ON THE FIELD OR OFF, DE LA CERDA IS A WINNER.Byline: VINCENT VINCENT Vital Information Necessary Centralized (movie, The Black Hole) BONSIGNORE Amanda De La Cerda saw it in the eyes of the people she helped in Tijuana earlier this month, eyes that sparkled with appreciation as De La Cerda, a talented 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' pitcher at Notre Dame Notre Dame IPA: [nɔtʁ dam] is French for Our Lady, referring to the Virgin Mary. In the United States of America, Notre Dame High of Sherman Oaks, worked alongside them to restore the town school. If they only knew it was De La Cerda who felt like the fortunate one. She heard it in their voices, so full of thanks as together they mixed and laid cement and dug trenches. How could they know it was De La Cerda who was most thankful? It was the way the small children chased down the bus transporting De La Cerda back home, hoping somehow to persuade her to stay longer. The children didn't realize how difficult it was for De La Cerda to say goodbye, too. De La Cerda, along with a handful of schoolmates, went to Tijuana as part of Notre Dame's Los Ninos project. For three days the students donated their time, sweat and effort to help a poor town get back on its feet. It was tough, hard work, often without conveniences U.S. residents take for granted. But what they got in return was more rewarding than any paycheck. De La Cerda and her friends got the precious gift of perspective. ``They felt like they were the lucky ones because we were there, but we were the lucky ones,'' De La Cerda said Saturday at the Daily News Victory Spring Classic softball tournament. De La Cerda and the Knights won their two pool games Saturday to move into next Saturday's semifinals against Crescenta Valley The Crescenta Valley is a small inland valley in Los Angeles County, California. Its name derives from its crescent-like shape, with the convex portion facing roughly northeast and the concave portion southwest. . Notre Dame (8-3) beat San Fernando San Fernando, city, Argentina San Fernando (săn fərnăn`dō), city (1991 pop. 144,761), Buenos Aires prov., E Argentina. It is a district administrative center in the Greater Buenos Aires area. 7-0 and El Camino Real El Camino Real (Spanish for The Royal Road or The King's Highway) was the name of a series of pre-automobile highways linking the various New World colonies of Spain:
streak, run - an unbroken series of events; "had a streak of bad luck"; "Nicklaus had a run of birdies" to six games. ``It was a great day,'' De La Cerda said. If there is such a thing as good karma, De La Cerda is rolling around in it right now and, as a result, so too are the Knights. It wasn't just what De La Cerda gave in Mexico that made the trip so special, it was what she gave up. When De La Cerda was chosen to go, it meant missing Notre Dame's first two games of the season, forcing her to choose between doing what was right for the team and just doing what was right. ``I was torn,'' she said. It helped that De La Cerda had the support of Knights coach Cindy Kramer, who stresses to players that family, church and school always come before softball. ``She made me stand by my philosophy,'' Kramer said. ``It was about community service and who you are as a person and what you're going to do with your life.'' In the short run, the Knights lost both games De La Cerda missed. In the long run, they got back a more mature player. ``I see all sides now,'' De La Cerda said. ``I live in California, I live in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. , I live in a nice neighborhood and I go to Notre Dame. And then I go to Mexico and I see how other people live and it's amazing a·maze v. a·mazed, a·maz·ing, a·maz·es v.tr. 1. To affect with great wonder; astonish. See Synonyms at surprise. 2. Obsolete To bewilder; perplex. v.intr. to me. I have so much respect for those people because they are so happy with what they have, and you see so many people (here) who are not happy, yet they have so much.'' De La Cerda's only loss since returning from Mexico came against Louisville of Woodland Hills, but after winning six in a row that seems like a long time ago. The Knights are soaring behind their stingy stin·gy adj. stin·gi·er, stin·gi·est 1. Giving or spending reluctantly. 2. Scanty or meager: a stingy meal; stingy with details about the past. pitcher, an airtight air·tight adj. 1. Impermeable by air. 2. Having no weak points; sound: an airtight excuse. airtight Adjective 1. defense and an opportunistic offense that shows a knack for coming up with the clutch hit. It's all a bit of a surprise. With just three regular senior starters and a bunch of unknown underclassmen, Notre Dame wasn't regarded as one of the region's elite teams. That all changed Saturday, especially after beating El Camino Real, a region power. De La Cerda did her part, as did her defense, which consistently makes plays behind her. ``I just needed to keep the ball down, I knew my defense would play for me,'' De La Cerda said. ``I have so much confidence in them and it makes my job easier knowing they'll come up with the plays.'' It goes both ways, 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. Kramer. ``They respect (De La Cerda) so much they go out and do whatever it takes,'' Kramer said. ``She's a great person, she really cares about her teammates, as a person. It's not just about who's on the field. She cares about them as people.'' A small town in Tijuana can attest to that. |
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