Here We Go Again -- 2019

Coaches Cerutti, Wyle and I are excited about the young women who will be playing for us this year and look forward to working with them to develop their softball skills. Thank you for sharing you daughters with us. Briefly, here are our goals for this (and, to be honest, every) 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 (2020) season. 

     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 being committed to continuing in the program next season, including participation in the off-season activities and workouts. 

We look forward to seeing you at the field! Your daughters (and we) appreciate your support of their efforts. If you want to "follow" the blog and receive updates, there is a place in the top right to enter your email address to receive notifications. Disclaimer: I have no idea if it really works or if there are any unintended consequences. Here is also a link to a Facebook page called Tiger-Statesmen Softball Players which connects the two schools for which I have been privileged to coach.  https://www.facebook.com/groups/1158996197484864/

On the Eve of the 2017 Season

As we begin (what I think is) my 40^th high school softball season, 22 at Webster. (At the end of this post, I have included an excerpt of a letter sent to Coach Gibson after the recently completed Sullivan Tournament. It helps explain why that number at Webster is so high. And I want to thank our parents for raising young women who practice good sportsmanship and for modeling it for your daughters.) Our first game is Tuesday against the Cougars of Affton at Affton Athletic on Gravois (4:15 start time).

We are carrying 14 girls this season. I mentioned it to the girls the other day, but there are two ways to get better: playing and practice. Girls don’t have much control over playing time, but you can remind her that every day, every practice, every drill, every warm-up, every catch and throw counts, and is a chance to get better and to demonstrate her skills and growth as a player. We have a deep squad, so encourage your player to work hard at improving all aspects of her game.

This blog will be updated (theoretically) after each game, complete with a summary, comments, and box score, and occasionally pictures, especially if a parent wants to take photos. I do have a camera that should allow for that opportunity – or you can use your own. If we have a parent or two who are scorekeeping nerds, there is a program (Game Changer) that works on an iPhone or iPad (data plan needed) that would allow other parents to follow the game in real time for those who can’t make it to whatever field we’re playing at. Let me know if either of these “opportunities” appeals to you (bobberndt530@gmail.com).

Occasionally I will post and/or tweet (follow at either @CoachBerndt or @berndtsbuddies (I don’t want to throw any assistant coach under the bus but I didn’t pick that handle nor will I actually send those tweets)) the projected starting lineup for that day’s game, subject to last minute changes due to absence, or injury, of course. Speaking of that, if your daughter will NOT be available for whatever reason, as much advance notice as you can provide will be appreciated.

I’m looking forward to the season, mostly because I like the way this team is coming together, rooting for and supporting each other. I’m lucky to be supported by three strong assistant coaches, Tim Cerutti (someone with whom I can share random cultural references), Dave Knapp, and Kate Wylie, as well as the varsity team of Head Coach Bryan Gibson, Sam Pitlyk, Chris Fechtel, Emma Buckles and Kyra Navia. That’s a lot of instruction available, although practices will be limited as the games get going. Speaking of which, here’s our schedule (we’re Road Warriors early) through the end of this month, including two under the lights:

August 22 – Affton at AAA Field (approximately 6:15 start, after the varsity)

August 24 – Nerinx Hall at KAA (6 p.m. start)

August 25 – @ Pattonville H.S. (finally an afternoon game, 4:15 start)

August 28 – @ Parkway North (following the varsity game, ‘til we run out of light)

August 30 – @ Parkway Central (4:15 start)

August 31 – vs. Kirkwood (4:15 start)

Excerpts from the letter mentioned above: 

Dear Mr. Gibson, athletic program members, and other Administrators,

Hello, my name is Brad Hinson and I am a certified MSHSAA softball, baseball, and football official.  I can’t say I have ever done this before but I have never seen what Webster Groves softball team showed before at any sport and at any level….

Webster Groves softball, was led with the highest sportsmanship and all around positive teaching methods for the students I have ever seen.  It started with the head coach, goes down to the players and to the fans.  I have never encountered such a team to call a game for…. Typically, most don't have respect for the rules and the continuity of the game they are playing and think the official has to be yelled at no matter what.  I have informed my colleagues in my associations if they ever get a chance to call your [Webster] games to jump at the chance.  It was truly a pleasurable experience to stand behind the plate and call pitches for your team.  The most professionalism I have ever seen on the field of play.  For the first time in over 8 years of officiating MSHSAA contests I can honestly say that they were an extension of the classroom.  Fantastic all around … and an upbeat attitude even when you weren't at your best.  The girls never showed defeat and they seemed positive all the way to the end and congratulated the other team on a job well done with an eagerness to be great sportsman and civil ladies like no other….

I really just want to thank you for making a hot, humid, and otherwise miserable weather day in a contest the most fun I have ever had.  If the softball teams speaks for all of your district if I move for my kids to be in a positive environment learning in a classroom, and sports, I will look at Webster Groves as your entire organization was quite impressive.  I hope to see you in the future ….

Sincerely,

Brad Hinson (MSHSAA Official #108904)

Let the Games Begin!

And so we’re off, starting another season tomorrow, traveling to Parkway Central to take on the Colts. Game time is 4:15 and will represent a homecoming of sorts for Coach Cerutti, returning to the school where he coached for so many years. I know the feelings he will have, because I had similar ones when Hancock played Webster the first two years after Hancock moved to the fall season. For a year and a half I had been the varsity coach at both schools. It was a little weird coaching against girls whom I had previously coached.

The girls have worked hard and we coaches are very pleased with the progress we’ve seen over the past couple weeks. It’s time now to see how well those practices can translate to game speed and game situations. Given what we’ve seen, we’re confident that we’ll field a high-energy team that demonstrates good sportsmanship, one that the opposition will respect. We’re a little hamstrung our first couple games with eligibility issues; we’ll only have 10 eligible players for our first game, 11 for our second game, the evening (6 p.m.) contest against Nerinx on Monday at KAA. But we’ll be at full strength when we take on the Cougars of Affton next Thursday at home. The always tough Seckman will come to visit on Friday. Here’s our starting lineup for tomorrow afternoon:

Please sign up to receive notifications of blog updates. I will post box scores (and pictures, when available – we need road game photographers, if you’re interested) the evening of a game, or perhaps the next morning. If you enter your e-mail address above, you will receive an e-mail when I update the site. If anyone has an iPad with a data plan, and you like to keep a scorebook, GameChanger allows parents who can’t be at games to follow along. We promise not to tell your bosses that you may not be entirely focused on your job. Otherwise, you’ll just have to wait for a report from your daughter and the box score.

One of the joys of coaching at Webster has been the opportunity to get to know not just the outstanding young women who make up our teams but the parents who support them, as well. Having spent 37 years at Hancock, where I began coaching in 1986, I don’t take this for granted. I am confident I will meet every every parent of every girl (if I haven’t already) at some point or another this season. At Hancock, I had girls I coached for four years whose parent(s) I never even saw once.

We hope that you are looking forward to enjoying this season as much as Coach Cerutti, Coach Knapp, Coach Fechtel (and Coach Poe, in absentia) and I are. We have a great group of girls.

Play Ball!

P.S. I am still working on how to change the cover photo to represent 2015. I have created a new photo but have yet to be able to import it to replace the old one. #firstworldproblems

Nerinx Game Off (for now)

I took advantage of the (temporary, I hope) cancellation of the JV game to practice using GameChanger at the varsity tilt (won by the Statesmen, 10-0, behind excellent pitching, defense, and base running).

I carefully plugged in my wife's iPad to make sure it had a full charge, then left without it. But it was fully charged. Anyway, I used my iPhone (an iPod will also work) and was surprised how easy it was to keep score. Substitutions can get a little complicated, advancing base runners a little tricky, at first, but Coach Poe was following at home, pitch by pitch, and enjoyed it. It would appear that to get the full benefit you'll want to subscribe as a premium follower ($7.99/month; $40 for a whole year). Given our short season, assuming a month is 30 days, not a calendar month, two months would do it. Not that I care.

I'll be posting box scores and my own unique brand of commentary for the JV anyway. WGHS Softball gets no financial benefit from this, so please consider this kind of a bonus thing. And, unless someone wants to jump up and volunteer to actually DO the scoring on an iPad, iPod, or iPhone, there won't be that much to follow. I'll be keeping my own stats on the JV games. Still, I hope that some of you received the announcements today as the game status changed from hour to hour and that you found it helpful.

Here's a screen shot of what appears if you're just a follower:

I'm hopeful we'll get the Nerinx game made up on Thursday (because that's what NH suggested when both games were in doubt) but we'll see. For what it's worth, their varsity coach didn't get it either.

Under the Lights

Our delayed season opener is now tomorrow evening. Assuming we don't get pushed back an hour due to heat (not an unlikely possibility -- flexibility is apparently going to need to be one of watchwords for the season), both teams will see or throw their first pitch around 6 p.m. This side by side doubleheader against Nerinx has become a tradition, one that I think benefits both programs. Please feel free to share any game pictures you take and I’ll work to get them in the game summary and box score.

We're still awaiting clearance for one of the varsity players, and that will determine how many players the JV has available, and who will start in the circle, for this game. In any case, there will be at least three, and perhaps four, projected starters either ineligible or with the varsity. I don't expect to have Brittany Hartung with us for a while, at a minimum until Bree Schatz's ankle has healed and she can go full speed for a whole game or two.

JV teams are usually a house of cards, and it's a challenge to move one without impacting the whole structure. We are lucky this year to have players who can compete in several positions, but those are often the same ones Coach Gibson needs to fill his holes. 

Last year we defeated Nerinx 14-3 in 5 innings, but trying to predict results based on the previous season, especially on the JV level, is both foolish and impossible. I know because I've tried and failed, both taking wins for granted that didn't materialize and giving away wins because either subs played extremely well or a rival JV was experiencing a down year.

That being said, we play away on Friday against Seckman and considered last year's home loss a moral victory because, for the first time in years, we got to bat in the 7th inning! 

I'm going to post the "Snack Schedule" here in the hopes that at least some parents will have notification before game day. We will have water at every game, but girls might want to also bring their own jugs. The team will provide snack options at our two tournaments.

I'm looking forward to getting to know each of you better as the season wears on and hoping that you'll be forgiving if I start to wear on you.

2014 Snack Schedule

August 25	H Love
August 29	Maggie
September 2	Grace
September 3	Becca
September 8	Ro
September 10	Greer
September 12	Claudia
September 15	Nieman
September 17	OW
September 22	Nicole
September 24	Caroline
September 25	Alina
September 30	Emma
October 1	Karlee
October 3	AC