Texas Tech looking for Pinch Runners

[Orange Socks]

Have any coaches here brought in a track coach to help with running technique? Any noticeable results?

I am sure the strength and conditioning coaches work on running.

 

[YoungBuck]

I like Glasco's approach.

I will be interested to see where his new assistant fits in, Kayla Kowalik.

 

[CoachJD]

I have long advocated for that practice, @CoachJD.

It also adds a kid that if you absolutely HAD to, you have somebody you can throw a glove on. But then, I say that as a parent who saw three of four seasons end early because the coach had run off too many kids, and then injuries/ eligibility took care of too many more.

My only real brag about our program is we're never hurting for players (OK, a couple years JV got a little dicey at times). I already have 29 girls penciled in for the spring. I do think a couple of the JV girls may not return or make the team this year, but those numbers are not including any Freshmen I don't know or other random girls who decide to try out.

Part of the reason our track team is so small is our softball team is so big. Whoops.

 

[The Man In Blue]

My only real brag about our program is we're never hurting for players (OK, a couple years JV got a little dicey at times). I already have 29 girls penciled in for the spring. I do think a couple of the JV girls may not return or make the team this year, but those numbers are not including any Freshmen I don't know or other random girls who decide to try out.

Part of the reason our track team is so small is our softball team is so big. Whoops.

That is absolutely the truth. When you are running kids off and killing your own numbers, somebody is picking up the slack. When my daughters were in HS, it was soccer that was growing and softball that was dying -- no, wait -- being murdered. It was a tale of two different coaches.

Most of your "average" teenagers on an "average" team are not playing because of the sport; they are playing because they want to have fun. If they have fun playing something else, they will do it.

 

[Tide_will_Roll]

Marshall did something similar a few years ago. There was a French girl on their swim team, good swimmer but also fast runner. In her senior year they had her on the softball team as a runner. She hadn't ever played softball before to my knowledge.

If I remember correctly, the coach at the time let her get some innings to qualify for a varsity letter in softball as well as swim.

 

[GunnerShotgun]

She hadn't ever played softball before to my knowledge.

I would take a slower runner that had played before. Teaching someone to slide isn't that difficult but having that experience or feel for where and how to slide is invaluable. Hell just having situational awareness on the bases is something learned over the years.

I guess what I am saying is that a PR only player would have to be significantly faster than what's sitting on my bench.

 

[Northball]

I would take a slower runner that had played before. Teaching someone to slide isn't that difficult but having that experience or feel for where and how to slide is invaluable. Hell just having situational awareness on the bases is something learned over the years.

I guess what I am saying is that a PR only player would have to be significantly faster than what's sitting on my bench.

Yeah, I've seen several JV girls get their first varsity experience as a pinch runner, only to get thrown out either not knowing what to do or not ready for the difference in speed the game is played at Varsity level. Sometimes they are deer in the headlights.

 

[CoachJD]

Most of your "average" teenagers on an "average" team are not playing because of the sport; they are playing because they want to have fun. If they have fun playing something else, they will do it.

When we started the program in 2016, our school ended at 10th grade. We struggled to get 9 players to consistently show up.

That summer I took over as HC from my DW, and most of my planning was how to make softball seem like the fun thing to do at the school. We had no established sports. Very few established programs for HS students. A lot of it was gimmicky stuff (you get a softball hoodie for doing fundraising) that wasn't really even about the softball, but that was just to get them to try it. Making the sport, especially practices, fun was a huge part of it. Encouraging them to get friends to play was huge. Stressing that experience wasn't required helped, too.

I still bring in girls who haven't played before all the time. I've identified two or three Freshmen who haven't played before who, apologies to the sports they think are their primary sports, I am going to turn into softball players.

I was talking to our gym teacher about one of them. He said he thinks she'd probably want to run track instead. I told him how I don't mind if softball players also run track, especially as Freshmen, because every single time I've allowed someone to do both they eventually just stick with softball because it's more fun.

 

[The Man In Blue]

IT’S more fun … or you’re more fun?

 

[CoachJD]

IT’S more fun … or you’re more fun?

I am absolutely no fun whatsoever.