As part of the Alliance Fastpitch Player Recognition Program, we are excited to honor\u00a0Pacific Coast Fastpitch League\u00a0(PCFL) pitcher Calista Van Artsdalen of OC Batbusters Nichols as the National Player of the Month for her performance in February.<\/p>\n
Calista Van Artsdalen
\nTeam: OC Batbusters Nichols
\nPos: P\/1B
\nDivision: 14U<\/p>\n
Stats: Softball Story (How did you get started?) \u2013 Tell us about you: Favorite Softball memory: Coaches feedback: As part of the Alliance Fastpitch Player Recognition Program, we are excited to honor\u00a0Pacific Coast Fastpitch League\u00a0(PCFL) pitcher Calista Van Artsdalen of OC Batbusters Nichols as the National Player of the Month for her performance in February. Calista Van Artsdalen Team: OC Batbusters Nichols Pos: P\/1B Division: 14U Stats: During the month of February, Van…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":20002,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[196,24,31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20001","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alliance-national-player-of-the-month","category-alliance-news","category-pcfl"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\n<\/strong>During the month of February, Van Artsdalen posted an impressive .773 batting average with 13 RBIs. In the circle, Van Artsdalen went 2-0 in the circle with only 2 walks and 18 strikeouts.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>\u201cThe reason I started playing softball is because of my older sister, said Van Artsdalen. \u201cShe was a very good softball player and pitcher. Whenever I needed advice on softball or someone to look up to I talked to her about it. When I was 5 years old, I asked my sister to teach me how to play softball because I wanted to be like her. The most interesting thing to me was how to be a pitcher. With her being a pitcher back then, she showed me how to pitch. Ever since that day, I fell in love with the game. I love every minute of being on a softball field. Whatever success I have had on the field I contribute to her, my family and my great coaches.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>\u201cThe best memory I have of softball is last year our Batbusters Nichols went to Utah for Nationals. Our team competed extremely hard. We ended up taking second place. It was the most competitive softball I have ever played. The best lesson I learned from that experience was no matter if you win or lose, a person needs to be a leader off the field as well as on the field no matter how hard things get. Be encouraging and supportive at all times to my teammates. I know that without my teammates and great coaches\u2019 success will never happen.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>\u201cCalista \u201cCali\u201d Van Artsdalen is one of our primary pitchers for our 14U OC Batbusters Nichols team,\u201d said coach Dave Nichols.\u00a0 \u201cI have had the privilege and blessing to coach Cali and I am extraordinarily proud of how she has continued to excel on and off the softball field.\u00a0 Cali is an amazing teammate who consistently encourages and supports all of the players on the team.\u00a0 She is a leader and is unselfish, always willing to put others first for the benefit of the team.\u00a0 I have been her travel ball coach going on 2 years and I have seen her from the age of 6 continue to improve for the last 8 years, putting in the hard work needed to be an elite player and pitcher.\u00a0 Cali\u2019s incredible stats speak for themselves, but more than numbers, she has strong character, a positive \u201ccan do\u201d attitude, enormous work ethic, confidence, and outstanding softball talent and IQ.\u00a0 Cali also excels off the field and, in the classroom, maintaining a high GPA and great grades in all her classes.\u00a0 Cali is a coach\u2019s dream who embraces challenges and her \u201con the mound\u201d dominance and power-hitting contributes to the success of the team on a consistent basis.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"