White Plains CitizeNetReporter - White Plains Softball Powers Merge: Panthers Explosion Try Out August 25-26.

WPCNR PRESS BOX. From Larry Giordano. August 16, 2007: Tuesday night an agreement was reached on the merger of the White Plains- based Hudson River Panthers and Team Explosion softball programs, to be effective this upcoming fall season. Both sides are very pleased with this merger.

White Plains Explosion July 2003

Ray Frederick and his Hudson River Panther Scholarship girls: L to R, Dena Frederick of the White Plains Tigers, Poughkeepsie's Taryn LaColla and New Rochelle's Erica Koehler. Photo WPCNR Sports.

The unification now offers competitive players, in and around Westchester County, an opportunity to develop and grow under one banner as they move up in age. Besides developing a player’s softball skills, the program will continue to strive in building a player’s self-being. One key element that separates the HR Panther program from other programs in the area is that it is not affiliated with any high school program.

White Plains Explosion 12-Under 2006.

This allows every player a fair chance to compete no matter where they reside. This is not always the case for other tournament programs in the area. Tryouts for the three teams the organization will be sponsoring will be held August 25 and 26, 9 to 1 PM at Ridgeway Field on August 25 and 9 to 1 at Delfino Park, White Plains on Sunday, August 26.

The Panthers, founded by Ray Frederick in 2003, is a well run organization with a very solid reputation. In addition, over the years Ray and his staff have fielded very competitive teams at the 14u, 16u and 18u level. They have won their fair share of tournaments, have competed in the PONY Nationals and make it a point every year to attended college showcases. A number of players have gone on to play at the collegiate level for Division I and II teams, including Ray’s daughter Dena, who will be playing for Concordia College this upcoming season. As you come in contact with Ray and his staff we are confident you will come to share our great enthusiasm for this relationship.

Here is how the combined programs break down for next year:

18u – Head Coach - Ray Fredricks
16u – Head Coach - Cyndi Carneghi
14u – Head Coach - TBA

Our first step together will be to hold tryouts on August 25^th and 26^th. Time and place TBA early next week. All Team Explosion players from this past summer teams are invited to tryouts. Players that make a team must be willing to commit for the 2008 summer season at this time. Like past years, we will still have access to Frozen Ropes as well as structured winter workouts on the weekend.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to email either Ray (hrpanthers@aol.com) or Cyndi (socwrkr312@gmail.com).

In 2006 WPCNR interviewed Coach Ray Frederick and some of the players he helped coach to scholarships for 2007-2008. Here is a reprint of that interview.

Hudson River Panthers Founder and Head Coach: White Plains Ray "Make It Work" Frederick. Photo, WPCNR Sports

Taryn Lacolla of Poughkeepsie (third from left) and her parents, signing her "L of I" last night. She told WPCNR hit her way with the Panthers to a 4 year full ride at the University of Albany and says of Coach Frederick, “Ray saved my softball career. My confidence was shot. He gave me the best summer of my life, turned my swing around. He believed in me. He brought my best game out of me and taught me to never quit.” Photo, WPCNR Sports

Brijette Martin, in the Red Stony Brook jersey, with her mother and father. Brijette of Murray Bergtraum High in New York City, will be attending Stony Brook on a full four year softball scholarship. She played with the New Jersey Breakers 18-under Gold Team, credited Frozen Ropes Rob Crews with “taking me to that level in softball. He encouraged me to go that extra mile by building up my strength training, getting me to swing level. He’s great!” With Ms. Martin is her high school coach, Ed Diaz of Murray Bergtraum High. Photo, WPCNR Sports

Erica Koehler of New Ro -- signing up for Central Connecticut State last night with her parents and Coach Frederick looking on. Photo, WPCNR Sports.

Ms Koehler said Central Connecticut State got interested in her watching her play in Panther tournaments, which she alerted the CCS coach to come and see her. Of her Panther ball experience, she said, “I made a lot of friends. It’s highly competitive. Everybody is trying their best. It makes you a better player.”

Mr. Frederick founded the Panthers in 2004, said of the Travel Team Experience: “The toughest thing at the travel team level is trying to make sure all the girls are feeling good before the first game, if they’ve been well-rested and they're ready to play. It’s getting the girls prepared for those first three games of the day, probably the hardest thing. Once they get past that first and second inning, everything seems to go well.”

Frederick talked about the commitment Erica, Dena, and Taryn had to make to play the 18-Under Gold Circuit: “The Panthers practice ten months of the year. We keep it going. We work at Frozen Ropes during the winter Tuesdays and Thursdays. We give individual hitting to the players on Sunday mornings. We rent the armory in Peekskill during the winter, from 9 to 1 we’re up there for three months. At the high school season we stop. When it stops we pick up again. We practice on Sundays in the spring to get the girls back together in the spring prior to our summer season.”

Ray Frederick and his Panther Scholarship girls: L to R, Dena, Taryn LaColla and Erica Koehler. Photo WPCNR Sports.

Eight of Frederick’s eleven players that he had are signed for college scholarships: “I have Kristin Fiorio from Poughkeepsie, Katie Lynch from Briarcliff, Tara LaColla here, Erica Koehler, Dena, Samantha LaBella is now playing for Mercy College, Courtney Christie for Iona, I have a pitcher named Tanya Springer from Albany, signing for Mercy College also. My coaches are Mike Barone, Brian Lynch and I did have Juliana LaBella as pitching coach this last summer. That worked out well. It’s nice to have a woman in the dugout.

I asked Frederick the advantages of travel ball: “For the girls, it’s camaraderie. Meeting other players. traveling the East Coast. The experience of traveling, staying in hotels like the professionals do, and they eat together, and share special times in their life. It’s a lot of commitment, learning what it takes to play as a team, and managing your time well. The cons – I don’t think there’s any bad experiences in travel ball.”

The Guru.

Rob Crews, Frozen Ropes hitting guruz who works with the Panthers and the Explosion – swing coach for Maddy Coon (who is tearing up the PAC-10 for Stamford) and swing mentor to Brigette, Jillian, Erica, Taryn and Dena concurred with the players and Frederick on the value of travel ball:

“I believe that travel ball is most necessary. It’s definitely more competitive than high school. It puts them on a national platform most times and gets them in front of more college coaches.”

Note: Coaches/Players interested, the Hudson River Panthers/Explosion will hold tryouts for their14, 16, and 18 under Fastpitch Softball teams for the summer 2008 season at the following locations Saturday, August 25 at Ridgeway Elementary School Fields from 9:00AM to 1:00PM with 14-U going at 9:00AM to 11:00AM. Cross Streets for Ridgeway Elem. School are the Corner of Mamaroneck Ave, and Ridgeway Ave in White Plains. The School is on the southeast east corner. Parking available on the site. Sunday tryouts are at Delfino Park off Lake St in White Plains at the same times as above. The 14-U will go at the above scheduled times , and the 16-U/18-U will follow. Parking is available on site. Thanks, Ray Frederick. Please forward this to any player interested. Ray Frederick


Create an account		The White Plains Daily Internet Newspaper...Founded 2000 A.D....


			Designed and hosted by WestchesterInternet.com