I have been coaching fastpitch for about 18 years now, and coaching my daughter for 15 of it. This is the first time I am not the coach as she is a Freshman on the HS varsity team. I can’t tell you how relaxing this is. Her coach is new, but is an ex-college player right out of college and has good knowledge of the game. She has asked me to keep book for her and track stats via Gamechanger which I gladly do. She asks for rule advice at times because, as all coaches, we don’t know everything. But this isn’t a brag post as my Freshman daughter, who happens to be a pitcher and played TB for years, is going through Freshman growing pains and struggling a bit. And this isn’t a HS post about drama, even though we have had a few like “it’s not fair, everyone on the team should play in every game.” <eye roll>
No, actually this about something I have never done. I am the book keeper for the HS team so coach wants me to keep standard book and have someone run game changer. I have chosen one of the Managers. She is an exchange student from Thailand. Doesn’t understand a lot of American Slang, and has NEVER even seen, touched or played a game of softball in her life. I am teaching her how to understand the rules, how to score the game and what terms to use when she is talking about it. It has been a great joy of teaching this young lady this great game. We are now into our 16th game and the only time she asks for help, is to ask if it was an error or not. (Or some strange play like Out of Batter’s box hit) The other day, dropped 3rd strike came up for the first time. Never have I had to explain that to someone that doesn’t understand how, why and when this happens. I didn’t think I could do it as, for one, I hate the rule, always have. If you are dumb enough to swing at a ball in the dirt or above your head, you deserve to be out, but I digress, but as I talked through it I could see at light go on and she understood.
All the years I’ve coached, I felt that 8U softball was the most fun I had because the girls were eager to learn and so innocent to the game. But I have to believe, now, that the most fun I have had, is teaching this young girl a game, she may never play again, but will now watch on TV when she returns home at the end of this month and understand most of everything going on and hopefully introduce this to her friends in Thailand.
Sorry for the long post, but being able to share this game with someone who has never played it is something everyone should do if they get a chance. Share your knowledge, it helps the sport grow.
No, actually this about something I have never done. I am the book keeper for the HS team so coach wants me to keep standard book and have someone run game changer. I have chosen one of the Managers. She is an exchange student from Thailand. Doesn’t understand a lot of American Slang, and has NEVER even seen, touched or played a game of softball in her life. I am teaching her how to understand the rules, how to score the game and what terms to use when she is talking about it. It has been a great joy of teaching this young lady this great game. We are now into our 16th game and the only time she asks for help, is to ask if it was an error or not. (Or some strange play like Out of Batter’s box hit) The other day, dropped 3rd strike came up for the first time. Never have I had to explain that to someone that doesn’t understand how, why and when this happens. I didn’t think I could do it as, for one, I hate the rule, always have. If you are dumb enough to swing at a ball in the dirt or above your head, you deserve to be out, but I digress, but as I talked through it I could see at light go on and she understood.
All the years I’ve coached, I felt that 8U softball was the most fun I had because the girls were eager to learn and so innocent to the game. But I have to believe, now, that the most fun I have had, is teaching this young girl a game, she may never play again, but will now watch on TV when she returns home at the end of this month and understand most of everything going on and hopefully introduce this to her friends in Thailand.
Sorry for the long post, but being able to share this game with someone who has never played it is something everyone should do if they get a chance. Share your knowledge, it helps the sport grow.
