trust, to master pitching or hitting or fielding then they will have no problems being good students in the classroom nor masters in their given professions - whether it be doctors or engineers or teachers or physical therapist or business owners. He said, "Masters of one art have mastered all because they have mastered themselves." When you achieve dominion over both your mind and your muscles, you can then demonstrate power and serenity and spirit.
A WARRIOR not only has the talent for sport, they have an expanded capacity for life. The experts shine in the competitive arena; the WARRIORS shine everywhere."
BE A WARRIOR.
SUMMARY OF THE FALL SCRIMMAGE IN BEAUMONT:
First of all, the Fall is a time to formulate only impressions not conclusions. This is like pre-season football - you need to take a look at all your players and make some evaluations and develop depth and put your players in tough positions so they can learn.
We accomplished our goals this past weekend - we batted our entire line-up every game; Afton Thoms, Heather Bobbitt (Fr/Vidor) and Brooke each pitched 2 games a piece; we played everybody in multiple positions; we scored a lot of runs and gave up only a few; we hit 15 or so homeruns - but we made TOO MANY mistakes and BAD mental decisions. There are plenty of things we need to fix - but we have a good base to build on.
Some highlights from the weekend: Hillary Guidry (Fr./Berwick) hit a grand slam - that was fun to watch her reaction; Leslie Pierce (Soph) hit 3 bombs on Sunday; Michelle Bergeaux (Redshirt Fr/Port Barre) hit a two-run homerun to straight away center field - all 5'4" of her; Brooke did not have any pain during or after she pitched; Gomez hit a couple of bombs and did a good job at 3rd base - I told her to "save it"; Brittany Bryant "went off" at the plate on Sunday - you know she was showing off in front of her HOMETOWN people; Joy hit a bomb and handled a lot of the catching duties although Christine Collins (Fr/Sulphur) and Pierce got some time behind the plate; Collins also got time at SS and 3B and Pierce played some at 1B; Ashley Evans saw time at 1st Base and RF and showed no ill effects from her broken arm; Crystal George and Desi Chatman shared time in LF and both had "clutch" RBI; Tiffany Hebert spent a lot of time in CF; and Jill Robertson got released to play last week and her stamina and fight was good, if you know Jill, then you know she was going to find a way to play; and on the injured reserve and did not play list was Tiffany Grayson (SR) doing her rehab from shoulder surgery; Lacey Bertucci (FR/Covington) low back injury, but she has hit some bombs in the intrasquad scrimmages; and Holly Tankersly (FR/Kirbyville) was sick.
Off to Houston this weekend. Ed and Terri Grayson (Tiffany's mom and dad) are hosting the team Friday night. And Saturday and Sunday, we scrimmage again and we will try to get BETTER each time out and learn about ourselves and stay on the journey to become WARRIORS. Saturday night we will be listening to the UL football game and wishing we were there for HOMECOMING.
GEAUX CAJUNS!
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
