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Storm Photo Gallery
U10 Storm Practice Schedule
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| Date |
Tournament
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Location | ||
| 5/14/08 |
Scrimmage New England Hornets
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Lowell 12:15 | ||
| 5/18/08 |
Scrimmage NH Hudson Heat
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Saugus MA | ||
| 5/23/08 |
Memorial Day Tourney
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Dracut MA | ||
| Seed round game 1 Storm 18 Hot Shots 4 | ||||
| Seed round game 2 Storm 4 NH Lightning 4 | ||||
| Seed round game 3 Storm 7 NE Invasion 1 | ||||
| Elimination round game 1 Storm 5 Hudson Heat 1 | ||||
| Elimination round game 2 Storm 0 Mass Drifters 1 | ||||
| 6/6/08 |
ASA National Qual
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Lowell MA | ||
| Storm 5 Raiders 13 | ||||
| Storm 13 Attraction 0 | ||||
| Storm 13 Central Mass 2 | ||||
| Storm 4 NY Bad Apples 6 | ||||
| 6/20/08 |
ASA State Tournament = 5th place finsh
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Gloucester MA | ||
| NS Storm 8 Concord Raiders 0 | ||||
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| NS Storm 15 Glochester 0 | ||||
| NS Storm 11 Rockport 1 | ||||
| NS Storm 19 Concord Raiders 3 | ||||
| NS Storm 4 Danger Elite White 6 | ||||
| 6/27/08 |
ASA METRO BOSTON
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N. Reading MA | ||
| NS Storm 10 Hotshots 11 | ||||
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| NS Storm 6 Hotshots 2 | ||||
| 7/11/08 |
NSA STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
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Lowell MA | ||
| NS Storm 9 NE Hornets 5 | ||||
| NS Storm 8 Hudson Heat 3 | ||||
| NS Storm 5 Concord Raiders 3 | ||||
| NS Storm 7 Hudson Heat 3 **** STATE CHAMPS! ***** | ||||
| 7/25/08 |
Danvers INVITATIONAL
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Danvers MA | ||
| NS Storm 9 NE Firebirds 1 | ||||
| NS Storm 15 Danvers Falcons 7 | ||||
| NS Storm 9 Beverly 3 | ||||
| NS Storm 11 Beverly 1 | ||||
| NS Storm 3 NE Firebirds 2 ********Champs********* | ||||
| 8/1/08 |
Caroline Farley Memorial
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Concord, NH | ||
| NS Storm 8 RI Pride 8 | ||||
| NS Storm 10 Maine Black Bears 1 | ||||
| NS Storm 4 NH Lightning 0 | ||||
| NS Storm 4 RI Pride 5 | ||||
| 8/22/08 |
U14 TEWKSBURY
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Tewksbury MA | ||
| NS Storm 7 NE Huricains 0 | ||||
| NS Storm 4 Maine Black Bears 1 | ||||
| NS Storm 4 NR Hornets 4 | ||||
| NS Storm 10 MA Explosoin 3 | ||||
| NS Storm 10 Burlington 1 | ||||
| NS Storm 2 Fire Cracker Fury 5 | ||||
| 8/29/08 |
Storm Invitational
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Salem MA | ||
U14 Storm Practice Schedule
N/A
U14 Storm Tournament Schedule
N/A
U16 Storm Practice Schedule
U16 Storm Tournament Schedule
| Date |
Tournament
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Location |
| 6/6/08 |
ASA Just Play It
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Hudson, NH |
| 6/20/08 |
ASA States
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Swansea, MA |
| 7/4/08 |
ASA All-American
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Lowell, MA |
| 7/11/08 |
ASA Battle at Burnham
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Methuen, MA |
| 7/25/08 |
Danvers Invetational
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Danvers MA |
| 8/1/08 |
ASA Caroline Farley
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Concord, NH |
| 8/22/08 |
ASA End-Of-Year
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Tewksbury, MA |
| 8/29/08 |
ASA Labor Day Storm
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Salem, MA |
| 7 weeks |
Middle-Essex League
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Greater North Shore |
U18 Storm Practice Schedule
U18 Storm Tournament Schedule
| Date |
Tournament
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Location
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| 6/06/08 |
ASA Just Plat It
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Hudson, NH
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| 6/13/08 |
ASA National
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Gloucester
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| Storm 7 | Mass Drifters Elite 6 | |
| Boston Bat Busters 10 | Storm 3 | |
| Storm 3 | Mass Intensity 2 | |
| Storm 7 | Mass Hustlers 0 | |
| Northern Mass Mayhem 7 | Storm 6 | |
| 6/20/08 |
ASA States
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Leominster
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| 6/27/08 |
ASA Lowell
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Lowell
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| 7/11/08 |
ASA Battle at Burnham
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Methuen
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| 7/18/08 |
ASA All-American
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Lowell
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| 8/1/08 |
ASA Caroline Farley
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Concord, NH
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PHOTO GALERY SECTION
U12
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U16
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U18
Top
The Swampscott-based North Shore Storm Junior Olympic softball program continues to thrive and grow. It is the softball equivalent to AAU baseball and basketball, as well as Club soccer.
Program Director John Gambale, of Swampscott, is head coach of the U18A and U16A teams.
“This all began when my eldest daughter, Marissa, was nine years old (who is now turning 17) and wanted to keep playing ball after her Little League season ended in mid-June. J.O. [Junior Olympic] ball was not prevalent in this area. A team out of Dracut, the Dirt Devils, offered her a spot.
“It didn’t make much sense to me to do all of that driving for a 9-year-old to play softball,” Gambale said, “so I decided to get 12 Swampscott girls together and try it ourselves.”
The program progressed so well that, over time, it grew and grew.
“It’s not for everyone,” Gambale says. “It takes up a lot of their weekends, which is when the tournaments are, so I needed to expand to other communities, preferably in this area.”
Fast-forwarding to today, the Storm now fields three teams, which include a new U12A group.
“I’m pretty particular in my coaching methods, which is a high focus on improving all of the players, which usually boils down to fundamentals, so I’ve been very concerned about what coaches I invite in. I want consistency, a strong effort and in an enjoyable atmosphere,” Gambale said.
“I’ve been very fortunate to have Dr. John Beaulieu [instructor] and Luke Allain [fantastic mindset and game-day coach] in my early years. Now, we have Tom Begin of Salem, who helps with both the U18 and U16 teams. Also, Rick Policelli of Tewksbury has joined this season’s U18 staff. At the U16’s, we also have Joe Crowley of Lynn and Greg Story of Middleton. The U12 group consists of three Danvers gentlemen, Bill Pszenny, Nick Gikas and Scott Meehan.”
The three teams are now comprised of girls from 17 cities and towns and two states.
“This past winter, I received quite a few inquiries from New Hampshire players who wanted to come and play with us. I really didn’t want to go that route, mainly for their logistics, but I’ve softened a bit, and we officially signed a young lady from New Hampshire this past week,” Gambale said.
Players from wide area
Players include: from Swampscott, Marissa and Lisa , Samantha and Angela (St. Mary’s). Salem members are Courtney and Alyssa (Bishop Fenwick); from Lynn, Cara (Lynn English); from Danvers, Gabby (Salve Regina) and Gabby (Danvers HS), Alison , Nicole , Jaclyn , Chrissy , Kendall , Tori and Julia ; from Peabody, Amanda & Christina (both of Bishop Fenwick) and Michelle (St. Mary’s); from Saugus, Melissa (Manhattanville College), Raylyn (St. Anselm’s), Lauren and Cassie (Saugus HS), Shannon (Northeast Voke) and Jackie ; from Wakefield, Nicole (Melrose HS); from Tewksbury, Lisa (Central Catholic HS); from Lynnfield, Abby (Lynnfield HS), Alea; from Medford, Courtney (St. Mary’s); from Revere, Gabby (St. Mary’s); from Middleton, Olivia (Masco HS); from Everett, Laura (Everett HS) and Courtney ; from Marblehead, Sarah (Marblehead HS); from Lexington, Rebecca and Jennifer ; from North Reading, Jessica ; and from New Hampshire, Kellie (Lawrence Academy).
“We’ve just completed our 15 sessions of indoor practices. We begin those the first weekend in January. Except for the U12’s, who’ll continue to practice, the balance of the players are now with their school teams, so I won’t coach them until early June, when we begin our eight tournaments, ending in August,” Gambale said.
“Also, as we’ve grown, so has our reputation. I now have semi-regular dialogue with many D1, 2 and 3 coaches, who are anxious for my referrals. I’ve also spent a great deal of time in learning the college search process for those young ladies who want to play in college. I’m fortunate that I’ve had a college A.D. and a recognized college coach spend many hours with me, informing me on the proper protocol for these ladies to follow,” he added.
“The bottom line is that these young athletes are not going to make a living playing softball, so I want to help them with college searches, while providing them with a high-level instruction program in which we have two themes. These are that ‘no team should try harder than us’ and ‘we must have fun!’”
John Gambale is the director of the North Shore Storm Junior Olympic Softball. He can be reached at 617-240-6649.