Clarke Central High School varsity softball coach Alex Holmes looks down during softball practice on Aug. 19. Holmes believes that one of the most important parts of softball are the fundamentals. “I’m all about teaching fundamentals, my coaching staff are all about teaching fundamentals, we’re getting there, the girls are getting better and better,” Holmes said. “But you have to be fundamentally sound to play. This sport is not a sport that the average person could just come out and just try to play and be successful at because it’s tough. It’s a tough sport.” Photo by Luna Reichert
The Clarke Central High School varsity softball team has had 10 different coaches in the past 20 years.
Over the past 20 years, the Clarke Central High School varsity softball team has gone through 10 coaches, which has caused various effects on the team culture.
Most CCHS softball coaches stay for an average of two years. While former head varsity softball coach April Croft was able to coach for five years, this constant turnover often leaves players with several coaches over the course of their high school careers. Croft believes that some coaches don’t know what they’re getting into.
“Sometimes people in (coaching) don’t really realize what they’re getting into when they decide they’re going to be a (coach), because they’re so young, the majority of people, they’re under 25. And they don’t realize what they’re getting themselves into, and that (coaching) all (players) really means you have to teach all students and you can’t just pick and choose who you want to teach,” Croft said.
The 2017-2018 Clarke Central High School softball teams is featured in the team photos section of the 2018 edition of the Gladius, the CCHS yearbook. Former head varsity softball coach, April Croft, who is featured on the far right of the back row, remained as the coach for five years, the longest of all the coaches in the past 20 years. “I loved Clarke Central, I still love Clarke Central, I still have an attachment to it and it’s been an adjustment not being there this year,” Croft said. “If I hadn’t had specific reasons to move out of state, I would probably still be there. (I made significant connections with) the students (and) the faculty and that’s what had me stick around.” Photo courtesy of the 2018 edition of the Gladius
CCHS junior and varsity team captain Abigail Allen has played softball at CCHS for four years with two different coaches. Allen believes coaching positions can be hard to fill, especially when the sport is underfunded.
“Clarke Central softball hasn’t always been treated that greatly in terms of like funding and the support from the school. So either some coaches are tired of not getting what they deserved as a volunteer coach, but also because, you know, teachers move and etc.,” Allen said. “We didn’t have bathrooms, we didn’t have running water, you know, the kind of like basic things you need in general we didn’t have and it was just so embarrassing.”
According to Allen, the change in coaches negatively affected the players.
“(In) the transition between coaches we actually lost four starting varsity players because they were scared of change,” Allen said. “(It’s) of course hard on us, because us as players, we needed those people to help us be successful, but that kind of happens when you change a coach. Players are going to leave because they’re scared of change and it’s just natural.”
“If we had somebody who would stay for longer, then we wouldn’t have that problem, but people move on, they do different things.”
— Emily Hulse,
Former head softball coach
The revolving door can have negative effects, but former head softball coach Emily Hulse believes this turnover is familiar to students.
“I’m sure that somebody would like having the same coach, but we have different teachers every year. I mean, it’s just one of those things kids, I think, get used to it. It’s just something you just have to get used to sometimes,” Hulse said. “If we had somebody who would stay for longer, then we wouldn’t have that problem, but people move on, they do different things.”
Despite the difficulties that come with a change in leadership, Allen believes that new coaches can also bring new opportunities.
“Coach Holmes has made us so much better. It’s insane (that) in the span of three months that he’s been coaching us, I’ve learned more from him than I ever did from (Croft) in the four years that I knew her or knew her as a coach,” Allen said. “I have (younger friends) who I feel need the same experiences that I do, and I do not want them to go through what I went through my eighth, ninth and tenth grade year with a coach that wasn’t really invested.”
Croft believes that the previous condition of the softball field was inadequate.
“The original field was built to be a retention pond, so playing on something like that is quite difficult when it rains. I mean as soon as any amount of rain hit that field, when I was first coaching, it was pretty much unplayable, we couldn’t practice on it,” Croft said. “The condition that that field was in is not something that a head coach, or any coach, should really have to worry about.”
“The condition that that field was in is not something that a head coach, or any coach, should really have to worry about.”
— April Croft,
Former head varsity softball coach
According to Allen, the new softball facilities have helped with the overall view of the softball program at CCHS.
“(The softball field) was in such bad condition and shape, you know, it was just awful and (people) started to, not started, they’ve been making fun of us and our record and our team, just because of the way the field looks,” Allen said. “(With the new facilities) we haven’t heard anything about how we’re bad, about how our facility sucks, about how our field’s bad and it’s so much better than being made fun of for something that we couldn’t help.”
CCHS Athletic Director Jon Ward believes that the poor conditions of the softball field have been fixed by the recent renovations.
Clarke Central High School head softball coach Alex Holmes stands on the field instructing players on Aug. 19. This is Holmes’ first year coaching softball at CCHS and he is excited for the season. “I think this team has the potential to be the best team in school history. I don’t know what the school record for wins is, I don’t know for sure if they’ve ever won double digit games, of course meaning 10 or more games, and I think there’s a very realistic possibility, these girls can win 10 games,” Holmes said. Photo by Luna Reichert
“It was an issue that their facility. The softball facility was not equitable to the baseball facility which is not in accordance with Title IX,” Ward said. “(Along with the new facilities) we also did some much needed work to the field itself, the playing surface: the type of infield dirt was the wrong type, the mound area, the batting box area needed to be upgraded, and so the school district really did a good job, a commendable job, of getting things right.”
CCHS Principal Dr. Swade Huff is not aware of any single variable behind the high turnover rate, but has faith in the new head softball coach Alex Holmes.
“We have a coach now, Coach Alex Holmes, who’s dedicated. He’s very competitive, so we’re definitely seeing a different spirit with our softball team this year,” Huff said.
Ward also believes that Coach Holmes is leading the program in the right direction.
“I think (Croft) had done a tremendous job of kind of turning the program (around) and laying a foundation and I know with what Coach Holmes has done, and the start we’re off to, (he) has been another step in the right direction,” Ward said.
So far, Holmes has enjoyed his time coaching and doesn’t want to put a timeframe on his coaching job here.
“I don’t plan on leaving. I love (CCHS) being born raised in (Athens). I love the city, I love the school, I take pride in being a Gladiator,” Holmes said.
Story by Sophia Long
Package by Ireland McCage
