Final Thoughts (Softball Banquet Script)

I know that the coaching staff went into this season thinking that last year would be difficult, if not impossible, to match. Not in terms of wins and losses, so much, although that task was daunting enough, but in terms of team chemistry and cohesion. While every team is unique, of course, the sophomores of this year modeled the sophomores of our 17 squad (who, in turn, had the models from 16 to follow) and built a team that was, day in and day out, a pleasure to coach and work with. Oh, and we won 20 games again, so that was cool, too. As always, your players were blessed with an incredible group of coaches, including the varsity and Orange; thanks, also, to Coach Collins for his support of the program on all three levels. I especially want to thank Coach Cerutti, Coach Knapp, and our spirit guide, Coach Wylie, for making this job such a pleasure. I’ll remember these seasons after they stick me in the home for retired coaches.

Many of this year’s freshmen will have the responsibility to continue that leadership trend in 2019. And let’s just say we are confident that they can live up to those expectations from their coaches. We’ll be announcing some of the individual awards as we wander through our roster, but all of those were close votes with at least 3 contenders for each. I think that speaks well of both the depth of our squad and the respect the girls have for their teammates.

• Emmy Gary had a solid rookie year, splitting time between 1B and the OF and we’re looking forward to seeing her grow as a player. Emmy has made the commitment to up her game with a strong team for the spring and summer and the coaches are looking forward to seeing how much an already strong player improves.

• Our Rookie of the Year was our third baseman, Myah King, who set a couple records, including most HRs in a season (6, including 5 that cleared the fence; that number also ties the JV career record set by Anna Whelan in her two JV years, and not coincidentally, intentional walks, also 6).

• Fortunately for us, that intentional walk strategy was frequently foiled by our catcher, Nora Marcinkiewicz, who thanks to all those runners Myah wasn’t allowed to drive in, lead our team in RBI with 38 in our 22 games. But Nora also did a great job of field leadership, working not only with our pitchers but our entire team.

• Our OF defense was anchored by Venus (Flytrap) Moran in CF. Alyssa was a one-woman Web Gem show and taught me not to mark the scorecard too soon lest I have to scratch out the hit and mark in an “8.” Oh, and she hit .550 with 7 triples.

• Our own José Oquendo (except she hit better) was Taylor Smith who can, and frequently did, play everywhere. That flexibility was crucial when we were bitten by the injury bug. The question, “Well, now who’s going to play that position” always involved Taylor, whose bat also grew stronger as the season progressed as she hit over .500 and averaged an OBP of 67%.

• Finally, Zoe Weik kind of got cheated out of her freshman season by an Astroturf hop at Fox that put her on concussion protocol and out with cracked eye orbit. Remember that the next time you roll your eyes at an OF with a mask. Bad hops happen, and not just on turf. Right Noel? Fortunately for Zoe and us she was able to return in time for the Hancock Tournament and share in our 5^th consecutive first-place trophy.

Which brings us to our third straight group of amazing sophomores who, every year, take a group of girls and help them bond into a team. Two years ago Julia and AP were a key part of that core. Last year it was Maya, Megan, JP, Rebekah and Noel. This year it was….

• Lydia Beggs who played some third, first and DP in addition to her leadership role. Like her sophomore teammates, she modeled playing the game the right way, working hard all the time, (and overtime) and putting her team – and teammates – first. She also hit .350, not too shabby.

• Caitlyn, Speed Racer, Boyle took on the challenge of joining the team as a sophomore and coming back from an injury at the same time. As injuries mounted her role expanded and her skills increased as she developed into an accomplished slapper/bunter and hustling defender in RF. Coach Cerutti, Coach Wylie, and I marveled at how she was able to back up throws from an IF BEFORE it hit the fence! Oh, in addition to batting over .600, she also set the JV record for SBs with 39.

• My girl Friday, (Taylor Graning) who has gamely put up with my penchant for creating nicknames, also saw her role expand as the season progressed and finished the season as our regular 2B, where she made only 3 errors and had a fielding % of about .950. She also clearly demonstrated that she understands the concept of team and lent both her softball and leadership skills to JV Orange on numerous occasions when they were short-handed.

• It speaks to the depth of our team that TK, Taylor Knapp (we had enough tailors to open our own shop) was not a unanimous choice for team MVP. But she clearly WAS the choice as she wrote her name in the JV Statesmen record books, setting the standard for wins in a season (17) and a career (28), eclipsing Olivia Collins’s marks. TK’s love for the game and her teammates were just as valuable as her skills in the circle. I often quote Douglas Adams’s admonition from HGTG, “Don’t Panic,” and TK’s calmness in the circle embodies that and keeps the wheels from coming off.

• Nic Rikand saw her role change this year and I can’t tell you (well, obviously I can and now will) how much respect she earned from the coaching staff. With her fellow sophomores she was not just a great teammate, but a great leader, no matter where she was playing in the field. She took charge and helped keep us focused, game after game, and gave us 100% effort, every inning, every AB.

• Finally we come to our last sophomore leader, Sarah “Sockeye” Sammon. Leadership is never an easy task, because true leaders lead with actions, not just words (although words do matter). It’s easier, of course, when you’re in the limelight or always on the field. It’s much more of a challenge when you could be (rightfully) frustrated by a limited role, when you want to be doing more than you’re too often given the chance to do. That is so hard, and so important, that over a decade ago we even created what I think is our most important award, originally named for Jennifer Matthews and Casey Murphey, to honor that kind of leadership. The players who have earned this award have all gone on to success and I am as proud of each of them as any players I have ever coached. Congratulations, Sarah, on joining that admirable and exclusive sorority.

Closing the Books on 2018

Season Wrap Up --

After the records we set in 2017, including most wins (22) and winning percentage, it occurred to me that I should seriously think about retiring. How could any team do any better? Yet, to my surprise, the 2018 squad threatened to do exactly that. Were it not for a tough loss to Kirkwood to end the season, we would have set a new winning percentage record. Although that was not to be, 2018 was another magical season, complete with two 10-game winning streaks and an overall 20-2 record.

Highlights included an exciting 3^rd place finish in the Ft. Zumwalt West Tournament, despite playing short-handed and losing only to the eventual champion; we had easily vanquished the second place finisher, Summit, earlier in the week. Our fifth straight Hancock championship lacked the drama of last year’s final, but was nonetheless satisfying as we again played without a key player. Taylor Knapp set records for most wins by a JV pitcher in both a season (17) and career (26), Caitlyn Boyle notched a new stolen base mark with 39, and Myah King pounded six (6!) homeruns, five of which cleared fences in four different ballparks (she also was walked intentionally five times).

All those stats, and more, are available below. As usual, I have also included those of previous years for those who think that’s important. I’m a fan of the Impressionist School, so JV statistics offer little more than a fuzzy replication of the season because programs vary wildly from year to year. But what is clear is that the Webster program is successfully bringing in players every year that can help our varsity program successfully compete with other schools. It was my pleasure to have coached both graduating seniors, Julia Love and Allison Peters, from our 2018 varsity District Champion squad – I’m proud of the athletes they are, but even prouder of the young women who do such a magnificent job of representing their team, their school and their community.

This piece will look familiar to sophomore parents because (full disclosure) it’s mostly copied from last year’s season-ending entry (again!). But despite protests to the contrary from some quarters, truth is truth.


We do, of course, set expectations for our program, but those expectations have nothing to do with wins, losses, or any other statistics. However, our goals are fairly consistent from year to year:

     1 – There should be a noticeable improvement in each girl’s game from 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 be, well, statesmen, maintaining a high level of sportsmanship and competitiveness that reflects positively on the district, the school, the team, and themselves. 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 (2019) season. Whether that remains a shared objective remains to be seen and may require some thoughtful decision-making down the road.

     5 – Every player should be able to look back on the season as a worthwhile and enjoyable investment of her time and effort, and a minimum of 80% are looking forward and committed to continuing in the program next season, including participation in the off-season activities and workouts.

I think I can safely speak for my invaluable assistant coaches, Tim Cerutti, Kate Wylie, and David Knapp, when I declare this season a success. We are lucky to have such a large and talented coaching team, from the contracted staff to the many volunteers. I respect and enjoy working with all of them.

Parental involvement and support is something I NEVER take for granted, although, like every year, it’s been consistently outstanding. I started my coaching career at Hancock High School. By the fourth game of every Statesmen season, I have met and almost always have seen virtually every parent of every player at one game or another. I can tell you that by the end of any four year stretch at Hancock High School, 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.

An additional huge "Thank you" to the girls, their parents, and fellow JV coaches who made me feel valued and validated. Whatever the future holds, those warm feelings will live in me for many years to come. I am beyond grateful for the honor and pleasure of carrying them with me.

Again, many thanks to all involved, coaches, parents, district administrators, but especially the girls themselves who never gave us less than their best, who never gave up on a teammate or themselves, for a fantastic season. There will (probably) be one more post about 2018 with some random observations about softball, coaching, and life in general. Or not. It may not always seem so, but I try not to speak (or write) unless I believe that I have something that needs to be said. I hope you enjoyed this season even half as much as I did.

Double Click on any Stat Box to Enlarge

Pioneer Revenge: Kirkwood 6, Webster 5

Sorry this is late. I needed time to decompress, not just from this game but the season – which is kind of still ongoing. Congrats to the varsity for their thrilling 2-1 (10 inning) win over the SJA Angels (who apparently abandoned them) in the first round of the district tournament.

So how much sleep did I lose after this season-ending loss? Well, some, for sure. Lots of “What ifs….” some involving coaching decisions (Might there have been a better order? Should I have walked that #8 batter {who was really the Pioneer #4 who was late to the game} in the bottom of the seventh? Should I have put some pressure on with a couple 1-out bunts?), some involving umpiring (over which I have no control, but when the Kirkwood coach notes on what would have been Strike 3 “that’s been a strike all day [and it had been]” that then turned into a flared windy single by the eventual tying run with 2 out….

Despite Myah King serving as a one-woman wrecking crew (4 for 4 and her fifth shot over the boards into a strong wind), Caitlyn Boyle giving her those runs to drive home, and stalwart pitching from TK, Kirkwood kept creating new paths to tie the score and eventually push across the winning run in one of the most exciting games of the year.

Well, turnabout is fair play and Kirkwood scored two in the bottom of the seventh to erase the run we scored in the top of that inning to regain the lead, ending our winning streak at 10 games and sending us to Serendipity with a final record of 20-2, which looks pretty darn good when you see it in black and white. And if you’d told Coach Cerutti and me in August that we could “settle” for 20-2 or take our chances, I’m pretty sure we would have said we could “settle.”

But we also wouldn’t have wanted to miss this season with these girls, no matter the record. You can look for a season wrap up later this weekend or early next week, but this was my message in the post-mortem and the fitting last words for the last regular blog post of 2018: “I.Love.This.Team.”