Reprinted with permission from the:

LaLonde representing Cheboygan on USA Men’s Softball Team
By JOSHUA ADAMS
Sports Editor

OKLAHOMA CITY – The USA Softball Men’s National Team suffered a heart breaking, 9-7, loss to Japan in the their opening game of the KFC American Challenge Series, but ended the tournament coming out of the losers bracket beating Argentina and then went after Japan for a 7-0 win and the title.

But in the midst of all that, the small town of Cheboygan was represented well as Adam LaLonde, a former Cheboyganite and son of former Chiefs softball coach Mike LaLonde, was one of those proud individuals to dawn the USA jersey.

From his humble beginnings as bat boy for his dad’s team, LaLonde has climbed his way to the top as one of the elite softball players representing the United States on the world field.

“I really grew up with it,” he explained. “My dad played it in the leagues in Cheboygan. I got to the age where I was no longer bat boy and got to play. We won a couple of state titles with names like Clayton McGovern, Stuart Hancock and Scott Hancock. Charley Watson and George Wheelock. Eventually with me the big part was my drive with baseball.”

Growing up with the Little League and Cheboygan Area High School squads, LaLonde went on to play some college ball for the Central Michigan University team and even went overseas to play in Australia.

“In the summer, I would still come back to play a little fast pitch with my dad’s team,” he continued. “When I got back from Australia, I got involved in open fast pitch. I got hooked up with a team called the Midland Explorers. I got to play with them and within that year, I got seen by the USA scouts.”

From there, destiny took a hold and LaLonde was granted an invitation to a try out for the USA team all in 2001.

“I tried out, made it and been on it ever since,” LaLonde said. “We won a gold medal in Guatemala and won a silver in the Dominican Republic, and finished fourth in New Zealand. The power houses in fast pitch teams right now are New Zealand, Canada, Australia and us.”

So with that resume in mind, LaLonde’s background in the small-town realm has had a lot to with his success.

“The first time I threw the USA jersey is when it really hit me,” he said with a chuckle. “Just stepping into that atmosphere and getting in front about 5,000 people. That’s when you eat up the whole thing and that’s when the excitement comes in. I haven’t had butterflies in a long time, but I got them then. As an athlete, you have to block all of that. It is something that you never forget. It’s such a good feeling to know that you can showcase what you can do.”

Now with his rookie years well behind him, LaLonde stepped into more of a leadership role this season as the team went over to the Czech Republic to play in the World Cup there. The team took home second place with silver medals.

“In my earlier years, that was where it was more of thing that I came from a small town,” he said. “But now I know I am one of the top players in the world and I just need to concentrate on what my job is and go from there.”

In fact, one of the round robin games of the KFC American Challenge Series was aired on ESPN 2.

“Right now, fast pitch softball is a dying sport for men. So the ESPN thing was very cool,” LaLonde said. “I got a little interview and mentioned Cheboygan I was actually able to give back to (Cheboygan). I grew up with this in Cheboygan and I know, especially some of the older guys that are deep into this game, I know how proud they are of me. To be that guy to represent my town is very special and I don’t take that for granted. I don’t take my past for granted and where I played.

“Next year we are talking about us taking a trip to Japan,” he continued, “and that is the same time they are going to have more men’s games live. ESPN said ‘we would love you guys to play these time slots.’ So we will have to see. Maybe if we got some more time on the air, we could get some more teams in some of the areas to play.”

LaLonde now goes back out to his regular team, the Sol Cal Bombers out in Palm Springs, California, to complete the season with the Vancouver Challenge this weekend, followed with the International Softball Congress World Championship in Toronto, Canada.

Editor’s note: The So Cal Bombers Adam LaLonde has been getting lots of ink of late from the newspapers in my home state of Michigan. LaLonde is one of the game’s top players and good ambassador for it as well. Of particular interest in the above article is the mention that the Team USA might be headed for Japan next year, and on ESPN again. The exposure would be a big plus for the game. In the meantime, you can catch Adam and his So Cal teammates this weekend in Vancouver, BC, at the Vancouver Challenge. We’ll be posting reports from that tournament as they come in. Last time the Bombers played in Canada, it was with former County Materials’ pitcher Lucas Mata, in Monkton, and readers will recall that the Bombers came away with the Championship trophy in that one, one of the strongest fields of teams this side of the World Tournament.