Amber Patton: sports blog Sept. 29
9/29/2008 12:00:00 AM | SOFTBALL
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| Hey all! My name is Amber Patton, and I play third base for the Blue Demons. Being a senior, I often look back on the past three years and realize how quickly my college years have gone. When I was in high school, my older sister and her friends continuously told me how quickly these four years of your life go. I guess it is true to say that you never realize just how fast they go until you experience it. Just as many other people have told me, I advise all of you to cherish these moments because they have truly been some of the best times of my life. This being my last, I am extremely excited to see how great our team can truly be. All of my teammates and I have officially made it back to campus for the year. These past two weeks have consisted of catching up with all of my teammates, beginning of the year meetings, practice, one weekend full of four games, and team pictures (make sure to check out the photo album). It’s great to hear all of the awesome things that everyone did this summer. I really missed everyone, and it is great to be back and reunited with my Blue Demon sisters. As for me, my summer was pretty uneventful. Being from a small town, there is not a lot to do. I mainly spent most of my summer working and training for this upcoming season with a few weddings and vacations thrown in there. After a long, relaxing summer, I was exceptionally excited to get back up to Chicago. Hanging out with my teammates and seeing everyone has made me extremely anxious for this year to start. Being a senior, my goal is to go out with a bang’. We have a lot of talent this year, and have the ability to do great things. Last weekend, we competed in the State Farm Illinois Collegiate Softball Tournament, which took place in Normal, Ill. On the first day of the tournament, we defeated both Bradley (2-0) and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (7-0). Championship play began on Sunday, and we defeated both Illinois (7-6) and Northwestern (12-3). Going 4-0 this weekend was a distinct preview of our abilities as a team. We played extremely well that weekend, and beat some quality teams, however it is important to remember that there is still a lot of work to do. Monday morning, we were back on the practice field working hard to become better than the day before. On Sunday, we played two games in DeKalb, Ill. at Northern Illinois University. The annual alumni game was on Saturday at Cacciatore Stadium. It was a great atmosphere as the alumni come back to campus to play against the current team. The game is full of friendly, yet intense competition. Unfortunately, I did not be play in the alumni game this year because I was chosen to represent DePaul University in Providence, RI at the BIG EAST Conference annual student-athlete meeting. This was an exceptional opportunity for me to become more involved with the conference, and I am extremely honored to represent the Blue Demons. I will continue to keep you all updated throughout the year and share some of my experiences along the way. It should be a fun ride. Until next time... Go Blue Demons! |
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