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Training for Softball
As a kid growing up, I was undersized and not exactly the most fl eet of foot. I learned early on if I wanted to be successful in sports, I had to work harder than the next guy. When I started playing tournament softball that is exactly the mindset I carried both on and off the field.
My conditioning recipe was strength training in the gym and countless hours of batting practice. When I trained with weights, I had only one goal, and that was to become as strong and explosive as possible. I did not care about developing beach muscles as I felt that muscle size should only be a byproduct of strength (not vice versa). I do not play much any more and my training methods have changed, but I wanted the focus of this article to be about training and preparation for softball. Since there are so many different approaches and methods to accomplishing peak preparation, I decided to showcase the training tactics from a few of police softball’s most talented and accomplished players.
By: Jeff Blair
SoftBall Magazine Issue 2, 2015

Police Softball World Series X
The end of the 2014 season marked the 10-year anniversary of the Police Softball World Series. Those who have been along for the ride since the first World Series have seen it grow from 32 teams in Palm Springs to a record 70 teams in Las Vegas. For the first year ever, the Open Division (Majors/Gold) completely sold out at 60 teams. Majors featured the 24 best teams in the nation, whereas the Gold Division was larger, boasting 36 teams. It was once again a bat-provided event courtesy of Brett Helmer and Easton Sports, Denny Crine and Miken, and Police Softball Hall of Famer Terry Dugan, who provided DeMarini bats courtesy of his Lockdown Sports business.
The opening ceremony was the best-attended to date as the Big League Dreams facility reported a gate tally of more than 1,200. The Home Run Derby came down to two relatively unknown players to the circuit. Team Louisiana slugger Dustin Lavergne emerged from the pack to represent the East Conference, while Nitro2Go rookie LuisVelasquez came out on top to represent the West Conference. In their head-to-head matchup, Velasquez’s power was too much for Lavergneto overcome and Velasquez was declared "King". Later, King Velasquez and Lavergne teamed up in a "Pros vs. Joes" contest against Denny Crine (Miken) and Bryson Baker (Easton). The Pros put on a fireworks display, which only solidified why they get paid to play and the Joes are cops.
By: Jeff Blair
SoftBall Magazine Issue 1, 2015

PoliceSoftball.com World Series Moments
In 2005 the national police softball world was brought together when policesoftball.com came into existence. For the first time, police teams from all across the country could now communicate. Of course, all this communication quickly devolved into a lot of bragging and wondering about who had the best teams in the nation. The talk was so prevalent that we, the creators of policesoftball.com, decided to host the first-ever Police World Series that would truly pit the best teams from throughout the nation against each together.
In 2005 the national police softball world was brought together when policesoftball.com came into existence. For the first time, police teams from all across the country could now communicate. Of course, all this communication quickly devolved into a lot of bragging and wondering about who had the best teams in the nation. The talk was so prevalent that we, the creators of policesoftball.com, decided to host the first-ever Police World Series that would truly pit the best teams from throughout the nation against each together. With a lot of guidance and advice from Gene Smith of SoftballMagazine, the World Series got off the ground and has been a big success ever since. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the WorldSeries. Along the way there have been some moments we truly cherish from the event. Some amazed us, some made us laugh, and some made us cry. We thought about all the memories from the event over the years and we posted a poll on policesoftball.com to determine the top 10 moments in the history of the Police WorldSeries, and here they are:
By: Jeff Blair
SoftBall Magazine Issue 4, 2014

2014 Mid-Season Report
In the police softball circuit there seems to be two distinct seasons every year. The beginning of the calendar year is loaded with early spring tournaments that tend to draw teams out of hibernation.These are the tournaments that create a buzz because teams are unveiling new players, new uniforms and establishing themselves in the national rankings.
Come summer there is a lull that creates a “dog days of summer” vibe. The excitement of the new season has passed and teams seemto let off the gas and coast for a bit. Then come mid-late summer the second season kicks off as teams scramble to preparefor the World Series (early October).
By: Jeff Blair
SoftBall Magazine Issue 3, 2014

3n2/D2E Lawmen
I received the phone call on a Sunday afternoon in January 2012. It was from an old friend of mine who had his finger on the pulse of the cop softball circuit as he knew all the inner workings of teams, particularly those based in the Southeast. He wished to remain anonymous, so for purposes of this article I will refer to him as Confidential Informant #612. (This is cop jargon as we typically refer to our CI’s by number when authoring police reports.)
He told me about a juggernaut that was going to bereleased on the circuit that season and he promised they would immediately be a top-caliber team. As amatter of fact, he boasted that by mid-year they wouldleapfrog the then-defending world champion GreatLakes Lawmen. The team would be nown as theDown2Earth/D2E Lawmen based out of South Florida.
By: Jeff Blair
SoftBall Magazine Issue 2, 2014

Police Softball World Series IX
Big League Dreams Las Vegas played host to the Police Softball World Series, which drew 71 law enforcement teams and more than 1,000 players from 30-plus states. The word “World” in World Series was appropriate in that there were three Canadian teams participating—Toronto Police Softball, Prince Albert Police and the Regina Cyclones.
The tournament was dedicated to Detroit Police Officer Pat Hill, who in 2011 was the starting third baseman for the Great Lakes Lawmen during their epic world championship run.
By: Jeff Blair
SoftBall Magazine Issue 1, 2014

Blair, Pickney Help Take Police Softball To New Heights
For Blair and Pickney, passion drives them every day in their jobs with the Tustin Police Department. Protecting And Assisting the citizens of Tustin has become the career work for both men, who realize how important the need for teamwork and communication within the department is in order to serve the public to the best of their ability. The same can be said regarding every aspect of their lives, which includes their families, their hobbies, and their devotion to making police softball the remarkable success it has become on the national level.
SoftBall Magazine Issue 3, 2013

Chicago Metro
One of my favorite teams in the police softball circuit is Chicago Metro and there are many reasons for this.
For example, Chicago Metro travels extensively and supports many tournaments throughout the nation. Chicago Metro tends to seek out tournaments that draw highcaliber teams, and even if they are outgunned, they never shy away from a challenge. You won’t hear a Chicago Metro player complaining about having to play one of the monster teams in the circuit; instead, you will see them lace up the cleats and go to work. Lastly, they have what could be described as the strongest fan base in the nation.
By: Jeff Blair
SoftBall Magazine Issue 2, 2013

8th Annual Police Softball World Series
The 8th Annual Police Softball World Series was hosted once again by www.policesoftball.com at the Big League Dreams facility in Las Vegas, Nevada, during the second weekend of October.
The tournament has grown every year, starting with 32 teams in 2005 and swelling to 73 teams in 2012. Unfortunately, the open division is capped and for the fi rst time ever teams were turned away for failing to qualify before the deadline. The biggest change was the switch to a provided-bat tournament.
By: Jeff Blair
SoftBall Magazine Issue 1, 2013

2012 Season Awards
In 2006, policesoftball.com started a tradition of honoring the end-of-season award winners at the Police Softball World Series.
The winners are introduced on the field during the event’s opening ceremony and it is patterned after the festivities associated with Major League Baseball, college football, and other high-ranking athletic associations. Nominations are solicited and those who ultimately are selected are announced just prior to the World Series on the www.policesoftball.com website.
By: Jeff Blair
SoftBall Magazine Issue 4, 2012

Team Profile: SoCAl Alliance / Team Easton
In 2002 Softball Magazine profiled a relatively new team on the police softball circuit called the Orange County Alliance.
At the time the Alliance had just won their first big tournament and things were looking good for the new kids on the block who had officially formed in 2001. Fast forward ten years to 2012. The now-veteran Alliance team has expanded their territory and became the SoCal Alliance. With several players from NorCal on the team, the Alliance is truly a state-wide team but have stayed true to their So-Cal roots and kept the current name and color (orange for Orange County).
By: Jeff Blair
SoftBall Magazine Issue 3, 2012

2012 Season Preview
When I was a teenager back in the early 80’s there was a song they played on a local Los Angeles radio station by a little known new-wave band called The Nails, titled ''88 Lines about 44 Women.'' In the spirit of that song, here is my 2012 police softball season preview. I call it ''88 Lines about 44 Teams.'' The teams are listed in
By: Jeff Blair
SoftBall Magazine Issue 2, 2012

Policesoftball.com World Series VII
This year marked the seventh Policesoftball.com World Series which was hosted at the Big League Dreams facility in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Although there are some basic aspects of the World Series that will never change, there is always something new each year and this year was no exception.
By: Jeff Blair
SoftBall Magazine Issue 1, 2012

2011 Season Recap and a look at the Upcoming Policesoftball.Com World Series
The Policesoftball.Com World Series in October draws teams from all over the nation to Las Vegas in order to battle it out on the ball field with hopes of being declared world champions.
By: Jeff Blair
SoftBall Magazine Issue 4, 2011

NYPD Blues 9-11 Memorial Tournament
This year the tournament was dedicated to remembering the officers lost on 9-11.
There is a long history of tradition in police work and many of our traditions date back hundreds of years. One rather new and sad tradition is honoring our dead from the terrorist attacks which occurred on September 11, 2001.
By: Jeff Blair, Del Pickney and Rick Tirelli with Photos by Brian Caron
SoftBall Magazine Issue 3, 2011

West Palm Beach Tournament Recap
Generally speaking the policesoftball.com circuit is divided with teams either being classified as East or West based on geography. Typically West teams play in tournaments held in California or Nevada.
By: Jeff Blair
SoftBall Magazine Issue 2, 2011

Policesoftball.com World Series VI
The Policesoftball.com World Series VI was held at a new venue in October after spending five successful years in Cathedral City, California. The brand new Big League Dreams facility in Las Vegas, Nevada was simply too enticing to pass up as it offered the most state-ofthe-art softball complex in the nation.
By: Jeff Blair
SoftBall Magazine Issue 1, 2011

Policesoftball.com/Easton Summer Classic
Official Cop Corner column for this issue.
The Policesoftball.com/Easton Summer Classic was played on July 31st through August 1st at the Big League Dreams venue in Mira Loma, California. The Inland Empire area of Southern California is usually very hot this time of the year, but as luck would have it, the conditions were fairly mild.
By: Jeff Blair
SoftBall Magazine Issue 4, 2010

SoCal Alliance v. Dynasty 6
Special Report from Del Pickney for this issue.
I coach the SoCal Alliance men’s slow pitch police softballteam. I have been fortunate to have enjoyed some successwith my team as they are frequently a top contenderand have won two PoliceSoftball.com World Series titles.Recently I was challenged to a game by the Dynasty 6 professionalfast pitch team.
By: Del Pickney
SoftBall Magazine Issue 3, 2010

Young Guns: Part Deux
Young Guns, Class of 2010
In my September 2006 installment of the Cop Corner I wrote about rising stars in the law enforcement softball circuit. I titled the article, ''Young Guns'' and provided some profiles on some youngsters who were in a position to usher in the next wave of elite players in our game. Now, approximately four years later I am going to revisit that concept by introducing you to some new up-n-comers and give you a snapshot of what has become of our first crop of ''Young Guns.''
SoftBall Magazine Issue 2, 2010

World Series V
Cathedral City, Ca
The 5th Policesoftball.com/Easton World Series was once again held at the Big League Dreams facility in Cathedral City, Ca. The event capped an outstanding year of law enforcement softball where many different teams shared the spotlight at any given time. Although there were over 50 teams from all across the county competing, New York Metro, Jacksonville PSC, Minnesota Lawmen and the Michigan Lawmen seemed to be the consensus favorites for the East while the reigning two-time defending champions the SoCal Alliance, along with former champs Cal-Quake and the red-hot HardCor teams were clear-cut favorites in the West.
SoftBall Magazine Issue 1, 2010

2009 Season Preview from A-Z
The law enforcement softball circuit is a microcosm of Major League Baseball.
Just like the MLB we have our ample share of disputes, drama and egos. The ''hot stove'' was sizzling all off-season with talks of player movement, team mergers and speculation into all things deemed worthy of speculating about. That being said I want to share my A to Z all-inclusive 2009 ''hot stove'' synopsis and season preview with you.
By: Jeff Blair
SoftBall Magazine Issue 2, 2009

PoliceSoftball.com World Series IV
Welcome to the 2009 season! This is the official PoliceSoftball.com World Series IV report.
The event was once again held at the Big League Dreams facility in Cathedral City, California in October 2008 and it once again featured the fifty best teams in the law enforcement circuit. Every year the event has grown and drawn more national exposure and this year was no different.
By: Jeff Blair
SoftBall Magazine Issue 1, 2009

2008 Season Finale
SoftBall Magazine Issue 6, 2008

Wouters/Sawyers Memorial Coverage
SoftBall Magazine Issue 5, 2008

Wall Street Report
SoftBall Magazine Issue 4, 2008

Bring UR Real Skilz
Buyer Alert...
SoftBall Magazine Issue 3, 2008

2008 Season Preview
SoftBall Magazine Issue 2, 2008

The 2007 PoliceSoftball.com World Series
SoftBall Magazine Issue 1, 2008

Shevy Wright: 2007 Policesoftball.com Sportsman of the Year
SoftBall Magazine 2007

Law Enforcement Tournament Results
SoftBall Magazine 2007

Team Profile: New York Police Department Blues
SoftBall Magazine 2007

TheOutfielders
SoftBall Magazine 2007

The Fashion Police
SoftBall Magazine 2007

2006 Policesoftball.com World Series
SoftBall Magazine 2007

Inagural Hall of Fame Class
SoftBall Magazine 2006

The Heavyweights
SoftBall Magazine 2006

Young Guns
SoftBall Magazine 2006

PS.com Hall of Fame
SoftBall Magazine 2006

Eligibility Debate
SoftBall Magazine 2006

PS.com 2005 World Series
SoftBall Magazine 2006

The Shot Callers
SoftBall Magazine 2005

Jacksonville PD Softball
SoftBall Magazine 2005

Mid-Summer Report
SoftBall Magazine 2005

Profile: Michigan Lawmen
SoftBall Magazine 2005

Great Double Play Combos
SoftBall Magazine 2005

World Series of Police Softball
SoftBall Magazine 2005

Tribute To The Field Maestros
SoftBall Magazine 2005

Profile: TPS Lawmen
SoftBall Magazine 2005

Cop Corner Goes Hi-Tech
SoftBall Magazine 2005

State of the Union
SoftBall Magazine 2004

Chicks Dig The Long Ball
SoftBall Magazine 2004

Profile: Minnesota Lawmen
SoftBall Magazine 2004

16th Annual Palm Springs POA Tournament
SoftBall Magazine 2004

Profile: SBSD
SoftBall Magazine 2004

Profile: United States Border Patrol Heat
SoftBall Magazine 2004

A Tribute To The Other Men & Women In Blue
SoftBall Magazine 2004

Profile: Officer's Only - Renton, Washington
SoftBall Magazine 2004

Profile: OCSD Hitmen
SoftBall Magazine 2003

Profile: NYPD Metro
SoftBall Magazine 2003

Profile: Scorpions
SoftBall Magazine 2003

Profile: NorCal Quake
SoftBall Magazine 2003

Profile: LA County Fire & Ice
SoftBall Magazine 2003

Upcoming Tournaments
SoftBall Magazine 2003

Profile: Culver City
SoftBall Magazine 2002

Profile: LAPD Blue
SoftBall Magazine 2002

Profile: OC/SoCal Alliance
SoftBall Magazine 2002

Profile: DEA Combo
SoftBall Magazine 2002

POLICESOFTBALL.COM WORLD SERIES XIX
Host: policesoftball.com
Oct 10-13, 2024
Big League Dreams Complex LAS VEGAS, NV.
John Scollo Memorial/Space Coast Bash
Host: South Florida Lawmen
April 4-5, 2024 (Thu-Fri)
Space Coast Facility MELBOURNE, FL.
West Coast Championship
Host: Policesoftball.com
June 1 & 2, 2024
Sportsplex USA in San Diego County, Ca.
52nd Annual NPSC- East Coast Championship
Host: Kentucky Blue
June 22-23, 2024
Union County Complex, MARYSVILLE, OHIO
51st Annual NPSC
Show Me Classic
Host: Missouri Lawmen
Aug 9-10, 2024
O'Fallen Family Sports Park ST. LOUIS, MO.
Keepers of the Peace National Police Softball Championship
Host: San Antonio Lawmen
Sept 6-7, 2024
Waxahachie, Texas
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