FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 14, 2002

OLYMPIC TRYOUTS COMING TO PLANT CITY
Hopeful for Roster Spot in 2004 in Greece,
Players Make Trek From Around the U.S.

North American tryouts for the first-ever Greek Olympic softball team will take place at the complex on the grounds of the International Softball Federation's (ISF) world headquarters in Plant City, Florida beginning next week. From Wednesday, August 21 through and including Sunday, August 25, new Greek Olympic head coach Linda Wells will conduct "classroom" and on-field sessions for 33 players who have been invited to compete for a spot on the team that will represent Greece at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.

Wells, who continues as the head coach of the women's softball team at Arizona State University, was appointed to her new post on August 2 by the Hellenic Amateur Softball Federation at a press conference during the ISF World Championship in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

"This is an important event," Coach Wells said. "It is the first on-field step in what will be a two-year project culminating in fielding what I intend to be a competitive team at the 2004 Olympic Games."

Next Wednesday night, the Olympic hopefuls will gather for a dinner, followed by a welcome presentation by Coach Wells and ISF Director of Development Cindy Bristow, who has been the federation's liaison with the Hellenic Amateur Softball Federation during the last twelve months in developing this program, which comes in part because of Greece getting an "automatic in" by virtue of their country hosting the 2004 Olympics. Activity on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday is scheduled from 7:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Sunday will feature the players who make the team, practicing from 9 a.m. to 12 Noon.

"It has been a lot of work and we at the ISF certainly are always working like this to help all of our member federations succeed and grow in softball, and this is just one example of that," Bristow said. "We're sure that Linda will do a great job and that hosting the Greek team's tryouts at our facilities will help prepare the players for eventually performing on the world's stage in 2004."

Part of Bristow's assistance with this endeavor has been in helping identify players with Greek heritage eligible to seek a tryout. Prior to 1999, Greece didn't even have a national (softball) team, so Bristow's efforts have been far-reaching, and aided by the resource to reach softball players abroad, the ISF's website. Players have been submitting their "applications" electronically, with over 100 having been received. They were then asked to send a video to Coach Wells, at which time evaluations were done that enabled the list to be trimmed to 33. Those chosen to come to Plant City will be from not only various parts of the U.S., but representation from Canada and, in one case, Australia as well. These athletes are showing their dedication by funding their own means of transportation to Plant City.

A tryout for Greek players will be held in Athens in late September as well.

Media members are welcome and encouraged to attend the sessions at the ISF headquarters.

The August 2 "Linda Wells announcement" made during the World Championship that is mentioned on the previous page can be viewed from the Press Releases page on www.internationalsoftball.com.

The attendees of next week's tryouts and their hometown (and school):

Alesha Argeras, Warren, Ohio (St. John's University)
Alana DaSilva Assimakopoulos, Waterloo, Ontario (n/a)
Jessica Bashor, Coralville, IA (University of Iowa)
Lindsey Bashor, Coralville, IA (University of Iowa)
Krissy Chrisztopolosz, Aurora, Ontario (York University)
Vanessa Czarnecki, Fresno, CA (Fresno State)
Christa Dalakis, McLean, VA (George Mason University)
Katie Rosemary Dedas, Allen, TX (Carrollton Christian High School)
Matine Farlekas, Perth, Australia (Teritary College)
Jamie Farnworth, Upland, CA (Cal State Long Beach)
Sarah Farnworth, Upland, CA (Cal State Long Beach)
Stacey Farnworth-Katsikaris, Upland, CA (Arizona State University)
Ginny Georgantis, Lockport, IL (University of South Florida)
Jeana Gevas, Vallejo, CA (Benicia High School)
Jessica Gouskos, Glenpool, OK (NSU, Tahlequah, OK)
Lisa Jusino, East Meadow, NY (Adelphi University)
Erica Kinnamon, San Antonio, TX (Temple College - JC)
Sarah Klenakis, Springfield, MA (Bates College)
Chloe Kloezeman, Burlingame, CA (High school)
Katina Kramos, Bloomington, IL (Southwest Missouri State University)
Sheryl Kyriacopoulos, Mokena, IL (n/a)
Marin Lazaris, Oldsmar, FL (Webber International)
Laurie Markatos, Palos Hills, IL (Lewis University)
Jennifer Martin, Chesterfield, MO (Cor Jesu Academy)
Jolene Martin, Tulsa, OK (UT Chattanooga)
Kristin Noble, Frankfort, IL (Lincoln Way High School)
Maria Pangere, Crown Point, IN (Loyola University - Chicago)
Eleni Papailias, Sacramento, CA (St. Francis High School)
Stephanie Skegas, Torrance, CA (University of Nebraska)
Angie Totaro, Roseland, NJ (University of Vermont)
Lara Vetoyanis, Yukon, OK (University of Louisiana-Lafayette)
Michelle Vlahos, Lubbock, TX (Texas Tech University)
Irene Weik, Oak Park, IL (Oak Park River Forest High School)

The International Softball Federation, celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2002, is the governing body of softball internationally as recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the General Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF). The ISF organizes and conducts world championship competition in women's and men's fast pitch, junior women's and men's fast pitch, women's, men's, and coed slow pitch, and women's and men's modified pitch. Softball (women's fast pitch) made its Olympic debut at the 1996 Games in Atlanta. There are 125 affiliated countries in the ISF and over 40 million participants in the sport worldwide.

For more information, please contact ISF Director of Communications Bruce Wawrzyniak at brucew@internationalsoftball.com or (813) 864-0100, ext. 229, or Cindy Bristow at cbristow@internationalsoftball.com or 813-864-0100, ext. 224.