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The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star
The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

Softball tries to cure field woes

By Jarrod Rice | April 4, 2005

Despite committing four errors in Sunday’s loss to Bowling Green, NIU softball coach Donna Martin is confident her team will come around defensively. The Huskies (16-11) will get theirs when they take Mary Bell field for a double-header with Valparaiso...

Huskies short of big hits

By Sean Connor | April 3, 2005

Big players make big plays in big moments. Unfortunately, the NIU softball team only came up big one time on Saturday against Bowling Green. On Sunday, it was too little, too late. Junior Kelly Drozd tied Saturday’s first game at one in the bottom of...

Softball loses 2 of 3 to Bowling Green

By Nathan Lindquist | April 3, 2005

Despite a pair of late home runs, a lack of run production and defensive lapses proved costly as NIU softball dropped two of three over the weekend to Bowling Green. The Huskies (16-11 overall, 3-2 MAC) collected only 13 hits over the three-game home...

Huskies are led by new-found offense

By Sean Connor | April 1, 2005

Sixth-year senior Shelby Bernard was the only NIU softball player to make All-MAC anything last spring, and that was the All-Academic team. The Huskies weren’t even mentioned in the MAC 2005 preseason press release, but for just reasons. "It’s not...

Stoddard’s unexpected roll has Huskies rolling

By Nathan Lindquist | April 1, 2005

Entering the 2004-’05 softball season, Ellen Stoddard was not expecting a starting position in the NIU lineup. After spending a year and a half away from the game, she was more worried about getting back in shape and making the team. But after a summer...

Softball wins at Loyola

By Sean Connor | March 30, 2005

On a four-game winning streak, the NIU softball team now owns the best overall record in the MAC at 15-9. The Huskies took their step up in the standings after sweeping a doubleheader Tuesday at Loyola with scores of 5-1 and 9-2. Tied 1-1 in the first...

Softball at Loyola

By Jarrod Rice | March 29, 2005

A lot has changed for Loyola softball since the NIU softball team beat the Ramblers in an exhibition game last fall. The Huskies will travel to Loyola for a doubleheader at 3 p.m. today and get their first look at Loyola since the hire of its new coach...

LaChiana, NIU softball weathers the rain, Zips

By Jarrod Rice | March 28, 2005

Rain and cold weather could not stop NIU softball pitcher Lindsey LaChiana over the weekend. After two cancellations, the Huskies were finally able to play a doubleheader at Akron Sunday. LaChiana baffled the Zips, allowing only one earned run in 14 innings...

Softball begins MAC play at Akron

By Nathan Lindquist | March 25, 2005

Defense might win championships, but as NIU softball found out last year, you need to score runs to win games. A season after compiling a .202 team batting average, timely offense has invigorated the Huskies (11-9) as the team enters its MAC season schedule...

Playing with athlete’s minds

By Sean Ostruszka | March 23, 2005

Motivation hangs on every wall in the room NIU sports psychologist Moira Stuart uses to talk to players.

On the right it’s vision. The left tells the importance of drive. Behind you, the wall reminds to take advantage of opportunities.

But it’s the message on the back wall Stuart likes the best.

Behind a single stand black lamp hangs a picture of a man rock climbing in the desert. Below the image reads "challenge" in bright yellow letters.

"I like that one because I think athletes should not think of challenges as threats," Stuart said. "They should use them as positives. And that’s where I come in to try and help them realize that."

Forgive Stuart’s positive attitude, but in her mind, that’s what it’s all about. To Stuart, athletics are more that just one’s physical ability, but their mental ability as well. And it’s her job to help players and coaches overcome their challenges.

That’s one of the reasons the assistant professor in kinesiology and physical education received an e-mail from softball coach Donna Martin two years ago.

Martin had a few questions about how to make her a better coach. And after Stuart e-mailed her back some answers, Martin knew she wanted her players heading to Stuart’s room.

But in order for Stuart to help players and coaches overcome their challenges, she had to overcome one herself. Her problem: the stereotype of being a psychologist.

Many players don’t want to go to a psychologist because they don’t want to feel they have something wrong with them, Stuart said.

But that’s not what sports psychology is about. And as the seasons pass, more and more of NIU’s athletes have decided to make a visit.

"Players have to realize it’s not about you being broken and [Stuart] having to fix you," Martin said. "It’s about just wanting to improve."

That’s exactly what NIU basketball player Anthony Maestranzi wanted to do.

After Stuart spoke in front of the men’s basketball team prior to last season, Maestranzi’s curiosity took hold and he set up a session.

"I wanted to see what it was all about," Maestranzi said. "She helped me work on a few key points which have really helped me through the season."

Since his first session, Maestranzi has gone back a few times to see those posters in Stuart’s room to both learn new mental skills and to check his progress.

Yet that room and its posters serve a two-fold purpose for those who enter it. The coaches and players visit that room for advice to help them on the playing field. They leave with skills for life.

"When an athlete comes for a session I can teach them skills to help them deal with the stress and pressure of being a college athlete," Stuart said. "But for the rest of their lives, they will benefit from these attitude skills - because attitude is everything."

Softball remains above .500 mark

By Jarrod Rice | March 21, 2005

Like many college students, the NIU softball team spent its Spring Break in Florida. But instead of lying in the sun, the Huskies played 11 games in 11 days. The Huskies (11-9) went 5-6 over the break with three of their losses coming against Top 20 teams....

Huskies hope to continue success

By Jarrod Rice | March 10, 2005

After last year’s 14-41 season, NIU softball coach Donna Martin hopes the Huskies good start can result in more wins this year. The Huskies will take a 6-3 record into the Speedline Invitational today in Clearwater, Fla., where they lost five of seven...

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