Little ‘diamonds’ in the rough

Mike Sciacca

The Diamondbacks, a prototype team that some felt might just be a

passing fancy, aren’t going away.

In fact, they’re getting stronger as the 2001 Little League season

moves along.

What’s unique about this 15-member T-ball squad is that the entire

roster is comprised of young girls -- a first for Ocean View Little

League, which has been around since the 1970s. In fact, it is believed to

be the first all-girls’ T-ball team among the five local Little Leagues.

The idea was born in February, when Jeff Forsberg, who is very active

with the Ocean View Little League and a key league member who helped the

league secure playing fields in the future from the city and school

district, signed up his daughter, Ally, 5, for T-ball. She, in turn,

brought along a few friends to the registration. From there, Forsberg

approached Ocean View T-ball coordinator, Bob Christie, with the idea of

forming an all-girls’ team.

Young girls have played T-ball throughout the years at Ocean View, but

never had an all-girls’ team been formed.

“Ninety percent of our teams are all-boys’ teams,” said Christie, who

has been the T-ball coordinator for three years, and has a son, Ryan, 10,

playing in the Minor A Division. “In T-ball, we always try to facilitate

a child’s needs, whether they want to play on the same team with a

neighborhood friend, or a schoolmate. There’s always been anywhere from

five to 10 girls who sign up each year to play T-ball, and they’ve been

mixed in among the 14 T-ball teams. [Jeff] Forsberg brought about four

girls to sign-ups, and it went from there.”

Christie says there has been no opposition to the team. In fact, the

response from parents, and other T-ball managers, some of whom also have

young girls on their team, has been nothing but positive.

“We’re very happy with that,” he said. “It’s certainly a novelty for

Ocean View Little League.”

It’s also something new for Forsberg, although this is his third year

with the T-ball program. Previously, he coached two Minor A Division

all-star teams (his son, MJ, played on the teams), as well two District

62 Tournament of Champions. He shares coaching duties with the Nelson

brothers, Ed and Darren, Brian Carr (who was a coach on the 2000 Ocean

View Majors Division all-star team that reached last summer’s Western

Regional title game), and Scott Kahn.

“T-ball, basically, is a fundamental league, and the girls are getting

the concept on where to throw the ball, things like that,” Forsberg said.

“What amazes me, though, is that these girls are totally into it. They

want to be challenged. Their interest level is high -- in fact, higher

than any T-ball team that I’ve had ... higher than a lot of the boys I’ve

coached.”

The girls’ interest, indeed, has become more than a passing fancy. The

team practices once a week, and games have been bumped up from once on

the weekend, to two games during any given week. They’ve played four

games so far, with a fifth scheduled at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Three of the Diamondback players have brothers playing on opposing

T-ball teams. One is Alexandra Coultrup, whose brother, Grant, plays for

the Yankees. The two met up in the opening game of the season, and in an

ironic twist, each led their respective teams in the pledge of

allegiance, and Ryan, in his first at bat, hit a ground ball Alexandra’s

way.

“I think it’s terrific that my son and daughter are competing against

each other,” said the the pair’s father, Kelly Coultrup. “They practice

together, and they’re having fun. I think it helps them with their

sportsmanship.”

The Diamondbacks -- comprised of Megan Shepley, Jenna Peterson, Rylee

Nelson, Lauren Carr, Claire Campregher, Marisa Doran, Jenni Rulon, Regan

Shaver, Melanie Knox, Anna Day, Amanda Kahn, Kelly Nelson, Ally Forsberg,

Sara Christie and Alexandra Coultrup, who range in age from 5 to 8, are

the fashion plates of the league: purple uniforms, matching purple bat

bags. Still, these young girls mean business, and they appear to be in it

for the long haul this season.

Are they a one-hit wonder?

“I hope that we’ll have more all-girls’ T-ball teams in the future,”

Christie said. “It’s a matter of a manager stepping in and forming a

team, such as Jeff did. It’s been a very positive experience for all

involved.”