Connecticut's Girls of Summer: the Brakettes and the Falcons


Book Description

Connecticut has a long history of producing outstanding sports teams and athletes. Two of the greatest teams to come out of the state are the legendary Brakettes and Falcons women's fast-pitch softball teams. In their seventy-six-year history, the Brakettes are considered the most successful and longest-running organized women's sports franchise of all time. With forty national championships, three world championships and eleven Olympians, their dynasty remains synonymous with softball excellence. Likewise, the Connecticut Falcons were the most dominant team of the Women's Professional Softball League, winning the championship title all four years of the WPS existence. The most famous and iconic product of these two teams has been Waterbury's legendary Joan Joyce, who is considered by many experts to be the greatest female athlete in sports history. Join author Tony Renzoni as he interviews former players and highlights the accomplishments of these two renowned teams and their legendary athletes.




Connecticut Softball Legend Joan Joyce


Book Description

Joan Joyce will always be known as the unbeatable pitcher for the Raybestos Brakettes and the Connecticut Falcons, whose numerous career records--including an incredible 150 no-hitters and 50 perfect games--made her the best in the game. However, she was also one of the most gifted athletes the state has ever produced, as she also set records in basketball and later went on to a stellar career in the LPGA. A true pioneer of women's sports, Joan is currently the head softball coach at Florida Atlantic University. Join author Tony Renzoni as he profiles the multifaceted career of one of the country's greatest athletes.




Connecticut Rock ‘n’ Roll


Book Description

Long neglected in the annals of American music, the Nutmeg State's influence on the history of rock'n'roll deserves recognition. Connecticut's musical highlights include the beautiful harmonies of New Haven's Five Satins, Gene Pitney's rise to fame, Stamford's the Fifth Estate and notable rockers such as Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth, Rivers Cuomo of Weezer and Saturday Night Live Band's Christine Ohlman. Rock Hall of Famers include Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz of the Talking Heads and Dennis Dunaway of the Alice Cooper Band. Some events became legend, like Jimi Hendrix's spellbinding performance at Yale's Woolsey Hall, Jim Morrison's onstage arrest at the New Haven Arena and teenage Bob Dylan's appearance at Branford's Indian Neck Folk Festival. With in-depth interviews as well as rare, never-before-seen photos, author Tony Renzoni leads a sonic trip that captures the spirit and zenith of the local scene.




Historic Connecticut Music Venues: From the Coliseum to the Shaboo


Book Description

Connecticut is home to a number of landmark music venues that have featured local and national performers. While some of the locations have closed, they have certainly not been forgotten. The New Haven Coliseum, the Arena and the Bushnell Memorial were once the places to be for music lovers, while elsewhere places like the Cheri Shack and the Shaboo hosted local bands and national headliners. Other venues such as Foxwoods, Mohegan Sun, The Meadows and Toad's Place have now taken center stage and continue to attract large crowds. With in-depth interviews with performers and many timeless photos, author Tony Renzoni takes you on a nostalgic and fun tour of the Nutmeg State's most beloved music sites.




Connecticut Bootlegger Queen Nellie Green


Book Description

Recounts the life of Nellie Green, who was known as the "queen of the rumrunners on the East Coast," against the backdrop of the Prohibition era, the women's movement, and the Roaring Twenties.




Fastpitch


Book Description

From its humble beginnings in 1887, when it was invented in a Chicago boat club and played with a broomstick, to the rise in the 1940s and 1950s of professional-caliber company-sponsored teams that toured the country in style, softball's history is as diverse as it is fascinating. Though it's thought of today as a woman's sport, fastpitch softball's early years featured several male stars, such as the vaudeville-esque Eddie Feigner, whose signature move was striking out batters while blindfolded. But because softball was one of the only team sports that women were allowed to play competitively, it took on added importance for female athletes. This book chronicles its history.




Finished It


Book Description

Finished It unlocks the Alabama Softball story in a transparent and powerful way. Her stories are woven together creating the sensation you are living and learning what makes Alabama Softball special. This book shares how Coach Patrick Murphy, Coach Aly Habetz and staff have cornered the market on RELEVANT leadership. Unwavering values that withstand the test of time in an ever changing society. Her book pulls back the curtain on one of NCAA Softballs greatest collegiate programs. Sue Enquist Former UCLA Softball Coach-27 yrs. 11-Time National Champion 5-Time Hall of Fame Been around this amazing game for awhile, and few have ever taken us inside the true emotion, process, preparation and understanding of what it takes to win on the biggest stage. Cassie does this so uniquely, you will find yourself applying to your own life the creative ways this special group was able to succeed both as an underdog in THE championship moment and as a difference maker in life. Jessica Mendoza ESPN Analyst and Reporter, Olympic Silver and Gold Medalist Finished It shows us there is more to winning a national championship than meets the eye the day that trophy is hoisted. Discovering the details of raw emotion and effort that goes into winning a national championship is nothing short of motivational. You can see the Alabama Softball program has developed a formula for not only winning games, but the effort it takes to develop a healthy, inspiring lockerroom from day one of a season. Any athlete, any person would be able to relate to the dedication, creativity, passion and belief in each other this team had from the get-go of their magical season. Amanda Scarborough 2-Time All-American ESPN College Softball Analyst Although little can prepare you for adversity, this book will show you that when you have twenty hearts beating as one, nothing can stop you. Jaclyn Traina 4-Time All-American Team USA Softball Member




Throw Like a Girl


Book Description

The evidence is overwhelming: sports help girls grow into strong women. Both scientific studies and anecdotal evidence confirm that athletic girls not only grow up to be healthier; they learn teamwork, gain inner confidence, and grow into society's leaders. Sports help preteen and teenage girls make the right choices in a society that is sending them incredibly mixed messages about who they are supposed to be. Yet no one is speaking directly to these girls. Jennie fills the role of girlfriend, big sister, team captain, and mentor. A smart, credible, and accomplished voice from an athlete who is strong and feminine, fiercely competitive, and fashionably cool, Jennie is someone young women will listen to and take to heart. Jennie's message: Believe in yourself. Go for it, girls.




Greenes' Guide to Educational Planning:The Public Ivies


Book Description

Information is provided about thirty public colleges and universities at which students can receive an Ivy League education at a fraction of the price of Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. --book cover.




Beheld


Book Description

#1 New York Times bestselling author Alex Flinn is back with magical twists on four fairy-tale favorites, each featuring a little help from Kendra, the witch from Beastly, as she searches through cities and centuries for her lost love. Featuring retellings of favorite fairy tales such as "Little Red Riding Hood," "Rumpelstiltskin," "East of the Sun and West of the Moon," and "The Ugly Duckling," Kendra’s adventures in Beheld are filled with fresh fairy-tale fun from beginning to end. Since she first beheld James over three hundred years ago, Kendra has tangled with witch hunters and wolves, helped a miller’s daughter spin straw into gold, cowered in London as German bombs fell, and lived through who knows how many shipwrecks. But her powers have limits, and immortality can be lonely. Kendra isn’t ready to stop searching for the warlock she met centuries ago. With the help of her magic mirror, Kendra will travel the world to reconnect with her lost love—and, of course, she can’t help but play a hand in a few more stories along the way.