Softball Newsletter Spring 2014

Softball News

SPRING / 2014

MESSAGE FROM THE ASSOCIATION

T

hough alumnae in some parts of the country might still be digging out of snow, spring is officially upon us! And so is the start of another very exciting season for our girls. Having survived a series of 6am practices and having returned from spring training in Florida, the girls are set to take on some big competition in the coming weeks. If you’ve been following them on Facebook or on Twitter, I’m sure you’ll agree they are coming together as a team, and are ready for the challenges ahead of them.

For our part, the alumni and association members are thrilled to announce the development of a formal Board for the Yale Softball Association. Please join me in welcoming Monica Lebron ’01, Laura Beckert ’03, and Jesseka Bartholomew ’03 to the team! As our Association matures, and we set our sights on increasing the robustness of our support for the program, we’ll be working together in areas of events, fundraising, communication, and mentoring. I’m hoping you’ll have an opportunity to interact with the directly in coming months – but in the interim, we’ll highlight each of them in coming newsletters starting with Monica Lebron.

It is wonderful to see the amount of growth and excitement surrounding the softball program both on and off the field. I ask that you con-

sider making a financial gift to the association this year in honor of the legacy as well as the future of Yale Softball.

Please know that all gifts to the Softball Association are credited to your personal giving total and for alumni/ae to your class giving total for your next reunion, so please consider designating the Softball Association as part of your reunion pledge. With one gift you can achieve two goals! You can make your gift online at giving.yale.edu. The new online website offers a recurring gift option which allows an individual to pledge a small amount every month and sets up automatic payments on your credit card for a larger and more efficient gift. You can also use the enclosed return envelope to mail a check.

Thanks in advance for your support!

Sincerely,

Kristen Gengaro ‘00 Association President

SAVE THE DATE: SATURDAY, APRIL 26, 2014 We hope to see you on Saturday April 26th at the Yale vs. Brown double header alumnae weekend! Last year, in conjuncƟon with honoring the 1993 Ivy League Championship team, we had a well-aƩended event – and we hope to replicate this year as well. We’ll have a tailgate for alumnae and guests and you will receive a formal event RSVP with more details!

SOFTBALL / SPRING, 2014

COACH’S CORNER Dear Alumnae and Friends, It has been an exciting year across the board here for Yale Softball!

We have received our first program endowment, we have started an Alumni Board of Directors, we are in the beginning stages of getting the Mentoring Program going, I have started a LinkedIn group, and we have continued to connect with our alumnae while we are on the road!

It seems the YSB alums are coming out of the woodwork when we are traveling, which is outstanding. First, Robyn Fiel ’83 met up with us at the University of South Florida, and it seems she was with us for the rest of the trip! She hosted the team for a delicious dinner at her home in Treasure Island, for the team and the parents. She not only fed close to 50 people, but she told us some fun HEAD COACH JEN GOODWIN YSB stories from her time at Yale, connect with some of our players, but she also had some great suggestions of places to eat – which everyone knows our team loves to do! One of the local favorite places is a breakfast spot, Lenny’s. We walked in the door and felt like we had the red carpet treatment right away due to Robyn’s connections. There was a “balloon guy” (we asked his name and he said to call him balloon guy!) who had the idea to make hats for every team member, and then connect them all together. Needless to say, our players had a blast with it! I really felt like when we left for our spring break trip, we were a pretty connected group, but upon our return, we were a cohesive unit.

Our senior parents have also started what I hope will become a new tradition, which was a team & parents dinner at the hotel. It gave our team some time to relax, visit with family and their teammates’ families, and it also allows us to spend some time with our team off the field. So much of our job is on the field, working on defensive sets, adjusting our swings, writing lineups, and “working” with our players. It is so nice to have some down time outside of those parameters, and we are so thankful to have such a supportive parent group.

If you are ever planning to come out to a game, please let me know you are there so I can say hello. We had a few show up to our Harvard games last year, and we were hoping to see some at our Penn games last weekend but the schedule changes didn’t allow for that to happen. We do hope to see many of you at the 35th Anniversary Weekend on Saturday, April 26th against Brown. This is also our Senior Day, so we should have a good crowd on hand.

As we continue to move forward and build our relationship with our Association, if you ever have suggestions or ideas for events, gatherings, etc., please reach out to me directly. It is my job to steer this program back to the top of the Ivy League, and your support on and off the field is what will make this journey a memorable one.

We appreciate all that you do, and I’m looking forward to continuing to build a bridge between you all and our current team. There is a small percentage of people in the world who can say they played softball at Yale – and I want that connection to last a lifetime and span generations!

Hope to see you this spring, Jen

2.

SOFTBALL / SPRING, 2014

SPOTLIGHT ON MONICA LEBRON ‘01 What have you been up to since you’ve graduated?

My ultimate goal is to be a Division I athletics director and I have been working towards that goal since the day I stepped foot on campus at Yale. Upon graduation, I attended Ohio University to receive my MBA and a Master’s in Sports Administration. I have also worked at Stanford University, the University of Florida, and UC Berkeley (CAL) all in an athletics fundraising capacity. I also spent a year working at the NCAA. I am currently the Assistant Athletics Director for Development at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss).

Tell us about your connection to the softball program: The softball program became my family instantaneously upon my arrival to New Haven. Being 3,000 miles from my home in San Jose, CA was made a little easier knowing I had my teammates to rely on for guidance and advice. There are too many special moments to recount, but what I miss the most is the team bonding that occurred through events like bus trips and 6 a.m. practices and airport card games on the way to Florida. My teammates were always there for me and regardless of where we all live they will always have a special place in my heart.

What are you most excited about as you join the Board?

Living away from the northeast and working in college athletics myself, it is tough to get back to New Haven, especially during softball season. I am excited to serve on the Board as I am hopeful it will strengthen my connection to the Yale Softball program while bringing me that much closer to my teammates serving on the Board with me.

3.

2014 REMAINING SPRING SCHEDULE

Wed, 04/09/2014

Harƞord

3:00 PM EDT

Harƞord

5:00 PM EDT

Sat, 04/12/2014

Dartmouth

12:30 PM EDT

@ Dartmouth

2:30 PM

Sun, 04/13/2014

Dartmouth

12:30 PM EDT

@ Dartmouth

2:30 PM

Wed, 04/16/2014

at Sacred Heart

3:00 PM EDT

@ Sacred Heart

5:00 PM EDT

Sat, 04/19/2014

Harvard

12:30 PM EDT

Harvard

2:30 PM EDT

Sun, 04/20/2014

Harvard

12:30 PM EDT

Harvard

2:30 PM EDT

Wed, 04/23/2014

Rhode Island

3:00 PM EDT

@ Rhode Island

5:00 PM EDT

Fri, 04/25/2014

Brown

12:30 PM EDT

@ Brown

2:30 PM EDT

Sat, 04/26/2014

Brown

12:30 PM EDT

Brown

2:30 PM EDT

YALE ATHLETICS COMPLIANCE CORNER As a supporter of Yale athle cs, you may employ current Yale student-athletes provided: • The student-athlete is paid the going rate for similar experience; • The student-athlete is compensated for work actually performed; and • The student-athlete does not receive any preferen al treatment due to his/her status as a Yale student-athlete.

Please contact the Yale Compliance Office (203.436.8309) if you have any ques ons or concerns.

Can I pick up a student-athlete and bring him/her to work each day?

You may give a student-athlete a ride to or from work only if you provide the same ride to every employee in the same posi on. It is not permissible to provide special treatment to a student-athlete.

The student-athlete I employ played a great game this week, can I take him/ her out to lunch to celebrate?

No. You may not provide a complimentary meal to a student-athlete because of his/her status as a student-athlete. Unless the same benefit is extended to all employees under similar circumstances, you cannot take the student-athlete out for lunch.

The student-athlete’s team is doing really well this year and ge ng a lot of posi ve publicity. I have a big promo on coming up to sell one of my products. Can I create an adver sement, in print and/or on the radio, emphasizing that Yale student-athletes use and recommend my product? Can I use their names, pictures, or likenesses?

It is not permissible for student-athletes to par cipate in any promo onal ac vi es on behalf of a commercial en ty. You cannot use a student-athlete’s picture to promote a commercial product. Therefore, student-athletes may not be used to promote your product because of their status or success.

I am sponsoring a fundraiser at my restaurant for cancer research. When someone purchases a meal, all of the proceeds go toward cancer research.

On the day of the event, can the student-athlete that works for me wear his/ her Yale uniform and invite teammates to work as part of the fes vi es?

They are very recognizable and I want as many people to donate me and money to this cause as possible.

No. Student-Athletes may not par cipate in any promo onal ac vi es for a commercial enterprise, even if it is for charitable purposes. The employee’s status as an Yale student-athlete cannot be used to promote this event, even though it is for a charitable cause.