Tuesday, July 01, 2008

Denny Lauer Softball Classic (My brother)


postcrescent.com

June 27, 2008

Lauer sets the tone in Kaukauna softball

Coach honored by tournament

By Nick Lauer
For The Post-Crescent

This weekend's third annual Denny Lauer Softball Classic will celebrate the achievements of a man who helped put Kaukauna softball on the map.

There's one important fact to note: This is not a memorial tournament. Denny Lauer is alive and well and still living and breathing softball. In the prime of his coaching career, he continues to rack up hardware for his trophy case.

Lauer, 56, got his start coaching the Kimberly Bulldogs football team when he was still in college.

This brief coaching stint was interrupted by the birth of his first child. Lauer coached his daughters in gymnastics, but as they grew older, they took an interest in softball. He jumped at the chance to work with his daughters in a sport he had been playing his whole life.

He started in grade school in Kaukauna and played in fast-pitch, slow-pitch and 16-inch softball leagues, learning the ins and outs from his many coaches and his own experience.

"I never went to clinics, but I did work with guys that were really good," Lauer said.

The most critical coaching lesson Lauer received was from the players on the first girls' softball team he coached.

After a slightly disappointing season, Lauer met with his players and asked them what he could do to become a better softball coach. The unanimous answer surprised the coach.

"They all said, 'Stop treating us like girls; treat us like athletes.' From that point on, I did," he said. "The girls respond extremely well when you start treating them like the athletes that they are. You get much better results."

The results have been easy to see on the diamond over the past 20 years as Lauer and the Kaukauna Ghosts Fastpitch Softball Club won four state titles.

While the championships and wins are nice, Lauer keeps returning year after year for a different reason.

"The kids," he explained. "Every time you think you're just about done, you meet another batch of them that are just really great kids. It's just fun working with them. I've always been blessed with a lot of kids that have worked hard enough to make me look a lot better than I am."

Tournament director John Schreiner has witnessed firsthand the positive effect Lauer has had on both his players and the entire softball program.

"He just does a phenomenal job of being a constant teacher," Schreiner said. "He really is just a strong advocate for girls' fast-pitch softball, and he's done a super job with the kids."

For those reasons, the club thought it was a logical choice to use Lauer's name to promote its annual tournament.

"Through the efforts that he has put into the program, we just thought it would be appropriate to name it after Denny and publicly recognize him for the effort and everything he's done for the program," Schreiner said.

While the program is in excellent shape and continues to get stronger every year, a day will come when Lauer will retire and hand over the reins to the next generation.

For his eventual successor, and any person interested in coaching, he has a few pieces of advice.

"Don't concentrate on whether or not they win today — play the game so you're better for the next one," Lauer said. "Get every kid to think that when they walk off a practice field they're just a little bit better than they were when they walked on the practice field."




--
KHS Galloping Ghost Class of 1967
Member of "Galloping Ghost Gimpers"

Monday, June 30, 2008

He could not stop it????

He could not execute 'pastoral authority'? He could not then also put his foot down and say "NO, IT WILL NOT BE DONE!" HE could not help in any way? Who is the authority??
 
Sorry, Bishop. It happened on YOUR watch, in YOUR Diocese, and you ARE responsible.
 
No wonder we cannot find anyone to stand for Marriage, when a Bishop who KNOWS that evil is happening does nothing to stop it.

---------- Forwarded message ----------


Bishop knew of abortion plan

Told 'there was nothing he could do'

Julia Duin (Contact)
Monday, June 30, 2008

 Roman Catholic bishop of Richmond was told that a diocesan charity planned to help a teenage foster child get an abortion in January and did not try to prevent the procedure.

Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo "was told erroneously that everything was in place and there was nothing he could do to stop it," said Steve Neill, Bishop DiLorenzo's communications officer. "He is very apologetic about the whole episode.

"It is very awkward, it is very embarrassing. A human life was taken. He certainly has not taken it lightly in any way. He is clearly opposed to abortion."

Mr. Neill said the bishop was informed Jan. 17, the day before an abortion was performed on the 16-year-old Guatemalan girl, who was a foster care client of Commonwealth Catholic Charities of Richmond (CCR), a group incorporated under the diocese.

CCR Executive Director Joanne Nattrass also knew about the planned abortion, Mr. Neill said.

"The director was very upset about it and it clearly went against all she stood for as a director of Catholic Charities," he said.

After The Washington Times revealed the abortion on June 18, Ms. Nattrass released a statement on June 19 saying the incident was "contrary to basic teachings of the Catholic Church."

Federal authorities are investigating CCR because the girl was a ward of the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement in the Department of Health and Human Services. HHS had contracted with CCR to take care of the girl, whose parents are not in the country.

Ms. Nattrass wrote that neither CCR nor diocesan funds paid for the abortion but did not say who did. Federal law forbids any federal funds to be used.

Ms. Nattrass' statement also said a CCR staff member signed the consent form necessary for a minor to have an abortion, even though Virginia law mandates parental consent for anyone younger than 18.

Martin Tucker, a spokesman for the Virginia attorney general's office, would not say whether a state investigation is under way.

 

There is MUCH more to this story here....much more....

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Canon Law Blog Updated: Abp. Raymond Burke

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Edward Peters

St. Louis Abp. Raymond Burke has just been named to head the Apostolic Signatura. For my first thoughts on the appointment that will make Burke the most influential American in Rome, see: http://www.canonlaw.info/2008/06/first-thoughts-on-abp-burkes-promotion.html

LightoftheLaw URL: http://www.canonlaw.info/blog.html

Divorce/Annulment

Thanks!
God bless!

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Hey WI,
 
Here is one for you in case you did not get the press release:
 
http://www.catholic.org/prwire/headline.php?ID=4869
 
 
K J W