ASANA SERIES 2019 ASANA SPECIAL EDITION
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TABLE OF CONTENTS ASANA 2019 ISSUE COMPETE MAGAZINE EXECUTIVE EDITOR Connie Wardman, M.A., SDLT connie@competesportsdiversity. com PUBLISHER/CEO Eric Carlyle, SDLT eric@competesportsdiversity.com SALES & OPERATIONS VICE PRESIDENT Jared Garduno, SDLT jared@competesportsdiversity.com This special Player’s Guide issue of Compete Magazine was created in partnership with ASANA. If your organization produces or hosts a run, tournament, sports festival, awards ceremony or other type of event, please contact Compete today to find out how we can partner to produce a high-quality issue unique to your organization and its special events. Send us an email at publications@ competesportsdiversity.com MISSION STATEMENT Compete unites the world through sports. Copyright © 2019 MEDIA OUT LOUD, LLC All Rights Reserved.
16 FEATURE: NEVER GIVE UP – NO EXCUSES! 6 WELCOME TO THE TEAMS & DIVISIONS 8 COMMISSIONER’S LETTER ANGELA “BUTTERBEAN” SMITH 10 EDITOR’S LETTER CONNIE WARDMAN, M.A., SDLT 12 EVENTS SCHEDULE 14 ASANA PROMOTES GENDER INCLUSION 20 2019 HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES 22 ASANA HALL OF FAME COVER PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY
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2019 Asana Special Edition
OF NIKOL PIÑON-SALVADOR
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TEAMS
Teams ALAMEDA WOMEN'S SOFTBALL LEAGUE Got Grub P. Posse Switch Hitters Team Throttle
KNOXVILLE - KTOWN SOFTBALL LEAGUE Fuzion HOTT MESS Laid Back
ATLANTA - HOTLANTA SOFTBALL LEAGUE Moon Riders Night Riders AUSTIN SOFTBALL Austin Angels Austin SWAT Cleats & Cleavage Real Quik ULTRA CHICAGO - METROPOLITAN SPORTS ASSOCIATION Free Agents DALLAS - NORTH TEXAS WOMEN'S SOFTBALL ASSOCIATION AfterShock DTX Mashup Pitch Black DANIKA Treders Struggle Bus EVE & EVE SOFTBALL LEAGUE Eve&Eve KANSAS CITY - HEART OF AMERICA SOFTBALL LEAGUE Alley Katz Softball Click Click Boom Crowns Fully Loaded/Berserk Athletics KC Dirt Divas KC Storm
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LAS VEGAS GAY SOFTBALL LEAGUE Beavers LIBERTY BELL CLASSIC Free Agents LONG BEACH/ORANGE COUNTY-SURF AND SUN SOFTBALL Aftershock Bomb Squad CenterFielders Down n Dirty Fusion Girl Crush Weekend Warriors LOS ANGELES - GLASA WOMEN'S Killer B's LA Bandits Sickside Ladies Team Grind TeamX The Hooches NEW YORK - BIG APPLE SOFTBALL LEAGUE Assassins Brewers GO! Girls Resting Pitch Face ORLANDO - CENTRAL FLORIDA SOFTBALL LEAGUE Diamond Divas Gecko's InFamous Pink Ladies
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PHILADELPHIA - CITY OF BROTHERLY LOVE SOFTBALL (All) Day Drinkers Ninjas PHILLY HOMEGROWN Shake Shack Sliders Sunday's Hangover #TCDT PORTLAND - ROSE CITY SOFTBALL ASSOCIATION FOPO Mavericks SAN ANTONIO GAY SOFTBALL LEAGUE Lady Venom SAN DIEGO - AMERICA'S FINEST CITY SOFTBALL LEAGUE 2NAs Aberration gossip grill Looking 2 Score What Had Happened Was SAN FRANCISCO GAY SOFTBALL LEAGUE Gold Rush Vixens SAN JOSE WOMEN'S SOFTBALL LEAGUE SJ Sidewinders Speedy Honu Spitting Llamas SEATTLE - RAINBOW CITY SOFTBALL TNA WASHINGTON D. C. - CHESAPEAKE & POTOMAC SOFTBALL DC Sharks DC Swag Softball Krazy Pitches
FROM THE COMISSIONER
Welcome to Long Beach, California-
Dream Big!
W
elcome players, coaches, managers, spouses, partners and fans - Let the Battle for the Beach BEGIN! The Long Beach host city committee and the ASANA board hope you have an amazing experience.
While in LBC make sure to grab lunch or dinner at In-N-Out Burger and desert from Churroholic or Afters Ice Cream. I promise you it will be epic. If food is not your scene then, in a galaxy far, far away, I am sure you can hitch a ride on the Millennium Falcon while you take in all the magic of Disneyland. Again, this year ASANA is proud to be partnering with Cloud Sports Network to bring our fans at home some of our most exciting games, including all of Championship Saturday. Make sure to play with all your heart and to leave it all on the field as we see who will be crowned this year’s World Series Champions. The ASANA board and I thank you for making ASANA great and for your dedication to making us all one big family. We look forward to many more World Series to come! To quote the great Californian Serena Williams, “I am lucky that whatever fear I have inside me, my desire to win is always stronger.” I hope you let your desire shine!
Angela “Butterbean” Smith, SDL ASANA Commissioner
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FROM THE EXECUTIVE EDITOR
asana athletes: positive examples for others I’m always impressed with ASANA’s continued growth and the diverse athletes it attracts. As an organization, you originally decided to go your own way; to do your own thing that was more than just softball. In the past several years you’ve added football and a 5K run to your well-established ASANA World Series. Doing your own thing has also included a generous spirit. In 2015 your Peanut Foundation was formed to help ASANA members with scholarships, grants and expenses for other activities the foundation board members deemed necessary. That generosity of spirit also extends beyond your members. Just this year proceeds from your 5K run will be donated to Athlete Ally to supports its education and advocacy work promoting equality in sports. This year’s featured athlete, Nikol Piñon-Salvador is a true inspiration for those who occasionally feel like life has given them more than they can handle. An amputee at age 18, she has created a wonderfully rich life for herself by never giving up and never offering excuses as to why she can’t do something. Just last year I would have said that the organization is filled with strong, powerful and determined women like Nikol. But since your decision to update your documents to promote gender inclusion, I want to honor your power to say exactly how you want to be identified and addressed. I will use words that don’t continue to force you into an old paradigm. The competition at your World Series tournaments reveals you as fierce competitors. As a group you are strong, powerful and determined individuals, positive examples to others of who they can become and what they can accomplish. And for that, we are all grateful!
CONNIE WARDMAN, M.A., SDLT connie@competesportsdiversity.com
@CompeteConnie
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ASANA EVENTS
event information & schedule Each year ASANA partners with a host city to deliver the ASANA Softball World Series, one of the largest annual sporting events in the world for cisgender women, trans-women, trans-men, and non-binary individuals, regardless of sex assigned at birth. Over 1,500 athletes, coaches and fans from 25 member-cities across North America travel to compete and celebrate equality ‌ one game at a time. This year the 2019 ASANA World Series is celebrating its 12th anniversary in Long Beach – what a place to celebrate!
Sunday, August 25
8:00 a. m.
4:00 p.m. Yankees vs. Dodgers Game @ Dodgers Stadium -
ASANA Heroes 5K. Sign up today! Reserve your ticket!
Monday, August 26
5:00 p.m.
Welcome Happy Hour, TBD location
Tuesday, August 27
12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Bat Check & Home Run Derby, Joe Rodgers Field, 4900 East 7th Street, Long Beach
4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Managers Meeting, Hilton Long Beach Atlantic Rooms I/II - 2nd Floor
5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Umpires Meeting, Hilton Long Beach Atlantic Rooms I/II - 2nd Floor
6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Opening Party, Shoreline Aquatic Park, Long Beach
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ASANA EVENTS Wednesday, August 28
7:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Bat Check at Great Park, Irvine & Big League
8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m Pool Play at Great Park, Irvine & Big League
6:00 p.m- 10:00 p.m. Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.
Dreams, West Covina Dreams, West Covina Get your tickets today!
Thursday, August 29th
7:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Bat Check at Great Park, Irvine & Big League
8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m Pool Play at Great Park, Irvine & Big League
Bracket play will begin in the afternoon for the C and D divisions
8:00 p.m.
Dreams, West Covina Dreams, West Covina Movies on the Beach, Long Beach
Friday, August 30th:
8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m Bracket Play at Great Park, Irvine & Big League Dreams, West Covina
Saturday, August 31th:
8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m Championship Play at Great Park, Irvine.
6:00 p.m.
Closing Ceremonies, The Pike Bridge - Long Beach
Sunday, September 1st:
1:00 p.m. Los Angeles Angels vs. Boston Red Sox Game @ Angels Stadium - tickets on sale soon!
NOTES 1. Pool play will run Wednesday - Thursday. Bracket play begins on Thursday and runs through Friday. Saturday is championship day and 1st - 3rd place will be awarded. 3. All players must register in person prior to playing in their first game. Registration will be available at the Opening Party and at both parks. 2. ID Checks - In addition to championship game ID checks, ASANA may randomly check IDs for players throughout the series for any reason or for no reason. Please make sure your team has their IDs with them for all games. Thank you! www.CompeteSportsDiversity.com
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SPORTS DIVERSITY
ASANA PROMOTES GENDER-INCLUSION In March the Amateur Sports or sexual orientation, ASANA has a Alliance of North America (ASANA), special emphasis on the participation organizers of the annual ASANA of Women members of the LGBTQIA Softball World Series announced an community. update to its governing documents to “We strive to provide a safe, fun, promote gender-inclusion in amateur and inclusive environment for all athletics. members of our community,” Brown ASANA will now welcome all said, noting that those identifying cisgender women, trans-women, as cisgender men remain eligible to trans-men, and non-binary individuals, participate as non-playing members, regardless of sex assigned at birth, such as coaches, managers, trainers, to be eligible to play in the ASANA scorekeepers and fans.” Softball World Series. Following a cultural competency training the ASANA Council voted to remove EASY | SAFE | DISCREET the definition of “woman” in the ASANA Softball Code and replace it with a definition of “Eligible Playing Participant” in all future documentation. ASANA is proud to be an 1st Legal Cannabis Shop organization that promotes In Long Beach inclusion on and off the field,” said ASANA Director of Field and Team Operations, Jennifer Brown. “We FOR NEW PATIENTS are excited to share an updated definition that reflects those values.” The Code “Eligible Playing Participant” shall define – “Any FOR EXISTING PATIENTS player who identifies as a woman, Mention code: ASANA to redeem (can only be used once) transgender, or non-binary shall be eligible for play in the ASANA + YOUR FAVORITE BRANDS! Softball World Series.” shop on Dedicated to the promotion of 562.218.0021 amateur athletics for all persons 1735 E. 7th St. Long Beach CA, 90813 regardless of gender, age, race, creed, religion, national origin,
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SPORTS DIVERSITY
NEVER GIVE UP; BY CONNIE WARDMAN
W
hile the admonition to never give up and to ditch excuses sounds like it could come from any true ASANA competitor, these are the words Nikol Piñon-Salvador, a 42-year-old resident of the Bay Area, lives by on a daily basis. She plays for the Switch Hitters of the Alameda Women’s Softball League. Oh, and by the way, she’s an amputee who plays softball with just one arm.
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SPORTS DIVERSITY At age 18 Nikol was in a head-on collision and the seatbelt severed her left arm at the shoulder; it also took the lives of her cousin and a friend as well as the driver of the other car. She says her recovery wasn’t an easy process but blessed with a “strong rooted family of faith,” she quickly learned to adjust by trying and never giving up. When asked about what would clearly be considered a deficit by most players, Nikol quickly responds that “the only deficit I feel I have is my mental game.” Talking about her team, she says that “they’re so supportive; we have fun, we stay competitive and we vibe well.” Sports are an outlet for her from the hustle and bustle of work and home life and she loves the team camaraderie. Involved in sports from a young age in swimming, she’s also run track and played basketball. Nikol admits that at one point in her life she was overly competitive and very aggressive – not much of a team player. But in her early twenties she was playing football with the guys and one of them asked her to play softball. True to form, she accepted the challenge and not long after, league became once a week to five times a week to tourna-
ments. It didn’t take her long, she says, to realize what she had been missing out on not playing team sports. Happily married to her wife, Arielle who also plays on the Switch Hitters team, Nikol shares that in the Bay Area at least, the LGBTQ+ community and softball have gone hand-in-hand
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SPORTS DIVERSITY
“You only live once; don’t waste it wondering about what could’ve been; just get out there and do it. Be the best version of yourself.”
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SPORTS DIVERSITY so her experiences as a lesbian player have always been great. She then adds that sports and sexual orientation is something she’s never focused on, saying, “we’re all athletes and that’s the only label on our backs when we’re playing. I wished everybody saw it that way.” Nikol’s not shy about her injury; she wears tank tops and despite stares and whispers, she includes herself in all activities. In addition to softball, she likes cooking, working out, anything outdoors and anything dogs! “You only live once; don’t waste it wondering about what could’ve been; just get out there and do it. Be the best version of yourself.” Her philosophy is to always try something once, even if you’re not
good at it, saying that the experience is a blessing in and of itself. In her own words, here is how Nikol lives her life every day.
NEVER GIVE UP. NO EXCUSES. It’s better to be one of a kind than like all the rest. SHINE. Keep your family close, always say thank you, hold the door open for everyone and always give your seat up if someone else needs it. Never fear the butterflies because heartbreak can lead to your greatest love story. BE KIND, ALWAYS. It sounds like great advice!
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HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES 2019 Hall of Fame Inductees
INDUCTEE: DANA BRADEN League: Heart of America Softball League City: Kansas City, Missouri
INDUCTEE: TARAH BURNS League: New York City: New York City
INDUCTEE: SHIRLEE LINKE League: San Diego, City: San Diego, California
INDUCTEE: FRANNY LOPEZ League: San Jose Women’s Softball League City: San Jose, California
INDUCTEE: SHERYL PHIPPS League: San Francisco GSL City: San Francisco, California
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HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
YEAR & INDUCTEES 2018 Jamie Fry – Kansas City Danny Gilmore – San Jose Kristin Grubb – Philadelphia Pam Ruis – Kansas City Amy Torres – Austin
2009 Carrie Gundermann - Portland Cheryl O'Bryan - Greater Palm Beaches
2017 2016
Jennifer Brown - Philadelphia Chrissy Hunsberger - Philadelphia
2007 Carol O'Neill - Philadelphia Robin Rutherford - Philadelphia
Tracee Borger - Kansas City Laura Kilmer - Los Angeles Nikki Mitchell - Kansas City Sam Roger - Long Beach
2006
2015 Terri Watkins - Long Beach Brandi Fitzgerald - Philadelphia 2014
Adrienne Freeman - Atlanta Erin Henry - Houston Jennifer Reiser - Kansas City Lisa Tinnerman - San Diego
2013 Angela Smith - Atlanta Kim Nordike - Kansas City 2012 Barbara Clanton - Orlando Kellie Cohen - Phoenix Rebecca Evans - Greater Palm Beaches Julie Faagau - Los Angeles Dani Goodlett - San Diego Stacey Hayashi - San Diego Tammy Kagarice - Kansas City 2011 Karen Brickhouse - Norfolk Nancy MacKenzie - Chicago Nancy Nomura - Los Angeles 2010 Katrina Nason - Los Angeles Deborah Jean Brown "Brownie" Kansas City Candace Kissee "Candy" - Kansas City
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2008 Theresa Bredwell - Atlanta Noelle Buckley - Portland
Jeanette Fulcher - Atlanta Rhonda Graham - Atlanta Virginia Gutierrez - Philadelphia Lynne Mobley - Atlanta Ace Palodichuk - Minneapolis Patty Price - San Francisco* Toni Carr - Portland
2005 Pam Dunnam - Dallas Maggie Weis - San Francisco Gretchen Gruber - Atlanta 2004 Debra Jean Lowrey - Dallas Sharon "Willie" Wilson - Twin Cities 2003 Liz Alling - Southern New England Rosalyn Bugg - Los Angeles Julie Colwell - Chicago WCAA Wendy Gershow - San Francisco Carron Harris - Twin Cities Rhonda Mariani - Connecticut 2002 Sue Ellen Garner - Washington, D.C. Marie Kurby - Chicago WCAA Sue Marohn - Chicago WCAA* Dee Reinking - Twin Cities
2001 First Year of NAGAAA Women's Induction Susie Arnold - Chicago WCAA Maureen Bennett - San Francisco Nina Cole - Atlanta Joanie McElligott - Chicago WCAA Claire Monfort - San Francisco Leslie Tiffany - Boston 2019 ASANA Special Edition