OTTO-Al and Jim Hartman Question and Answer

September 16, 2009

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In The Fastpitch Spotlight: Al and Jim Hartman

HARTFORD, SOUTH DAKOTA - As with most fathers and sons, the
Hartman's, Al the father and Jim the son, differ on a few things. But
when it comes to sports, they agree on at least one thing.

Fastpitch softball reigns at the top of their list.

Al had never played fastpitch softball, but when the call came that a
coach was needed for his son's team, he stepped forth. Little did he
know at the time what a big, time-consuming step that would be.

But a rewarding one.

"Fastpitch one way or another has been our summer for the past 15
years," Al Hartman said. "It's brought us closer together and even
now Matt and Greg (two older sons) come to watch Jim (19-years-old)
play. We enjoy it and have had a lot of good experiences."

And good experiences in winning national championships.

The Explosion has won several Amateur Softball Association (ASA)
national championships in age's 10-Under through 18-Under divisions.
And in 2009, they claimed title to both the North American Fastpitch
Association (NAFA) and ASA age 23-under national championships.

And the Explosion also won the 2008 South Dakota ASA State
Championship in the Class "C" division.

So, let's meet the Hartman's of Hartford and learn more about their
fastpitch softball careers. Careers still in the making.

Q: Al, describe Jim's pitches, and what makes him successful.

"His bread and butter pitch is the drop ball, but he throws the rise
and change too. His strength is his work ethic and determination.
Give him a challenge and he will take it on. And he's always been a
team player."

Q: Jim, you have played on the USA Junior Men's team, and have
attended a training camp for the USA Men's national team. What has
that whole experience been like?

"That has made me set a main goal of playing for the USA national
team and to win a (International Softball Federation) international
title. I remember at the (2008 ISF Junior Men's World Fast Pitch
Championship) we were playing a morning game against New Zealand. It
was a crisp morning with dew on the grass. I just thought to myself,
'wow, what an amazing day and way to start it."

Q: Al, how has participating in both the junior men's and the men's
training and selection camps, along with playing in the ISF
championship affected your son?

"That let him get a taste of what the game is like at a higher level.
He came back more excited and committed to the game."

Q: Jim, what has helped you develop as a pitcher?

"By pitching during the winter in the gym with Mitch Warne (catcher),
Cedric Lang (pitcher), and into a pitching screen."

And dad? "When the season ends in September, Jim will rest his arm
until November. Then he starts preparing for the next season by
throwing two or three times a week in the gym for an hour to and hour
and a half."

Q: Al, what helped prepare your team to win all those national
championships?

"We (the Explosion) started playing in the Sioux Falls men's league
at age 16 in the lower division. Then in 2009 we moved up to the
upper division. That league has helped develop our younger players
and teams. We've got a couple of teams in the 15-year-old range in
the lower league."

Q: Jim, you've been receiving pitching instruction through the ASA
developmental pitching program. How has that worked?

"Before I worked with Gary (Mullican), and the USA juniors program, I
had very little coaching on the fine tuning of pitching. Working with
the program advanced me to a level I would not have reached by myself."

Q: Jim, tell us about your fastpitch-playing family.

"My oldest brother Matt, played first base, and my middle brother,
Greg, played second base. My mother (Linda) played softball growing
up on the farm. My dad didn't play."

Q: Al, if Jim should move on to a higher-level team, will that be the
end of the Explosion?

"I'll keep going as long as I have the players who want to play even
if Jim happens to move on."

Q: Al, do you have any other up-and-coming young pitchers?

"We have 16-year-old Cedric Lang. He was a catcher, but he has grown
to about 6-foot-7; that's not the way most catchers are built. Cedric
started working on pitching and has a lot of potential. He has won
several games for us this year." (Cedric is the son of Rick Lang,
long respected for his pitching prowess on the state and national
levels.)

Q: Jim, you're 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, what other sports do you play?

"In high school I played football for the West Central Trojans (of
Hartford), and we won the "A" state championship three out of four
years. Now in college, I play Recreational Ultimate Frisbee."

Q: You attend South Dakota State University. What is your major?

"I'm a sophomore majoring in Athletic Training and pre-Physical
Therapy. I have a 4.0 GPA."

Bob Otto
www.ottoinfocus.com
botto3@verizon.net