CoachJ1217

Just for those who don't know, Father Ryan Lady Irish have won the Div.2 Middle region every year of its existance, which is 6 years. Last year, Archie and Pilkerton were co-mvps and that is with Becky Brown winning Ms. Basketball. This year, Archie was mvp, with a very poised display of sportsmanship and control while holding Harpeth Hall to its lowest production of points vs any team this year! I am proud of her and her team for the way they used both losses to HHall as motivation to become a better team and better players. That is what coaching and playing basketball is all about. Good luck to both teams as they try to "stay alive". Nothing would make me happier than to see a rematch in the State Finals!

I really do not like the fact that the state tournament has been moved to Memphis. My team has made it to the tournament for 8 straight years and Chattanooga was the best thing that happened. THe experiences there have made unbelievable memories. You know where everything is, you can walk downtown, and all the sporting events are very close to one another. For several years we have had a soccer team, or baseball team there at the same time and it was so easy to go watch them play. Chattanooga is a very team and fan friendly city. Tunica threw in a lot of money to get this in Memphis and it will work. I just do not know if it will have the same kind of atmosphere as it did in Chattanooga. I know I'll probably spend half my time driving and getting lost. Memphis is not a fun city in my opinion...

I vote no because the real athletes play other sports such as volleyball or soccer, and this would cause a conflict. In other words, let them play as many as they can without having to focus on just 1 sport. To many athletes are just focusing on 1 sport when they could be helping other sports teams. I am a high school coach and I am sharing one of my athletes with the tennis team, sharing athletes is better for the program as a whole. Baseball and softball should both be played in the spring because they are "sister" sports. Another reason is for selfishness, and that reason being that towards the end of summer ball, girls get burned out, and I would not want my girls being burned out at the end of the high school season, sorry summer coaches.

Thanks sbcoach. Where do u coach if u don't mind me asking? Best of luck to you also, its getting about that time to start practicing. I have about 15 girls that just play softball that have been working out since the beginning of school, running and lifting and I cannot wait to see the results on the field. Most of them have been freshmen, with a couple older girls and I admire them so much for working so hard. These girls have been runner up for the past 2 years and are dying to win it all, so hopefully the hard work will pay off for them in the end.

Why does someone coach? I will tell you why, it is fun and you just might have an impact on someone's life. I am a high school PE teacher, coach football and softball, and I do not make much money, but it is not about money, if that is why someone is in coaching and teaching than they are in it for the wrong reasons. I teach and coach because I love working with kids and hopefully can make a difference. My goal as a head coach is not to send all my players on a softball scholarship, but it is to make sure they are good people and try to do the right thing. Yes, there are the bad things that a coach has to deal with such as parents, not so good years, but that is part of coaching and growing as a person. The way a person handles those situations will make them a better coach or a worse coach. I am 26 and I know I still need to grow a lot. It is when I feel like I don't need to grow is when i will be done with teaching and coaching. My job is to work their butts off, and give them the best possible chance at being successful, on and off of the field. Why do we coach? because we love it.

Of my many dealings coaching against Chattanooga schools, I would say that the most well coached teams are GPS, Ooltewah, and Baylor. The Baylor team is almost like a college team in the way that they hustle and warm up before games. Every time a girl strikes out, they run back to the dugout, they run out every play, and they run on and off of the field. That to me is a sign of a well coached team, and also they always compete.

The Father Ryan softball team has a great chance to go as far as they want to go. They have 8 returning starters from the team that finished second to Brentwood Academy last year in the State. They also have a freshmen class that is loaded with female athletes. Oh, by the way, I am the new coach also, but that has nothing to do with it, it will come down to the desire of the seniors to want to win a state championship. I also have 2 very good assistant coaches, but I stress that if the girls do not work at it and get better, than we will not win. You cannot go out onto the field and expect to win by just showing up, it takes hard work and determination.

results after 1st day ryan 134.5 franklin 70 mba 120 houston 63 mccallie 117 ft. campbell 58 cbhs 92.5 farragut 56.5 collierville 71.5 karns 55 brentwood high 71.5 kenwood 54

The softball program at Father Ryan will be fine. Coach Sneed was only there for 1 year, he left to be the head basketball coach at JP2. The softball team has made it to state 8 years in a row, winning it 1 time and finishing runner up 3 times. Under all of those state tournament appearances, there have been 4 different head coaches, and I am the fifth. It is definately not coaching, it is the players that come to Ryan to play softball. All I can do is prepare them to play, because when it becomes game time, they are the ones hitting, pitching, throwing, running and catching, not me. Last year the team finished second, and there are 8 returning seniors, and a great looking freshmen class, so this season looks promising, but only if the girls work at it and want to be a great team.