History
So Hailey and I were leaving the Safeway grocery store. We had to use the L'il Saints trailer today. While walking out we noticed a car parked all the way out in the parking lot next to the trailer. As we walked up to the car and put our items away Becky Rice walked up to us and asked if this was the L'il Saints Fastpitch team. We told her it was and she began to tell us of the time she played for the Sun City Saints back in the 70's.
We talk about how the L'il Saints are rich in tradition and have had numerous young ladies play. This right here proves that! Thanks Becky for meeting us today and taking time to take a picture. We will have you out to meet the girls soon.
Just to let some of you know. Becky is an Arizona Softball Foundation Hall of Famer!
Here is some of her accomplishments...
Played 20 years from 1965-1985 at the highest levels of the sport
1971 Rookie of the Year
1972 2nd Team All-American
Member of ASU 1973 National Champiolnship Team
Coached the Sun City Saints 1973 Farm Team
Assistant ASU Coach 1974
1974 Cactus All-Regional Team
1975 Cactus All--Regional Team
Member of Goodwill Tour Team to South Africa 1975
Played on Professional Bakersfield Aggies Softball Team
Played for Sun City Saints from 1971-76
Becky Rice played outfield for the Sun City Saints from 1971 to 1976. She played for Glendale Community College. Becky was a member of the 1973 Arizona State University National Championship Team. In 1974, Becky was an assistant softball coach at ASU. She was member of the Goodwill Team that toured South Africa in 1975. Becky received Second Team All-American honors at the 1972 ASA Nationals.
http://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/cdm/ref/collection/lizearly/id/27
GO SAINTS!!!
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
IT'S NOT JUST A GAME, IT'S A TRADITION!
1980 L'IL SAINTS SOFTBALL ORGANIZATION HAS ALWAYS STOOD FOR DEVELOPING THE SOFTBALL SKILLS NECESSARY FOR YOUNG WOMEN TO COMPETE AT THE HIGHEST AND MOST DISTINGUISHED LEVEL OF FASTPITCH SOFTBALL. L'IL SAINTS TEAM PLAYERS WHO CONTINUE TO WORK HARD DEVELOPING THEIR SKILLS AND PUTTING IN HOURS OF DEDICATION ON THE FIELD AND IN THE CLASSROOM OFTEN FEEL EXCEPTIONALLY FULFILLED AT THE END OF THE SEASON.
IN OUR PROGRAM, WE ATTEMPT TO MAKE EACH PLAYER CONSCIOUS OF HOW MEANINGFUL HER SPECIFIC ROLE IS TO THE TOTAL TEAM EFFORT. FUNDAMENTAL PERFORMANCE IS THE KEY TO A "WINNING SEASON". EACH PLAYER IS TAUGHT HOW TO DEAL WITH BOTH SUCCESS AND FAILURE AND ALSO HOW TO REACH BOTH SHORT AND LONG RANGE GOAL ACHIEVEMENTS WITH MAXIMUM SUCCESSES.
IN THE L'IL SAINTS SOFTBALL ORGANIZATION, WE TEACH AN ACCELERATED LEVEL OF SOFTBALL SO OUR YOUNG STUDENT ATHLETES WILL BE PREPARED TO PLAY AT THE COLLEGIATE LEVEL. WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR NEW INFORMATION ON COACHING TECHNIQUES AND WE ADD QUALIFIED COACHES TO OUR STAFF EACH YEAR. WITH THE ESCALATING COST OF A COLLEGE EDUCATION, OUR MONIES SPENT NOW WILL PAY OFF IN THE FUTURE FOR OUR L'IL SAINTS TEAM PLAYERS. TOURNAMENT PLAY IS ESSENTIAL IN OUR ORGANIZATION; WE WORK HARD AT SCHEDULING A SERIES OF HIGHLY COMPETITIVE TOURNAMENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
OUR PRIMARY GOAL IS "DEVOTION TO OUR TEAMS AND PLAYERS". WHETHER A L'IL SAINTS TEAM PLAYER IS WITH US ONE SEASON OR MANY, IT IS OUR HOPE THAT SHE WILL EXPERIENCE A GOOD FEELING AND HAVE A CONTINUING LOVE FOR THE SPORT OF FASTPITCH SOFTBALL.
- DICK DICKSON
OUR TEAM GOALS
OUR GOAL WILL BE TO EVALUATE OUR TEAM IN ORDER TO DETERMINE WHICH YEAR-END NATIONAL TOURNAMENT PROVIDES THE BEST OPPORTUNITY FOR THE GIRLS. WE FEEL THAT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO PLAY AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
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L'il Saints History
The Original Saints Jersey still hangs in the Softball Hall of Fame in Oklahoma