Flames refuse to burn out

North Fulton Neighbor Sports Editor

Success doesn't come easy for the North Fulton Flames, but nothing about the team's road to a championship has been a walk in the park.

The travel softball team's inception began when two teams, the Murphey Candler Flames and the Northview Shock, combined to a roster of 17 girls, ages 14 and under, and six coaches last October. Since that time, the Flames have compiled a 53-18 record, eight tournament championships and the United State Fastpitch Association's Georgia state championship.

"It was exciting," coach Kirk Anderson said of winning the Columbus tournament. "One of the added benefits was we were playing in the same stadium that the Olympic [softball] was played at in 1996. That was where we played our finest softball and it was a lot of fun."

The team, comprised of girls from Alpharetta, Duluth, Norcross and Dunwoody, spends most of its time together, on and off the field.

"It takes the dedication of coaches, the parents and the girls to say the least," Anderson said. "The season starts in October and doesn't quit. In January, we work out in the gymnasium, we have an aerobics instructor. At Christmas we did Secret Santa, so there is more than just softball. There are sleepovers, there is a trip to Panama City next week and that is more than just softball. They almost become an extension of your family."

The players said while softball is their business, being together away from the diamond has made their jobs easier.

"It is good that we know each other," Allison Johnson, 14, said. "If you don't know each other, then you don't trust them that much when you are throwing to them and stuff."

Trust became paramount in Columbus, where the Flames were down 1-0 to the Georgia Heat of Warner Robbins. A rain delay spared the Flames for the night, leaving the team to finish the game the next morning. Since the matchup was on a time limit, the Flames were left only 13 minutes to change their fate.

"We weren't hitting their pitcher at all," Johnson said. "The next morning, I think we had to come out at 7:45 a.m. That actually helped us, I guess. We just started hitting the ball. It started off as a double, then another double and we just got them around. The game was called just because we got the runs that we needed."

The hitting rally was enough to bring in four runs and keep the Flames alive in the tournament.

Also key for the team is its stable of pitchers. Erin Myers, Alexandra "Scoop" Foulke, Megan Light, Lindsey Anderson and Meghan "Cool Whipp" Whipple have all split time on the mound for a team that has more talent than starting roles.

"It has been a challenge to keep everybody happy," coach Doug Foulke said. "Not only are you juggling them during the game, you are having to juggle to find out which one is available for which tournament. Because of the numbers, we have also played more tournaments than we have ever played in our careers as well."

The Flames headed to the USFA national tournament this week to test their skills against the nation's best 14-and-under softball teams. But regardless of the outcome, coaches said that the best weapon the team has is its trust and teamwork.