August 10, 2007 - Weed sisters enjoying Pro Tour
August 8, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Softball – Rider's Weed sisters enjoying Pro Tour
NEWTOWN, Pa.--The ad tells us that there are over 360,000 NCAA student athletes and just about all of them will be going pro in something other than sports.
For twin sisters and alums of the Rider University softball team, Brandey and Courtney Weed are bucking those odds by playing on the 22 women PFX Pro Fastpitch X-treme softball tour.
The Weed sisters are each in their second season on the tour.
The PFX tour runs through the summer and early fall and includes stops in California, Iowa, Texas, Pennsylvania, Florida, New York and Indiana and includes players from such exotic places as Cal-State Fullerton, the University of Texas, U.C.L.A., Oklahoma State, Baylor and yes, New Jersey’s own Rider University.
“I am very proud of both of them,” said Rider head softball coach Tricia Carroll who coached the Weed twins and is entering her 14th season at Rider. “They worked really hard at everything they did. They love softball and they love playing together and I think it’s great that they have this opportunity after graduating from Rider.”
“For both of us, this is a dream come true,” said Brandey. “To get to play with Olympic athletes is amazing.”
The tour includes six Olympians, including pitcher Lisa Fernandez and is stopping in the local area August 10-12 with games and clinics in Newtown, Pennsylvania. The purpose of the tour is to grow the sport of softball through clinics and interaction with middle and high school players.
“They wanted to do the whole tryout process,” Carroll added. “And both made the team which speaks volumes for the quality of the students and athletics that we are producing at Rider.”
“We found out about the league from Coach Carroll and figured, we have nothing to lose so we went through the tryout,” said Brandey. “And it truly has been a dream come true, to be on the field with this level of athletes.”
Courtney, a three-time Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference All-Academic honoree, graduated with a degree in Business Administration and led the Broncs in batting average, on-base percentage and stolen bases during her junior and senior seasons and was honored with first-team All-MAAC honors. Courtney’s 184 hits are currently seventh best all-time at Rider.
Brandey, also a three-time Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference All-Academic honoree, graduated with a degree in Business Administration and was a first-team All-MAAC selection as a junior and a two-time member of the MAAC All-Tournament team. Brandey’s 151 hits are currently 20th best all-time at Rider.
As juniors, the Weed twins were integral to the Broncs qualifying for the 2003 NCAA National Championship Tournament by winning the MAAC Championship.
For the Weed family, turning pro may have an underlying genetic connection with older brother B.J. having played minor league baseball in California/Anaheim Angels organization as a non-drafted free agent out of Jacksonville University as a second baseman and outfielder.
“We love the fact that we can still play together,” Brandey added. “It’s been a great experience to play on the tour and playing with Courtney has made it that much more special. Having our brother B.J. play professionally didn’t really impact us directly because softball doesn’t have the same opportunities that baseball does and it’s a different process but we do look up to him and both he and my husband have given us a tremendous amount of support in reaching this goal.”
Brandey’s husband, Scott Rich (Rider ’04) was drafted as an outfielder into the New York Yankees organization playing one season of minor league ball. Brandey and Scott were married in September, 2006. Rich graduated with the career hits (263) and RBI record (164) at Rider, finishing fourth in home runs (28).
When not on the tour, Courtney works for Merrill Lynch and Brandey runs a softball/baseball training facility in central New Jersey.
“This has been the most amazing experience of our lives,” said Courtney. “You’ve seen these athletes, these Olympians playing on television and now you are playing with them. Just to get the opportunity to pursue our dreams is really the best part of this.”
“It’s been great for the program having the Weeds on the pro tour,” said Carroll. “It is a big deal having one player in the pro league, let alone two. I don’t know too many athletes on the men’s side playing in pro leagues out of Rider over the years, let alone on the women’s side. There are so few opportunities to play professionally after graduation so this is big to have the Weed sisters grow the sport and it shows our currently student-athletes that with commitment and hard work, there are opportunities out there.”
“We are ecstatic that we can continue to play while having the opportunity to teach the game that we love,” Brandey added. “You work so hard to get where you are and then your four years of college are done and the fact that we can continue in the sport and help others through clinics, we are showing them that there is a future in fast pitch softball and they do have an opportunity to go to the next level. We feel lucky that we are still able to be involved in something we love to do.”
“Being from a smaller school and being smaller than most of the players (5’3”) have not deterred either of us,” Courtney added. “As important as stature is, the size of your heart is just as important and we are able to show the younger players that your work ethic and effort are as important as your athletic ability. It’s the number one thing that we stress in the clinics, and Brandey and I joke that ‘we are here for the little people’. We stress that it is how much you love the game and how much you want to work to reach a goal. We stress that your education has to come first and let your athleticism follow and you’ll find an opportunity no matter where you go to college.”
Before anyone gets the impression of the multi-million dollar signing bonus, you have to note that while the Weed sisters receive base pay, they have to cover flights, hotels and food on their own, making it at best, a break even proposition and all for the love of the game.
“This league is designed to grow the sport,” said Carroll. “That is the basic goal of the league, to provide exposure and opportunities and getting the sport out there. The uniqueness of the league is that they focus on giving back to the sport through the clinics that are run in conjunction with the playing schedule. They are doing all they can to grow the sport and teach the sport and by doing that, they are creating excitement about the sport. They [the Weed sisters] are playing for the love of the game and the passion of the game. It’s definitely not earnings that they can live off of. This truly shows their commitment to the sport. Courtney and Brandey are all about getting the game out there to young female athletes and to have two of our own, Rider grads doing this type of work is very special and everyone is proud of them. It’s a great concept, great for them and great for the sport.”
For more information on the tour, visit http://www.pfxtour.com.
-RU-
