Our First Week of Practices

Monday, January 25 marked the start of the Spring 2010 semester here at Plattsburgh State (welcome back!). More topically, however, last Monday was the starting point of the PSUC softball team's rigorous field house practice regimen.

Our practices and how we approach them/perform will be a key factor in our success as we approach the season. The girls are fully aware of this fact. Slacking will get you nowhere. You will get what you give in. This team as it stands has the potential to be great. It's at practice where we make that greatness a possibility. Perfect is impossible. No team in Division III softball will be perfect. It's simply an impossible and unattainable feat. However, we as a squad and as a cohesive unit can be great. We'll start by working our way up to the level of "very good." The coaching staff firmly believes that we're a good team right now. But "good" will not get you where you want to be. To achieve the kind of success we have in mind, we will have to be great. Of course greatness comes at a price. It's devoting yourself fully as a player to becoming great. It's busting your butt night in and night out at practice. It's giving everything you've got and somehow finding a way to top that effort the next day. It's hitting the gym in whatever spare time you might find. It's building close relationships with your teammates. It's believing in your coaches. It's a solid commitment that, simply put, you've got to be "all about." That's what makes good teams very good and what makes very good teams great. That's what wins games. You cannot get by on talent alone. You have to commit to every aspect of what greatness entails.

As a team, we've completed three full practices at the field house (7:00pm-9:30pm). The coaching staff has had the girls working on all aspects of the game of softball. We've worked on our hitting, of course. This includes live hitting off Coach Zweig, front toss in the batting cage, hitting off tees, bunting/slapping, and hitting live off our starting pitchers. The infield and outfield have been completing their drills as well. Assistant Coach Roberts has worked primarily with the infield. They've worked situational drills, fielding groundballs, base coverage scenarios, double plays, fielding bunts, and general strategy. The outfield, led by Coach Prudhomme, has seen shoe string catch drills, communication exercises, cut-off drills, and the five-point "star" drill. Finally, the catching unit has been working directly with their pitchers for the first few days of practice. They'll expect some technique analysis and drills from Coach Roberts in the coming practices.

The next Cardinal practice is scheduled for tonight -- Thursday, January 28 at 7:00pm in the field house. Being the fourth straight night of practice, we'll expect to start seeing soreness set in and likely some general fatigue. But perseverance is just another essential factor of what makes a good team great.

With every passing day and every practice completed find ourselves one step closer to our season opener on March 13. We've gotten better and better as a team with every passing night and this trend must continue if we hope to have a successful season.

We have 44 days until our season opener against New England College. Countless practices lie ahead. We've got 20+ girls, but 1 team and 1 goal. Where we go as a team will be determined by how we perform, how we perform is shaped by what we get out of practice; and practices just started three days ago. It's an exciting time of the year and our campaign has only just begun.

Thanks for checking in. More to follow.

Link to 2010 Plattsburgh State softball schedule: http://web.plattsburgh.edu/athletics/cardathletics/softball/schedule.php


Plattsburgh Softball 2010
"No Regrets."