THE MAN THEY CALL...

You leave Packer Hall after yet another 5 am practice. Your eyes squint adjusting to the sun that has finally risen, and you are instantly reminded of the moon that was lighting the scenery when you left the dorm that morning for practice. As you ponder why on earth you are up so early and figure out where in your schedule you can fit in a nap, you mutter something under your breath cursing out the rest of the known world that is still asleep. Then as you head out on your day, your eyes catch sight of a man riding towards you on a 1950s cruiser bicycle. You are greeted by a warm and happy , "Hey there, gal!" from the man they call Mr. Rada and you immediately forgive all that is evil and continue on your day with a big fat smile.

The man they call Mr. Rada is a kind, magical human being that is our hitting instructor. He is characterized by his closet full of gadgets and gizmos, a green bag full of bat-like contraptions, and hitting stations that uses every gymnastics equipment available in the North Gym. He is why no one on the team has an atrocious looking swing. Even those pitchers look pretty sharp if he hands them a bat. If someone was to walk in on a Rada hitting session, they probably would think we're training for a circus instead of a softball season. There are players trying to catch balls thrown at them while balancing on a wooden plank on top of a cylindrical block, players standing on mats five feet high dropping balls for her partner to hit, players batting blindfolded in the cage, players with soccer balls between their knees hitting volleyballs off a makeshift tee that consists of a cone and a toilet plunger, and players marveling at the worn and dented bottle caps from the 60s as if they are all rare finds for their bottle cap collections. Sure they are interesting, but the players all know they work. You find yourself teaching the kids the same exact tricks to help them with their flaws in their swings at those hundred clinics coach scheduled. His legacy is passed on all the time whether we realize it or not.

The man they call Mr. Rada is an amazing man. How many times have you gotten that guilt trip that he's not even playing but he's got more energy at practice than you and your partner combined! He is also the source of infinite confidence for you. No matter how frustrated or poorly you are doing at a station, he only has positive feedback and optimism to share with you. Even if you nail him in the shin with a line drive, the man does not change the expression on his face but only tells you, "Oooh, that's the way gal! Good job." His observations while you are in the cage is also legendary. He leans with one arm on a pole and just watches. Balls have grazed his ear, come within 2 inches of his glasses, but the man does not move or even flinch. He never gets hit either! The man always manage to find that one spot outside the cage where if the balls hit the net, sees him standing there, will stop and go, "Sorry, we'll get out of your way," and just drop to the ground.

WHAT OTHERS HAVE TO SAY...

"I remember being in awe the first few days of practice. After grounders in the South Gym, we were to hit in the North Gym with the Guru of opposite field hitting, the infamous Roger Rada. Like all other Rookies who walk onto the softball field, I'm thinking 'I know I can hit, watch me impress him with my bat!' Well of course I left that day with a totally different attitude. After an hour of hitting with Mr. Rada, I went back with the team to the gym for conditioning thinking, 'I suck! I will never be able to hit in college--What's wrong with pulling everything anywy?' What was wrong was my thinking. This was no longer high school, and as Dr. Walker puts it "Welcome to college!" For the next four years, it was opposite field." -- Michelle Carlson-Neveling

"We worshiped him as a coach. He was the rare coach who cared more about the proper execution of a skill than the end result. He was uncompromising in his principles. I went on to coach high school baseball for 21 years and Coach Rada was a strong influence on my coaching." -- Tom Bohan

1. "That's a homerun up an elevator shaft!"
2. "What are you doing? You're hitting the ball all over the township."
3. (to random girl walking back from parking lot w/bulk package of spring water) "Whoa golly! What are we going to a baptism here?"
4. "Golly gee, the only thing left for you to do is run the concession stands and sweep the floors!"
5. "That a way, gal!"
6. "...in here, BINGO!"
7. Hit the Bucket (Game)
8. California Kickball (Game)
9. "Oh shuckie."
10. Rada Games at his house. Presents include: belly button lint remover, worst movie ever made, and post-it notes.
11. "Whack it!"
12. "Let me grab my mittens."
13. "Jeepers creepers!"
14. "What are you using to hit, the Saturday Evening Post?"
15. "Sounds like you're hitting a cantelope there gal!"
16. "I still don't believe in evolution."
17. "Who brought colon cloggers?" (referring to donuts)
18. "Just where she likes them, low and behind her back."
19. "Horsefeathers!"
20. "Oh my goodness and little fishies."
21. "The only thing to do with a highball is to take it, or say 'no thank you' when the waitress offers."
22. "tinkletorium" (aka lavatory)
23. "When I want to win more than you do, that's when I quit."
24. (Your submitted Rada moments here.)