BSC PLAYER PROFILE

Nichol Poyntz

BSC Staff: Hi Nichol.
Nichol: What’s Up?

BSC Staff: I have a couple of personal questions, if you don’t mind?
Nichol: Just a few… (LOL)

BSC Staff: What do you do professionally?
Nichol: I work in the Information Technology (IT) department at Ford Motor Company. I’m responsible for managing the activities required to launch Ford’s Accounting & Finance IT systems around the globe.

BSC Staff: Single?
Nichol: I’m not married but I don’t consider myself single. I’ve been in a serious relationship for almost 7 years with a very special man who also plays softball on the circuit. So while technically I’m single, I’m not available. (smile)

BSC STAFF: Ok, that’s it for the personal stuff. How long have you been with Incognito?
Nichol: I’ve been with Incognito since the team was established in 1997, however our first season as a team was in 1998. Actually it was at the Cereal City Classic BSC tournament in Battle Creek, MI when myself, and three other women, decided we wanted to start a more competitive team. Incognito has evolved tremendously over the years, so much that the only original members left are the manager, myself and one other player (#2).
 

BSC STAFF: Have you played with only Incognito?
Nichol: No. Before Incognito I played with the Hit & Run, Love Train, Uniques, Devilish Angels, and all out of Detroit.

BSC STAFF: How long have been playing softball?
Nichol: I started playing slow pitch softball for the Detroit Cougars when I was 8, so I guess that means I’ve been playing softball for 29 years.

BSC Staff: Did you play sports in High School or College?
Nichol: I played fast pitch softball and tennis at Cass Tech in Detroit. I went to Florida A&M on a tennis scholarship but switched to softball the spring semester of my freshmen year.

BSC STAFF: Will we be seeing more of Incognito on the circuit this year?
Nichol:  We have six BSC tournaments on our 2006 Tournament List. We play BSC, USSSA Black American, and USSSA Class B, so if we’re not playing BSC we’re definitely playing ball somewhere.

BSC STAFF: Of course you know, we monitor the message board daily, and it is very obvious that Incognito is a very close bunch. You don’t have a lot to say, but when you do, your teammates are there to back each other up.
Nichol: Yeah, that’s true! (LOL) We are a pretty close team and spend a lot of time together during the season and during the off season. We get together to celebrate birthdays, we have an annual Christmas party, and we get together for fun that normally includes Margarita and 1800! (Ha Ha) Of course we have our differences, what group of women don’t. But when the deals go down, we’ve definitely got each other’s back!

BSC STAFF: Have you made any roster changes since we last saw you ladies?
Nichol: Not really, we’ve lost a few players who were with us in 2005, and we haven’t officially picked up anyone yet. I know our coaches are in conversation with some local players and few out of state players. All I can say is that we are definitely looking to strengthen our roster!

BSC STAFF: Every year Incognito wins or places pretty high in most of the BSC tournaments you play in, yet that BSC World title has been elusive. Any thoughts on that?
Nichol: Let’s see, how do I respond to that? 2003 was our best year in the BSC World Tournament, when we finished 2nd to Enough Said. In 2004 I think we finished 6th and in 2005 I think we finished 5th, which is not close enough to 1st for me. I could probably give you several personal theories on the subject, however you could argue they sound like excuses. And I don’t make excuses. I do know that we’ve never had our full roster show up to a BSC world from the first game to the last game because of individual vacation schedules, other commitments, and/or injuries. You need a full squad to win a world tournament because your coach will need to call upon every player to play their role. But hopefully the championship won’t elude us for long, because winning a BSC world tournament is definitely one of our goals!
 

BSC STAFF: A lot of the top women’s teams in the BSC are based in the South, who is your biggest rivalry?
Nichol: I wouldn’t say we have a rivalry with any specific team. But I would say that every time we play GA Mixx or Supersonics we know we must bring our “A” game because it’s definitely going to be a battle.

BSC STAFF: I heard you used to play Co-Ed, do you still play?
Nichol: I was a member of Detroit Storm until last year. It was a hard decision to quit, especially after winning the BSC Co-Ed world recreation division in 2003 and 2004. I was a part of a great team and I had so much fun playing Co-Ed!!! I do miss it from time to time because the fun and the competition is hard to let go of!

BSC STAFF: Share with us your thoughts on BSC over the past few years.
Nichol: This will be my 12th year playing BSC and I love the changes I see in BSC. I think there are several factors that have contributed to the growth. For example, 1) national recognition from sponsors, 2) Nelly’s involvement as a well respected entertainer, and 3) utilization of the internet has definitely set BSC apart from it’s competitors. Most things mature over time and BSC is proof of that fact.

BSC STAFF: What about the teams, have you noticed any changes about the way teams are built and prepared for competition?
Nichol: Teams seem to be moving towards national teams, as opposed to traditional state based teams. By this I mean teams seem to be recruiting more heavily from other states, thereby making the competition tough. I’m sure this concept isn’t totally new, but I just believe it’s more prevalent now. So traditional state based teams need to change their recruiting strategy to stay competitive, which also includes securing good sponsors.

BSC STAFF: How do you balance softball and life? Meaning when things are not going the way you like on the field, how do you keep things in perspective?
Nichol: Prayer and through prayer recognizing that softball is only a game.

BSC STAFF: What are your goals for the upcoming season?
Nichol: My number one goal is to stay healthy!!! I got hurt in a league game towards the end of the season and I had to keep the book at all three world tournaments. I got to pinch hit in the last two world tournaments but in Birmingham I was definitely a spectator. In order to achieve my first goal, my second goal is to get in “softball” shape. Like many, I need to drop some pounds, and I need to seriously condition to ensure my contribution to my team is what my teammates and coaches expect.

BSC STAFF: Have you started practicing yet?
Nichol: (LOL) We actually started practicing three weeks ago and the first two practices were rough!!! I’m soooo out of shape! I was sore for three days after the first practice!!! It’s hard for the northern teams to really practice given that the weather is horrible until about May, so we make due with indoor facilities until weather permits us to go outside. Right now we need to run and we can definitely do that indoors.

BSC STAFF: Here’s your chance now, If you could change anything about BSC, what would it be?
Nichol: I would like to see more training for umpires and I’d like to see better utilization of the “good” umpires. Some games are so competitive that teams can’t afford to play their opponent and the umpires. Even though umpires can’t play the game for you, they definitely can impact the momentum of the game -- just ask the Seattle Seahawks! (smile) There have been several posts on the message board about umpires, and it’s not solely a BSC issue. I’d just like to see more quality officiating and more consistent officiating in all BSC divisions.

BSC STAFF: That’s about it, any shout outs?
Nichol: I would like to give a shout out to my family and Mr. Latimer!! I would like to give a special shout out to my Incognito family (Max, Momma Maggie, Kool J, Bo, Tee T, #2, Ms Yo Yo, Anna Mae, Marcy, Kim,April, BJ, Smitty, Keisha, & Tippy). Of course, I must give a shout out to my Detroit Storm family (Dawn, Gee, Slice, Rod, Ed, Ervon, Joe, Roosevelt & Travis). I would also like to show some "Detroit Love" and give a shout out all the other men and women teams from the "D". I'd like to applaud BSC (Arthur, Hercle, &Carmen) on bringing softball to the internet and making a great organization even greater!!! Lastly, I'd like to live a shout to the entire BSC family, and most definitely the BSC message board family. Even though I don't personally know all of the regular posters and I don't post very often, I do read the board just about everyday. Church, Homecoming, Smallz, Davida, Ms. Nashville, NKO, Ms. DAT, Terrance McDaniel, S. FLEMING, #21, Diggs, and the rest of the posters keep making the board what it is!! On behalf of Incognito, I'd like to wish all the BSC teams good luck in the 2006 season.