Wayne Stephens, the new head coach for the softball team, has opened his tenure with winter conditioning sessions in preparation for the spring season.
Stephens has coached baseball in the past, but never softball. “I coached travel ball for girls and boys for the past 12 years,” he said.
According to junior Grace Deskin, having a new coach is like a new start for the team. “We started out not knowing what was going to happen, but now we know that things are going pretty well,” Deskin said.
Senior Danielle Thomas noticed that Stephens values teaching the fundamentals. “He [Stephens] likes to teach mechanics. You need to know mechanics to play the game properly,” she said.
“I think being fair to all of the athletes is the hardest part [of coaching]. You want to make sure that you are not favoring anyone,” Stephens said.
Stephens has been pleased with what he’s seen so far from his players. “They are hard-workers. I have not had to push them, and they adapt easily. They are pushing themselves much better than I expected. They show that they want to be successful,” he said.
“He is tough, but he knows that everybody has limits. He has us work hard. He has us do much more more work in getting ready and in shape for the season,” Deskin said.
“He cares that we do well. He tries to help us do the best we can. He understands that some people can do better than others, and he does not put too much pressure on us,” Deskin said.
“I feel like he is really helpful and encouraging. He makes us want to improve my skills. I see a difference in my drive too want to play and get better,” Deskin said.
According to Stephens, the team lacks experience. “We are a young team. We have a lot of underclassman. We do not have many seniors,” he said.
“Despite the amount of underclassmen, a team that has proper mechanics will have a chance to win games,” Stephens said.
