December 13, 2007

SALINAS, Calif. - Cal State Monterey Bay softball coach #Andrea Kenney# was at La Paz Middle School in Salinas on Wednesday, Dec. 12, talking about her job, college athletics and softball. “And I have a masters degree in Kinesiology. Who knows what that is?” she asked the crowd.

More than 50 children sat on the blacktop in front of and kept their hands down, but one brave boy meekly replied, “running?”

“My whole team has a masters degree in running,” Kenney replied, as her team chuckled behind her. “No, it's the study of muscles and movement.”

The CSUMB softball team put on a clinic of muscles in movement in regards to softball, teaching the seventh and eighth graders the basics of the game: catching, hitting, fielding and running. More importantly, the coach and athletes emphasized the importance of getting an education, even if it meant having to work hard for it.

Assistant coach Lindsay Schutzler, who was an All-American at the University of Tennessee, talked about how her hard work resulted in a free education and exposure on ESPN. “I always wanted to be on ESPN and because I worked hard at this game, I was able to do it,” she said. “But it wasn't easy, and I hard to study hard in school, too.”

#Alixis Villarin# went to school in Salinas and said it was a fun day. “I work with a local fast pitch travel team in Salinas as well, so it's pretty fun to come out here with the younger kids and teach them about softball,” she said.

More than 100 students met with the team. Coach Kenney started off with an introduction of the players and then introduced the game. A few students were picked out to practice with the women, fielding grounders or slap hitting. Salinas Union High School Athletic Director Jean Ashen watched from a distance. 

“It's great that some of these girls are from Salinas,” said Ashen. “It's great for these kids to see these role models – girls who came out of the same Salinas school system that they are in. And it's nice to see CSUMB reaching out to the community. I'd love to see more of it from all the local colleges.”

Schutzler said events like this one are needed to get the word out about CSUMB athletics. She said she didn't even know there was a softball team at CSUMB until recently. “It always helps to go out talk to people, give them a personal reason to come to the softball game,” she said.