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IMPACT GIRLS SOFTBALL CLUB
Originally:
1998 Cerritos Girls All-Stars 14U
9th Place Western All-Star Nationals
First Travelball:
1998 Winter Cerritos Impact Select Team
Established:
Jan 1999 Impact Girls Softball Club
Nick Names:
1999-2001 The Impact
2002 Cal Impact
2003- Orange County Impact
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 | | IMPACT 2000 WESTERN NATIONALS |  |
IN THE BEGINNING...
| |  | | 2001 IMPACT GIRLS SOFTBALL CLUB |
THE IMPACT was first envisioned in the spring of 1998 by a bright and determined woman named Gail Roussell. She joined forces with two other bright and determined parents named Judy Goberdhan and Cheryl Haines, and together they formed the vision that was to eventually become Impact. All had daughters belonging to the Cerritos Girls Softball Rec League in the 14 & Under Division. They wanted to provide their daughters with the opportunity to play at a higher level of softball so they could be prepared for high school ball. This team would consist of Cerritos Softball Players, friends, all with the same goals in mind. The team would begin play following All-Stars and play into December. Selected and invited to coach the team were Dave Johnson and Dale Haines, and as fate would have it, they would become the Cerritos All-Star coaches and the All-Star Team would eventually become Cerritos Impact.
1998 was a banner year for Cerritos as their 14 & Under All-Star team advanced through the powerful Central Region and Southern California State to the Class B Nationals being held in Oakdale, California. The team tied for 9th, the only 14 & Under team from Cerritos to ever advance to ASA Nationals. This team then continued to play as a 14 & Under travel team through the winter of 1998 as Cerritos Impact. In December of 1998, The Impact Girls Softball Club was officially proposed and 9 of the Cerritos Impact All-Stars committed to the 1999 season.
In January of 1999 The IMPACT GIRLS SOFTBALL CLUB was formed to play 16 & Under (despite being made up of 13 & 14 year olds). The 3 open roster positions were filled through selective recruiting. To secure fields the team returned to its roots, affiliating itself with Buena Park Bobby Sox (many of the girls had began playing softball in the Buena Park Organization). Impact began play in June of 1999 as a Bobby Sox Prep team. In July they entered their first ASA tournament. All did not go well. Through their first three tournaments they compiled a record of 1 win, 10 losses. and 1 tie. However, in their fourth tournament they turned a corner advancing to the quarter finals and having beaten the Case Batbusters during pool play, The following week Impact participated in the Bobby Sox Nationals and won the 16 & Under Prep Division going undefeated. They finished the year with 40 Wins, 33 Losses, and 3 ties.
In the Year 2000, The Impact broke loose. Returning 11 of 12 players, they reached the finals of 6 tournaments, winning 2 of them (Big Bear Summit Classic and Punishers Labor Day Bash). The high light of the year was a second place finish at the Western States Nationals in Kingman, Arizona. By virtue of this finish The Impact qualified for the 2001 16 & Under Nationals. The year ended with the Impact having a record of 62 wins, 31 losses, 7 ties. In their last 60 games their record was 42 wins, 13 losses, and 5 ties (including 9 wins, 3 losses, and 1 tie against 18 & Under teams).
 | | 2001 CHRISTMAS | |
ASA NATIONALS
2001 was an exciting year as the team competed against the absolute best in 16, 18 and 18 Gold divisions. Great games and wonderful tournaments became the hallmark with finishes including 2nd place in the Orange County Batbusters Gold Women's Open Tournament and the Artesia Punisher's Summer Slam Championship. The Impact also made its first appearance at the ASA Nationals going 3 wins & 3 losses with a placing of 33rd (out of 96 qualified out of 3000 who tried). While this place in itself was disappointing, everyone was pleased with the heart and dedication of our team. With the completion of the ASA Nationals The Impact officially became an 18 Under team with a 2nd place finish in the Big Bear Summit Classic. Final record for 2001... 65 wins, 27 losses, 11 ties.
2002 would prove to be the final year for the team with the humble beginnings. With Tournament Championships at the San Clemente's Bash at the Beach and the Artesia Punisher's Summer Onslaught, this was by far The Impact's most exciting team erupting for runs like an exploding volcano. You just never knew when The Impact was going to let loose causing the other team to wonder what had just happened. It was also a frustrating year in that the team suffered through 7 injuries and the loss of 5 pitchers. Despite being down to 1 pitcher and 8 players the team toughed out a 9th place finish at the Triple Crown World Series in Steamboat Springs. The final record for 2002... 34 wins, 18 losses, 4 ties.
Everyone who ever participated on this, the Original Impact, is now and always a member of The Impact family. With the girls moving on to college an era has ended. So much fun and so many memories. However, time never stands still. We must always be ready for the changing winds, and so it is with Impact. 2003 sees the beginning of a new era with the formation of Impact 14 and Under. A new batch of innocent faces, a new story to be written... lightning can strike twice!
 | | 2002 IMPACT LAS VEGAS |
THE STORY CONTINUES...
In January of 2003 the new Impact 14 & Under Team selected 14 girls (2 actually joined following the end of the high school season) to continue The Impact Tradition of quality and passionate softball. Much like the original team, times were tough at first. Refusing to duck traditional powerhouses, the new Orange County Impact purposely sought out the toughest opponents they could find. January's record... 2 wins, 6 loses, 1 tie. Times continued to be tough through the spring as losses began to mount. By the end of April Impact's record was 10 wins, 26 loses, 4 ties. Despite this disparity, the team had shown tremendous improvement. In May it all began to turn around. The Impact ended the month with a 3rd place finish in the Camarillo Blast AFA Qualifier and a record of 9 wins, 6 loses, 1 tie. Through June the team continued playing competitive ball but it was not until July that they turned the corner when in the 4th of July Tournament OC Impact tied the USA A's (12&U ASA National Champions 2003), beat the Squeeze (4th place 14&U Triple Crown 2003), and lost to Minor's Gold in a tough game (3rd place 14&U ASA Nationals 2003). This started a trend and OC Impact's record in July & August was 17 wins, 7 loses, 2 ties. The turn around was completed with a tournament championship in the Big Bear Summit Classic where Impact outscored its opponents 58 to 4. Final 14 & Under record... 42 wins, 48 loses, 9 ties. Quite a come back for a team that started with only 10 wins in 40 games. With the ending of the 2003 summer, OC Impact has decided to move up to 16 & Under softball.
 | | 2003 IMPACT BIG BEAR |
A NEW CHAPTER
The winter of 2003 produced mixed results. Playing a mixed schedule of 14U & 16U The Impact produced a 5th Place finish out of 28 teams at The High Desert Classic in Barstow CA (October) and a 5th Place finish out of 24 teams at the Triple Crown Winter Championships in Downey CA (December). However, these excellent finishes bookended a dismal November which saw a 3 weekend stretch where Impact went 1 win and 11 losses. Still, Impact finished the winter season with 29 wins, 23 losses, 5 ties. This gave OC Impact a final 2003 record of 71-71-14 and their initial 16U record was 14-14-3. A long season to be sure, full of peaks and valleys, but the amount of improvement and potential this young and inexperienced team showed gave hope to an exciting and rewarding 2004.
WE RISK FAILURE BECAUSE WE DARE TO SUCCEED!
IMPACT - FEEL THE FORCE!
 | | OC IMPACT 2004 | |
A SEASONED TEAM
| |  | | WESTERN NATIONALS - SACRAMENTO 2004 ASA 16U |
OC Impact 2004 struggled early as its pitchers needed time to adjust against club teams after facing weaker high school teams. With pitching being one of the expected strengths of this Impact Team there were moments of doubt, but there were also flashes of the promise expected of this young team. They continued to be inconsistent through the month of June where they lost to the American A's twice (5-0 & 7-2) but finished 5th out of 28 teams in the Las Vegas JO Classic. Following this tournament Impact played a great game against the powerhouse California Raiders (14U 2004 ASA National Champions) in which Impact surrendered a 1-0 lead in the top of the last inning only to find itself with runners on 1st and 2nd, 1 out, and its 4 and 5 hitters due up when the game was called because of time. The resulting score (2-1 Raiders or 1-0 Impact, depending how you look at it) suggested the Impact was ready to take its place among the best team teams in Southern California. The following week held nothing but disappointment as Impact exited the ASA 16U So Cal State Tournament in 17th place out of 48 teams. Impact ended June with a disappointing record of 12 wins - 15 losses - 3 ties. However, as is the trademark of Impact Teams they did not give up. They continued to practice, work hard, set goals and developed plans to achieve those goals, and with the coming of July they finally clicked. The Impact Team began to play ball. Impact opened July with a win over the West Fargo Packers High School Team, a visiting State Champion from North Dakota, a team Impact hosted during their stay in California. They experience was great and the Impact Team bonded, grew excited about playing softball. This began a 10 game winning streak that included a perfect 6-0 record in the Mirage Pre-Nationals Tournament and Impacts first Nationals Berth (2005 AFA). Impact continued the excellent play right into August and the 16U Western Nationals in Sacramento where out of 66 teams Impact finished 4th. It was a great tournament with great moments that capped a July/August record of 20 wins - 7 losses - 1 tie. Impact's final summer record was 32 wins - 22 losses - 4 ties. More importantly, Impact had become a good team with expectations of greatness. A right they earned on the softball field.
 | | WESTERN NATIONALS - ROSEVILLE 2004 ASA 16U |
ONE OF THE ELITE
| |  | | OC IMPACT COACHING STAFF 2004 |
Impact has come to think of itself as one of the elite teams in Southern California. True, it has not won a National Championship, and true, it has not sustained a dominating record against the best the softball world has to offer. But to become one of the best Impact feels you must believe in yourself. Then you have to set out to prove it. The Impact Team began the winter season doing just that, dominating weaker teams and when facing the best playing hard fought games where they won just as many as they lost. Impact's winter record into the middle of November was 21 wins - 6 losses - 4 ties. Against quality opposition Impact's record was 6 wins - 5 losses - 3 ties. Hardly dominating, but against the best, respectable. With a 5th place finish (out of 15 teams) in the tough Batbuster October Showcase Tournament and a 3rd place finish in the South Bay Turkey Bash (disappointing, but it did earn Impact its 2nd Nationals Berth, 2005 Triple Crown World Series), Impact prepared for their toughest tests yet... the powerhouse Batbuster Thanksgiving Showcase Tournament and then their first 18U event, the Punishers Thanksgiving Tournament.
Despite rain and cold weather Impact met the new challenge with energy and vigor. In the Batbuster Showcase Impact went 3 wins - 2 losses - 1 tie, and were disappointed with the result. Despite the winning record they knew they had not played their best ball. With confidence they begin play in their first 18U tournament and the results were spectacular. Impact won its pool going undefeated and outscoring their opponents 21-0. They continued their excellent play into the elimination round and won their first 3 games before falling to the Artesia Punishers (champion of the 2004 18U Western Nationals). Out of 20 teams Impact finished 3rd, won 6 games against 1 loss, defeated 2 gold teams, and outscored their opponents 39-8. Impact finished with a winter record of 34 wins - 10 losses - 5 ties. Perhaps more telling is Impact's record since July 1, 54 wins - 17 losses - 6 ties and outscoring the opposition 345 to 131. Impact's final record for 2004... 66 wins - 32 losses - 9 ties, with National Berths earned for the 2005 AFA Championship and Triple Crown World Series.
 | | ORANGE COUNTY IMPACT CHRISTMAS 2004 |
REBUILDING
|  | | IMPACT 2005 |
2005 began with the unexpected loss of key players. What looked like Impact's Big Year suddenly became the year of rebuilding. Emergency tryouts filled the roster and good luck smiled upon the Impact as some quality ball players donned the Black & Gold. Still, it was a tipsy curvy year and the team never really gelled. Couple that with illness in the coaching ranks and a sudden jump to 18U and consistency became the teams hallmark. Still, as bad as some weekends were, others were just as good. An 11 game winning streak was offset by an 8 game losing streak. An 0-4 weekend which included a 16 to 1 drubbing at the hands of the Batbusters was followed up by a 5th Place finish at 18A ASA State. This all led to a 32-26-2 record. As the summer closed there was no question the team was in need of a facelift.
With several players gone, Impact found itself questioning what direction it needed to go. Fortunately, the core of players who remained were solid ball players and more importantly, good people. Impact took its time finding just the right players to go with them and though it took its lumps in the process, the team finally had the look envisioned by the coaching staff. The winter ended with a flourish of wins and a 51-50-6 record. More importantly, despite many new faces and personalities, the OC Impact became a true team. Lookout 2006, this may be the best Impact team yet. With this cast of characters it certainly promises to be one of the most enjoyable.
 | | JANUARY 2006 |
A GREAT TEAM
As promised, in the Summer 2006 OC Impact fielded one of its best teams ever. Though they fell short of their ultimate goal, that of attending ASA Nationals, they did have a Summer Record of 46 wins - 11 losses - 5 ties and outscored their opponents 323 to 121. They topped off the Summer with a great Western Nationals Tournament in Phoenix where they finished 3rd with an 8-2 record. However, despite the wins, this summer will always be remember for the friendships developed. Never had an Impact Team been closer or enjoyed each others company as much. The wins made us feel good about ourselves but the team camaraderie made it memorable and without question worthwhile.
GOING GOLD
In the Fall of 2006 Impact played exclusively in the Gold Division. There were mixed results early as Impact tested new players seeking to fill the shoes of key ball players off to college. But as things got sorted out the Impact settled down and began to play solid softball. Closing out the year with a successful 5 wins & 0 losses Batbuster November Showcase and Tournament CO-Champions of the Artesia Punishers Christmas Tournament Impact finished with a Fall record of 23-12-6 bringing their final over-all 2006 record to 78-28-13. This success, the addition of 2 Gold proven pitchers as 2007 begins, and questionable changes in the Fall college recruiting calendar has led to the decision to take the final step... IMPACT IS GOING GOLD! 2007 here we come!
 | | CHANELLE & SUBIA IN VEGAS |
GOLD DEBUT
2007... what a year! Nichole pitching 5 games in 20 degree weather in Las Vegas. Sunny’s walk off homerun to eliminate TNL in the Lancaster Gold Regional Qualifier. The infamous Tiger-Balm game in which we eliminated Minor’s Gold and their Georgia bound pitcher in the Roseville Gold Sector Qualifier. How about Kim’s tying homerun against the Condors Women’s Team allowing us to eliminate them in ITB at the Worth Challenge Cup. And who can forget those 2 games at Women’s Nationals against the Outten Trailblazers and their beer drinking chain smoking strong armed homerun hitting catcher. Congratulations to Nichelle, Marissa, Ashton & Grace for making the Womens All-American Team! For the last several years this group of girls, this team, was one of the best things all of us had going in our lives. It is sad to think it is now beginning to end. However, it is only one chapter in the Impact history.
This fall Impact added several ball players who have the character and ability to continue the Impact tradition of quality competitive softball that is fun to play & fun to watch. Their perseverance and tenacity in the face of an injury decimated pitching staff and a revolving door of players because of rebuilding, school commitments, and more injuries was inspiring. The end result… finishing the last two fall events with 5 wins, 2 losses, 1 tie, including eliminating the 18a National Champion Punishers from their own Christmas tournament. Impact is ready to write another historic chapter.
Overall record 68 wins 38 losses 7 ties. Summer Gold record 33 wins 14 losses 3 ties. Two 12th place finishes at qualifiers having 70 teams each and an exciting 3rd place finish at Womens Nationals in Prescott, Arizona. Go Impact!
 | | 2007 SUMMER GOLD |
NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
 With the loss of key pitching and catching to age and the injuries sustained by #1 pitcher Kelli Panter during her college season at Fairfield, 2008 began with doubts and concerns. Would there be enough hitting? Was the pitching good enough? Pitching had its problems with Baby-T often having to carry the team all by herself early in the season. Pitching 3 games in 100+ temperatures in Vegas on a Sunday and winning 2 of them was only one of the grueling days she had to endure. However, the offense was a different story as this turned out to be one of the best hitting teams Impact ever fielded. Averaging over 5 runs per game against top gold teams they hit their way to a summer record of 39 wins, 20 losses, 3 ties. The offense carried Impact through the summer which included a 3-2 record at the exciting Gold Regional in Lancaster (17th place out of 99 teams) and a 5-0-1 record at the So Cal Rebels Best of the West where they out scored their opponents 39 to 6. Despite this wonderful offense and its multitude of homerun hitters it was pitching that finally lead the team to their greatest accomplishment.
ASA WOMEN'S NATIONAL CHAMPIONS !!! OC IMPACT !!!
OC Impact Gold picked up 3 Impact Alumni and won the 2008 ASA Women's B National Championship in Salem, Oregon August 8-10. Nichole Parada won 3 games while giving up no runs. She was named tournament MVP. Impact was undefeated, beating Suzie's Yoties of Idaho in the championship game 5-0. 10 players were named to the All-American Team. Impact prepared for the tournament by playing in the So Cal Adult Worth Challenge Tournament in Riverside where they placed 4th out of 14 teams and in pool play defeated the ASA Major Division National Champions Hurricanes.
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IMPACT RELOADED
In the Fall of 1998 Impact was born. In the Fall of 2002 Impact was reborn. Now, in the Fall of 2008, with only 3 returners, it is time for Impact to reload and shape a new identity. As with the original Impact, the gold team that gave us so many thrills the last 2 years has moved on to college (and will compete as a Women's Team in 2009). But Impact continues. New faces promise new stories, new challenges, new successes and we are excited to continue the Impact experience. As it was before them the new Impact's beginning has been filled with ups and downs. But as it has always been, we risk failure because we dare to succeed, and with the right attutude we cannot be stopped. We write a new chapter in the Impact history and we expect it to be glorious.
From Michael Jordan
"YOU HAVE TO EXPECT THINGS OF YOURSELF BEFORE YOU CAN DO THEM."
PERSEVERANCE PAYS OFF
NATIONAL CHAMPIONS 2009
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| IMPACT 18U - WOMEN'S B NATIONAL CHAMPIONS |
ASA WOMEN'S NATIONAL CHAMPIONS !!! OC IMPACT !!!
In 2009 OC Impact entered 2 teams in the ASA Women's Nations and for the second straight year OC Impact came away with a National Championship. Make that 2 National Championships as the Impact Women's Team won Division A and the Impact 18U won Division B.
The Women's Team, the 2008 Div B Champs faced Redrum-Cougars, the 2007 Div B Champs in a best of 3 championship series. Impact dominated the series with an opening 4-1 victory behind the pitching of Allison Garcia and then clinching the championship with a 6-0 shutout pitched by Nichole Parada. Impact's Brittany Spalding and Ashton Hinds (who lead off game 2 with a home run) shared the Tournament Hitting Crown while Ashton Hinds was selected Tournament MVP.
OC Impact 18U was given the task of defending Impact's Div B championship and they did not disappoint. Impact swept thru the tournament undefeated including 2 thrilling victories over the heavily favored So Cal Breakers. The championship game featured the pitching of Brianne Hardman who only allowed 1 batter to reach base in the last 5 innings, great team defense (including catcher Dayna Douglas throwing out 3 runners trying to steal), and the game winning hit of Ashley Olson in the 8th inning (International Tie Breaker).
OC IMPACT 18U MOVES TO OC DYNASTY
FALL 2009 OC IMPACT IS NOW OC DYNASTY!
OC DYNASTY 18U http://www.eteamz.com/ocdynastyimpact
OC IMPACT WOMEN http://www.eteamz.com/OCIMPACT/
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