University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Danyele Gomez at the USA Softball Olympic Trials
9/7/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Friday, Sept. 5, 2003
CHULA
VISTA, Calif. – Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns softball player
Danyele Gomez is attending the 2003 USA Softball Olympic
Trials being held Sept. 2-7 and has begun a diary of her
experiences. Danyele is the second Louisiana native from the
Cajuns softball program to be invited to a USA Softball
tryout. She is competing with 45 others athletes from across
the nation, including her former teammate Becky McMurtry,
for one of 15 spots on the 2004 Olympic team which will
compete in Athens, Greece for the gold medal. Below is her
diary entry from Friday, Sept. 5.
The weather is great here - warm days but cool nights.
The days are starting to run together - there are 5 teams and we scrimmage each other; at least two times a day.
After talking to a lot of the players, I found out that they competed all summer long -- some playing in the Canada Cup and the International tournament. I took the summer off to let my shoulder get better and have only been back at it since the last week in August. No excuses - but I have not seen live pitching since the College World Series.
I did not have any indication I would be invited to the Olympic trials until I got a letter in the mail the week school started (around August 18th). So I am using these scrimmages and my at bats to get my timing back – a lot like baseball players use spring training. So "the result" of my at bats are not as important as my approach - this has been a great opportunity for me, to be around and compete against and be considered one of the best softball players in the country. I am blessed - go USA.
We eat a lot of healthy food - pasta, wheat bread and no carbonated drinks. They have Powerade, water, apple juice, orange juice. With every meal they list the calories and fat content and grams.
Tomorrow is the last day, at 10:00 a.m. we are getting timed from home to 1st base and at the 3:00 p.m. practice we are getting timed from home to home. After that the tryouts are complete
I have learned a lot. It has been an awesome experience. But I also am ready to be back home. I now understand the saying "You do not know what you have until it is gone."
Thanks for letting everyone know what is going on in my life and I really do appreciate my team, coaches, family, friends and the fans. I am trying my best. I hope that they give me the opportunity again to try out for the team. I think in four years I will be more mature and mentally ready for the commitment they are looking for. Thanks again for all of your prayers and thoughts. You guys are the best.
Geaux Cajuns!
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
