Unless you’re a Chicago native, you’ve got to have a really good reason – or a really strong constitution – to brave the winter months in the Windy City.
Fortunately for softball-loving youngsters on and in the city’s North and Northwest sides and suburbs, Chicago Bandits shortstop Tammy Williams has both.
Missouri-born-and-bred Williams is the new – and first - Director of Softball at Frozen Ropes, the Bandits’ indoor training facility on West Touhy Avenue.
The new program will zero in on, but not be limited to, improving the softball skills of girls from 5 years old through high school. Pitching, slap hitting, bunting, fielding and catching are some of the topics Williams will cover during the next seven months.
“I will be setting up and running all the camps, getting word out about them, and showing people what a beautiful and amazing place this facility is,” Williams said following an Oct. 8 open house at Frozen Ropes.
“We’ll be trying to develop the kids in Chicago in every aspect of the game, including training with all the machines here and working on the indoor field,” she continued. “They will learn that good athletes and great players [are the result of] year-round commitment and training.”
Williams is also in charge of hiring staff for the clinics and camps. On this particular day, Bandits players Robin Thompson and Jenna Grim and Northwestern University senior and All-American first baseman Adrienne Monka joined Williams in demonstrating softball fundamentals to an area girls’ youth team.
Monka was Williams’ hitting partner at Northwestern, where Williams compiled a list of achievements from 2006-09 that runs almost as long as the IRS tax code.
“I want to work with people who teach as I do and have the same goals as I do,” Williams said. “We all know how important work ethic and attitude are to success in this game. Being able to select the people I work with will make for good chemistry [and carry over] in the program.”
Frozen Ropes owner Georgia Tountas said growing interest in softball in Chicago’s Edgebrook neighborhood and North Shore suburbs prompted the introduction of a program devoted to softball development.
“We have a lot of softball teams, both fastpitch and slowpitch, coming in to utilize this facility now,” Tountas said.
“This is our seventh year here and while our baseball instructors have always done clinics on softball hitting, I waited to find the really best time and right person for the softball,” she said.
The Frozen Ropes commission is the latest addition to Williams’ already-packed off-season calendar. She also works as a softball analyst and commentator for the Big Ten Network and is training to run in the Oct. 29 Chicago Monster Dash Half Marathon.
“I like to have something to work towards,” Williams said. “I’m going for a 10-mile run as soon as this is over.”
If nothing else, Williams’ off-season pursuits are sure to keep her in shape for the 2012 National Pro Fastpitch season, her third with the Bandits.
“As soon as we won [the NPF Championship Series and Cowles Cup in August], people scattered to their off-season jobs,” Williams said. “But being here in Chicago and so close to Rosemont Stadium, doing lessons and clinics here, I’m still kind of living in all that [afterglow]. And I’m ready to get next season going again.”
Frozen Ropes is located at 6000 W. Touhy Ave. in Chicago. For information about Williams’ softball camps and clinics, call 773-631-4300 or visit Frozen Ropes’ Web site at http://www.frozenropes.com/home/locations/chicago-il.aspx.
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