by Moses Leos III
As the bright, sweltering summer sun shines on the red clay of Lady Rebel softball field, head coach Aaron Fuller calmly steps up to his team.
All of them look tired; all put in a tremendous effort on the field.
Fuller takes a glimpse into the huddle, and with a stern face, asks,
“Alright guys, what should we break out on before our water break, ‘1-2-3, Pizza or Ice Cream’?”
The choice is unanimous: Ice cream.
A lighthearted, fun-filled atmosphere encapsulated the first ever Lady Rebel softball camp, held June 24-27. The camp was split into two sessions: fourth through sixth grade players in the morning, seventh through ninth grade in the afternoon.
Fuller understands just how important it is to have a sports camp experience. He himself participated in baseball camps in his youth and saw how they progressed his playing career.
Now head coach of the Lady Rebel softball team, Fuller has seen many of his coaching peers start youth summer sports camps.
But, the camp’s goal could not be just about winning and losing. Instead, Fuller and his team of assistants wanted to reinvigorate the game of softball in the hearts and minds of a younger generation. All wanted to ensure the continuation of the sport they enjoy so much.
He accomplished this by bringing in graduate members of the 2013 state championship team to help coach. The list included Clarissa Gonzalez, Brayden Pinckard, Traci Green, Hannah Ramsey, Des’ree Wainright and Gabi Albarez.
“It is important to get [the kids] out here, working with our seniors, role models they look up to,” Fuller said. “It will spark their interest with these younger girls in softball, to get them to play. They also get a chance to see how [softball] is played at the high school level. It gets them mentally ready for the game.”
Yet, the approach towards coaching both groups became a vastly different process.
Fuller and his team took a much more relaxed approach when it came to teaching the younger children. Learning the fundamentals, such as how to properly field a ground ball, was paramount above all else.
“With our younger girls, we focus on fundamentals and techniques–essentially teaching them the game,” Fuller said. “There are a lot of things they do not know about the game, the little things.”
The seniors helped the younger group better understand how the game is played.
“For the [younger] girls, it is about teaching them the rules, and what they need to know, so when they get older, they know how to play,” Gonzalez said.
The second session was more than just a tutorial on how the play the game. Rather, Fuller and his team taught the older girls how softball is played at the next level.
“We want them to get their mind on Hays Rebel softball,” Fuller said. “We focus on what we do at the high school level to get them prepared for drills and how things are run. It also gives me a chance to see who we may have over the next year or two. It is beneficial to both sides.”
The staff showed what the older players should expect if they choose to play in summer leagues.
“The older girls do not need much instruction. It was more about critiquing them and giving feedback on what to do better,” Gonzalez said. “Especially when they play summer ball, when it is about winning and showing off for coaches and scouts, rather than the [younger] girls, where we teach them the basics.”
The change from teaching experienced high school students to a much younger group was a change of pace for Fuller. However, he was proud at the work ethic put in by the players.
“I see these kids, and they want to come out here and have fun. They are going to listen to everything we say and they are going to try to do it to the best of their ability, even though they may struggle,” he said. “It is fun to see the joy on their faces, it is fun to work with the kids.”
Ultimately, Fuller and his staff want to impress the game upon the children. With the possibility of softball returning to the Olympics in 2020, the sky could very well be the limit for some of the younger players.
“I think some people were not happy when they took baseball and softball out of the Olympics. I suppose the Olympic committee realized how much interest there is in baseball and softball,” Fuller said. “It would be big if they brought it back. Many of these girls are going to watch it on TV, and hold hopes and aspirations that one day, they may play at that level.”
Yet, the ability of leaving a lasting impression made the biggest difference.
“It is cool knowing some of these kids may be in our shoes someday,” Gonzalez said.
