Thomas softball coach looks to solid nucleus for 1993

With the collegiate softball season over, Thomas College of Waterville coach Paul Booth believes it’s time to look to the future, hoping this year’s team learned from the past.

A fairly young Thomas squad ended the 1992 season with a record of 2-10, which Booth said reflected the combination of the loss of several graduated players and unfavorable weather condiitons.

“I guess I didn’t realize how much it would mean to us to lose seniors who’d been with us a long time,” Booth said. Additionally, the team had an 18-game schedule reduced to 12. “When you lose six or seven (scheduled) games, it hurts more than you’d think,” he added.

Leadership responsibilities fell upon players such as senior Julie Fabian of Belgrade, whom Booth considers one of the best outfielders in the state “from an athletic and defensive perspective.” Unfortunately, Fabian struggled at the plate and batted in the .260 range. “That’s a very un-Fabian-like year,” Booth remarked.

Senior catcher Becky Hapgood of South China led the team at the plate, hitting .340, and was the one who kept the young pitchers in line with a strong defensive season.

While the year could not be termed successful by looking at the record alone, Booth said it was “a nice year because it was just a wonderful group of kids.”

Several Eastern Mainers were on the squad, including junior third baseman Heather Connery of Winslow; Lanelle Pinkham of Damariscotta; sophomore pitcher Kelley Hubbard of Lubec; second baseman Cathy Graves of Newport; and outfielder Katie Welsh of Boothbay.

“Hopefully, the ladies can learn from this experience,” Booth said. “The big losses next year will be Julie and Lanelle, but we’ve got a fairly good nucleus coming back.”

Here’s a helpful hint for softball coaches, especially recreational coaches who might have a greater impact on youngsters’ lives than they imagine.

The advice comes from Cindy M. Bristow, American Softball Association Director of Junior Olympic Softball, and was published in the April edition of Softball, the ASA magazine.

Bristow advises coaches to get to know their players by using a simple player profile.

She believes coaches will get more from their players on the field if the coach knows more about her or his players off the field – that the players who know their coach is interested in their lives away from competition will give the coach more effort in competition.

Here is the player profile Bristow suggests a coach have each youngster fill out: 1. How many kids in your family? 2. How many brothers, what are their names? 3. How many sisters, what are their names? 4. Do you have any pets? What kind? Names? 5. What’s your favorite color? 6. What’s your favorite school subject? 7. What do you want to be when you’re older? 8. What’s your favorite sport? 9. What’s your favorite softball position? 10. Why do you like softball? 11. What would make softball more fun for you?