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Lakewood softball team inspires dads, others on front lines

May- 9-2005 » Filed Under: 1/25 SBCT

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By TED MILLER, SEATTLE P-I

LAKEWOOD -- The little things -- the details -- matter in sports. And in father-daughter relationships. And in war.

Jazmin Mercado, Jennifer Pich, Alyson McWherter and Liesl Chappell understand that more than most adolescents. The four Lakes High School softball players learned from their fathers to keep their chins down when the ball is bouncing toward them; to not drop their front shoulder when batting; and to embrace the mental part of competition.

"He always says, 'Remember to breathe. ... When everything gets overwhelming, just remember to breathe,' " Alyson said.

Their dads are in the Army and based at Fort Lewis. Jennifer, Alyson and Liesl's fathers are safely home, their tours complete after serving in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Jazmin's father, Command Sgt. Maj. Victor Mercado, is part of the "Bobcats" -- the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment of the 25th Infantry Division's 1st Brigade -- based near Mosul, a city of 2 million in northern Iraq that has long been a flashpoint for the insurgency. [...]

Victor Mercado and his buddies can't wait to get their sports scores every morning. These are red-blooded American males after all. Their base's Internet cafe makes it a lot easier than during past wars.

More and more often, though, the Bobcats aren't checking their hometown pro teams first. They eagerly await write-ups on Lancers games provided by coach Gerry Nuss.

"It's better than (reading about) the Mariners, because they are winning and are really playing with heart," Mercado wrote to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer by e-mail. "I get nightly updates from Coach Gerry, Robin (Mercado's wife) and Jazmin after every game. In turn, I forward them to everyone in my address book.


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