Young girls learn fast-pitch game

By TERRY JONES

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 28, 2000

CITRUS PARK -- Once in a while, the players will bobble the ball or trip over the bases. That happens occasionally when 7-year-old girls are learning to play fast-pitch softball.

But their coach, Sonny LeBlanc, has trained some of the best players in the area, and his granddaughter is one of the players. He says it helps to have the love and patience of a grandfather when teaching a sport to girls that young.

In 1989, LeBlanc started the HeatWave Fast-Pitch Travel Softball Club and coached the high school-age team for nearly 10 years. However, coaching such young athletes is a new experience for him.

He also coached the varsity team at King for several years.

"The softball players on the East Coast really have moved far ahead of our girls in the Bay area here," he said. "They have 8-and-under travel teams playing 35-40 games a season, which helps build strong high school teams later on. We had to go over there to get games, but mostly, we had to play girls up to age 10 with experience."

LeBlanc said his youngsters learned the basic skills of hitting, running, throwing, catching and pitching in the first season. By the end of the season, the team had improved enough to finish ninth in a field of 15 in the International Softball Association national championships for 8-and-under teams.

He said in order for older travel teams in the area to be competitive statewide and nationally in the future, they must learn early. Consequently, he wants to work with dads, moms and other coaches around the Bay area to form other 8-and-under teams and an area league producing local competition.

"Ultimately, some of the girls will want to play on the college level," LeBlanc said.

"College scholarship funds are awarded only to fast-pitch softball players. While coaching the older HeatWave in the '80s and '90s, we helped 30 players earn scholarships funds totalling approximately $400,000."

To get involved

Sonny LeBlanc has scheduled tryouts for the HeatWave Fast-Pitch Travel Softball Club for 1 p.m. Aug. 5 at Carrollwood Village County Park for 8-and-under girls whose parents or legal guardians are interested in enrolling children in the program. He also wants to talk to people interested in starting an 8-and-under team to compete in a new league.

To arrange for a child to tryout or talk about starting a neighborhood team, call LeBlanc at (813) 966-5496 or (352) 588-0561.

-- TERRY JONES

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.

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