Northwestern University Athletics
Erin and Kelly: THE DYER BLOG
2/5/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 5, 2009
Heyo Cats!
This season my sister and I will be writing to you about what it means to be a part of the Northwestern Softball team. Now before you get too excited, we wanted to introduce ourselves a little bit. My name is Erin Dyer and I'm a senior. My sister, Kelly Dyer, is a junior. We grew up in Homer Glen, Ill., where we attended Lockport Township High School, home of the Porters! We grew up playing every sport imaginable with the boys down the block where Kelly was not only the littlest of everyone but the fastest. Our summers consisted of softball tournaments day and night. No need to go any further because I know every softball family knows what I mean. Seriously though, 7 games on a Sunday? That's crazy. OK, so somehow Kelly and I ended up fulfilling our lifelong dream of becoming collegiate softball players. We play for the greatest team on Earth, the Northwestern Softball Team ... YEA CATS!!!!
So now that you know a little bit about where Kelly and I come from, we will hopefully be able to give you a look into our lives as well as the Northwestern Softball family over the next few months. Since September, my teammates and coaches have been working toward one goal, a National Championship. Our journey so far has had it bumps in the road, but we have gotten through it all. The last several weeks have been extremely crucial. When the team returned from winter break at the beginning of January, we were able to start playing REAL softball. That of course means we were able to start playing catch in our indoor facility. Ok, so it's not that bad ... if you're from the Midwest, playing softball inside a dome or an indoor facility is a part of your life. The good news? Our team starts traveling this weekend!
So, for the last two weeks, our practices have been long, filled with all sorts of preparations for our upcoming games. Everyday practice consists of hitting, defense, a conditioning run and then a lift. And if you're thinking, WOW, it seems like that would take a while? Well, it does. Lauren Lappin (our Volunteer Assistant Coach/United States OLYMPIAN!!!) has convinced our coaches to have snack time during practice! Personally, this is my favorite part of practice. We call it the "REJUVINATION STATION", because it is actually considered one of our hitting stations. My teammates Tammy Williams and Michelle Batts are usually not too happy because they somehow end up missing or being cut out of the station.
Our practices have been long and hard but the team is prepared for our first trip to Tempe, Ariz. I think everyone but me is excited to get on that plane this Thursday. For those of you who don't know, I am terrified of flying and try to avoid it at all costs. However, playing for a softball team that travels by plane for months at a time does not work out to my advantage. Anyways, Kelly and I will be writing the end of this week to recap our first weekend out. I guess I'll let you know how the first flights go as well.
Live the Dream, Go 'CATS!
Erin Dyer aka the little guy
