What a year its been. The ICE 14U 09 started their 2022/2023 slat of tournaments playing in Denison at the Ultimate Sports Experience Creepy Crawler 14U C division tournament, October 22, 2022, and ended July 22, 2023, at Big Bangs Overnight Khaos 16U B division tournament
Opening 2022 playing at a 14U C level tournament where they lost every game. ICE fans could see flashes but every game the girls would have simple error after error. Three of the games the girls were up by a margin and would figure out how to error away the game. After the tournament the coaches met, and everything changed. They knew they had talent, but the team needed to focus on the basics catching, throwing, pitching. A decision was made. No more recruiting the coaches would focus on team as it was constructed.
Jala at USA Christmas Tournament
The coaches went to work putting together a plan to improve the team starting with fundamentals. A micro lens of routine catches and throws . They Introduced 4-hour Saturday practices with a focus on routine defense. Extended Tuesday batting practice to 2 hours with a focus on consistently making contact at multiple pitching speeds. Friday video sessions were implemented to improve the team’s softball IQ. The biggest decision and change the coaches implemented was attendance at tournaments based on practice performance. Basically, if the team, not some but all of the team, is not performing in practice we would not waste their parents’ money and time attending tournaments.
The increased focus on practice changed everything. The Girls improved from that 1st tournament, losing every game at a C level to competing for Championships of tournament at the 14U B level. three third place finishes at Big Bangs Memorial Day Bash, USA Softball Spring Brawl, and The Smash Throwdown. By June the team was a completely different team. Every Game was close, the worst defeat was a two-point defeat. The team’s major concern was allowing teams to come back in the bottom of the last ending. There were no big losses, but devesting close games.
Excitement was brewing for the teams last tournament. Fans could feel the breakthrough was coming. That champion feeling was in the air and the team was ready to win their final 14U B tournament and move to A level ball. But scheduling the team’s last tournament was difficult due to team members participating in other sports and vacations. The only tournament available was Big Bang’s Overnight Khaos 16UB division. We decided to participate in the Khaos and wow, the girls did not disappoint.
The team opened pool with a loss to the eventual tournament champions Hamilton Lady Rattlers 8 to 7. The coaches were extremely disappointed with the girls’ play as they were nervous and gave up multiple runs due to errors. The second game was no different from the girls’ play. Error filled game but they managed a win against Excel Elite – McGovern by a score of 4 to 2. As the girls got ready for the last pool game against Fort Worths MVP team you can see the nervousness of playing up at 16U was wearing off. The girls walked out of the final pool game with a no questions, no errors, great defense, and solid batting. Normally in a 11 to 0 win there is an extreme amount of walks given by the losing team, but MVP only gave up 3 walks. The girls finished pool play with a record of 2 wins against 1 loss. During the pool games the team played every player equally, but going into bracket the lineup would be based off their play in those pool games.
The kickoff to The Overnight Khaos Bracket was against a good Keller Outlaws Patterson team that was undefeated in pool. This was a back-n-forth game with Keller down by 1 going into the bottom of the final inning. ICE defense held Keller to zero points and only two getting on base in the last inning. No strike outs by ICE pitchers, it was the infield and outfield covering for their pitchers and holding on to the 4 to 3 win.
They followed that game by a battle to the end with Lady Rangers-Solis the game went back and forth with the Lady Rangers coming out on top by a score of 5 to 4.
That game against the Lady Rangers put the team into the losers’ bracket as the girls were faced with a very fast and strong Wicked Assassins team. Wicked Assassins went up 4 to zero against ICE, but this tournament was different. The girls kept fighting back, focusing in on their Defense and adjusting to the Wicked Assassins speed and slowly chipping away at the lead. ICE shocked the Wicked Assassins with a 5 to 4 win. That win was huge. The team came back in a disciplined focused manner that put their improvement on display.
The win against the Wicked Assassins set up a rematch with Keller Outlaws Patterson. The coaches were preparing for another close game, but the girls were prepared to dominate. They dominated, ending with a final score of 7 to 1. The score does not indicate the domination the team showed in that game. The girls made it to the Semi Finals of their 1st 16u tournament and a rematch against Lady Rangers-Solis. This had to be one of the best played games of the year by the team. Both teams showed why they were in the semi-finals. Both teams displayed what they were good at. ICE put on a Defensive display of exciting play after exciting play. Making crazy catches and on point throws. ICE speedsters showed off those wheels while the Rangers showed their discipline, experience, and big bats. In the end the Rangers were able to win a close game by a score of 3 to 2. The 2022 to 2023 season came to an end.
The girls were disappointed, ok they were upset, but man did they come to play. These girls started the 2022/23 campaign off with a 14U C tournament where they lost every single game. Over the course of the season, they replayed 3 of the 5 teams they lost to in that first tournament and beat each team handedly. They ended the campaign at Big Bangs Overnight Tournament 16U B division with a record of 5 to 3 (2n1 pool and 3n2 bracket).
What a season. At the beginning of the season the girls were considering going into other sports and exiting softball and to the end the season looking forward to competing for Varsity as freshman, as they enter high school, and preparing for 16U A softball. It was an enjoyable journey.
Thanks to our Coaches Jason and Brad. Thanks to our parents for sticking with the program. And Thanks to the girls for taking on the challenge.
Part of our mission statement is – Our organization focuses on girls that were discounted by other organizations by providing them a space to improve and compete at the highest levels of softball…….and the 14U ICE Team are on track with the mission statement.