This one always takes me a while to write. That is in part because I need time to decompress after the season. It would seem I internalize a lot of stress. My post-season massage never got to my legs because the entire hour was spent getting the knots out of my back, neck and shoulders. But it’s time to move the page views from the Cor Jesu game to
something new.
Anyway, had you told me we would finish the season 16-4 with another trophy to display at the banquet, my only disappointment would have been not with the four games in which we were defeated but in the four games we lost (to weather and other things beyond our control).
Put it on a loop, because I say it at the beginning and end of every season: "JV Softball is like a box of chocolates...." Sorry, could not pass it up, but suffice to say I make no predictions.
We do, of course, set expectations for our program, but those expectations have nothing to do with wins, losses, or any other statistic. However, our goals are fairly consistent from year to year:
1 - There should be a noticeable improvement in each girl's individual skill level as we compare the first practice in August to the last game in October.
2 - There should be an obvious growth in team culture, and, although that may look different from year to year, a team bond and commitment to teammates must be part of that culture.
3 - Our JV Statesmen should maintain a high level of sportsmanship and competitiveness that reflects positively on the school and the district. We want to be a respected and sought after opponent.
4 - We should produce at least 5 varsity-ready players that Coach Gibson can think about as part of the mix for the next season.
5 - Every player should be able to look back on the season as a worthwhile and enjoyable investment of her time, and at least 80% (dead minimum) should be looking forward and committed to continuing in the program next season, including participating in the off-season activities and workouts.
I think I can safely speak for my invaluable assistant coaches, Chris Fechtel and Kate Wylie, when I declare this season a success. We are lucky to have such a large and talented coaching staff, from the contracted staff to the many volunteers. I respect and enjoy working with all of them.
Parental involvement and support is never something I take for granted, although it's been consistently outstanding every year. But I started my coaching career at Hancock High School. By the fourth game of a Statesman season, I have met and almost always seen at a game virtually every parent of every player. I can tell you that by the end of any four year stretch at Hancock, I hadn't met every parent with a senior in the program. The support and sportsmanship the parents modeled for their daughters is an integral part of our success. Thank you for that.
The girls just voted today on their award winners, and to tell you the truth, I didn't even look at the ballots, mostly because I don't care who won what. We carried 16 girls, perhaps a few too many, but we carried 16 winners, 16 fine young women who represented their school, their team, their families, but most importantly, themselves with class. What a pleasure to work with them and watch them grow as players and people.
Softball is a stats-driven game, and I, having been raised with a scorecard in my hand, baseball cards next to my bed, and Strato-Matic players hidden away for midnight (and later) games with my brother, am a self-confessed numbers nerd. I don't post statistics during the season for a variety of reasons. First, I don't want to get into discussions about whether something was or was not a hit or an error, either at bat or afield. Second, I don't want to have discussions about who is playing when or where based on stats that may not reflect performance and/or ability. Finally, those parents who really want to keep track can do their own math based on the box scores, and I tried to keep those
accurate and up to date.
As
has become a tradition, below are the season totals. For comparison purposes, I am also including the stats from the seven previous years. For a better view, you can open/double click each year separately. I do want to give a shout out to our pitching staff (who, incidentally gave their own shout out to our three catchers and their improvement over the course of season): 26 walks in 20 games, a 3:1 KO to BB ratio. Combine that with a fielding percentage of over .900, and you have an explanation for our success. In short, we played good softball.
Again, many thanks to all involved, coaches, parents, district administration, but especially the girls who never gave us less than their best, for a great season. Looking forward to another great year in 2017.
