Donna's Speech

Thanks to all of the Lehigh Valley Hall of Fame Committee members for taking the time to serve on this project in support of softball in the Lehigh Valley . Congratulations to all of the past inductees as well as to tonight's new members.

I have been very fortunate throughout my softball career to have been a part of some of the great women's and girl's softball teams here in the Lehigh Valley . These efforts I believe played an important role of the direction that women's & girl's softball has taken in the Lehigh Valley .

In 1975 girl's sports vs. boy's sports was a true battle for equal rights. Boy's field conditions and equipment were always the priorities and much better than what the girls had. These battles for equality did not deter the 1975 Parkland High School girl's softball team from winning the 1 st PIAA State Softball Championship. The game was played in Topton before an unheard crowd of nearly 1,000 people. In a heroic team effort down 3-1 in the bottom of the 7 th inning we battled to a 4-3 win for the state title. Our talent and efforts were truly a testimony of this team's determination to play and to win.

Because our records from 1975 were lost in a flood in Harrisburg the team went unrecognized for 31 years until Betsy Wilson contacted the PIAA and the records were updated. Keith Groller reported that, the once forgotten, the PIAA would recognize us as the 1 st state softball championship team. How appropriate that I am sharing this night with Betsy and Keith.

In May of 2006 a group of 40 year olds were transformed back to a group of teenagers. Mel Stinner organized and found most of the team members for a Parkland High School reunion and recognition ceremony of our 1975 State Championship team at one of the girl's high school softball games. Not only did she find the team members, she also found our now ordained minister the Most Reverend Coach Marcia Thomas in Wisconsin . She is here tonight and I do believe that she's blessed us with this beautiful night. Mel, we all appreciate your effort and time in bringing this team back together again.

I want to thank Coach Marcia Thomas for her dedication and commitment to the Parkland High School program which she began in 1973 and won just 1 game. In just our 3 rd season we won districts and the 1 st state championship title. We had no assistants, Coach Thomas was our only coach. She ran the practices, taught us the skills and the game and it was her encouragement in that 7 th inning of the state finals that guided us to the win.

After High School I was very fortunate to have received a call from the Allentown Patriot Queens to try out for the team. This was a first and very unique blend of girls. A team of 16 girls from 9 different high schools from Northampton , Whitehall , Emmaus, Parkland, Allen, Central Catholic, Southern Lehigh, Tulpehocken and Reading were formed.

In 1979 we were entered into the ASA class A division of tournament play. Going into the state tournament we were a team that was very confident but that confidence we also displayed at times as being a bit cocky. We found out quickly that the cockiness wasn't going to win games. In our first game Saturday morning at 8AM we lost. It meant we were in the loser bracket in a double elimination tournament and in order to move onto Regional play we would have to place within the top 3. We had a long road in front of us. Late Saturday afternoon we returned to the field with a new motto and attitude of confidence but not cocky. We played 4 more games that day to move on to play on Sunday morning. We won our first 2 games that Sunday but in the third game the 90 degree heat would take its toll on us and we were eliminated from the tournament. In just 31 hours we had played 8 games but our 6 & 2 record was good enough to place us third in the tournament and the right to move onto the regional qualifier.

We won the regional qualifier and then moved onto and won the regional tournament to earn a spot in the ASA National Class A tournament in Bay City , MI.

In a field of 20 teams from across the US we entered this tournament a real underdog team. Outside of 2 team members in their 20's our team was comprised of mostly high school girls between the ages of 15 & 19 years old. The other teams were made up of primarily college players and older with many more years of experience than our team. We quickly showed our talent and confidence and became a fan favorite in route to a 4-2 record and a 3 rd place finish in the National tournament. Our 2 losses came at the hands of the 1 st and 2 nd place teams in the tournament.

I want to thank Coach Ed Stinner, also a Hall of Fame member, for his years of devotion to the Patriot Queens. We could have never reached our accomplishments without his knowledge, encouragement and dedication to the Queens and women's softball. He still continues his commitment to girl's softball in the Lehigh Valley .

I ended my softball career with a once bitter rival team the Lehigh Valley Panthers. I never thought I would ever play with the Panthers but somehow Clayton Sounders convinced me to play with them. I was a part of this team when we accomplished a 2 nd place finish in the ASA Class AA regional tournament in Washington , DC just one win away from a bid in the ASA National Tournament.

I was also fortunate to been able to share my talent and knowledge of the game as an assistant coach at South Parkland, Allen High School and St. Francis College of DeSales and in holding softball clinics to promote and teach young girls the game. It has been amazing to watch the growth of girl's softball here in the Lehigh Valley .

There was no I in these teams that I had played for. It is because of the support of my teammates throughout the years that I stand here tonight.

To all my friends, I thank you for your friendship and support throughout the years.

To my family for all of your love and support. Mom & Dad you did well raising 5 respectable kids.

And finally to my husband, Paul. For your friendship, love and support. You have made me a Katcher for life.

I could not have been the player or person I was or still am without the support of all of you. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart!