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Show 0 4 ' A i. Nr;; . s :r-v- r v ill M -ik V ' V Representatives from the Layton City Recreation fourth and fifth grade league and tournament championship teams demonstrate the pitching machine that is used to help these young girls develop batting and fielding skills. Pictured are Leigh Johnson, Beth Mathie, Erinn Andrews, Nicole Nielson, Amber Barker, Raquel Adams, Shalise Bennett, and Michelle Manzi. Layton Rec's pitching machine improves quality of Softball have six girls. I plan on being in the program a long time and I hope the pitching machine will continue to be used," Mrs. Adams concluded. Mrs. Johnson noted in three years there has never been an injury in-jury caused by a pitched ball-in the fourth and fifth grade level. No one has ever fallen into the machine either. Her only complaint in the area of accident potential is the quality of some of the school grounds' playing fields. "We need more facilities in Layton," she stated. There are 15 teams in two leagues in the fourth and fifth grade girls softball program. Each team consists con-sists of about 14 girls. By DONETA GATHERUM LAYTON Picture a girls soft- . ball game where no one walks or gets hit by a pitched ball. There is constant action as the 10 and 11-year-olds strike out, hit long balls, even into right field, and make impressive im-pressive fielding plays. According to Janet Johnson, Layton City Recreation Athletic director, this exciting style of soft-ball soft-ball happens when a pitching machine is used. Mrs. Johnson saw the pitching machine Layton City uses for their fourth and fifth grade girls fast pitch softball league advertised in a sports magazine. It impressed her. She called Norma Carr from the University of Utah to get another O expert opinion about the machine. Ms. Carr said no one in Utah or the surrounding region was using this machine but that she believed it would be a valuable asset to the recreation program, especially for younger athletes. Three years ago Layton City purchased pur-chased two pitching machines. The speed the ball is thrown is set at 4'2, or about 32 miles-per-hour, and this could be increased as the girls become be-come better hitters. The speed is never changed. The machine is also adjusted to throw strikes. This is never changed, although the height of the girls vary. Advantages of this style of soft-ball soft-ball play can be found in several areas. The pitching machine eliminates elimin-ates the long series of walks that would normally occur in softball games where a girl who hasn't the muscle development to throw with strength and accuracy. This makes the game more lively and interesting. interest-ing. While the girls are not developing develop-ing pitching skills, their other soft-ball soft-ball skills improve greatly. Mrs. Johnson notes the hitting and fielding field-ing opportunities each girl has can be best achieved using the pitching machine. Denise Adams, coach of the championship team Scooters, said she has had children involved in the regular program and in the pitching machine league. There is no comparison com-parison in the action that takes place and in the skills developed. "I |