Breathing In LA: Nike's Diamond Days comes to Carson High School

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DIAMONDS IN CARSON: COLTS AT WORK
I've heard that nothing strengthens a relationship quite like a diamond. And on Monday I had the opportunity to see it happen firsthand with the Women's Varsity Softball team at Carson High School. Nike brought it's new training program, Diamond Days, to the Colts and provided the second of five training sessions with a certified Velocity trainer to improve the team's speed, strength, and agility. But teamwork didn't stop there. Nike's Diamond Days will also be providing various giveaways and contests that are sure to hype up the already-heightened atmosphere of Colts readying for battle with their rival, San Pedro, on Thursday, April 16th.

The Colt's Women's Varsity Softball Team: The "be silly pic" that made the grade

BRINGING IT BACK: SUPPORTING FELLOW PLAYERS
But Nike knows the powerful support seasoned veterans can bring to younger players. So Diamond Days also teamed up with professional softball player, UCLA alum, and US Olympic medalist, Andrea Duran, who made a surprise appearance and trained with the team during Monday's practice. She did drills with the young Colts team, spoke to its members about her experiences, took pictures with her fellow softball players, and even signed some t-shirts.

I later had the chance to speak to Andrea who stressed that her immense dedication to the game of softball as a youth, starting when she was around 12 years of age, paid off quite well. She is the recipient of numerous medals and has won various championships throughout her career. To top it off, she's still playing and loving the game, traveling, and meeting other softball players from all over the globe.

INSPIRATION AND MOTIVATION: ONE ATHLETE TO ANOTHER
Colts Head Varsity Coach, Cam Werner, stated that Diamond Days is an awesome opportunity for her team because a lot of the girls look up to Andrea and other world-class softball players like her. She proudly added that this year’s Colts team is bursting with talent. Some of the girls are batting in the 400's and 500's and one of the Colts pitchers has a solid 75 strikeouts this season. Coach Werner said that her team is constantly working at raising their game and to be able to train with an athlete of Andrea's caliber is a big up for them.

Warm ups

DIAMONDS THAT SHINE: FROM ATHLETES TO SCHOLARS
The beauty of the diamond is it's ability to shine. Like Andrea, who graduated from UCLA in 2006, the Colt players are also dedicated to their academics. One Colt, Veronica Vasquez, is even at the top of her class at Carson. She's been playing softball since she was about five years old and loves everything about the game, from the smell of the grass to her teammates and team play. Wow!

I have to say that athletes like Veronica, Andrea, and the rest of the Colt's team and staff really made Nike's Diamond Days a memory I won't soon forget. And I'm pretty sure Diamond Days will have the Colts relishing Nike's support for years to come.