Valkyries Win 12U Division Fastpitch Softball Championship
Coach Austin: "I almost feel like it wasn't really a win!"
Editor's note: Our reporter was unable to contact the coach of Rock-n-Fire at the time of this article. We have since spoken with her and are aware that Rock-n-Fire is appealing the forfeit. We will add all new information that we receive as soon as possible.
The Valkyries won the Prince William Girls Fastpitch Softball (PWGFS) 12U Division championship Monday due to a forfeit by Rock-n-Fire coach Rebecca Horesky. League President Jeff Benskin, who is also an assistant coach of the Valkyries, said the commissioner did not receive Horesky's request to reschedule the game until Monday afternoon. Benskin said Rock-n-Fire had already been told that the game was postponed. Horesky was unavailable for comment.
"I almost feel like it wasn't really a win," said Valkyries coach Kyle Austin. "You hate to have it just handed to you. You'd like to go out and perform, compete, and win it that way. I think there were some administrative things that went wrong league wise, and it was unfortunate for them [Rock-n-Fire], but we were undefeated. That's what I know, we were undefeated this year."
The Valkyries unblemished record consists of 8 regular season wins and two playoff victories. Although the last game of the season was decided without the teams taking the field, the Valkyries showed pride in their accomplishments, as they conducted a team chant and then gave assistant coach Jeff Benskin a Gatorade bath.
Austin attributed his team's undefeated season to a great coaching staff who helped the team remain disciplined and free from the distractions that youth players are faced with, such as cell phones, boys, and gossip.
Third year pitcher Berith Austin had a solid year on the mound for the Valkyries, and coach Austin believes that his daughter has the potential to be a dangerous pitcher.
"She hasn't quite reached her ceiling yet," said Austin, "but every year she gets a little more intense and a little more focused. I think her velocity increases every time she goes out there. Once she learns how to control the ball and pick up a second pitch she's gonna be tough."
Offensively, the Valkyries were extremely dominant and won most of their games by way of mercy rule.
"We've been pretty solid throughout the lineup," said Benskin. "Most of our games we got five runs in the first inning and five runs in the second. There's been only a couple games where they held us and we went maybe six innings."
Benskin, who became league president in 2004, has been coaching in the PWGFS since 1999, and over the years he has seen many PWGFS athletes move on to college level softball.
"Of all the things that these young ladies could be getting into, this is a good thing," said Benskin. "They're learning fitness, they're learning to play together as a team, and they're learning all kinds of different life lessons that they will carry with them long after they leave this league. There's a world of opportunity for these girls, and by them playing in this league it betters the high school programs."
PWGFS will hold summer camps July 11-22. To register visit PW Fast Pitch. The fall season begins after Labor Day.
Debbie Boenisch
1:45 pm on Wednesday, June 22, 2011
This article is a complete disgrace. This team did not win the championship, they never played the one team Rock and Fire, which could have beat them. Our coach tried to reshedule it and has email traffic to show that. After all the coach is the president of the league, think about that! Interview Rock and Fires coaches please, much light will be shed on the subject in all fairness that is what needs to happen.
Simone Beaty
4:48 pm on Saturday, May 5, 2012
First of all Rock and Fire never beat us once and in some games never even scored. Your coach rescheduled once already and I'm pretty sure she wasn't allowed to do it again. We had the fastest pitcher and one of the best catchers in the league. If we could win by 20 runs every game Rock and Fire would need magic to beat us!
Sherri Childs
1:50 pm on Wednesday, June 22, 2011
I'm the parent of one of the girls on the 12U Rock-N-Fire for PWGFS. Coach Rebecca Horesky sent several emails from Friday to Monday to reschedule the championship game. It's quite unbelievable that one was not received until Monday afternoon. Let's face it, the Rock-N-Fire team was set up to forfeit. We are the 1 and only team that the Valkyries have not beaten with the mercy rule. Yes, they have beaten us when we played against them; but the games were pretty darn close. It's quite disappointing that a league with such a long and respectful reputation would allow this sort of thing to happen. There has been bad blood with our team coach(Rebecca Horesky) and the league president(Jeff Benskin) who also happens to be the assistant coach for the Valkyries since the beginning of the season. It's obvious to all of the parents that this forfeit was planned. It's such a shame that this is how our girls will remember this season. Also, I have written a email to the leagues president and vice president to allow the championship game to happen and have yet to receive a response back. Shame on you guys for even writing this article before finding out the circumstances behind it. Also, shame on the league for allowing personal politics to interfere with the girls game.
Nathan Curby
3:41 pm on Wednesday, June 22, 2011
We are waiting to interview Rebecca Horesky to get Rock-n-Fire's side of the story. We will post an update soon about the dispute over the championship game.
Thank you to those who have commented and brought the dispute to our attention. If you are interested in speaking with us directly about this, please email me at nathan.curby@patch.com.
Pam
7:21 pm on Wednesday, June 22, 2011
And I expect an interview with aBoard member whom is non-party to the 12U teams . We have rules and guidelines to follow that were nto followed by said coaches. I do not condone how this game happened and do not appreciate the bad mouthing of the league as a whole this is the ONlY team and coaches we had issues with during this season. PWGFS is a volunteer league and we beg and plead for volunteers with no help from anyone who has an issue. I would like them to know how hard it is to run a league with only 7 members to orgainze a league with 250 girls. We have coaches adn concessions and many other aspects to help with. E-mails go out and are ignored! In the three years I've been in the league I have never seen such disregard for rules and guideline set in place to make this league run as smooth as possible. We make these rules for a reason and cannot change for one person everytime there is an issue. We can't just change games days we have permits for certian times of the year and have to finish by a certain time. I too am asahmed that this artticle was written before finding ALL the facts on both sides.
casey becker
5:13 pm on Wednesday, June 22, 2011
the game does not seem to be about the kids anymore only the coaches and to some extent the parents
Pam
7:23 pm on Wednesday, June 22, 2011
I agree a lot gets lost in the winning of the game that teh kids are the ones that suffer!
Debbie Boenisch
8:43 pm on Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Lets see the emails...
Nathan Curby
8:22 pm on Thursday, June 23, 2011
Again, thanks to everyone leaving comments. We are still working on getting interviews with the Rock-n-Fire coach and a member of the league's board of directors. We will update the story with a new article as soon as we are able. Once again, if any parents, coaches, board members or anyone else involved is willing to speak on the record, please email me at nathan.curby@gmail.com.
Rachael Weaver
10:35 pm on Thursday, June 23, 2011
Hello, I'd like to shed some light on this topic. My younger sister is on the Valkyries, along with my pitcher's younger sister, and this team is coached by my assistant coach. I may only be a teenager, but I must say that the facts are all jumbled up. I was there Friday night once the game got rained out. The rescheduled championship was supposed to be 6:00pm for Rock N Fire vs Valkyries, and 8:00pm for Toxic vs Cavaliers. The head coach of Rock N Fire couldn't do 6:00pm so she said they'd have to do 8:00pm giving the 16U teams the 6:00pm slot. Of course the 16U coaches couldn't do 6:00pm so we got special permission from the league to play on Tuesday. There's honestly no point in appealing the forfeit, the season is over. Look at the Valkyries record, and the scores in the games. I don't think winning by 20 runs over Rock N Fire is considered barely a victory for the Valkyries.The Valkyries have the best pitcher in 12u along with one of the most dynamic infields and the two fastest runners in the league. There was no way the Valkyries couldn't and wouldn't win. The Valkyries earned their win, and anyone who says so differently is wrong because I was also there on Monday when the game was forfeited, and even though they didn't have to,the Valkyries still played ball against my 16U team, The Cavaliers. No one deserves this title more than Coach Kyle Austin and his team. They were shoe in champions even before the game,not because of their talent but because of their hearts.
Sherri Childs
6:39 pm on Sunday, June 26, 2011
Your entitled to your opinion young lady; but the Rock N' Fire parents just wanted a chance for their girls to play win or lose.
jane horesky
10:06 am on Sunday, June 26, 2011
How fitting for Rachael weavers comment "They were shoe in champions even before the game".
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the first use of the term in print dates back to 1928. A "shoo in" was originally a horse that was expected to win a race, not by virtue of its speed or endurance, but because the race was fixed.
Nathan Curby
11:33 am on Monday, June 27, 2011
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