Travel Team

When the "AND1 Mixtape Tour" began three summers ago, no one could be sure it would get as big as it is. Now, people know. They know that whether it's hoops at 16th and Susquehanna in Philadelphia, at the famed Rucker Park in Harlem, or 3,000 miles away in Los Angeles, crowds will be entertained by some of the best street ballers and rappers in the country. They might see "Hot Sauce," a player for the AND1 sneaker and sports attire company, wrap the ball around a defender's head, let it bounce once before he crosses over, and then zip to the basket.

Brittany Detwiler likes to say that she was born on a softball field. That's not quite true, but Souderton's ace pitcher was certainly raised on one. "I'd take her to my games and put her in a playpen shortly after she was born," said Suzanne Detwiler, Brittany's mother, who was playing in a church softball league. "I'd have older people watch her while I was playing to make sure she didn't get hit with a foul ball. " Suzanne, a 1983 Pennridge graduate who played softball there, was a shortstop.

In the last two softball seasons, the man who once was an ever-present figure has been absent from the Nazareth Academy bench. Bob Keating's old-school flair no longer sparks the Nazareth players. The stern shouts that breed discipline and the quirky sayings that induce laughter - "hit it to the grass" and "strong like bull" are shortstop Mel Kalesse's favorites - no longer are heard on Grant Avenue. As the 17-3 Pandas prepare for this week's PIAA District 1 playoffs, the 60-year-old Keating remains at his Bucks County home recovering from triple-bypass surgery.

Bishop Shanahan softball coach Ron Savastio says he would pay to see his ace, Kate Poppe, pitch. That's how much he enjoys watching her throw. He knows that virtually every time out, Poppe will provide a show for him, her teammates, and spectators. Her performances Friday and Saturday against two of the top teams in the Ches-Mont League National Division tell you why she's among the area's top softball pitchers. Against West Chester East on Friday, the junior righthander allowed two hits and struck out 14 to outduel the Vikings' Brianna Andraos in the unbeaten Eagles' 2-0 win. To top it all off, Poppe's two-run homer over the fence at East in the sixth inning provided the margin of victory.

Just minutes into today’s crucial semifinal win game between the United States and France in the Women’s World Cup, Lauren Cheney buried the ball in the back of the net for the Americans. When she did, 130 pony tails flew up in the air inside an Immaculata University cafeteria. Chants of “USA! USA!,” broke out among the 11 to 17-year-olds gathered around a half dozen TV sets. For a new generation of adolescent girls, the members of the United States Women's Team are once again heroes, especially with today's 3-1 win.  It puts the U.S. in the finals for the first time since 1999.

Before another dominant pitching performance Friday against Bensalem, Neshaminy junior Lauren Quense kicked away at the dirt inside the circle. She stomped, swept, and scraped until the area felt right, until she could plant her right foot in the dirt, launch her left foot off the rubber, and unleash her blazing fastball. But still, she was not quite ready to warm up. Something was off, and everything must be in order for her to enter her pitching zone. Third baseman Julia McGovern walked to the mound and added the final touch: She fastened a large, pink bow to Quense's blond ponytail.

When Mary Costa's older sister, Therese, began to take softball pitching lessons, Mary decided she wanted to take them, too. "My dad asked the instructor if I could join the class," said Mary Costa, who began taking lessons from Courtney Hankes McGovern, a former Downingtown standout. Therese Costa, now 21, pitched for Upper Darby, but the family moved to West Chester after Mary completed seventh grade at Beverly Hills Middle School. Mary Costa, now 16, attended Fugett Middle School for eighth grade before becoming West Chester East's top pitcher as a freshman.

Mornings are for fiction; afternoons are for fact. That's the way Mike Lupica divvies up his writing life these days. Before lunch, Lupica the author works on his latest novel. After lunch, Lupica the journalist works on his latest sports column for the New York Daily News. The same Lupica who has spent his adult life writing newspaper columns and books about grown-ups playing kids' games now also writes fiction about kids playing kids' games. "My wife tells me that writing as a 12-year-old boy is perfect casting," the 55-year-old Lupica cracks in a recent phone conversation from his home in New Canaan, Conn.

Kali Shirk wanted to be an infielder when she began playing T-ball at age 7 in the Nor-Gwyn Little League. She noticed that the infielders got to handle the ball more than the outfielders did, and she wanted a piece of the action. "I liked first base," said Shirk, now a senior catcher for North Penn High. Her transition from first base to catching came when she was about 11 and no one else wanted the job. "I was kind of forced into it," Shirk explained. "I think it was a collective effort on the part of my coach and my teammates.

Kennedy-Kenrick High School baseball player Chris Lubanski, a junior, has been named to Collegiate Baseball's Louisville Slugger preseason high school all-American team. The 6-foot-3 first baseman, who led the Wolverines in batting average, RBIs, extra-base hits, runs, and stolen bases last season, was one of 18 players named to the Baseball 16-and-under youth national team. He has been involved in the honors program at Kennedy-Kenrick since his freshman year and carries a 3.5 grade point average.

In the last two softball seasons, the man who once was an ever-present figure has been absent from the Nazareth Academy bench. Bob Keating's old-school flair no longer sparks the Nazareth players. The stern shouts that breed discipline and the quirky sayings that induce laughter - "hit it to the grass" and "strong like bull" are shortstop Mel Kalesse's favorites - no longer are heard on Grant Avenue. As the 17-3 Pandas prepare for this week's PIAA District 1 playoffs, the 60-year-old Keating remains at his Bucks County home recovering from triple-bypass surgery.

Before another dominant pitching performance Friday against Bensalem, Neshaminy junior Lauren Quense kicked away at the dirt inside the circle. She stomped, swept, and scraped until the area felt right, until she could plant her right foot in the dirt, launch her left foot off the rubber, and unleash her blazing fastball. But still, she was not quite ready to warm up. Something was off, and everything must be in order for her to enter her pitching zone. Third baseman Julia McGovern walked to the mound and added the final touch: She fastened a large, pink bow to Quense's blond ponytail.

Practice ends. Players go home. Kelsey Dominik keeps working. "It's really amazing if you think about it," Kingsway softball coach Tony Barchuk said. It's a thought that repeats in the coach's mind every time he goes home while his star player is still on the field, working with her father, Dave - usually, Barchuk knows, until it's too dark to pick up the spin on a softball. "I'll pitch if I didn't pitch at practice," Dominik said. "If I wasn't doing well hitting that day, my dad and I will work on my hitting.

Just minutes into today’s crucial semifinal win game between the United States and France in the Women’s World Cup, Lauren Cheney buried the ball in the back of the net for the Americans. When she did, 130 pony tails flew up in the air inside an Immaculata University cafeteria. Chants of “USA! USA!,” broke out among the 11 to 17-year-olds gathered around a half dozen TV sets. For a new generation of adolescent girls, the members of the United States Women's Team are once again heroes, especially with today's 3-1 win.  It puts the U.S. in the finals for the first time since 1999.

Bishop Shanahan softball coach Ron Savastio says he would pay to see his ace, Kate Poppe, pitch. That's how much he enjoys watching her throw. He knows that virtually every time out, Poppe will provide a show for him, her teammates, and spectators. Her performances Friday and Saturday against two of the top teams in the Ches-Mont League National Division tell you why she's among the area's top softball pitchers. Against West Chester East on Friday, the junior righthander allowed two hits and struck out 14 to outduel the Vikings' Brianna Andraos in the unbeaten Eagles' 2-0 win. To top it all off, Poppe's two-run homer over the fence at East in the sixth inning provided the margin of victory.

Their final softball season was hampered by injuries, but Pennsbury's Rebecca Erb and Neshaminy's Christina Udris can look forward to playing together in college next spring. The two, teammates on the Blazing Angels travel team, are expected to play third base and shortstop, respectively, at Post University in Connecticut, where they plan to be roommates. Their connection as Blazing Angels led to their decision to attend Post. "Christina let me know that the Post coach was looking for a third baseman," said Erb, who expects to study sports management or early childhood education.

Their final softball season was hampered by injuries, but Pennsbury's Rebecca Erb and Neshaminy's Christina Udris can look forward to playing together in college next spring. The two, teammates on the Blazing Angels travel team, are expected to play third base and shortstop, respectively, at Post University in Connecticut, where they plan to be roommates. Their connection as Blazing Angels led to their decision to attend Post. "Christina let me know that the Post coach was looking for a third baseman," said Erb, who expects to study sports management or early childhood education.

Bob Rodgers, 78, great-grandfather of seven, homered, tripled, and made an unassisted double play at first base yesterday as the Royals smoked the Bobcats, 12-1, on opening day of Philadelphia's Over-70 Senior Softball League. The first pitch was scheduled for 10:30 a.m., but 50 men - divided among four teams - were at the John Perzel Community Center in Mayfair by 9:30, shagging flies and making jokes. "On the day of the game," quipped Art Dustman, 83, in left field, "the manager looks in the obituary column.

Attractive, well-mannered and respectful, Shondale, 16, enjoys playing sports, especially basketball, football and track. He also likes video games and spending time with his friends. When meeting new people, he can be shy, but he warms up when he becomes comfortable. An ambitious youth, he works part-time, runs on a community travel track team, and is a member of his school's choir. A high school student, Shondale is working on improving his homework skills. He is also striving to express his emotions more effectively.