LilMtnCbn
05-05-2004, 04:46 AM
http://www.roanoke.com/roatimes/news/story166572.html
Rowe focuses on past, future
Kim Rowe is on a quest to find her birth parents and to lead Roanoke College in
the NCAA tournament.
By Mark Berman
Kim Rowe knew she was adopted from a young age.
Her mother used to read her a book about adoption, "The Chosen Child," when
she was a little girl in Hampton. Rowe knew she didn't look like her white
brother, who was adopted from different parents, and her white parents.
"I'm American Indian, so you could always tell. ... From whenever I could
remember, I was always told I was adopted because I always looked a little bit
different. I always had that permanent tan," Rowe said with a laugh.
Rowe, a Roanoke College first baseman and the Old Dominion Athletic
Conference softball player of the year, has been trying the past few years to
discover who her birth parents are. She knows she was born in Newport News to a
Native American father and a white mother.
"I'd like to find them, just to let them know who I am and that I'm getting
ready to graduate from college in a year and I'm doing good," said Rowe, a
junior. "They've given me a lot because if it wasn't for them I wouldn't be
sitting here today. I thank them every day."
Rowe has looked into tribes in Virginia in hopes of discovering which tribe
she is from. She has done research on the Internet and has talked to Native
Americans from Virginia tribes.
"I've always been interested in the American Indian heritage," she said.
"It means a lot to me."
Ronnie and Barbara Rowe mean a lot to her, too.
"They're always my parents," she said. "They've raised me. They've been
through the blood, sweat and tears, through the ballgames."
"We've always looked at Kim as being our kid," Ronnie Rowe said. "We've
never hidden anything from Kim."
Rowe's father coached her in youth softball for several years. He often
would be her catcher when she practiced one of her pre-college positions -
pitching.
"We spent many a day cleaning the snow off the ballfield so I can go out
and pitch," she said. "We've spent many, many hours of him sitting on a bucket
and me trying to knock him off."
Rowe made an instant impact when she left Bethel High School for Roanoke
College, earning ODAC rookie of the year honors in 2002. She hit .419 with six
homers and 38 RBI. Rowe was not quite as productive last season, batting .376
with no homers and 23 RBI. She fell from the All-ODAC first team to the second
team.
"Last year I put a lot of pressure on myself to do really well," Rowe said.
Roanoke coach Alan Bayse said ODAC teams learned how to pitch to Rowe last
season. Bayse said Rowe has taught herself how to hit an inside pitch. She also
has focused on the mental side of hitting.
"She's a much more patient hitter," said Bayse, whose 32-10 Maroons won the
ODAC tournament two weekends ago. "She was aggressive before, and you could
really throw her off balance."
Rowe has become much more productive as cleanup hitter. Rowe leads the team
in batting (.454), homers (five), RBI (48), slugging percentage (.738), doubles
(18) and total bases (96).
Rowe has an intense look at the plate, said Bayse.
"When she looks at me, it's almost like she's looking through me," he said.
"In pressure situations, she's the best."
Bayse said Rowe, who is 5-foot-9, is equally valuable defensively. Her
wingspan helps her nab throws to first base, and she can pick balls out of the
dirt. She also has a superb throwing arm.
"She's probably one of the most gifted, talented people, when it comes to
having gifts of athleticism, that you've ever seen," Bayse said. "She's managed
to capture it and refine it."
The Maroons have made the NCAA Division III playoffs for the fifth time in
six years. They will host a six-team regional Friday through Sunday or Monday
at the Moyer Sports Complex in Salem. The winner will advance to next week's
national championships at Moyer.
The NCAA tournament isn't the only event Rowe is looking forward to. Bayse
selected Rowe to represent Roanoke College on the all-star team of area college
players that will face Jennie Finch, Lisa Fernandez and the rest of the 2004
U.S. Olympic team in a June 18 exhibition at Moyer.
"I'm really excited about it," Rowe said. "I'm really nervous, but I hope
to get the bat on the ball."
Faring well at the plate is only one of Rowe's goals, though. Trying to
find her birth parents remains a bigger challenge.
"I always believe when there's a will, there's a way," she said. "Maybe it
won't be in the next couple years, maybe it won't be in 10 years. But hopefully
some time down the road I'll be able to find something out."
-------------------------
A good friend will come and bail you out of jail . . . but, a true friend will
be sitting next to you saying, "Damn . . . that was fun!"
-----Unknown
Rowe focuses on past, future
Kim Rowe is on a quest to find her birth parents and to lead Roanoke College in
the NCAA tournament.
By Mark Berman
Kim Rowe knew she was adopted from a young age.
Her mother used to read her a book about adoption, "The Chosen Child," when
she was a little girl in Hampton. Rowe knew she didn't look like her white
brother, who was adopted from different parents, and her white parents.
"I'm American Indian, so you could always tell. ... From whenever I could
remember, I was always told I was adopted because I always looked a little bit
different. I always had that permanent tan," Rowe said with a laugh.
Rowe, a Roanoke College first baseman and the Old Dominion Athletic
Conference softball player of the year, has been trying the past few years to
discover who her birth parents are. She knows she was born in Newport News to a
Native American father and a white mother.
"I'd like to find them, just to let them know who I am and that I'm getting
ready to graduate from college in a year and I'm doing good," said Rowe, a
junior. "They've given me a lot because if it wasn't for them I wouldn't be
sitting here today. I thank them every day."
Rowe has looked into tribes in Virginia in hopes of discovering which tribe
she is from. She has done research on the Internet and has talked to Native
Americans from Virginia tribes.
"I've always been interested in the American Indian heritage," she said.
"It means a lot to me."
Ronnie and Barbara Rowe mean a lot to her, too.
"They're always my parents," she said. "They've raised me. They've been
through the blood, sweat and tears, through the ballgames."
"We've always looked at Kim as being our kid," Ronnie Rowe said. "We've
never hidden anything from Kim."
Rowe's father coached her in youth softball for several years. He often
would be her catcher when she practiced one of her pre-college positions -
pitching.
"We spent many a day cleaning the snow off the ballfield so I can go out
and pitch," she said. "We've spent many, many hours of him sitting on a bucket
and me trying to knock him off."
Rowe made an instant impact when she left Bethel High School for Roanoke
College, earning ODAC rookie of the year honors in 2002. She hit .419 with six
homers and 38 RBI. Rowe was not quite as productive last season, batting .376
with no homers and 23 RBI. She fell from the All-ODAC first team to the second
team.
"Last year I put a lot of pressure on myself to do really well," Rowe said.
Roanoke coach Alan Bayse said ODAC teams learned how to pitch to Rowe last
season. Bayse said Rowe has taught herself how to hit an inside pitch. She also
has focused on the mental side of hitting.
"She's a much more patient hitter," said Bayse, whose 32-10 Maroons won the
ODAC tournament two weekends ago. "She was aggressive before, and you could
really throw her off balance."
Rowe has become much more productive as cleanup hitter. Rowe leads the team
in batting (.454), homers (five), RBI (48), slugging percentage (.738), doubles
(18) and total bases (96).
Rowe has an intense look at the plate, said Bayse.
"When she looks at me, it's almost like she's looking through me," he said.
"In pressure situations, she's the best."
Bayse said Rowe, who is 5-foot-9, is equally valuable defensively. Her
wingspan helps her nab throws to first base, and she can pick balls out of the
dirt. She also has a superb throwing arm.
"She's probably one of the most gifted, talented people, when it comes to
having gifts of athleticism, that you've ever seen," Bayse said. "She's managed
to capture it and refine it."
The Maroons have made the NCAA Division III playoffs for the fifth time in
six years. They will host a six-team regional Friday through Sunday or Monday
at the Moyer Sports Complex in Salem. The winner will advance to next week's
national championships at Moyer.
The NCAA tournament isn't the only event Rowe is looking forward to. Bayse
selected Rowe to represent Roanoke College on the all-star team of area college
players that will face Jennie Finch, Lisa Fernandez and the rest of the 2004
U.S. Olympic team in a June 18 exhibition at Moyer.
"I'm really excited about it," Rowe said. "I'm really nervous, but I hope
to get the bat on the ball."
Faring well at the plate is only one of Rowe's goals, though. Trying to
find her birth parents remains a bigger challenge.
"I always believe when there's a will, there's a way," she said. "Maybe it
won't be in the next couple years, maybe it won't be in 10 years. But hopefully
some time down the road I'll be able to find something out."
-------------------------
A good friend will come and bail you out of jail . . . but, a true friend will
be sitting next to you saying, "Damn . . . that was fun!"
-----Unknown
