1. Welcome to the Hot Seat Amar Aujla. Tell us a little about yourself off the field. What do you do for a living? What are your hobbies? Etc.
For starters, thank you for having me. Off the field: I’ve been trying to work on my Dadbod so that if there is ever a need, we won’t have to pay for a mascot. It’s not going well, kind of like our season so far. LOL. For work, I’m a Senior Financial Analyst and enjoy my current role. Hobbies: basketball, golf, reading, and spending time with family.
2. We heard you are a good golfer. Give the SASL’ers who are into Golf some pro tips on their swings. What do you do better: driving or putting?
I’m not sure who lied to you but whoever it was, I owe them a Christmas present. The best Golf tip I’ve ever heard is Epsetin didn’t kill himself. Hahah JK I think it’s probably do not swing a club how you would your softball bat. I’m definitely a putter by nature just because it’s more mental and the amount of precision it requires & also because you should never drink and drive 😉
3. You play SABL as well. What is your favorite sport and why? What is the tougher sport to play?
Yes – I’m on two SABL teams as well. Basketball has always been my favorite sport so naturally I gravitate to it more than any other sport. Ball is life ammm I riteeeee? I’d say basketball is tougher as it requires a higher level of fitness even to be an average player. Rightfully so, no team called DadBods would be allowed in, I think we would need to change our name to like Father Figures or something to sound more credible.
4. In HS, you were a multi-sport athlete. Let’s reminisce a little bit. Tell us about your time in the Lincoln HS basketball and baseball teams.
So I grew up in Brooklyn and if you’ve heard of NYC basketball, you have definitely heard of Lincoln HS. He Got Game with Ray Allen is based on Lincoln and numerous NBA players like Stephon Marbury, Sabastian Telfair and Lance Stephenson are notable alumni. I played both sports in HS, our Varsity team won four PSAL State titles during that time. It was a tough place to play given the expectations but I had a great time and enjoyed it a lot.
5. When did you start in SASL and how did you hear about SASL? What is your impression 1 year in?
Last year was my first year and I had a blast. News flash!!!: we’re not the best team but we are slowing piecing it together and I think we’ll start putting it together soon enough be a team to be feared down the line. As for the league itself, I have to say all the guys are amazing week in week out and make it worthwhile to wake up early on Sundays. SASL has to be one of the most organized and polished leagues I have ever been a part of. I can’t wait for the day that my team will be ranked high enough on the weekly power rankings for me to care enough to read them LOL
6. Who came up with the now legendary team name and logos of DadBods? What’s the story behind it?
I am not sure actually, whoever it was probably wanted to champion their plus size figure and I guess it caught on quick.
7. In SASL, we have seen you play LCF and 1B quite frequently. What is the tougher position and why? Which do you enjoy more?
I love the outfield but played 1B in HS. There is a different thrill in charging a fly ball and gunning a guy out a home (like last week) that 1B can’t match. But I try to be versatile enough and play a position that best fits our team’s needs.
8. 2019 DadBods or 2020 DadBods. Which team do you think is more talented and why?
2019 team was pretty solid but we lost Andy due to an injury, Eric and Randy had some time constraints and we miss them all. I think our 2020 squad has the potential to be a playoff team and both of our second games for the first two weeks have been nail-biters. We’re about one or two plays away from consistently putting together a good full game but that will come with experience.
9. So far, you guys are 0-4 in the season. Both weeks in Game 2 you guys play much better. What’s the difference between Game 1 and Game 2?
To be honest and I think all of the guys will attest to this; we’re just too uptight to start off. I think once we loosen up a little and play our game and trust each other we’re a much better team. Also, a couple of protein bars between games definitely helps the cause.
10. DadBods big goal is to make it to the playoffs in year 2. What will you guys need to do to make it happen? Who are some of your big competitors?
As much as I would love to call a particular team out, at 0-4 you just can’t make that claim. I think every team we play is good competition and serves as a measuring stick to see how far we’ve come. We just need to keep trusting each other, being supporting, and bringing energy to every game.
11. DadBods seems like they always come 15 man deep every week. Is that somewhat of a curse to juggle the lineup and playing time every week? Most teams bat 10 or 11 guys to shorten the lineup.
Talk about a double-edged sword!! Good thing I don’t ever have to make that call and that wonderful responsibility goes solely to PK. I will say it does take longer to get your rhythm as opposed to the other team. I guess that might be why we play better the second game? Perhaps we need to show up and play an intrasquad scrimmage before our first game to speed up the process haha
12. Win or Lose, DadBods seem to have great camaraderie and sportsmanship. What drives such enthusiasm week in and week out? Who’s always playing the dope music in the dugout?
I think given everything that going on, softball is a good excuse to get out of the house and decompress a bit. We got DJ Vito bumping all kinds of music to put everyone in the mood. Also, I think he takes it as a personal challenge to have a louder speaker than the other team every week. I guess this puts all of the resident team DJs on notice when they play us.
13. You said you keep up with the content and stats on the website. What is your favorite feature/content on the website and why?
I do; I think it provide great insight to all of the other teams and how they’re doing. I like weekly recaps and the Hot Seat is cool because it helps everyone get to know each other a bit better.
14. What makes SASL different that any other league you played in or play for? What would be one change you would make if you could in the SASL?
It’s very organized to say the least. Also my one bone to pick is: Bring back the mat!!! I guess the pitchers aren’t too fond of it but it sure helps the batters narrow their zone and hit better. I feel like I went 6-6 week one because of it; guess that won’t happen again LOL
15. How have you kept busy during the quarantine? What did you miss most not being able to do?
Trying build better habits because I can’t the excuse I don’t have time for something anymore. I’ve been slowly adding to my routine since early April when things got a little crazy and happy to say that I’m much more productive overall since then. I do miss going out to dinner and Brunch etc freely & routinely, that part sucks.
16. Three words or less: Describe these players:
- Parvesh Kandhela: Indian George Clooney
- Vito Ciaccia: Life of the Party
- Shiva Pathak: The Hulk
- Alvin Ng: Beard Gang
- Randy Manalastas: Baby Face Assasin
- Mike Sanchez: The Juggernaut
- Ricky Gill: The Ace
- Sandeep Pillai: Prebleach Sammy Sosa
- Amanpreet Singh: GM Saab
- Jaspreet Singh: Lowkey Sniper
17. Rapid Fire Round:
- Best SASL memory: Extra-Inning comeback win last year
- Worst SASL memory: Not making playoffs
- Most Talented SASL team you played against: Dynasty/The North?
- Funniest teammate: Amani 22
- Favorite teammate ever: Aash Sharma – since college
- Worst SASL jerseys: The plastic one from last year
- Team you love facing the most: All of them
- Most overrated player in SASL: Anyone that comes hungover
- Most underrated player in SASL: All the pitchers
- Best ASA bat ever: Patriot/Freak
- Favorite Nassau softball field: Cantiague A
- 3 words to describe you: Competetive, Food-loving, Funny
- Most swagy player: Satty for sure! Dude looks like a MLB prospect; eye paint & all.
- Your favorite vacation you been to: St Thomas
- Next vacation destination: Greece
- Favorite TV Show: Jack Ryan
- Best beard in SASL: Harpreet Ranu
Thank you Amar for joining us! You are officially off the Hot Seat! Good luck rest of the season!
