Vote for my number!

If you read my last post, you'll notice that I no longer have a number. The following will be posted on the Force website, along with a poll to vote:
If you ask an athlete about their jersey number, I can guarantee you it means more to them then just a number on their back. When I first started playing softball, jersey numbers were handed out according to size. So the smallest player on the team would get #1, the biggest player would get #15 and the rest would fill in accordingly. As we got older we were allowed to pick our numbers and we started forming favorites. When I was about eight years old I wanted to be like my sister Kelly, who's favorite number was 10. From then on, I stuck with #10 and it became part of me. When I was recruited to play at Illinois State, I remember going home and looking at their website to see who had #10. When I saw that Abbie Scott was graduating and #10 would be available, I knew I was meant to be a Redbird. When I was asked to play for the Force last year, I was given #11, or if you ask me I was #10+1 :) But this year I need to pick a new number, because I gave #11 to my roomie, Margo Pruis. I can't just pick any number though, because it has to mean something to me. This is where I need your help! Vote for what number you think I should be, and on opening day it will be revealed. I chose three numbers, each for a different reason. 21 because it's 10+11, 24 because it was my basketball number, and 28 because 2+8=10. I trust you all to pick my number and I can't wait to see you at opening day!
FLOTG,
Stacy Birk #??

Off-Season

For the past eight years throughout high school and college, I've never really had an off season. Even when I got to Illinois State, where softball was the only sport I played, our "off-season" was just as busy as our playing season. The only time I would take a break from softball would be for a week or two between the college season and summer ball. Now that I'm a college graduate and I'm playing in the NPF, I've gotten a new understanding for the term off-season. The off-season is so long that at times I don't know what to do with myself. It's tough for NPF athletes to train during the off-season because we live all over the country. It's not like we can just get together and have a practice. Since I'm in grad school at Illinois State, I still have access to the facilities for training, so I've managed to stay on top of my training. The strength and conditioning coach for ISU softball, Landon, makes workouts for me to do in the weight room and puts up with my musical taste when I'm in there :) For pitching, I threw at ISU's practices in the Fall and then to Tony, who also works in the weight room. For the last few weeks of the Fall semester, Shannon Nicholson, a fellow Redbird pitcher and I threw to each other. And let me tell you, us catching each other in full gear is quite a sight to see. Shannon just signed to play with Akron this season, so we'll both be pitching to the ISU softball team this spring to stay in shape. Only 4 months and 4 days until Spring Training begins, I can't wait!!

FLOTG,
Stacy Birk #??