It's finally here! The day I've been waiting for! The first day of the "2010" season. We started out with a great conditioning session and will have an intense tryout session this afternoon. I can't wait! We have a great returning group of players, as well as some very talented freshmen, but "Talent is never enough", so we'll have to work very hard and efficiently if we are to accomplish our goals for the season. We've put together a great schedule - and a very tough schedule at that, opening up in the Lead Off Classic in Panama City Beach, FL, in March, and then we'll get to experience more of a "minor league" schedule and road trip, as we traverse by bus to Iowa and Illinois during our spring break week the last week in March. It will be a challenging trip, but it will be a very good experience and will test our stamina, our ability to spend a lot of time together in very close quarters, and it is my hope that week will really help us "seal the deal" on our team building, leadership, and forming a tight-knit group who will go to battle for each other. No better way to try to accomplish those goals......
Until next time.
Coach Huntington
Friday, September 4, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Tragedy Closer to Home
When we hear of tragedy in the world of sports, so often it is because something has happened to one of the "larger than life" sports figures that everyone knows. Today, it's closer to home.
This morning, the head football coach at Aplington-Parkersburg (Iowa) High School was shot and killed by a former player in the high school weight room, allegedly in front of about 50 students. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31525308/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/ It's close to home because I grew up in Riceville, Iowa, a town of about 800 people, similar to Parkersburg, in that it is a small, rural, Iowa town. It's close to home because it's an innocent place where things like this just aren't supposed to happen.
Why do these senseless things happen? It appears as though this former player was mentally ill, as you can read in the article. I'm not even going to ATTEMPT to express my thoughts on why - I'm sure I would offend some, and I'd likely do an injustice to this coach by trying to put it into my own humble words.
Nonetheless, I am deeply saddened.
The lives of many have been deeply affected today - and for what? What was the motive? Those of us who are not there could speculate forever, but it won't do anyone any good.
As I write this I reflect on the things written about this coach - about the former players who are now playing in the NFL.
About remembering while I was going to school in Iowa - what a traditional powerhouse A-P was in football.
About the coaches who have impacted my life.
About coming home from basketball practice in high school cursing my coaches and swearing I was going to quit......but I never did.
I never quit because that's what I was taught - by my parents AND my coaches. And realizing once I got into my career that it was those experiences that taught me the most.
The times I thought I was going to pass out if I ran one more line drill.
The times I thought I was going to quit because I was the "only one" who got yelled at.
The times I thought that the only thing that mattered was ME, not the TEAM.
The times I wondered why in the heck we were doing those stupid fundamental drills all the time in practice, rather than just "scrimmaging."
The times I swore if one more time I heard the words "discipline" or "committment" or "Together Each Achieves More" and thought about how cheesy all that stuff was, I was going to puke.
The times I thought that my coaches were just on a power trip and wanted to see how much pain they could inflict through the conditioning and mental toughness drills.
Then I think about the time that we pulled off the hugest upset in Iowa High School girls basketball - beating Ventura and Lynn Lorenzen, to get to the State Tournament for the first time in school history - it all started to sink in and make sense.
The coaches who pushed and pushed and demanded and yelled and criticized.......they became your biggest fan.
They taught you the things that ironically you're using every day of your life in your job, and with your significant other, and with your kids.
And the things that helped you form a stronger relationship with your parents because you understand the sacrifices that not only mom and dad, but your coaches made for you.
You understand all the time and energy they put into helping you become successful.
You understand that to you it was just a game, but to your coaches, it was what put a roof over their heads and food on their table. It wasn't your life, but it was "life and death" to your coaches.
You understand that they aren't coaches for a living, but for loving, because they barely get paid enough to put that food on their table.
All those things they taught you about
being on time
contributing to a cause greater than yourself
being a part of a "second family"
being a team player
managing your time
studying hard so you could continue to play
showing empathy for a down teammate
becoming a leader
performing when the pressure was on
winning AND losing with class
respecting all but fearing none.
This post isn't about me - it's about the impact that coaches always have, and always will, make on the lives of the young people they come into contact with. In the case of Coach Thomas, not only did he impact the lives of those young people, but from what I've read today, he also impacted an entire community. From what I've read today, he understood and lived by the value of community - at a time when the community was ripped apart by mother nature, he understood that the community needed to heal. And football was more than just a game played on Friday night under the lights beneath the Iowa sky - it was something that helped a community come together to rebuild and heal.
Never underestimate the value of a coach.
May you rest in peace, Coach Thomas.
This morning, the head football coach at Aplington-Parkersburg (Iowa) High School was shot and killed by a former player in the high school weight room, allegedly in front of about 50 students. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31525308/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/ It's close to home because I grew up in Riceville, Iowa, a town of about 800 people, similar to Parkersburg, in that it is a small, rural, Iowa town. It's close to home because it's an innocent place where things like this just aren't supposed to happen.
Why do these senseless things happen? It appears as though this former player was mentally ill, as you can read in the article. I'm not even going to ATTEMPT to express my thoughts on why - I'm sure I would offend some, and I'd likely do an injustice to this coach by trying to put it into my own humble words.
Nonetheless, I am deeply saddened.
The lives of many have been deeply affected today - and for what? What was the motive? Those of us who are not there could speculate forever, but it won't do anyone any good.
As I write this I reflect on the things written about this coach - about the former players who are now playing in the NFL.
About remembering while I was going to school in Iowa - what a traditional powerhouse A-P was in football.
About the coaches who have impacted my life.
About coming home from basketball practice in high school cursing my coaches and swearing I was going to quit......but I never did.
I never quit because that's what I was taught - by my parents AND my coaches. And realizing once I got into my career that it was those experiences that taught me the most.
The times I thought I was going to pass out if I ran one more line drill.
The times I thought I was going to quit because I was the "only one" who got yelled at.
The times I thought that the only thing that mattered was ME, not the TEAM.
The times I wondered why in the heck we were doing those stupid fundamental drills all the time in practice, rather than just "scrimmaging."
The times I swore if one more time I heard the words "discipline" or "committment" or "Together Each Achieves More" and thought about how cheesy all that stuff was, I was going to puke.
The times I thought that my coaches were just on a power trip and wanted to see how much pain they could inflict through the conditioning and mental toughness drills.
Then I think about the time that we pulled off the hugest upset in Iowa High School girls basketball - beating Ventura and Lynn Lorenzen, to get to the State Tournament for the first time in school history - it all started to sink in and make sense.
The coaches who pushed and pushed and demanded and yelled and criticized.......they became your biggest fan.
They taught you the things that ironically you're using every day of your life in your job, and with your significant other, and with your kids.
And the things that helped you form a stronger relationship with your parents because you understand the sacrifices that not only mom and dad, but your coaches made for you.
You understand all the time and energy they put into helping you become successful.
You understand that to you it was just a game, but to your coaches, it was what put a roof over their heads and food on their table. It wasn't your life, but it was "life and death" to your coaches.
You understand that they aren't coaches for a living, but for loving, because they barely get paid enough to put that food on their table.
All those things they taught you about
being on time
contributing to a cause greater than yourself
being a part of a "second family"
being a team player
managing your time
studying hard so you could continue to play
showing empathy for a down teammate
becoming a leader
performing when the pressure was on
winning AND losing with class
respecting all but fearing none.
This post isn't about me - it's about the impact that coaches always have, and always will, make on the lives of the young people they come into contact with. In the case of Coach Thomas, not only did he impact the lives of those young people, but from what I've read today, he also impacted an entire community. From what I've read today, he understood and lived by the value of community - at a time when the community was ripped apart by mother nature, he understood that the community needed to heal. And football was more than just a game played on Friday night under the lights beneath the Iowa sky - it was something that helped a community come together to rebuild and heal.
Never underestimate the value of a coach.
May you rest in peace, Coach Thomas.
Monday, June 22, 2009
This one's for Sean!
I was reminded yesterday by my buddy, Sean, who helps out with a local softball program, that I need to post more often - so this one's for you Sean!
I know it's been a really long time since I've posted and I don't have any excuses. May just slipped away, and so far, June has as well. I was actually amazed at how long May seemed, but now I feel that June is flying by.
Lots of recruiting going on this summer - attending many tournaments in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois.
I've also taken to a little woodworking - I'm constructing bean bag boards, otherwise known as "Cornhole Boards". I learned that they are called Cornhole boards because the bags are filled with corn. Anyway, I constructed my first set last week and now they are sitting in the garage waiting for the sander and some paint and lacquer. I'm excited to finish them, but have to make some time to do it. The plan is to customize them so they are unique - and then use them on vacation the week after July 4th. :)
I'm also enjoying spending time with my dad on the river, area lakes, etc., in his fishing boat. The fishing hasn't been very good, and I'm not picky - I'll catch anything that will bite. But they don't seem to be biting much when I'm out there. I hear all kinds of stories, but the stories don't hold up when it's MY line in the water. I must be doing something wrong - or as one guy in a bait shop told me the other day "I'm trying too hard." I must say that I've learned a lot about fishing this summer because I insist that if you have the right "bait presentation" (one term I've learned) then you should catch fish, regardless. But I haven't got it down yet. I DID actually catch a couple fish last Friday night on the Chippewa River down by the dam just north of downtown - a big ugly catfish and a sheephead - and like I said, I don't care what I catch...... one of the poles I use is an Ultralight Ugly Stick with 4 pound test line - I thought for sure that I'd lose the catfish - you should have seen that pole bend! But I got him in despite the wimpy pole. Dad threatened to throw my medium-action rod in the river if I caught another fish with my ultralight - I might actually let him do it if that little pole keeps catching fish!
Well, I better move on with my day, but I wanted to give Sean something to read today, so I needed to do this post. I'll try harder to keep things updated, Sean!
Have a great day!
Coach Huntington
I know it's been a really long time since I've posted and I don't have any excuses. May just slipped away, and so far, June has as well. I was actually amazed at how long May seemed, but now I feel that June is flying by.
Lots of recruiting going on this summer - attending many tournaments in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois.
I've also taken to a little woodworking - I'm constructing bean bag boards, otherwise known as "Cornhole Boards". I learned that they are called Cornhole boards because the bags are filled with corn. Anyway, I constructed my first set last week and now they are sitting in the garage waiting for the sander and some paint and lacquer. I'm excited to finish them, but have to make some time to do it. The plan is to customize them so they are unique - and then use them on vacation the week after July 4th. :)
I'm also enjoying spending time with my dad on the river, area lakes, etc., in his fishing boat. The fishing hasn't been very good, and I'm not picky - I'll catch anything that will bite. But they don't seem to be biting much when I'm out there. I hear all kinds of stories, but the stories don't hold up when it's MY line in the water. I must be doing something wrong - or as one guy in a bait shop told me the other day "I'm trying too hard." I must say that I've learned a lot about fishing this summer because I insist that if you have the right "bait presentation" (one term I've learned) then you should catch fish, regardless. But I haven't got it down yet. I DID actually catch a couple fish last Friday night on the Chippewa River down by the dam just north of downtown - a big ugly catfish and a sheephead - and like I said, I don't care what I catch...... one of the poles I use is an Ultralight Ugly Stick with 4 pound test line - I thought for sure that I'd lose the catfish - you should have seen that pole bend! But I got him in despite the wimpy pole. Dad threatened to throw my medium-action rod in the river if I caught another fish with my ultralight - I might actually let him do it if that little pole keeps catching fish!
Well, I better move on with my day, but I wanted to give Sean something to read today, so I needed to do this post. I'll try harder to keep things updated, Sean!
Have a great day!
Coach Huntington
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Finally - an update!
Hello Blugold Fastpitch Fans!
I know it's been way too long since I last posted, but things have been crazy busy. I know it's no excuse, but I'm going to use it as one anyway! :)
We've played a LOT of games since I last posted, including a grueling week this past week, which was supposed to end with a doubleheader at Whitewater today. Well, that game got postponed to tomorrow (Monday, 4/20), but that's looking a little "iffy" as well, due to rain. It's a frustrating position to be in - the travel time, costs, and taking players out of class are all real issues......and the missed class time, especially as we draw near to finals week. But you can't do anything about the weather, and unfortunately we have to rely on forecasts that are far from accurate.....so you just do the best you can and hope you've made the right decision. We probably could have played today, but with 70-80% chance of rain in the forecast for today, it made sense to postpone.
I'm not going to breakdown the past 3 weeks of games at this point - it would take me all night to recall everything - but I will just mention that yesterday our team played with a refreshed passion and we saw a lot of good things - from our pitchers, to our defense, to our bats. We're hoping we can sustain the momentum at this point and make a real run in the WIAC Tournament in a couple weeks.
One final note tonight - we had our last home game last Wednesday vs. St. Norbert College. My parents were at the game and had a green Army-issued blanket with them. They brought it back with them from Germany when my Dad's enlistment time was up......it's over 40 years old......well, it was sitting in a spot on the bleachers behind home plate, and when they went to grab it after the games were over, it was gone......someone had taken it. It's very unfortunate that it was taken, and my parents were obviously (and still are) upset that they no longer have it. My mom asked me to mention it in my blog, with hopes that whoever took the blanket might read this and have the decency to return it. If you have it and you are reading this, you can return the blanket to the UW Eau Claire Athletic Department - no questions asked.......we'd just like to have that blanket back - as insignificant as it might seem to anyone else.
Thanks for reading.
Coach H.
I know it's been way too long since I last posted, but things have been crazy busy. I know it's no excuse, but I'm going to use it as one anyway! :)
We've played a LOT of games since I last posted, including a grueling week this past week, which was supposed to end with a doubleheader at Whitewater today. Well, that game got postponed to tomorrow (Monday, 4/20), but that's looking a little "iffy" as well, due to rain. It's a frustrating position to be in - the travel time, costs, and taking players out of class are all real issues......and the missed class time, especially as we draw near to finals week. But you can't do anything about the weather, and unfortunately we have to rely on forecasts that are far from accurate.....so you just do the best you can and hope you've made the right decision. We probably could have played today, but with 70-80% chance of rain in the forecast for today, it made sense to postpone.
I'm not going to breakdown the past 3 weeks of games at this point - it would take me all night to recall everything - but I will just mention that yesterday our team played with a refreshed passion and we saw a lot of good things - from our pitchers, to our defense, to our bats. We're hoping we can sustain the momentum at this point and make a real run in the WIAC Tournament in a couple weeks.
One final note tonight - we had our last home game last Wednesday vs. St. Norbert College. My parents were at the game and had a green Army-issued blanket with them. They brought it back with them from Germany when my Dad's enlistment time was up......it's over 40 years old......well, it was sitting in a spot on the bleachers behind home plate, and when they went to grab it after the games were over, it was gone......someone had taken it. It's very unfortunate that it was taken, and my parents were obviously (and still are) upset that they no longer have it. My mom asked me to mention it in my blog, with hopes that whoever took the blanket might read this and have the decency to return it. If you have it and you are reading this, you can return the blanket to the UW Eau Claire Athletic Department - no questions asked.......we'd just like to have that blanket back - as insignificant as it might seem to anyone else.
Thanks for reading.
Coach H.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Leave a Legacy Weekend - A SUCCESS!!!
Good evening Blugold Fans!
I am writing after a little down time today, and after reflecting on what a great day (although completely exhausting) it was yesterday as we celebrated our "Leave a Legacy Weekend." The past 4 days have been a flurry of activity.
Wednesday - home opener scheduled vs. St. Norbert College. Cancelled at about 10 a.m. due to snow and cold conditions. We ended up rescheduling for April 15th at 4 p.m. at Gelein Field.
Thursday - second attempt at our "official" home opener - also WIAC opener vs. UW River Falls. It was a pretty nice day and we played both games against a scrappy Falcon team - we managed to win both games.
Friday - our rescheduled doubleheader vs. UW Platteville. This game was originally scheduled for today, but given the weather forecast, Platteville agreed with the idea of moving the game to Friday at 2:00. It turned out to be a beautiful day and again, we managed to win both games.
Saturday - this doubleheader was played as originally scheduled as well against UW LaCrosse. It was a big day for us, as the day started with a tailgate party in Carson Park near the ball diamond. BBQ Express catered the event, and I was told it was very successful. We weren't able to attend the tailgate because we were preparing for the game.
The game, of course, was the main event, but there were a lot of prize giveaways, and 3 pink jerseys that were signed by the team were raffled off as a fundraiser for Breast Cancer Awareness, as well as for our softball program. The jerseys were replicas of the pink jerseys that our players wore yesterday.
Prior to game 1, we recognized the 4 seniors on the team this year - Kristi Doucette, Jen Barron, Betsy Kettinger, and Bri Sturm.
Also prior to game 1, Sandy Schumacher threw out a ceremonial first pitch - this is the second year she has done it and she is pretty amazing. You should see this woman play golf!!!! (more on who Sandy is in an upcoming paragraph)
Game 1 was a marathon - one of the longest 7 inning games I've been in - it lasted almost 2 1/2 hours. Two pitching changes by each team, a total of almost 30 hits, and 18 runs, along with many other substitutions of pinch runners, etc., and that equals a LONG GAME! It really felt like a 10 round prize fight - both teams battled all game long - back and forth......but when it was said and done, we came out on top in that one 10-8.
In between games all the alumnae in attendance were recognized on the field - it was amazing to see all the former players who made the time and effort to come back this year - I was so proud..... :)
Game 2 was a very different story. Still a lot of hits, but not as many runs - and not much defense on our part, that's for sure. We committed 4 physical errors, and if they used mental errors as a statistic, we probably would have set a single game record in that category. I was pretty disappointed in our defense, but the things that happened are things that can be fixed, and if we can clean that up, we'll finish strong. I take nothing away from UW LaCrosse, however. They are tough - they are very fast up and down their lineup and they executed well. They are a solid fundamental team, and I expect them to finish very high in the league this year.
We didn't spend much time dwelling on the games right after Game 2, as we all had to get moving to get cleaned up for our Leave a Legacy Reception and dinner, which was supposed to start at 6:30. I think it was about 5:45 when we got done at the field, so we all rushed out so we could finish up the weekend at the Quality Inn, who was one of the sponsors of our event.
At the reception and dinner, Mancino's catered a pizza and pasta buffet and I heard several comments about the food being real good. I don't know - I didn't get a chance to eat......but I'm a little TOO familiar with Mancino's food, so I'm sure it was great! :)
Casey Leisgang and Jill Janke put together a video for the program but had some major technical difficulties, so we weren't able to watch it. They spent HOURS putting this video together, and they were so disappointed that it didn't work. Gotta love technology! So we're going to find a way to get the video on the internet somehow so everyone can still enjoy it. The rest of the program consisted of several alumnae getting up and speaking as part of an "open mic" type of format - the stories that were told illicited SO much laughter - I'm not sure when was the last time I laughed that hard.
Special guests at the dinner included the original coach of the club softball program at UW Eau Claire before it became a varsity sport - Sandy Schumacher, as well as the coaches that were here before Robin and me - JoEllen Bailey and Deb Steward. It was so fun to see them have a chance to spend time with so many of the players they coached while they were here. We had over 30 alumnae here for the event, and I had many comments of how much fun they had and how special it was. I think our attempt to "bridge the gap" between the players from JoEllen and Deb and the players who have played for Robin and me was a success. They ended the evening having an awful lot of fun together!
Again, Charter Communications "hit this one out of the park" with all their contributions to such a successful day. They basically put the whole day together for us - we really just had to show up. I want to give special props to Joe Buttel, Nicole Hoffman, and Marty Hendricks for all their work to make this day SO special. You guys kicked it, and I look forward to our continued relationship with you and your efforts toward Breast Cancer Awareness/Research.
Well, before I have to have carpal tunnel surgery from all this typing, I should wrap this one up. This week SHOULD be much less hectic. We have practice Monday and Tuesday, then play at UW Stout on Wednesday at 4:00, practice Thursday, and then we're home again on Friday vs. UW Superior at 4:00, before taking next weekend off for Easter. The MOST exciting thing about this week - the WEATHER looks like we're heading toward a MAJOR improvement - it's ABOUT TIME!!!!! :)
Go Tar Heels and Sooners! :)
- Coach H.
I am writing after a little down time today, and after reflecting on what a great day (although completely exhausting) it was yesterday as we celebrated our "Leave a Legacy Weekend." The past 4 days have been a flurry of activity.
Wednesday - home opener scheduled vs. St. Norbert College. Cancelled at about 10 a.m. due to snow and cold conditions. We ended up rescheduling for April 15th at 4 p.m. at Gelein Field.
Thursday - second attempt at our "official" home opener - also WIAC opener vs. UW River Falls. It was a pretty nice day and we played both games against a scrappy Falcon team - we managed to win both games.
Friday - our rescheduled doubleheader vs. UW Platteville. This game was originally scheduled for today, but given the weather forecast, Platteville agreed with the idea of moving the game to Friday at 2:00. It turned out to be a beautiful day and again, we managed to win both games.
Saturday - this doubleheader was played as originally scheduled as well against UW LaCrosse. It was a big day for us, as the day started with a tailgate party in Carson Park near the ball diamond. BBQ Express catered the event, and I was told it was very successful. We weren't able to attend the tailgate because we were preparing for the game.
The game, of course, was the main event, but there were a lot of prize giveaways, and 3 pink jerseys that were signed by the team were raffled off as a fundraiser for Breast Cancer Awareness, as well as for our softball program. The jerseys were replicas of the pink jerseys that our players wore yesterday.
Prior to game 1, we recognized the 4 seniors on the team this year - Kristi Doucette, Jen Barron, Betsy Kettinger, and Bri Sturm.
Also prior to game 1, Sandy Schumacher threw out a ceremonial first pitch - this is the second year she has done it and she is pretty amazing. You should see this woman play golf!!!! (more on who Sandy is in an upcoming paragraph)
Game 1 was a marathon - one of the longest 7 inning games I've been in - it lasted almost 2 1/2 hours. Two pitching changes by each team, a total of almost 30 hits, and 18 runs, along with many other substitutions of pinch runners, etc., and that equals a LONG GAME! It really felt like a 10 round prize fight - both teams battled all game long - back and forth......but when it was said and done, we came out on top in that one 10-8.
In between games all the alumnae in attendance were recognized on the field - it was amazing to see all the former players who made the time and effort to come back this year - I was so proud..... :)
Game 2 was a very different story. Still a lot of hits, but not as many runs - and not much defense on our part, that's for sure. We committed 4 physical errors, and if they used mental errors as a statistic, we probably would have set a single game record in that category. I was pretty disappointed in our defense, but the things that happened are things that can be fixed, and if we can clean that up, we'll finish strong. I take nothing away from UW LaCrosse, however. They are tough - they are very fast up and down their lineup and they executed well. They are a solid fundamental team, and I expect them to finish very high in the league this year.
We didn't spend much time dwelling on the games right after Game 2, as we all had to get moving to get cleaned up for our Leave a Legacy Reception and dinner, which was supposed to start at 6:30. I think it was about 5:45 when we got done at the field, so we all rushed out so we could finish up the weekend at the Quality Inn, who was one of the sponsors of our event.
At the reception and dinner, Mancino's catered a pizza and pasta buffet and I heard several comments about the food being real good. I don't know - I didn't get a chance to eat......but I'm a little TOO familiar with Mancino's food, so I'm sure it was great! :)
Casey Leisgang and Jill Janke put together a video for the program but had some major technical difficulties, so we weren't able to watch it. They spent HOURS putting this video together, and they were so disappointed that it didn't work. Gotta love technology! So we're going to find a way to get the video on the internet somehow so everyone can still enjoy it. The rest of the program consisted of several alumnae getting up and speaking as part of an "open mic" type of format - the stories that were told illicited SO much laughter - I'm not sure when was the last time I laughed that hard.
Special guests at the dinner included the original coach of the club softball program at UW Eau Claire before it became a varsity sport - Sandy Schumacher, as well as the coaches that were here before Robin and me - JoEllen Bailey and Deb Steward. It was so fun to see them have a chance to spend time with so many of the players they coached while they were here. We had over 30 alumnae here for the event, and I had many comments of how much fun they had and how special it was. I think our attempt to "bridge the gap" between the players from JoEllen and Deb and the players who have played for Robin and me was a success. They ended the evening having an awful lot of fun together!
Again, Charter Communications "hit this one out of the park" with all their contributions to such a successful day. They basically put the whole day together for us - we really just had to show up. I want to give special props to Joe Buttel, Nicole Hoffman, and Marty Hendricks for all their work to make this day SO special. You guys kicked it, and I look forward to our continued relationship with you and your efforts toward Breast Cancer Awareness/Research.
Well, before I have to have carpal tunnel surgery from all this typing, I should wrap this one up. This week SHOULD be much less hectic. We have practice Monday and Tuesday, then play at UW Stout on Wednesday at 4:00, practice Thursday, and then we're home again on Friday vs. UW Superior at 4:00, before taking next weekend off for Easter. The MOST exciting thing about this week - the WEATHER looks like we're heading toward a MAJOR improvement - it's ABOUT TIME!!!!! :)
Go Tar Heels and Sooners! :)
- Coach H.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Is it really game day? Or are you just teasing?
I sit here thinking we're really playing today - game on.......and today, I really mean it. It's going to be cold, but it's no longer snowing, the grass is pretty clear, and yesterday afternoon Gelein Field was in great shape. We're playing ball today!
It's our WIAC opener today vs. UW River Falls. They are fairly young, but you just can't take any team in the WIAC for granted. Our players are very excited to play, and especially to be opening up conference play. I don't think we'll have any trouble with energy today - plus, energy will keep them warmer!
Another schedule update - we'll be playing UW Platteville THIS FRIDAY, rather than Sunday. The forecast is MUCH better on Fri. than Sunday, so it made sense to reschedule. It does put just a little damper on our Leave a Legacy weekend plans, but Saturday is going to be so full of activities that I don't think anyone will mind. Another benefit to that is that we'll be able to relax and enjoy the alumnae reception and dinner on Saturday night without having to think about playing a DH the next day..........it always works itself out.
I'd like to give special props today to Dave Olson at Parkridge Distributing. Yesterday afternoon Coach Baker and I went out to the field just to check the conditions and much to our pleasant surprise, there were 3 banners being displayed. Two on the bleachers on each side of the field, and the other on the scoreboard just below the words "Gelein Field", that says "2008 National Champions". We were very surprised when we pulled up as they are very eye-catching signs - the players are going to flip when they see them this afternoon. Dave has done, and is continuing to do, an incredible job for Blugold Athletics. He has "over-delivered" and has gone above and beyond. What a great relationship! Thank you Ole'! Dave has a little softball player, Madison, too, so if he didn't take care of us, he'd probably get scolded at home! :)
Well, time to get moving and get ready for the day - thanks for reading, and see you at the ballpark!
Coach Huntington
It's our WIAC opener today vs. UW River Falls. They are fairly young, but you just can't take any team in the WIAC for granted. Our players are very excited to play, and especially to be opening up conference play. I don't think we'll have any trouble with energy today - plus, energy will keep them warmer!
Another schedule update - we'll be playing UW Platteville THIS FRIDAY, rather than Sunday. The forecast is MUCH better on Fri. than Sunday, so it made sense to reschedule. It does put just a little damper on our Leave a Legacy weekend plans, but Saturday is going to be so full of activities that I don't think anyone will mind. Another benefit to that is that we'll be able to relax and enjoy the alumnae reception and dinner on Saturday night without having to think about playing a DH the next day..........it always works itself out.
I'd like to give special props today to Dave Olson at Parkridge Distributing. Yesterday afternoon Coach Baker and I went out to the field just to check the conditions and much to our pleasant surprise, there were 3 banners being displayed. Two on the bleachers on each side of the field, and the other on the scoreboard just below the words "Gelein Field", that says "2008 National Champions". We were very surprised when we pulled up as they are very eye-catching signs - the players are going to flip when they see them this afternoon. Dave has done, and is continuing to do, an incredible job for Blugold Athletics. He has "over-delivered" and has gone above and beyond. What a great relationship! Thank you Ole'! Dave has a little softball player, Madison, too, so if he didn't take care of us, he'd probably get scolded at home! :)
Well, time to get moving and get ready for the day - thanks for reading, and see you at the ballpark!
Coach Huntington
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Hurry up and wait! Part 2
Greetings Blugold Faithful!
Well, Mother Nature is speaking loud and clear again. We were able to get 3 games in on Sunday afternoon at Carson Park on the football field. It was actually a great atmosphere and much to my amazement, there were close to 150 people there! I think the novelty of playing on the football turf was intriguing, and that may have brought some people out, but possibly the fact that this was our first home game of the 2009 season, and, really, it was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, very little wind, and now we really know what the TV announcers are talking about when they talk about the air temperature vs. the "temperature on the turf" at stadiums. It definitely was warmer on the turf, and I appreciated that! :)
We had a good day offensively on Sunday and everyone played again. Our pitchers need to cut down on walks - and if we can do that, we'll be in good shape. But we gave opponents far too many free passes on Sunday.
So yesterday was our "off" day and we'll be back at it again today, likely in the gym again. It's really too bad we didn't have a game scheduled yesterday - it was relatively warm, and Gelein Field was in great shape. I went out to Carson Park to check it out yesterday afternoon and it was beautiful! Every year I think that maybe our games should just be on a day-by-day basis - rather than schedule everything in advance, we should just leave the schedule blank and call each other like crazy the morning of a nice day. I know that's not viable, but sometimes it seems like it would be less work.
We're scheduled to play St. Norbert tomorrow at 3:00 in a DH - we're not supposed to get a lot of precip today, and temps in the upper 30's tomorrow may be the best we can do. If there's not a lot of wind, we'll likely go ahead and play. If temperature is the only factor, we can't afford to cancel game after game after game and stockpile the season at the end of April again - that's not good for anyone. Besides, I've seen plenty of games on the Big 10 Network where they're playing in sub-freezing temps - it's probably harder on the coaches and support staff than it is on the players! :)
Hope to see you at the park - bring your parka!
Coach Huntington
Well, Mother Nature is speaking loud and clear again. We were able to get 3 games in on Sunday afternoon at Carson Park on the football field. It was actually a great atmosphere and much to my amazement, there were close to 150 people there! I think the novelty of playing on the football turf was intriguing, and that may have brought some people out, but possibly the fact that this was our first home game of the 2009 season, and, really, it was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, very little wind, and now we really know what the TV announcers are talking about when they talk about the air temperature vs. the "temperature on the turf" at stadiums. It definitely was warmer on the turf, and I appreciated that! :)
We had a good day offensively on Sunday and everyone played again. Our pitchers need to cut down on walks - and if we can do that, we'll be in good shape. But we gave opponents far too many free passes on Sunday.
So yesterday was our "off" day and we'll be back at it again today, likely in the gym again. It's really too bad we didn't have a game scheduled yesterday - it was relatively warm, and Gelein Field was in great shape. I went out to Carson Park to check it out yesterday afternoon and it was beautiful! Every year I think that maybe our games should just be on a day-by-day basis - rather than schedule everything in advance, we should just leave the schedule blank and call each other like crazy the morning of a nice day. I know that's not viable, but sometimes it seems like it would be less work.
We're scheduled to play St. Norbert tomorrow at 3:00 in a DH - we're not supposed to get a lot of precip today, and temps in the upper 30's tomorrow may be the best we can do. If there's not a lot of wind, we'll likely go ahead and play. If temperature is the only factor, we can't afford to cancel game after game after game and stockpile the season at the end of April again - that's not good for anyone. Besides, I've seen plenty of games on the Big 10 Network where they're playing in sub-freezing temps - it's probably harder on the coaches and support staff than it is on the players! :)
Hope to see you at the park - bring your parka!
Coach Huntington
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