Brase Sports Update 10/17-10/18

Hello,

What a crazy weekend. We'll start with Nick's soccer.
Man, it was HOT on Saturday. So the Blue Bombers were playing the Lava Balls (pretty good name for an optic orange team). The Lava Balls had only 6 players which sucks since we have 8. Anyway, this was a very good team. First team I have seen pass the ball and play together. The Lava Balls scored within the first 2 minutes of the game. I'll be nice, we um had the wrong kid at goalie. We'll just leave it at that. I would say the ball stayed on our side of the field 75% of the time. We had maybe 2 players that ran the whole time. One of them being Nicholas. We had players standing around, falling on the ground, and totally lost. The Lava Balls went up 3-0 before we scored our first and only goal. The Lava Balls were well coached and had our number. I will say, Nicholas played his heart out. I'm not just saying that because he's my boy. There was a point in the game where I wanted him to do more, but when it was over, I had a new hero. No more Merriman, Gwynn, LT, Cammy, and Humphries. After the game, an exhausted and limping Nicholas walked over to the team huddle. I walked over to him and asked him if he was ok. No response. I kneeled down and gave him a hug and he fell into my arms sobbing. What a moment. Where do these little guys get that kind of fight and heart ? Pretty special stuff.
Ok, now onto Softball. The Kylie update.
Kylie has been having pitching shoulder issues. So, we finally got her in for physical therapy. Overuse is the culprit. She has been pitching since she was 5 years old ! So, she is shutting down softball for at least 1 month. We hope, but are not rushing her back, that she will be ready to pitch around Thanksgiving. We'll see. Kylie is another super tough, play through the pain, athlete. Which I admire, but would really like her to speak up so it doesn't get worse. So, that's where we are right now. Crazy stuff !
Nick has his first Flag Football game Saturday. Should be a lot of fun !

Brase Sports Update 10/3 - 10/4

Hi Everyone, (click on pictures to enlarge)

Now we are getting busy !! Saturday was a very busy day.
Nick started the day with some Flag Football Evaluations. He did good. Nervous, but he had fun and did well.
Nick had a soccer game at 11am. It was the Blue Bombers vs the Fireballs. The Blue Bombers came out very aggressive (as usual). The ball stayed in front of the Fireballs goal probably 90% of the time. Nick was his old self being very aggressive and playing hard. Anyways, the Blue Bombers dominated the Fireballs and won 4-0. The Blue Bombers remain undefeated, 4-0.

Sunday was for softball. Mystic travelled up to Santa Ana for a 3 game friendly. First up was Rancho Mirage. Pretty big team. Mostly '95 birthdays. Mystic is all '96. Anyway, Mystic was a little rusty all around. Kylie played RF the whole game and did get a hit. They did pull this one out, 5-0.

Next up was the Outlaws '96. The Outlaws had a lefty pitcher that threw very slow and had movement. Mystic did get a couple of runs, but ended up losing it in the last inning with 2 outs. Definitely a team we should have clobbered. Kylie played RF the whole game and grounded out twice.

Last game was against OC Frenzy '96. Kylie pitched in this one. She had shut down her pitching for 2 weeks due to arm fatigue. She did very well. Threw hard and threw well. She threw only 32 pitches in three innings. She ended up going 4 innings. She gave up 2 hits and 1 run. Mystic could not get it going with the bats. Mystic lost in the last inning again on a throwing error. It was an interesting Sunday. We still have a ways to go. But, we have about 4 months to get it together. We'll be fine. See you next time !

Brase Sports Update 8/26, 8/29 - 8/31

Hello Everyone,

We'll start with Nick's Basketball game on Wednesday 8/26: The Raptors vs. The Bulls. Nick (raptors) had a solid game. But, the Bulls came to play and pretty much pounded the Raptors. Nick left it all on the court. He played very hard, running up and down the court and tried to be a big team player by passing to his teammates. He'd steal the ball and rocket down the court, but he would usually lose the ball. Once he learns to control the ball he's going to be a monster. It was a little frustrating because the coaches son was on the wimpy side and would rather sleep than play. Hit the road youngster !!!
Saturday 8/29: Nick had his final basketball game. Once again, he played his heart out. But, just like the game on Wednesday, the outcome was the same. Including the coaches son !! At least the team had fun at their party !
Sunday 8/30: Mystic had their final tryout. Pretty good turn out. We ended up picking up a pitcher, shortstop, third base, and a catcher. We actually have too many players at this point. I'm talking to the main coach right now about trimming it down. So, we'll see. Kylie will be one of the 3 pitchers. She also plays a fantastic Right Field. First practice is tomorrow.
Monday 8/31: Nick's soccer team (Bolts or Blue Bombers, haven't decided yet), played a practice game against the Raging Tornadoes. Man, that was fun !! Let's just say Nick should have a very fun season ! Mega Motor !! The team has a few things to tighten up on and then they are going to be good ! Anyway, see ya next time !

Brase Sports Update 8/19, 23, 24

Hello Everyone,

Pretty good weekend for Brase Sports. We'll start with Wednesday 8/19: Nick had a basketball game. Raptors vs. Lakers. We had about a 20 minute delay because, both teams had only had a few players. So, by the time we got started, Nick was in a full sweat ! Once he gets to any of his games his motor is on ! This was a great game. Raptors were down 9-0 with about 6 minutes until half. Then the team got it together. Defense and offense came together ! 11-10 was the halftime score ! Nick played his butt off. Up and down the court. Lots of defense, stealing the ball, flying down the court (usually would lose the ball at the other end, feet are faster than his dribbling right now). Nick did have a HUGE juke against this kid on the other team. Nick faked left and went right and the other kid fell over ! That made my week ! Anyway, after one of our players made a basket for the the other team, the Raptors ran out of gas. Raptors 13 Lakers 17.
Saturday 8/22: Raptors vs. Celtics. This was a very physical game. Lots of players getting knocked around. The Celtics had a players that was very good but, played a little dirty. I believe there is a difference between dirty and aggressive and he was more on the dirty side. He did eventually foul out too. The Raptors played hard again. Nick showed his speed and his crazy "motor". One of the better games for the Raptors. I'm not even sure what the final was but, we did get to see Nick's Grandpa dunk on the 7.5' high basket. I actually have the pictures to prove it ! Anyway, Nick has 2 games left starting Wednesday.
Nick's soccer team is getting ready for the upcoming season. He should have a great year. Can't wait to see him match up with those older and bigger boys. Should be a collision course ! The are still deciding on a team name. We chose a powder blue for a color. Hmmm, how about "Bolts" oh yeah !!
Sunday 8/23: The defending 2009 Western National Champion Mystic had their fall tryouts. After winning the championship, it turned everything upside down ! Rumors all over the place ! Big name players coming and players leaving ! It was crazy. The Mystic team is staying together and adding 4 new spots. We had 25 girls come out for 4 spots ! They could have made 2 competitive teams out of the girls that showed up. They were all quality players. So, it will be interesting to see how it comes out !
Whew ! That's a lot of info. Anyway, I'll blog again next week !! See ya !

Brase Sports Update 8/15

Hello Everyone !

One game to report on today ! Nick had a basketball game this morning. It was the Raptors vs. the Bulls. Nick's team is the Raptors. The game was a little frustrating the first half. Lots of zone defense. At this level, zone defense makes the aggressive players fall asleep ! Especially, the Dads of aggressive players !! Anyway, the second half was much better to watch. Nick was up and down the court. Still a little confused on what to do, but played super hard again. He did score late in the game. There were 2 cool situations in the second half, they played man to man, which was awesome seeing Nick fly all over the place. That kid is super fast ! Then with 2 seconds on the clock ....... Nick drained one !! YES !! A big 4 points on the day ! That was pretty cool. The coaches really like like him because he listens and has such desire to play. So, it was a good morning ! See ya later !

Welcome Back !! Brase Sports Update

Hello Everyone !

Been super busy !! I'll give a quick update for the past 2 weeks. Well, Kylie's Softball team, Mystic, became the 2009 Western National Champions !! Unbelievable ! The team was incredible !! They went 9-1. In those games they scored 70 runs and only gave up 13 against. Kylie had a fantastic tournament. Pitching her heart out and hitting too. It was awesome !! We also qualified for next years National Championship already ! They call it the "Big Show " ! The team has been on a 3 week break. Mystic will start back up in September.

Nick has been busy with soccer and basketball !! He once again shows he is quite an athlete !! He never tires and always gives 100%. A focused Warrior !! Anyway, I'll be keeping up with the blog again !! Thanks !!

Steve

Brase Sports Update 5/23 - 5/24

Hello Everyone,

Well, it was the BIG weekend for State Championship softball. The draw was on 5/19. We ended up pulling Kylie's old team, Legacy. I know that I was very excited as was Kylie. The chance to show what they never gave her the chance to do. Very cool.
Saturday: The game started at 11am. Mystic came out in a fury. Crushing the ball off of Legacy's pitcher. Kylie pitched well. She gave up a few hits here and there. I will give Legacy some credit, they can bomb. Kylie did very well at the plate also. 2 AB's, 1 hit, scored once, and hit a run in. Anyway, the score was 5-1 Mystic in the 4th inning. Very nerve racking. I had to walk away from the game I was so nervous. So, I walk away for about 15 minutes and come back. I am then told the score is 5-4 !!! What the ??!! What a mess. Mystic commits 4 straight errors combined with 2 hits makes the score 7-5 Legacy at the end of 4 innings. Nightmare time ! Mystic tried to come back, but it wasn't going to happen. 7 - 5 Legacy as time expires. A crushing defeat. Kylie played very hard and played well. I was a hard loss for her. It was nice to see 3 of the Legacy coaches hug and tell Kylie how good she did. Very cool and lots of class. The Manager of Legacy was a different story. Not a word to her and showed what an incredible Jackass he is. Have to admit, our coach is in a little over his head. But, it was there for the taking.
Sunday: Our second game was against Corona Express. A very good team. This was a another very good game. Mystic's defense was really good. Very solid. Kylie played RF. She played very well again. She also got moved up to bat 5th and came through with a 3/3 game. The score was 1-1 late in the game. We had girls that bombed in the first game go hitless in this game. That hurt us. Corona Express takes the lead late 3-1. The coach puts Kylie in to pitch the last 2 innings. She shuts Express down. Setting up the chance to come back, but Mystic goes down 3-1. Double elimination tournament, so we are done. Heartbreak city.
The parents received an email before the tournament saying that we were going to State so we could automatically qualify for Western Nationals (every team that shows up qualifies). Almost sounded like they were not expecting to compete. There are a few parents that are still in Rec League mode. 90% percent of these girls showed they want to win this weekend. Their parents need to stop babying and let these ladies play. We will see what happens in the next couple of months. I was approached afterward and asked to start coaching again .We'll see. What did Jack Nicholson say ...... "you can't handle the truth".
See ya.

Brase Sports Update 5/9 - 5/11

Hello Everyone,

It's been a little quiet on the sports front, so I skipped a week. So we'll start with this past weekend.

Saturday: Kylie had a friendly in West Covina. This was the big test for Mystic. All three opponents for the day were ranked in the top 12.

First game was against OC Wildcats (#7). This was a very well coached team with a ton of talent. Orange County is the hot bed for all of softball. In fact, 90% of top talent in the nation comes out of Orange County. Kylie started at pitcher for this one. She has been working very hard to get back to where she was before she joined Legacy. She did pretty well. There were 2-3 errors in the first that really hurt. Kylie threw a fastball when the coach called outside curve and goodbye ! I have never seen 12U girls hit like that ! If you made one mistake, the ball was leaving in a hurry. Kylie did pitch the whole game and didn't get tired. She did well. She also continued to hit. But, the Wildcats were way too much. Mystic goes down 8-3.

Next game was against So Cal Jynx (#2). This was a nightmare for the first inning. Kylie started at 2B. Jynx was up first and lets just say that was the longest 1st inning I have ever seen. I kept asking Kelly what inning it was ! Good thing I have a patient wife ! Jynx absolutely crushed the ball, this combined with more errors, made the 1st inning horrific. First inning 10 -0 Jynx. Kylie had a couple of opportunities at 2B, but got bit by the error bug herself. It was a mess. The good thing was that Mystic fought back !! Going into the last inning, Mystic was down 10-7. Kylie continued to hit also. We were fighting to get our last ups, but that went away when our pitcher served up a giant "cookie" and the ball disappeared into the blue sky ! My gosh, that was a bomb ! Anyway, game over. Mystic goes down to Jynx 13-7.

Last game was against the Raiders (#12). No Al Davis here. This was a very good game. Kylie came in the 3rd inning to pitch. It was 2-1 Mystic at that time. She shut them down. The Raiders had a mean, maniac coach. Constantly yelling at the girls. Anyway, going into the last inning it was 2-2. Kylie was cruising. The Raiders had their bomber up. Kylie had struck her out the last time. Well, the count went to 3-2. Then Kylie threw a fastball right down the middle and the ball was crushed to left center and was then badly mis-played and went forever. Home run. AHHH !! Just like in the first game, Kylie missed the signal and thought a fastball was called. Can't do that at this level. But at least the coach and Kylie talked and our back on the same page. They better be. State Championship is in 2 weeks !! So, Mystic went 0-3 on the weekend. They showed signs that they can compete with the top teams. They better get going a little faster or it's going to be a short Memorial weekend.

Monday: Nick had baseball ! It was the Raptors vs. the Diamond Jaxx. This was a great game ! Nick was a maniac ! A focused warrior maniac ! He had 3 AB's. 1st at bat he crushed a line drive to the short stop. His second AB was a dribbler back to the pitcher, that kid heard "you better run" and didn't look once at the ball and ran as hard as he could toward first. The first baseman caught it at the last second. The bad thing for the first baseman was that he stepped on top of the base. Nick ran right through him (totally legal), knocked him down. At least he held onto the ball. Nick's last hit was a scorcher to CF all the way to the fence. But, Nick's performance was in the field. That played so hard it was awesome. The Diamond Jaxx bomber was up. Nick was playing pitcher. The kid hit a fly ball toward first, Nick ran over and caught it in the air ! Just missed a double play when he threw to first to double up the runner and the 1st baseman dropped it. The next huge play was while Nick was playing 1st base. The ball was hit between 1st and second, Nick runs over and knocks the ball down. He then picks it up and it turns into a race to first. Nick then dives, mitt first toward the base. He hits the base with his mitt, the runner runs into Nick and goes flying. Then the ball trickles out of Nick mitt. Runner is safe, but that play was awesome !! What a beast !!! Very exciting ! Nick got his 5th game ball to add to his collection. Anyway, that's it ! See you next week !

Brase Sports Update 4/25 - 4/27

Hello Everyone,

Very busy weekend ! Let's go !
Saturday: Nick had baseball Saturday afternoon. Raptors vs. The Red Wings. The Red Wings have to be the top team out there. But, they came out super flat. The Raptors came out swinging ! The Raptors put 5 runs up in the first. Red Wings had 3 strikeouts in the first. But, then all of a sudden it's like the teams flipped flopped and the Raptors became super sloppy ! It became a rather slow moving and boring game unfortunately. Nick continued to do his thing at the plate. Hitting the ball hard ! All three shots to the outfield. It was a little difficult to watch the game because Nick had 6 "fans" in the crowd, 4 who proceeded to talk about everything except the game, and you know who you are !! For that reason, I have added Monday's game to the blog.
Sunday: Kylie had a local friendly. Finally ! First game was against SD Strokes. Pretty good team. They have 2 very tough "ladies" running their team. Kylie pitched. She was a little off in the first inning. Giving up 1 run after walking the batter. "Walks always score". But, she really settled in. Rise ball was really working and her curve looked good as well. Mystic played pretty good. A couple of BIG errors in the OF allowed 2 more runs in. Kylie did have 2 at bats and went o for. But, she's working on it. Anyway, Kylie held them down and Mystic won 6-3. Good job girl !!
Next up was PowerSurge '97. This is a young team with some talent. Their pitcher was very good. Very nice form but threw kind of slow. Good junk. Mystic started their 5th string pitcher. She did ok for the first innings. But, they did start to hit off of her. Kylie started at 2B. She did very well in the field. Mystic needs a leader on the field and she fits that role well. Nothing got by her. At one point with a runner on first, the ball was hit to SS who threw to 2B for the force, and then Kylie shot that ball to 1st. She had the runner by a foot, but the blue said safe. Place went crazy ! Kylie has quite a cannon ! Kylie had 2 AB's , but grounded out twice. Anyway, Mystic goes down 3-1 to PowerSurge '97.
Next was Lights Out. I remember this team from Legacy. Very good team. When I watched their pitcher warm up, I realized she was new. This kid was awesome ! He was about 5' 9" and she threw 55+ mph. With junk ! Very impressive. Mystic pitched their #2. Kylie played 2b again. This was actually a very good game. It was scoreless going into 4th inning. Then Lights Out started really hitting. A few hits with a couple of Mystic mis-plays equals another loss. 3-0 Lights Out over Mystic. Man, that pitcher good ! Top 3 that I have seen. It was a little disappointing to see Mystic so flat this weekend, but they have a couple of real good coaches who pull them back up. Kylie had a good weekend in the field , but had a rough one at the plate. But, she'll be fine. Keep working kid !
Monday: Ok, as promised, back to Baseball. Raptors vs. The Threshers. Ok, this is the team with the most annoying coach of ALL TIME !! This is the same coach I wrote about last time. The same coach that hold the kids' bats when they hit and says "swing" ! Anyway, Nick had a big game ! It was pretty even for a while. Nick's first at bat was a battle. Each kid gets 5 pitches from the machine. Nick whiffed the first 4 and then fouled off the next 2. Still alive. Then as Dad was getting super nervous thinking his boy was going down ........Nick crushed a deep fly ball to center. OH YEAH !! I think I might have done a fist pump, not sure, I was pretty excited ! Next inning, Nick is playing in Right Center. The ball is hit hard out to him. He fields and throws all the way to first and gets the kid out !! A great laser throw and a great catch by James at first !! I think at that point Kelly jumped up and pointed at the coach and yelled "In your Face" !! Just kidding !! Just kidding. Nick's next at bat was a first pitch, long fly ball crush to RF. Nice ! I believe Nick went to 1B on defense. He did real well again. He came up one more time with the bases loaded. Whiffed on the first 4 pitches again. I am again, preparing myself for the possibility of a strikeout. It's a good thing that he has Kelly for his Mom, because I am a worrier and can expect the worst a lot. Kelly always believes he will do it. Never a doubt in her mind. She rocks ! Anyway, Nick fouls off 2 more pitches. Then he connects for a hard shot to left field !! He is a beast !! Good job Son !! Nick also got another game ball ! That game was actually a lot of fun !! Well, that's it for the weekend and Monday. Enjoy and see you next time !

Sports Update 4/18 - 4/19

Hello Everyone,

Saturday Baseball: Well, it was nice to see Nick get back on the ball field ! 2 weeks off is a long time ! We showed up at the super dusty dirt fields to find out we only had 6 players. To me, that is a coaches worst nightmare. But, at this age, it's not too bad. So anyway, the Raptors were playing the Threshers. Now, the Threshers have a coach that drives me crazy !! He adds at least 15 minutes to every game. He obviously does not have practices, because he thinks he needs to explain every detail to his players during the game. Any coach that holds the batters bat while he's hitting and then tells him "Go" to swing the bat has no business being around the ball field. Was it bad that I was hoping to see him get nailed in the nuts ? Ok, I'll stop.

Nick was able to get up to bat 4 times because of the player shortage. My concern of the bigger bat he just got ended up being a non-concern. That boy was crushing the ball !! All 4 at bats ended up being big shots to the outfield. He is really fun to watch ! He was very hesitant in the field for the first couple of innings, but the last innings he made all 3 outs by himself ! Again running off the field with his fist in the air in victory ! So funny !

Sunday Softball: Kylie had a friendly in Hemet this weekend. It was HOT ! Started at 80 degrees and ended at 100 degrees !

First game was against So Cal Magic. This was an ugly, ugly game !! Magic was very outmatched. Kylie played RF and showed why she plays out there. She is like another infielder. She displayed a "cannon" of an arm and also hit very well. Another Brase kid with a new bat ! The final Mystic 17 -Magic 0.

Next game was the "tough" game of the day. We played Ozone Gold. Pretty good team. Kylie started at pitcher. They had some big hitters. Kylie was a little shaky in the first. Gave up a run in the 1st and second inning. Mystic pounded the ball again ! Man, this team can hit ! The score was 2-2 after 2 innings. Then, Kylie totally settled down and shut down Ozone. Mystic also continued to crush the ball. Kylie also hit well again too ! The final Mystic 11 - Ozone Gold 2.

Last game of the day was against So Cal Extreme. Again, Mystic came out pounding the ball. Defense was very tight. Kylie played 2B. I don't think 1 ball was hit to her. Kylie continued to hit well ! Not much to say about this game, Mystic crushed Extreme 11-1.

This was a very good weekend for Mystic. The coaching change has been wonderful ! At least we'll have these coaches for State. See you next week !

Sports Update 3/31, 4/2, 4/4 - 4/5

Hello Everyone,

A busy week of sports for the Brase family. Nick had 2 games this past week. Tuesday, it was the Raptors vs. Thresher Sharks. It was a good game. Nick continued to rip the ball !! But, his shining moments were in the field. He has a good head for the game. At one point there was a runner on first and the ball was hit to Nick, he started to throw to first and then realized he should tag the runner. This kid lays out to tag the runner, but barely misses him ! Next hitter comes up and grounds to Nick who runs and tags second and leaps in the air to try and throw to first for the double play ! Almost ! Next hitter grounds out to Nick again. Then the final out went to Nick again ! He was pretty pumped up !!

Thursday was Nicks next game. Raptors vs. Diamondbacks. Another great game ! Nick had a couple of "wimpy" hits to start before crushing the ball to the fence in right-center ! He played well in the field again ! This was the game that I noticed that the other team had a scorekeeper ! A little hardcore for me ! I did go out and ask the coach why. He said just to keep track of the run limit per inning. Uh, yeah right. Anyway, that's it for Nick's week. On a side note, I noticed Nick's bat was super dented. I thought he was hitting the fence or something. But I then realized that the bat was a tee ball bat and the metal was probably softer that a Little League bat. So, I ended up getting him a new Little League Easton ! The dented bat could very possibly become a thing of legend in later years !!

Ok, now on to Kylie's softball. We traveled out to Palm Springs for another Triple Crown Tournament. This facility was beautiful !! They 3 fields modeled after Wrigley Field, Fenway Park, and Yankee Stadium. Very cool.

Mystic started off against OC Crush. Kylie pitched in this one. She did struggle. It was a very close game with several lead changes. Very exciting. Unfortunately, Mystic's errors cost them and coaching was a problem. Mystic goes down in the opener.

Next game was Mystic vs. OC Frenzy. Frenzy was a small young team. But they could hit ! Again, a couple of lead changes. Came down to the last inning. A ball was hit out to RF and Mystics Right Fielder had the ball come out of her mitt. With a runner on 3rd, that was enough to seal the victory for Frenzy. Now, of course, the fact that we had a Mom literally screaming and crying that her kid was moved from CF to RF didn't help. She was moved 40 ft from where she had played the game before and she was still batting 1st. Get a clue lady.

The last game on Saturday was at 8pm and against Cerritos Franchise. A very good ranked team. It was pretty ugly. Mystic played like they didn't want to be there. Kylie did pitch late in the game and did ok. But, the errors again, killed Mystic. Mystic goes down again. We were 0 - 3 for the day and still got 2nd seed. Ugly.

Well, we headed to the fields Sunday for bracket play, single elimination.

First game was against IV Stealth. Good team. It was a battle. Stealth took the lead early. But, Mystic held on and had the heart to fight back ! Man, it was a nail biter. Kylie played outfield and played great. Mystic played hard and pulled out the win ! Finally ! On to the next round !

Next up was CTS. A very very good team stacked with monster players. I consider myself a "pitching" guy and love to see good pitchers. Well, CTS had the best pitcher I have yet to see ! This "kid" was 6 foot tall !! She threw very hard and had great junk !! She had come down from 14U with half her team to play in this 12U tournament. She was playing up with these other awesome players. Well, the Mystic coach decided to not pitch Kylie. He went with the other pitcher who got shelled. He put Kylie in to pitch with 2 outs down by 7 in the 1st. She immediately got the final out. Very nice. Mystic tried hard to fight back. CTS put another pitcher in to save their Ace. We immediately put 2 runners on and then CTS pulled her and put the beast back in. We ended up hitting and scoring 2 ! The crazy thing is Kylie shut down CTS for the next 3 innings ! We ran out of time and lost 7 - 2. There was a lot of second guessing after that one. It actually wasn't from me either ! Kylie pitched fantastic ! Her performance salvaged the weekend for me ! That very CTS team went to the championship game too. I guess another really cool thing was that Ky's old team was eliminated before us. They actually watched Kylie pitch against CTS. That was cool ! We had quite a few parents from Legacy come and say how happy they were for Kylie. She had a few hugs and hi fives !! Very cool !! Well, that's it for now.

Brase Sports Update 3/28 - 3/29

Hello Everyone,

Let's get started. A busy weekend for the family ! We'll start with Kylie.

Saturday: Mystic 96 traveled up to Westminster for the Outlaws friendly. A very warm day ! Our schedule got changed once we got there. We ended playing So Cal Jynx first. This is a very good team. In fact they are currently ranked 5th in so cal. Kylie didn't play this game. The y were saving her for our second game. Anyway, Mystic went down hard 12 - 2.

Mystic's second game was against Minor's Gold. Another ranked team. Kylie started at pitcher. Came out strong throwing hard ! She threw 4 innings of shutout ball. The score was 1-0 Mystic in the top of the 5th. Kylie got one out, then the next hitter hit a nice single that went up the middle. All of sudden ....... the ball goes under the CF mitt !! AHHHHH !!!! All the way to the fence. The girl scores. 1-1. Kylie gets through the inning again. Mystic comes up and does not score. Top of the 6th. Kylie goes out and gets 1 out. Next thing I know, Kylie is bent over with blood pouring out of her nose. The dry weather combined with the dust, did her in. I came out and got her. Poor kid. Probably the worst one I've seen her get. She handled it great. Too bad Mystic did not. Mystic goes down 3-1.

Last game of the day is against Las Vegas Rage. Pretty darn good team. The teams battled back and forth. Kylie sat for half the game. Kylie goes in to pitch in the 5th inning with the game tied 3-3. She ends up striking out 2 and the other fly's out. Mystic then takes the lead, 4-3. Kylie goes out for the last inning. She walks the first hitter. Next hitter hits to Kylie who overthrows 2nd !! So now it's runners on 1st & 2nd no outs. Next hitter Kylie goes 3 balls no strikes on. Uh Oh. Oh gosh, everyone run for the hills. The other team starts cheering super loud. Then ... steeeerike 1 , steeeerike 2, steeeerike 3 !! 1 out. Next hitter Steeeerike 1, steeeerike 2, steeeerike 3 !! 2 outs. Next hitter then hits a line drive to 3rd, 3 outs game over !! Woohoo ! She's on fire !

Now to Nick. The Raptors played the Volcano's again. The pitching machine was a little crazy again. But the Raptors were able to settle in and crush ! Nick was on fire at the plate again ! His swing looks great and his desire to hit is unmatched !! He had 3 scorchers ! He also made 3 more outs in the field. Click HERE for hit #1 and HERE for hit #2. Hands back, legs slightly bent, step to the ball, transfer weight, turn back foot = crusher !! The kid really has it ! Good job Son !!

Ok, on to Sunday Softball with Kylie. We headed down to Chula Vista for a San Diego Elite friendly. First game was against TNL. A very good team with very good coaches. Kylie sat for most of the game, waiting for game #2. But she did come in the last 2 innings. First inning she was in, shut em down ! Next inning, that scoreless inning streak ended at 13. She struggled. Walked a couple of girls, gave up a couple of hits and 3 runs. Anyway, Mystic got pounded 13 - 5.

Next game was against San Diego Elite. I was hearing it was a rival of Mystics. Kylie started at pitcher. 1st inning was a little rough. Mystics defense was dead. There must have been 4 errors in the first. 3-0 Elite in the first. Mystic got it together as well did Kylie. Kylie shut them down for the next 3 innings. Mystics' CF did decide to add one more error to her stats for a 3 base error. Grrrrrrrrr. Kylie did have way more control of her curve, rise, and change up. She also crushed the ball to center to start a 3 run inning. Then also had another hit to start another 3 run rally. Elite goes down 8 - 3.

Next game was against San Diego Eclipse. Kylie started at pitcher for this one. Kylie struck out 2 and 1 runner got on by an error, but later scored. Next inning she struck out 1 and got 2 more outs. Mystic then switched Kylie to 2nd. She made a couple of outs including a throw out at home. Nice. She also went 3/3 with 2 RBI's and scored twice. Eclipse gets crushed 16 - 3 !!

Whew, that is it !! Next weekend we are headed to Palm Springs for a Triple Crown Tournament. See you next weekend !

Brase Sports Update 3/21/09

Hello Everyone,

Let's start with Nicholas ! The Raptors played the Diamondbacks on Saturday. This game was so evenly matched ! Both teams were hitting and fielding. Nick continued to crush the ball ! I think he got some new fans too ! To see a little guy swing like that is pretty cool ! Again, lots of oohs and ahhs when there would be a big swing and foul ball. It was cool. The best part of the game for us was that Nick made the final 3 outs in the last inning. He was pretty happy with himself !! He also got another game ball from the coach. Good for him !
Ok, now for the Kylie breaking news ! After long talks and lots of consideration, we decided that Kylie would go and tryout for another Travel Softball team. So, we set up a try out with Mystic 96. This was a team that her pitching coach had recommended. We did not let her Legacy (current team) coach know ahead of time. Thought that would not be a good idea.
Anyway, we get to the tryout and at least half the team know Kylie from past Allstar tournaments. That was pretty cool. We also notice that instead of the team having a practice, the are having a double header against the top program in SD. Powersurge. Hmm. The coach walks up to Kylie and says "Well, I'm going to have to see you pitch". So, she warms up and the next thing I know, she's walking out the the pitchers circle to start the game ! I'm thinking, Ok she hasn't pitched a game in 4 months ! OMG !! The coach did ask her what were her best pitches and what location do you like to throw them. I then had an idea that they actually might know what they were doing ! Nice. The game starts .......... and that kid was awesome ! I honestly could not believe what I was seeing. I had tears in my eyes as I watched her have full command of what she was doing. Totally motivated and totally focused. Incredible. After the first inning, we had the coaches coming over telling us that they wanted her. It was really nice to hear. We weren't used to hearing that. I consider myself friends with the Legacy coach, but he had a diamond the whole time, but refused to check it out. Needless to say, Kylie pitched 6 innings of shut out ball allowing only 1 hit with 6 strikeouts !! She also had 2 hits and scored once. There may be some drama dealing with their #1 pitcher now, but we'll handle that when it gets here. So what I am saying, Kylie is now playing for Mystic 96 !
There should be a lot of Sports news next weekend ! See you then !

Brase Sports Update 3/11, 3/14-15

Hello Everyone,

We'll start with Nick's game on Wednesday. It was the the Raptors vs. Red Wings (again). The boys played real hard again ! Their defense was tough !! Nick hit the ball well. Lots of comments like "when he gets a hold of it". His best part of the game was his defense. The last inning was on the defense to hold the other team for the win (if we kept score :)) The boys gave up one hit and got the other 3 outs ! Nick had 2 put outs. What was awesome was that every time the boys got an out, they would raise their fists in victory ! All in unison ! Like team of victorious Warriors !! OH YEAH !!

Ok, on to Saturday. Baseball first. It was the Raptors vs. the Volcano's. I wasn't able to go to this one because of Kylie's tournament. But I do have some info. The Volcano's were shorthanded in the field. Unfortunately, sounds like the coach didn't have much help from any of the parents. The Raptors continued to roll ! Great defense and spotty hitting. The pitching machine was having some serious issues. The pitches were all over the place. But, they managed to get it done ! Nick continues to show great hitting mechanics. There were predictions of balls going over the fence before the end of the year for my little beast ! Love it !

Now, on to Kylie. She had a Triple Crown Tournament in Hemet. Way out on the Soboba Indian Reservation. Lots of rumors of people shooting out there and craziness. But, it was fine. Beautiful fields and beautiful surroundings. The only craziness were the parents who think they know everything and wouldn't shut up. Whew .... ok ..... onto the games.

Saturday: Legacy started off against the Rattlers. The game was over in 1 hour. Legacy crushed their pitcher ! Kylie had 1 at bat and hit a run in. Legacy wins 10 - 0 !

Second game was against Fury. This was a very good team. Very well coached and very disciplined. It was nice to see a female head coach. You don't see much of that unfortunately. There is something about a male coach yelling at your daughter that really bugs. So anyway, the game was VERY tight. 1-0 Legacy late in the game. A ball was crushed deep to RF and the RF mis-played the ball and it went all the way to the fence. The girl came all the way around for a Home Run. Tie game. 2 more runners get on and a HUGE error at 3B. Now, it's 3 - 1 Fury. Legacy started hanging there heads really bad. They did manage to start coming back. Runners on 1st and second, no outs, your power hitter coming up. Coach gives the signal and she ........bunts. BUNTS !!!?? What the ?! The balls bounces up and hits the batter in fair territory. 1 out. Grumbling in the crowd. Now, next batter strikes out. 2 outs. The last batter battles like crazy and then grounds out to SS. Legacy goes down 3-1 to Fury. Tough loss. Kylie played 2B the whole game but the coach had someone hitting for her.

Sunday: Legacy vs Lights Out. Legacy came out playing hard. Faced a very good pitcher. Ended up beating Lights Out 7-0. They just secured the #1 seed. Unfortunately, Kylie did not play this game. Onto Bracket play.

Next up was Legacy vs Norco Filly's. Filly's were over matched from the beginning. They did have a very good pitcher though that kept it close for them. Unfortunately, her defense wasn't on the same level. Kylie played RF the whole game and and had a great bunt to advance the runner and she got on base. She also grounded out to 3b. Legacy 7-0. Legacy advances.

Next up: Legacy vs Corona Eliminators. Good game. The Eliminators had a good left handed pitcher that could really hit her corners. She held Legacy in check. Kylie played RF the whole game. She had some awesome defensive plays too. She out hustled our "diva" centerfielder to get the ball in to keep the hitter to a double. She also caught a bomb that was hit way out to right center. This was done in a full sprint. Very nice.

The game was down to the last inning. It was 3-1 Eliminators. Their CF had just made a HUGE play. A ball was bombed to deep left center and this kid ran the ball down and practically layed out for the ball. Unbelievable. One of the best plays I have ever seen for a 12 year old !

So, runners on 1st and 2nd for Legacy. 1 out. Kylie coming up and then ......... coach pulls Kylie and puts another hitter in. Ummmm. Breathe. Yeah. Breathe. Whatever. Kylie's pinch hitter goes on to fly out to the SS. Hmmm. The tough thing is that Kylie had just crushed the ball to the outfield her lat AB and had the pitchers number. Anyway, 2 outs. Next hitter grounds out. Game over, tournament over. Yep, it was a little harder than normal to deal with that one. Legacy shows signs of playing real well. But, they are still struggling when it counts, might be something the coach needs to look in the mirror about. "The looking glass never lies". I love this therapy, uh I mean Blog. See you next week.

p.s. if you click on the pictures, they will enlarge.

Brase Sports Blog Update 3/7 - 3/9

Hello Everybody !

Alright we have some sports to talk about !! We'll go in order.

Kylie started the weekend with a basketball game Saturday. The Power Rangers (Ky) vs. The Super Chicks. The Power Rangers came out on fire !! They had double digits before the Super Chicks even scored ! It was a blowout, but a very hard fought game on both sides. Kylie had a great game again. Played very hard, hustled, and played smart. At one point, She had a breakaway and was fouled very hard. In fact, a technical was called. It was pretty nasty. She ended up with 8 points and the Power Rangers destroyed, 42 -21. Too bad, so sad !

Next. Softball. Legacy had a 3 game friendly in the Temecula area Sunday. Legacy really needed to go out and really crush some teams. And they did. 1st game, Legacy 7 - Revenge 4. 2nd game, Legacy 12 - Extreme Heat 1. 3rd game Legacy 13 - Bullpen Heat 0. Kylie had a great bunt to advance the runners, a solid single, and a bomb to right that was caught. I though she hit it hard, but I heard her say"I just missed it". Makes me get chills to think what's going to happen when she nails it ! She also played great in the field. She's getting a lot of playing time and has become quite a leader on the field.

Ok, last but definitely not least. Nick Baseball ! Nick had his first game Monday evening. The Raptors (Nick) vs. Red Wings. It was so much fun to watch and the boys had a blast ! The game was a slug fest ! Nick had 4 at bats. He got on base all 4 times. Hit the ball real well. His 3rd at bat was a HUGE bomb to right center that went all the way to the fence ! Yahoo !! Like his sister, he played extremely well in the field. He is a really smart ball player. It's so funny, he'll goof off and be doing some very "interesting" dance moves in the field and all of sudden snap into playing position. Can' t wait for Wednesday's game !

It was very very cold at the ball fields ! Gloves and possible snow jacket next game for the "Old Man" !! Anyway, enjoy the Blog and see you next week.

Brase Sports Update 2/28 - 3/1/09

Hello Everyone,

Have not had that much to report the past couple of weeks. This past weekend, Nicholas had more baseball practice. He's definitley getting more comfortable and knocking the rust off. Opening Day is 3/7. His first game is 3/9. Looking forward to seeing him play hard and have fun.

Kylie had a Softball friendly this past Saturday in West Covina. Legacy played against the #2, #5, and the #15 teams in SoCal. Needless to say, they got their butts kicked. 0-3 for the day. The team had 2 hits all day. Hey, at least Ky had one of them. Kylie played great in the field too. She had several put outs. She is clearly the starting second basegirl. I can't really explain why the team was not competitive. The girls are having a hard time relating or respecting their coaches. I had to move from sitting by the dugout because I found myself wanting to lecture a couple of the girls for their attitudes. For their team to start playing together, there cannot be a double standard for coaches kids. There is only so many push ups these girls can do or actually want to do. Hopefully, they'll figure it out soon. Lots of games and tournaments coming up. Anyway, new blog next week with better news (hopefully).

Steve

Brase Sports Update 2/7/09

Hello Everyone,

Pretty quiet on the Brase Sports front. Lots of rain to work around.
Nicholas had his first team meeting for baseball. A bunch of 6-7 year old boys. Nick knows about 4 of the boys. His coach is the same coach from Soccer last season. Hmm ...... should be interesting ! His team is green and the team name is the Raptors ! Oh yeah ! Now that's a boys team !! Anyway, first practice is Thursday. Nicholas is still concerned hitting off that darn pitching machine. A couple of massive bombs and he'll be fine ! His new "Beast" bat should be here in a couple of days !! Yes, it is actually called "Beast" ! Let you know how it goes.
Kylie had a Softball Friendly scheduled this weekend, but the rain changed that ! So, our only sports fix was Kylie's basketball game. I hadn't seen her play in about a month or so. My gosh, what a difference !! She played hard, fast, great control, and best of all, smart !! The "Power Rangers" pounded the other team 39 to 4. Kylie went off for 16 points !! Her record before was 12 points. She really dominated. She is actually one of the smaller girls out there. Her coaches have done wonders with her. Kylie has really turned the corner with the sports she plays. Her focus and effort have been great and it's showing !! She has Softball and Basketball this coming weekend. So, should be a fun blog. Here are couple of videos of Ky. Take care !

Ky BB 1

Ky BB 2

Ky BB 3

Brase Sports Update 1/24 - 1/25

Hello Everyone !

What a weekend it was for Ms. Kylie !! She had a basketball game and a huge softball tournament this weekend. Let's go to the details. We'll go in order.
The Brase family got up at 4:45 am Saturday to head up to San Clemente for the Huntington Beach Triple Crown Classic. Had to be there at 6:30am. It was cold and wet. Anyway, Legacy was ready to go. Kylie started at 2B. She played really well. Had several put outs and actually almost threw out a girl at home from her knees !! Very cool ! She had one at bat and fouled out. Legacy lost that game 2-0 to So Cal Wicked. Legacy played back to back. Next game was against Corona Xpress. Kylie didn't play unfortunately. Legacy lost again 2-0. The good thing was we had time to get back home and Kylie was able to play in her Basketball game. Busy busy !

It was the Power Rangers (Ky's team) vs. the Hot Chicks. It was a tight game all the way through. The Power Rangers were were trailing by 5 at halftime. Kylie had great defense. Shutting down her opponent. The PR's took a 4 point lead, but ended up losing 33-30. Kylie ended up with 12 points !

Sunday, we got up early and headed back to the Triple Crown. Come to find out no other team in our pool had won a game either. So, if we win the first game, we take first seed !
The first game was against one of Kylie's oldest rivals. Yes, she is only 12, but the have been at it since 6 ! Anyway, Kylie started 2B and played fantastic. She is becoming quite a leader on the field.
It was a very close game. Legacy went up 1-0. They really needed at least one more run. Kylie came up, took a couple pitches and then absolutely CRUSHED the ball !! A HUGE bomb over the CF head ! She got a stand up triple to start the inning. Her shoe was falling off while she was running around the bases. Oh what could have been ! Click here to see the Bomb. But, the next pitch went passed the catcher and she scored !! Legacy went on to win 3-0 with the #1 seed in hand !
The first game in bracket play was against the OC Wildcats. Could not wait for Legacy to play them. The parents on that team were so stuck up !!
Kylie started 2B and was moved up in the line up. Kylie had a great game ! She also had another bomb that drove in a run. Click here to see it. Legacy looked great again ! Legacy 5, OC Wildcats 0.
Legacy was starting to really come together. Next up was The Valley Tribe. This was a crazy game ! Kylie started at 2B again. This was a tight game. Valley Tribe is rated in the Top 15 in Socal. Their defense was awesome. We played them hard. Kylie crushed the ball twice, unfortunately it was close to their SS. Their SS had to be one of the better players I've seen. Kylie got out twice. Anyone else, 2 hit game ! The game was tied 2-2 in the last inning and Legacy just ran out of gas. There were huge errors and huge bombs by the other team. Legacy goes down 10-2. But, it was a great time and Kylie had a blast.
Hopefully, there will be some Nick Sports news soon. Still waiting to hear from his coach. I did take him to the Batting Cages and he had a lot of fun. So now, I have every Wednesday reserved for cage time for both kids !!

See you next week !!

New Year Brase Sports Blog !!

Hello Everyone !

Well, we are getting ready to start Spring Sports !! Kylie is currently playing basketball and her Softball Travel Team (Legacy) is getting ready to start their year.
Kylie's basketball team is being coached by 2 female high school basketball players. Really really like that ! Very good role models for the players. Team looks good too.
Legacy just finished their tryouts (Travel ball has two tryouts a year) and announced their team. The team looks strong. The coach has the players and just needs to put them in the right positions. Something that was not done during the winter season. But, seems to be working so far. Legacy has a very big tournament (Triple Crown) this weekend in San Clemente.
Kylie seems to have the starting Second Base position. Plus, she is hitting better than she ever has ! Very proud ! I will have an update after the tournament with video or pictures.
Nick finally has started baseball ! YIPPEEE !! He had tryouts this past Sunday. He did fantastic in the field (Top 3). He was pretty intimadated by the pitching machine though. He was disappointed he didn't "bomb" like he wanted. But, like we all tried to explain to him, he'll be fine. He is playing up in the "Rookies" division. Can't wait ! So, that's about it for now !

Steve