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Learning The Game

Girls Shown The Right Way To Play Softball At SFCC Camp

Jasmina Meyer/Highlands Today

Maci Harris, 10, practices a side dive on the field at South Florida Community College during the SFCC Panther softball camp Wednesday in Avon Park.

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By Mark  Pinson | Highlands Today

Published: June 26, 2008

AVON PARK — Despite the heat and humidity of the summer sun, more than 30 girls attended the annual SFCC summer softball camp on Tuesday and Wednesday at Panther Field.

The large turnout proves that the popularity of softball is still on the rise, and two-day event covered every facet of the game for the campers, which were ages 6-18.

The girls were kept moving from drill to drill under the watchful eye of South Florida Community College softball coach Carlos Falla and a number of current and former Panther players.

Hosting the annual softball camp is important to Falla because, not only is he helping to develop local players, but he also gets a close look at some of the top talent in the Heartland.

"We get local girls and we get girls from DeSoto and Hardee Counties that come to our camps," said the Panther coach. "This gives me an opportunity to see them play and perform and it gives them a chance to see what our school has to offer.

"We have a girl from Michigan and one from Maine here this week, and I look forward to these summer camps because I enjoy working with girls of all skill levels and helping them to improve and develop their abilities."

In fact, Falla saw a couple of girls that he wanted to talk to about attending SFCC and playing softball for the Panthers, who just missed qualifying for the state playoffs last season.

"I'm always looking for players because in junior college you only have them for two years," said Falla. "We always have a lot of turnover and these camps are great recruiting tools.

"A couple of girls caught my eye over the last two days and I'm going to talk to them about coming to play for me when they graduate."

Teaching the girls to be fundamentally sound is an important part of the camp.

"We do a lot of repetition, because we want the girls to be in the right position to make the right play," said the Panther coach. "Being in the right fielding position and posture helps the girls make accurate and strong throws. "We break every aspect of the game down from holding and swinging the bat, to catching and throwing the ball, to running the bases correctly.

"We teach the girls to play infield and outfield because the more versatile they are, the better their chances are for playing."

Versatility and knowledge of the game is the key to success, according to Falla.

"The girls need to know what each position requires because you never know when you may have to change positions because of an injury," the Panther coach said. "If you have the proper knowledge and are fundamentally sound, you will make the right play most of the time.

"You can be a great athlete, but if you haven't developed the mental part of the game, you won't be successful at the higher levels."

In his travels around the country while scouting, Falla sees the impact softball is having on the youngsters.

"It's amazing the number of teams I see at these tournaments during the summer," said the SFCC coach. "It's hot and they play all day, but hundreds of girls are out there playing and working hard o get better.

"Now that we have the softball complex in Highlands County, some of those tournaments are in Sebring and all those players get a chance to see our area."

Former Panther second baseman Sam Waldron, who owns the school record for highest batting average (.390), helped out with the camp.

"Sam was outstanding here for two years and then went to Florida Gulf Coast University and had a great season," said Falla. "She batted .380 this past season and led them in doubles. "She was ready for the next step and she can talk to the girls and tell them what it takes to succeed at that level.
"They can relate to her when she talks because she went through what they're going through and now she is playing at a very high level."

Having fun while learning is another important part of the camp.

"We want the girls to learn, but we want them to have fun while they're doing it," said Falla. "Softball is a great sport and there is no reason they can't go as far as they want, if they work hard and learn the proper way to play the game."

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