team spotlight: southeast personnel/miken/tanel - Softball Magazine

TEAM SPOTLIGHT: SOUTHEAST PERSONNEL/MIKEN/TANEL
Submitted by Ed Rose; Photos by Jack
Eberhard
The Southeast
Personnel/Miken/Tanel team,
coming off its second straight
win in the Tournament of Champions
held in January, 2009 in the 60 Super
Plus division, chose to play in the 50’s
division bracket for the SSUSA Spring
National Championship in Polk
County, Florida over the weekend of
April 24th - 26th. The team felt that
going down in the age bracket might
give them better competition for the
2009 season ahead.
As player/coach Ed Rose put it, “To
win a tournament, the other team
knows they must beat us in our own
age group, so we are supposed to
win. In this case, playing against play-
Page 28 • www.softballmag.com•www.batwars.com

ers ten years younger and winning was a
tremendous mental boost for our team. “In
the senior division, unlike young guys’ softball,
once you pass fifty years of age, a five
year difference in age affects one’s abilities
in many areas. Various players, just like in
the Big Leagues, are able to defy that age
barrier for many years. What I mean by that
is that there are some great players who, at
age 60, can still play competitive in the 50’s
age group.”
“This team is built with a foundation of
these players,” continued Rose. “In fact, we
have one player, Tols Mihailoff, who is 68
years old and is still playing with the best
team in the 60’s. I want to be fair about taking
the title “the best team in the 60’s”
because the reality is that across the country
there are about five great teams of this caliber,
and on any given day they can beat
you. That said, it’s the goal of those players
on those teams to stay in the best shape so
they can compete. We all know that at this
age, every day you get to play is special.
Over the years we have lost several friends.
Behind every great team is a great manager,
but one of our great strengths lies with
Donna Mihailoff, who keeps us in the best
hotels and on track!”
Players named to the All -Tournament
team for the SSUSA Spring National tournament
were Roger Wilt and Bruce Fairchild.
Softball Magazine Issue 3 2009 • Page 29