Silvermans Lead Maccabi Games Softball Entry

In the Silverman family, winning isn’t everything--it’s simply the only thing they know.

Beth and Cari Silverman, sisters who played softball for El Camino Real High in the 1980s, did not experience a pitching loss during their high school careers. According to their father, Sandy, Beth was 50-0 and Cari was 5-0.

Beth was named City Section 4-A Division player of the year after her sophomore and senior seasons. She sat out her junior year for personal reasons.

So it was no secret that the Silvermans possessed a winning touch.

Apparently, that is why in 1988 the Los Angeles Organizing Committee for the Jewish Community Centers asked Sandy to put together a softball team to represent the city in the Maccabi Youth Games, which are held in the United States every two years.

The organizing committee must have figured that if Sandy took the job, he would find a way to include his dynamic daughters.

He did.

All three Silvermans have been involved in the youth games for Jewish athletes (ages 13 to 16 years) since. The games began in 1982, but the Los Angeles delegation did not send a softball team until 1988.

In the 1988 and ’90 Games, the Silverman-coached teams went undefeated.

Cari, 20, was a player on the 1988 team and became an assistant coach in 1990.

Beth, 22, who suffered a back injury during her freshman year at Arizona and did not pitch in college, was an assistant in 1988 and ’90.

This year, at his doctor’s request, Sandy handed over the head coaching duties to his oldest daughter. Beth, with the assistance of Cari, will guide the team in the 1992 Games in Baltimore that run from Sunday to Aug. 30.

Sandy, 53, now prefers to think of himself more as an adviser than a coach. “I know we have a good shot at the medal again,” Sandy said. “I’m not going to try and compare us to the Dream Team, but we can compete.”

Returning players from the 1990 gold medal softball team include: Keri Borzello (Taft), Stephanie Kaplan (Granada Hills), Stephanie Kates (Calabasas), Jessica Schulman (Crossroads) and Laura Vatz (Oakwood).

Other members of the team include: Jessica Creith (Granada Hills), Lesley Feldman (Notre Dame), Kimberly Fischer of Irvine, Rachel Mullin of North Hills, Angela Rotstein (Notre Dame), Amy Shapiro (Chatsworth), Mindy Spire of Santa Monica and Susan Vatz (Oakwood).

More than 2,800 young Jewish athletes from 13 countries are expected to compete. Besides softball, there will be competition in basketball, volleyball, soccer, golf, karate, racquetball, gymnastics, tennis, table tennis, track and field, cross-country, swimming and wrestling.