The portal is a scary place especially for athletes that only have one or two seasons left. There is no guarantee you will move on to greener pastures. Every program has issues.
After reading the TVB details, it was misdemeanor petty theft, but also a firing/resignation that should have happened, when you're in a major leadership position of any sort. This arrest charge/booking does give her a chance to find another coaching position, but should probably come with a "show clause", like what a lot of football and basketball coaches get, when they've had previous charges or issues. Best of luck to her. Let's support the softball team on the rest of the season, and hope they add to their win total this season.
I think in most cases, the "show cause" restrictions are as a result of NCAA violations, not personal issues unrelated to coaching duties.
Maybe she would be better if she bought (or stole) this:
While I don't want to speak for the athlete experience in this case, the players can't blame their poor play from last season solely on the coaching situation over the last few years. This is coming from a former VU baseball player, who also experienced the pro and con chatter about our coaches from different players, though not to the effect where theft or controlled substances were involved. No coach can take a team that is hitting around .200 anywhere, even if it is the best environment in the world. This year's team is more competitive, but still has a long ways to go to compete in the MVC from a talent gap perspective.
OTOH, think about showing up for a crucial game and noticing your head coach is stoned. Bet you're really psyched to play your guts out. Then carry that over to practice and subsequent games. If I were a player, I’d be thinking that I’m just a bit player in a s**t show.
I can speak for a friend of mine who played softball at VHS during the scandal with their coach a few years ago and she told be that it messed with team chemistry a lot. It just becomes a looming cloud over you. Hence why I said that the players should probably try to lift each other up and get back to the grindstone.
I guess the coach never really factored into my desire to be focused on myself and what I need to do. I get it for folks that need more external motivation
@valpotx I get that, but baseball is a team sport as well as softball. I was a catcher myself, and from my experience, focusing on just yourself only makes your teammates not really trust you. Knowing who you have on the bump allowed me to better call pitches for my guys and such. When you have someone who throws 95 main pitch with a cutter as a put away, and another guy who mains a change and a cutter, (dont ask why he mained change and cutter I couldn't tell ya) you cant really call them the same way. Ya feel me? Sometimes a good coach brings the life to the team as well. I can think of one coach who manages a different sport only a couple yards away from the softball diamond who is living proof of such.
@valpotx Valpo doesn’t have the money to recruit all top tier players. They maybe get one or two per class, if they are lucky. The last four seasons the head coach has changed, no stability. You can’t recruit a ton of studs to a failing program. The new coaches are worried about their new job and don’t hold the athletes to a high enough standard. Whoever is hired needs to concentrate on making the team they have better and showing up to practices. You can’t have half your players standing around during practices, everyone needs to be moving, everyone has a job to do!
Agreed on moving around all practice. That is a central tenet even for the youth sports that I coach nowadays. It drives me crazy when I get paired with another coach that wants single line drills and long lines, versus dividing and getting more movement/drills.
As an umpire this extends to us as well. I see way too many umps that just refuse to move from behind the plate rather than set up in the right position for plays
Softball took a massive W today considering what is going on. Thanks PO for the coverage.
Nice split against second place Belmont, agreed.
Shows great character of the softball to endure and succeed. Nice going!
