Irish Softball on the Road in 2011

Will we be playing near you in 2011? Irish Softball Alumni, Family & Friends are encourged to come support us on all of our road trips this year. We always like to out-draw the home crowd! Please let us know if you will be coming and we can get you tickets (if the host team charges admission) and access to the team! Full schedule is located on our website at UND.com, however here is a snapshot of where we will be traveling to!

2011 Irish Softball - Away Contests
February 18-20th at University of Central Florida
February 26-27 at College of Charleston
March 4-6 at Disney Wide World of Sports Complex
March 13th at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
March 16-19 at Cal State Fullerton
April 5 at University of Wisconsin (Madison)
April 9-10 at Syracuse University
April 20-23 at Villanova University
April 26-27 at University of South Florida
May 7-8 at University of Connecticut

Blue Gold Weekend - Come See Softball AND Football Play!

Hey Family & Friends -

Come visit campus this coming April 23rd - 25th when the Irish Softball will be playing a 3 game series against Villanova and as a bonus get to see a multitude of Irish Athletic Events going on campus including Coach Kelly's debeut the Blue-Gold Football game!

For All Alumni & Friends who visit we will rope off a special section for you at Melissa Cook Stadium and fire up the Grill for some true Irish tailgating.

Please email Lizzy at elemire@nd.edu if you are interested!

OTHER WEEKEND EVENTS AT NOTRE DAME
FRIDAY, APRIL 23rd
• Men's and Women's Tennis in BIG EAST Championships - Courtney Tennis Center (Tickets Required)
• Women's Soccer vs. Mexican National Team - Alumni Stadium, 5:00 p.m. (Tickets Required)
• Baseball vs. Cincinnati - Frank Eck Stadium, 6:05 p.m. (Tickets Required)
• Men's Soccer vs. Mexican National Team - Alumni Stadium, approximately 7:15 p.m. (Tickets Required)

SATURDAY, APRIL 24th
• Finish on the 50 - a 5K Fun Run sponsored by Alumni Hall to benefit Hannah and Friends - 8:00 a.m. (interested donors can contact Hannah and Friends at 574-273-9824 or info@hannahandfriends.org to sponsor students running in the race) - Race will finish inside Notre Dame Stadium
• Fan Fest opens on Irish Green - 10:00 a.m.
• Stadium Gates open at 11:00 a.m.
• Football Alumni Flag Football Game - 11:30 a.m. (Blue-Gold Game ticket is required to attend) and Blue-Gold Game at 1:30pm

• Men's and Women's Tennis in BIG EAST Championships - Courtney Tennis Center (Tickets Required)
• Softball vs. Villanova - Melissa Cook Stadium, 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. (Free with Blue-Gold Game ticket stub)
• Baseball vs. Cincinnati - Frank Eck Stadium, 6:05 p.m. (Free with Blue-Gold Game ticket stub)

SUNDAY, APRIL 25th
• Men's and Women's Tennis in BIG EAST Championships - Courtney Tennis Center (Tickets Required)
• Softball vs. Villanova - Melissa Cook Stadium, 11:00 a.m. (Free with Blue-Gold Game ticket stub)
• Baseball vs. Cincinnati - Frank Eck Stadium, 1:05 p.m. (Free with Blue-Gold Game ticket stub)

For Football Ticket Information, please visit - http://www.und.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/030910aac.html

Softball Team Represents in Athletic Dept. Pediatric Christmas Party

The Softball Team is highlighted on the cover of the ND.EDU website with the recent Pediatric Christmas Party that the Athletic Department holds. Check out the girls on the cover of nd.edu or the video highlighting the party by Clicking Here!

Irish Softball Halloween Community Service

The Irish Softball team visited McCoy's Creek Trails in Michigan this past Halloween. The girls spread out along the creek trail and passed out candy to the little kiddies and their parents. The community service event was an absolute hit amongst the little kids and the girls. Rumor even has it that organizers of the event had to go buy more candy because our softball players were spoiling the kids a little too much. Happy Halloween Everyone!!

Orphans Can Dream Too Feature on und.com!

Check out the feature on Andrea Loman and her Orphan's Can Dream Too Organization on our website at http://www.und.com/sports/w-softbl/spec-rel/102909aab.html

Alumni Weekend is Here!

Softball Alumni Weekend is Here! Below are a listing of events for the weekend:

FRIDAY:
6:00pm - Rally on the Green Pep Rally
7:00pm - Hangout at Lizzy Lemire's House

SATURDAY:
9:30am - Alumni Slowpitch Game with Current Irish Team
*Game might change if the weather is too cold...keep you posted!
11:00am - Alumni Tailgate at Melissa Cook Stadium
3:30pm - Kickoff vs. Boston College
7:00pm - Monogram Club Mass with Coach Boulac (optional)
7:30pm - Coach Brian Boulac's Retirement Reception
(Heavy Hors Devours and Drinks)

Please RSVP To Lizzy at elemire@nd.edu if you will be attending the Pep Rally, Friday Night, Slow Pitch Game or Alumni Tailgate. I will then send you an itinerary and directions to everything.

See you This Weekend...GO IRISH!!

Brian Boulac to Retire after 40 Years of Work at Notre Dame

Brian Boulac came to the University of Notre Dame in 1959 and has not looked back since! After playing football, earning a bachelor's degree, earning a master's degree, coaching football, winning a national championship, helping jumpstart softball and working as an administrator in the Athletic department, Coach Boulac has announced his retirement from the University.

Words cannot describe what Brian has meant to our softball program and many of our softball players. He helped bring the softball program to Varsity Status and worked diligently with Joe Speybroeck and Liz Miller to recruit with minimal scholarships and build a softball field.

My personal favorite story of Brian Boulac was when he accepted the James E. Armstrong Award for Distinguished Service to the University in 2006. When giving his acceptance speech he told stories of both coaching football and softball. I believe the direct quote was something like this: "Of all my years of coaching, there is one truth I know. I would much rather coach and deal with 85 men rathern than 9 women any day of the week!". He really did love us at heart!!!

More info on Coach Boulac's retirement can be found on our website at:

http://www.und.com/genrel/082609aac.html

Please feel free to comment on this post and share any of your Coach Boulac stories!!!

Football Season Pep Rallies

Due to construction at the Joyce Center, the look and location of Pep Rallies will be different this football season. The Joyce Center south dome has been completely shut down since graduation and an entire gutting is taking place. The newly renovated arena is slated to open mid-october.

Looks like our Alumni Weekend (Boston College Weekend) Pep Rally will not be in the Joyce Center. Let me know if you still are interested in tickets!

Below is the information on each Pep Rally:

NEVADA - The traditional season-opening Dillon Hall Pep Rally (usually held Thursday before the game) will be moved to 6:30pm on Friday, September 4th. Head Coach Charlie Weis, the team and the Band will be in attendance.

MICHIGAN STATE - Rally will be held outdoors in the new hospitality village at the Irish Green (south of the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center) at 6:30pm. No Football Team or Band will be in attendance.

WASHINGTON - Rally will be held outdoors in the new hospitality village at the Irish Green (south of the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center) at 6:30pm. No Football Team or Band will be in attendance.

USC - 6:30pm - Location TBD - Possibly the Stadium. Head Coach Charlie Weis, the football team and the Band will be in attendance.

BOSTON COLLEGE - Rally will be held outdoors in the new hospitality village at the Irish Green (south of the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center) at 6:30pm. No Football Team or Band will be in attendance.

NAVY - Rally will be held outdoors in the new hospitality village at the Irish Green (south of the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center) at 6:30pm. No Football Team or Band will be in attendance.

UCONN - Pep Rally will be held in the new Purcell Pavilion - the newly renovated basketball arena at 6:30pm. Head Coach Charlie Weis, the football team and the Band will be in attendance.

Campus Construction Update - Alumni Stadium

The new home of Men's and Women's Soccer is almost finished!! With completion within a month away, the new stadium dedicated soley to Men's and Women's Soccer will open this fall. Alumni Stadium is a $5.7 million dollar project and will include a new natural grass field, new locker rooms, new bathrooms and concessions. The stadium is located in the heart of the athletic side of campus just east of the Joyce Center (located where the old hospitality tents used to be for football tailgating).

East of Alumni Staidum will be Arlotta Stadium, the new facility for men's and women's lacrosse. Arlotta stadium looks like it is about a month or two behind construction schedule from Alumni Stadium but shoult be finished shortly. The stadium is almost identical in look to Alumni Stadium. Also included at Arlotta will be a artifical field turf playing surface, locker rooms, filming rooms, concessions/restrooms and a grass berm for seating on the opposite side of the stands and home benches.

Check out some pictures of Alumni Stadium and Arlotta Stadium!!

Main Entrance of Alumni Stadium

A somewhat obstructed view of the grass soccer field and Arlotta Stadium just East of Alumni Stadium.

Side View of Alumni Stadium. If you look closely you can also see the new football stairway towers (for filming) they put up at the football practice facility.

Another View of the Natural Grass Field and Home/Visiting Team bench at Alumni Stadium. Home and Visiting bench will sit oppostie of the stands.

Side view of Alumni Staidum.

Orphan's Can Dream Too!

Alumni, Family & Friends -

Please keep Irish Softball Alum Andrea Loman in your thoughts and prayers. Dre will be traveling over to Kenya the second week of August with her Non-Profit Organization "Orphans Can Dream Too". Her travel will be to unfamiliar territory outside of the area she previously has been. First order of business is obtaining a student visa for Steven Owegi to come to the United States and attend Kalamazoo Valley Community College. Dre will also be trying to get another orphan a birth certificate and a passport.

More information on Orphans Can Dream Too can be found by visiting the website http://www.orphanscandreamtoo.org/

We wish you the best of luck Dre and we will be lighting many candles at the Grotto for a very safe and healthy visit!!