Middleton's Extra Innings hosts Olympic, National Team softball players for training sessions
28-Jan-2012 Middleton —Jessica Mendoza and Ashley Charters had a lot to say about softball. After all, they’ve played a lot of softball in their lives.
Mendoza is a two-time U.S. Olympian, representing her country in Athens in 2004 and in Beijing in 2008 (softball was cut from the Olympics for this summer’s Games in London).
Charters is a member of the U.S. National Team. There are still Softball World Championships which Team USA can compete in, so she can be part of that event.
The two passed on their knowledge in a pair of sessions for girls between 6 and 18 (over two different sessions) at Extra Innings in Middleton on Jan. 22.
“We had 40 girls for each session. They did rotations of hitting, fielding and throwing stations,” said Dana D’Agostino, general manager of Extra Innings. “What Jessica and Ashley did basically was did a talk on hitting, bunting and slapping. They both got into the cage and hit for a demo of what they were talking about.”
D’Agostino and Extra Innings finalized the appearance back in December, knowing that the two athletes were going to be in Connecticut on Saturday for a softball convention at Mohegan Sun. D’Agostino took part in that, as well.
“We had a booth down there and were fortunate to work out a deal with Louisville Slugger to bring the athletes up here to Middleton for these clinics,” said D’Agostino. “[At the convention], Ashley taught some infield drills to coaches and Jessica taught some strength and conditioning and hitting.”
In the four-plus years that D’Agostino has been at Extra Innings, Mendoza is the first Olympian to make an appearance for either softball or baseball.
“That was the first one we did. The girls were awesome, the sessions went great and we’d absolutely love to have them back,” said D’Agostino.
The clinic drew softball players from all of the Tri-Towns, as well as Danvers, Peabody, Wakefield, Melrose and Watertown and all the way up to New Hampshire.
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Middleton's Extra Innings hosts Olympic, National Team softball players for training sessions
28-Jan-2012Middleton —Jessica Mendoza and Ashley Charters had a lot to say about softball. After all, they’ve played a lot of softball in their lives.
Mendoza is a two-time U.S. Olympian, representing her country in Athens in 2004 and in Beijing in 2008 (softball was cut from the Olympics for this summer’s Games in London).
Charters is a member of the U.S. National Team. There are still Softball World Championships which Team USA can compete in, so she can be part of that event.
The two passed on their knowledge in a pair of sessions for girls between 6 and 18 (over two different sessions) at Extra Innings in Middleton on Jan. 22.
“We had 40 girls for each session. They did rotations of hitting, fielding and throwing stations,” said Dana D’Agostino, general manager of Extra Innings. “What Jessica and Ashley did basically was did a talk on hitting, bunting and slapping. They both got into the cage and hit for a demo of what they were talking about.”
D’Agostino and Extra Innings finalized the appearance back in December, knowing that the two athletes were going to be in Connecticut on Saturday for a softball convention at Mohegan Sun. D’Agostino took part in that, as well.
“We had a booth down there and were fortunate to work out a deal with Louisville Slugger to bring the athletes up here to Middleton for these clinics,” said D’Agostino. “[At the convention], Ashley taught some infield drills to coaches and Jessica taught some strength and conditioning and hitting.”
In the four-plus years that D’Agostino has been at Extra Innings, Mendoza is the first Olympian to make an appearance for either softball or baseball.
“That was the first one we did. The girls were awesome, the sessions went great and we’d absolutely love to have them back,” said D’Agostino.
The clinic drew softball players from all of the Tri-Towns, as well as Danvers, Peabody, Wakefield, Melrose and Watertown and all the way up to New Hampshire.