NO HOLDING BACK; COX, SLATON SPREAD THEIR TALENTS AROUND.Byline: Chris Cocoles Daily News Staff Writer Softball softball, variant of baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Invented (1888) in Chicago as an indoor game, it was at various times called indoor baseball, mush ball, playground ball, kitten ball, and, because it was also played by women, ladies' coaches have advised Jodie Cox and Amber Slaton, two of the area's top prep athletes, to devote all their time to softball. They haven't. The Quartz Hill High School Quartz Hill High School is a public, co-educational high school located in Lancaster, California. Founded in 1964, it is the third oldest comprehensive high school in the Antelope Valley High School District (AVHSD). teammates have too much fun playing volleyball volleyball, outdoor or indoor ball and net game played on a level court. An upright net, 3 ft (or 1 m) high, the top of which stands 8 ft (2.43 m) from the ground for men, 7 ft 4 1/8 in (2. for the Rebels. For now, softball is limited to weekend tournaments with their travel teams. Even with the beginning of Golden League play, volleyball coach Twyla Thomas doesn't mind that softball takes away the weekends for Cox, a junior setter setter: see sporting dog. setter Any of three breeds derived from a medieval hunting dog that would set (lie down) when it found birds so that it and the birds could be covered with a net. Setters have long hair on the ears, chest, legs, and tail. , and Slaton, a senior defensive specialist. ``I know softball is their bread-and-butter sport. I love watching their (softball games) in the spring and seeing them work as hard as they do,'' Thomas said. ``Even though this is not their No. 1 interest, they are here because they want to be here.'' Cox is playing softball with Flash D Gold and Slaton with the Central California Central California can refer to one of several divisions or regions of the U.S state of California:
``I'm playing softball maybe every other weekend. I like it. I get to enjoy the best of both sports,'' said Slaton, who plays shortstop for the Rebels softball team. Cox, a left-handed pitcher, maintains a frantic schedule, adding soccer to her list of athletic endeavors. ``I'm so competitive. Anything I do I'll give 110 percent,'' Cox said. ``I've had some coaches tell me I need to stay strictly with softball, but I want to play both soccer and volleyball through my senior season. (Quartz Hill softball coach Coy Ray) supports us playing other sports.'' Cox has played volleyball with the Rebels since her freshman season, earning the starting varsity setting job as a sophomore in 1996. But Slaton, whose volleyball experience was limited to her eighth-grade team at Piute Junior High, focused on softball only her first two seasons before trying out for the volleyball team in the summer prior to her junior year. ``Amber really didn't have many volleyball skills. But the first couple days of tryouts she knew where she had to be on the court,'' Thomas said. ``I saw the athlete in her. An athlete is an athlete no matter what sport you play.'' The lack of experience still affected Slaton early last year. ``Her first match she was scared to death. But as the preseason went on she played more and more. She didn't make a lot of mistakes,'' Thomas said. By the Golden League opener, Slaton was a starter. ``I was expecting a lot of myself. I was nervous, and I struggled with little things like passing the ball and moving around the court,'' Slaton said. ``They were things that everyone else took for granted.'' Cox learned the fine points of setting in a trial-by-error situation, starting as a sophomore on a senior-dominated 1996 team. ``I thought (my teammates) got on me pretty hard. But I felt like I needed to get the ball to them,'' Cox said. ``Sometimes I would double hit the ball and I couldn't set to the right places. . . . There's a lot to setting. It takes so much practice.'' Slaton regrets passing up volleyball her first two years - ``There's so much more I could have learned,'' she said. She squeezes everything out of it now, including the release from the pressure of softball, which she plans on continuing next season on the collegiate col·le·giate adj. 1. Of, relating to, or held to resemble a college. 2. Of, for, or typical of college students. 3. Of or relating to a collegiate church. level. ``I'm playing volleyball for fun,'' said Slaton, the niece NIECE, domestic relations: The daughter of a person's brother or sister. Amb. 514; 1 Jacob's Ch. R. 207. of former major-league pitcher Jim Slaton tr.v. frus·trat·ed, frus·trat·ing, frus·trates 1. a. To prevent from accomplishing a purpose or fulfilling a desire; thwart: in softball. I take it much more seriously.'' The latter statement is deceiving once Slaton and Cox take to the volleyball court, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Thomas. ``Both of them have a winning attitude,'' Thomas said. ``They can be really frustrated when things are going against us. They want to succeed in this sport, not just as individuals but as a team.'' CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Amber Slaton, left, and Jodie Cox of Quartz Hill High are softball players first but also enjoy playing on the Rebels volleyball team. Gene Blevins / Special to the Daily News |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion