Training in Xishuangbanna

Team TFS International trained with the Chinese National Team's coach.  Coach Bastian calls him " Gunner".  Gunner worked with Coach Bastian when he coached the 2008 Chinese Olympic team.  Gunner ( I am not using his true name to protect him) did not want any of the Chinese to know that he was helping the Americans because he could loose his job.  He is an excellent coach and the girls learned a tremendous amount from him especially about increasing their speed.  "Quedar" means fast.

The girls started the day with a morning workout of 30 minutes of running and stretching before breakfast.  Then they trained from 9am to 12, had lunch and a break in the heat of the day, which in China is nap time.  Then back to training from 4pm to 7pm, dinner and then sometimes back to training until it's too dark to see.  They spent one session at the weight room on a rainy day.

Here is a link I found about the Sports Competition and Training base we stayed at in Xishuangbanna.

Second half of China trip

Team TFS International traveled to Xishuangbanna in the southwestern part of China.  The weather is warm and tropical.  The area was beautiful and the people very friendly.  These are panoramic photos that were taken from the baseball tower.

The complex that we stayed at is called Xishuangbanna Nanjing New City Sports Competition and Training Base in Yunnan, China.

We stayed in a villa and had access to a weight room and had a softball field all prepared for us.  The Chinese National Softball Team comes here to train.  They are trying to encourage more teams to come and train here in this beautiful paradise.

More Photos of Chinese Pro Games

In Chinese Softball game you bow to the opposing team and bow to the umpire to show respect and honor.

Alicia at bat

This team was the Tianjin team.  This is the only game we won.

This team is GuangDong and said to be the most difficult team.  Their coach " Coach Wendy" did not like our coaches.

Visit to 2008 Beijing Olympic Softball Staduim

This is what the 2008 Olympic Softball Stadium looks like now, after only four years.  It was really sad to see.  They are turning it into a baseball field because we were told softball is not as popular.

This is TFS International on the infield ground of the stadium.  We even took our positions and pretended we were playing there.

This is a picture of the dugout, where the construction workers have made their homes while they are working on changing this peace of history into a baseball field.

This is the inside of the dugout and example of what the construction worker's homes look like.  Many of the workers travel from outside of Beijing to work in Beijing because they are so poor in their area.

Can we ever get softball back as an Olympic sport.  I brought the donated softball equipment with me and have made two contacts in China that will help get it to young children that want to play.

Games in Beijing China

The first picture is of TFS International Softball team with the Beijing Pro Team.  They were our first game.  Their pitcher was a 34 yr old former Olympic player.  There are only about nine pro softball teams in China and the National team picks the best players from those nine teams.  Some teams have more players on them than others.

This photo is of Alicia warming up with her Chinese teammate whom is 23 yr. old and attends a University in Beijing.  This field was artifical tuff and the balls slid very quickly across the field.

Returned from China.. So much to tell

Alicia just returned from Beijing, China on August 17th, where she played and trained on the TFS International Softball team.  This photo is of their first day of practice on August 1st.  The team was made up of American girls and Chinese girls.  Communication was a big part of learning to play together.  They stayed at the Muxiyuan Sports Technology School for most of the trip.  That is a Chinese sports school that families give their children over to the sport and the child stays and trains there.

On August 3rd and 4th the TFS International team played two games each day against Pro Chinese teams that came from different parts of China.  The Beijing team had a former Olympic pitcher that was 34 years old on the team.  The Chinese National Team is made up of the best players from the Pro teams.

More information and pictures in Upcoming posts.