Team Captain Lanny Fisher Challenges His
Teammates for 2009 Season
Teammates for 2009 Season
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South Bend, IN 11/24/08
by Lanny Fisher
I have been thinking a lot since the banquet.
The 2008 season is over. It ended with the banquet. And even though it
seems like the off season, in reality the 2009 season has already begun. The
teams that will succeed in 2009 are doing what needs to be done, right now,
to have a successful season. We want to make strides and get to a level
where we have a dominate team. And make no mistake about it, we will have a dominate team in 2009.
People will not want to play us.
A good team begins with good players. It takes talent to win. With the addition of Kalei, and now Hersh and
Jay, we have added a tremendous amount of talent to this team. Not only are all three talented players, but
they each address a specific need for Street Kids. TJ has been extremely aggressive in pursuing players who
have the specific skill sets we need for the holes we had last year. And we are not done adding talent yet.
Anyone who has played softball for any significant amount of time knows that talent is just one piece of the
puzzle. Talent alone does not win. There has to be more. I am very excited about the shape the 2009 Street
Kids team is taking, and I would like to take a moment and address a few things.
During and after the banquet I got a chance to talk to everyone about last year and our new direction. One
person in particular was very frank with me and said he didn't like how I made the lineup because he thought
he should have been playing when he was not. He went on to say that he was personally offended by my
decision. What is interesting is that anybody else making the lineup would have made the same decision
(except him). But he took it personally and felt like I had a grudge against him.
And that brings me to 2009. TJ has given me the duty of creating a lineup for our team when we compete in
tournaments. Everyone should know that I will be putting the best lineup on the field for the situation we are
in. There are no clicks on this team. No one is guaranteed to play a certain position or bat in a certain spot.
Our lineup will be a fluid thing which is subject to change as needed. Last year I let player's feelings influence
our lineup and I can think of one time where it really hurt us in a big tournament. This year that will not
happen. If you have a problem with the lineup you can pout and hate me, that's fine, I have enough friends
already, I don't need anymore. Or you can come talk to me about it and start playing better. I would rather
have someone mad at me, while they are sitting on the bench, instead of being happy with me while they are
out there killing our team. Tournaments are a business trip for us. We are spending the time, energy, and
money to accomplish something. And this year our lineup will give us the best chance to do this, regardless of
an individual's feelings.
The point I am trying to make is that our team, and this organization for that matter is way bigger than any
individual player. People need to take stock of that and start thinking in those terms. Every team offers
something to its players. And too often players focus on what a team can do for them. What are they
offering? Where will I play? Where will I bat? Will I be able to swing away? Street Kids 2009 is going to be
about what the player can do to help the team succeed. And that is why 2009 starts right now. Personally I
have already started to work out. I know that as I get older I need to work out harder to get myself in shape
to compete for the long season. And as I work out I think about what I can do to make our team better next
year. What can I do to help Street Kids win?
I challenge everybody who is part of our team to think in those terms. We will have a very different team in
2009. A team that is being put together to dominate. I have been lucky enough to play on dominating teams
in the past and I can tell everyone that being a part of something like that is very special. The memories last a
lifetime. But the only way that is going to happen is if everyone checks their ego at the door and does
whatever this team asks you to do to help it win. It may not be what you are used to, or what you may think
you should be doing. But ask yourself, if we are dominating and winning everything does it really matter?
2009 has started. Ask yourself what you can do to help our team succeed.
by Lanny Fisher
I have been thinking a lot since the banquet.
The 2008 season is over. It ended with the banquet. And even though it
seems like the off season, in reality the 2009 season has already begun. The
teams that will succeed in 2009 are doing what needs to be done, right now,
to have a successful season. We want to make strides and get to a level
where we have a dominate team. And make no mistake about it, we will have a dominate team in 2009.
People will not want to play us.
A good team begins with good players. It takes talent to win. With the addition of Kalei, and now Hersh and
Jay, we have added a tremendous amount of talent to this team. Not only are all three talented players, but
they each address a specific need for Street Kids. TJ has been extremely aggressive in pursuing players who
have the specific skill sets we need for the holes we had last year. And we are not done adding talent yet.
Anyone who has played softball for any significant amount of time knows that talent is just one piece of the
puzzle. Talent alone does not win. There has to be more. I am very excited about the shape the 2009 Street
Kids team is taking, and I would like to take a moment and address a few things.
During and after the banquet I got a chance to talk to everyone about last year and our new direction. One
person in particular was very frank with me and said he didn't like how I made the lineup because he thought
he should have been playing when he was not. He went on to say that he was personally offended by my
decision. What is interesting is that anybody else making the lineup would have made the same decision
(except him). But he took it personally and felt like I had a grudge against him.
And that brings me to 2009. TJ has given me the duty of creating a lineup for our team when we compete in
tournaments. Everyone should know that I will be putting the best lineup on the field for the situation we are
in. There are no clicks on this team. No one is guaranteed to play a certain position or bat in a certain spot.
Our lineup will be a fluid thing which is subject to change as needed. Last year I let player's feelings influence
our lineup and I can think of one time where it really hurt us in a big tournament. This year that will not
happen. If you have a problem with the lineup you can pout and hate me, that's fine, I have enough friends
already, I don't need anymore. Or you can come talk to me about it and start playing better. I would rather
have someone mad at me, while they are sitting on the bench, instead of being happy with me while they are
out there killing our team. Tournaments are a business trip for us. We are spending the time, energy, and
money to accomplish something. And this year our lineup will give us the best chance to do this, regardless of
an individual's feelings.
The point I am trying to make is that our team, and this organization for that matter is way bigger than any
individual player. People need to take stock of that and start thinking in those terms. Every team offers
something to its players. And too often players focus on what a team can do for them. What are they
offering? Where will I play? Where will I bat? Will I be able to swing away? Street Kids 2009 is going to be
about what the player can do to help the team succeed. And that is why 2009 starts right now. Personally I
have already started to work out. I know that as I get older I need to work out harder to get myself in shape
to compete for the long season. And as I work out I think about what I can do to make our team better next
year. What can I do to help Street Kids win?
I challenge everybody who is part of our team to think in those terms. We will have a very different team in
2009. A team that is being put together to dominate. I have been lucky enough to play on dominating teams
in the past and I can tell everyone that being a part of something like that is very special. The memories last a
lifetime. But the only way that is going to happen is if everyone checks their ego at the door and does
whatever this team asks you to do to help it win. It may not be what you are used to, or what you may think
you should be doing. But ask yourself, if we are dominating and winning everything does it really matter?
2009 has started. Ask yourself what you can do to help our team succeed.