story & photo
by Christopher Annino

The third annual Mohegan Sun World Softball Coaches Convention, sponsored by Gold Orluck and Partners, and Americas Game, had a tremendous successful turnout of coaches, players and fans from throughout the nation. Olympic Gold Medalists Jennie Finch and Cat Osterman, of The Stratford CT Brakettes, and NCAA legend and coaching guru Sue Enquist presented an uncanny amount of knowledge to softball coaches and youth ball players. “I have learned a lot and it is a thrill getting to meet my hero Cat Osterman. I can’t wait to comeback next year,” said 16-year-old Lauren Tuiskula, Millbury, MA.

Sue expressed several  points that are crucial in conditioning for ball players. “Make sure you take time to recover.  Don’t lift too heavily and make your weight increase gradual, if training with weights.  Make sure your diet is full of nutritious foods, get proper sleep and the most important, make time for school work because you can’t always depend on athletics to get you by in life.”

Jennie  also offered great advice in becoming a focused ball player on and off the field. “The secret to success is to keep things in perspective and prioritize. For example, my religion keeps me focused and helps me through difficult and confusing situations.”

Cat added, “The best advice I can tell any young player is dream big, but work hard for that dream. Too many kids think it will be handed to them. It won’t. When you make it by earning what you deserve, it is more fulfilling.”

Recently, an ugly cloud has plagued the game of softball: it was voted out of the 2012 London Summer Olympics. Speculation for the current expulsion is because European countries are seemingly jealous for not medaling or qualifying in past Olympics. Softball is a very popular sport and is played by 50 million people in 125 countries worldwide.

When asked in an exclusive interview about their feelings in regards to this recent decision, Sue, Jennie, and Cat agreed in saying, “There is no reason for this decision, the sport is growing tremendously. Unfortunately there is not a lot we can do. But there is two things that will remain the same about softball, it will grow in popularity and will always be played as a fun sport.”

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story & photos
by Barbara Stillman

I feel extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to attend the Barack Obama inauguration.  The experience was incredible.  It was surreal to be standing amongst a couple of million people, all gathered for the same reason, and all sharing in the same energy and optimism for our country.  Despite the freezing temperatures and large crowds, there were no complaints.  There were no incidents or arrests.  It was a moment in time where millions joined together in hope.

For me, the most significant part of Barack’s inauguration speech was “Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and begin again the work of remaking America.”  I found these words to be inspirational for all the people in our country who have lost their jobs or experienced hard times.

There were several Hollywood “stars” and entertainers at the event.  They were not given special treatment.  Dustin Hoffman waited in the same line for 2 hours that I waited in.  Truly, we were all treated equally as Americans, regardless of social status, color, age or gender.

As a woman in business, I have learned to be determined, and to utilize the power of networking.  One week before the inauguration I decided I would attend.  There were no tickets to be found, but I knew that I could change that.  Utilizing a phone tree and calling on friends and business associates, I was able to secure two tickets within a day.  While in DC, I continued to network.  I made new friends and valuable contacts throughout my travels, which also paid immediate dividends.  As a result, I was able to secure tickets to the Eastern Ball at Union Station and tickets to the Obama Staff Ball at the DC Armory.  These events were elegant, and intimate in size, and provided incredible access to the Vice President and President.  We were literally 40 feet away from the stage.  President Obama was generous with his time, particularly at the Staff Ball.  He recognizes the enormous challenges that exist and the expectations that we have for his leadership.  He expressed his gratitude for the faith that we have placed in him.

The entire inauguration experience was one that will remain special in my heart.  I will always remember, with great pride, that I was there the day Barack Obama was named the 44th President of the United States of America.

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story & photos
by Tony Schillaci and Don Church

Crowds of foodies and wine lovers streamed into the Mohegan Sun Casino’s Convention Center on January 17th and 18th for the Grand Tasting during Sun WineFest ‘09.

Mohegan Sun’s Executive Chef, Michael Luboff, hosted the Sun’s own celebrity restaurateurs Todd English and Jasper White, who were joined by an impressive line up of celebrity chefs, some of whom are pictured here.

The two-day sold-out event included wine tasting, food sampling, an entire second floor showroom devoted to skillfully crafted beers, and even an oyster-shucking demonstration!

Celebrity chefs were on hand for cooking demonstrations, book signings, and in many cases just mingled with the crowds and chatted amiably!

The Resident was on hand to work the convention room floor, and, based on the comments of “unbelievable,” “better than ever” and “we come here every year,” we conclude that the Sun WineFest ‘09 proved, once again, to be a resounding success!

Cheers!

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