Doing more with less

#1
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lvocd

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#1
Whatever it is that the Weeklys have done to get this extremely young softball team to overachieve like they have, I wish it could be bottled and fed to the basketball program.

That this team -- with only one senior and the rest being the youngest the program ever has been -- could reach the Super Regionals is remarkable.

I'm enjoying the heck out of this run, but I have to admit, my mind and heart do sadly drift now and then to wishing I could feel a little of this joy and hope for basketball again.

So happy to have softball. No matter what happens from here on out with it this season, it has been a resoundingly positive, successful season, and I have no doubt that as long as the team sticks together and builds on whatever magic they've started that they could end up as legends.
 
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#2
#2
lvocd said:
Whatever it is that the Weeklys have done to get this extremely young softball team to overachieve like they have, I wish it could be bottled and fed to the basketball program.

That this team -- with only one senior and the rest being the youngest the program ever has been -- could reach the Super Regionals is remarkable.

I'm enjoying the heck out of this run, but I have to admit, my mind and heart do sadly drift now and then to wishing I could feel a little of this joy and hope for basketball again.

So happy to have softball. No matter what happens from here on out with it this season, it has been a resoundingly positive, successful season, and I have no doubt that as long as the team sticks together and builds on whatever magic they've started that they could end up as legends.
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Whereas the Weekly's have proved year after year just how good they are at recruiting,managing,motivating, and team building ,the opposite has been demonstrated by Holly Warlick so I do not expect any changing positive trend especially team building even with 6 to 10 high school All Americans on the team year after year .....
 
#3
#3
alexvol said:
Whereas the Weekly's have proved year after year just how good they are at recruiting,managing,motivating, and team building ,the opposite has been demonstrated by Holly Warlick so I do not expect any changing positive trend especially team building even with 6 to 10 high school All Americans on the team year after year .....
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don't watch lady vol basketball anymore then.
 
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#4
#4
I've noticed a couple of things about LV softball that some of UT's other teams don't have:

1. The team is well-coached. The Weeklys are smart and prepared. They recruit well and develop players to reach their potential. They don't tolerate or reward slackers and prima donnas.

2. The players buy in and work hard. They demonstrate initiative and the drive to get better. They have strong leadership. They support each other and hold themselves and their teammates accountable.

3. Coaches and players embrace high expectations and refuse to settle. No excuses.

The Weeklys are a lot like Pat-- they think hard work can overcome almost anything. Karen said something recently that captures it in a nutshell. She said there is no "next year" mentality. They expect to go to the WCWS every year. The team being young or inexperienced or lacking pitching depth doesn't change the expectation or lower the standards-- they expect to go to the WCWS "this year" every year.
 
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#5
#5
LA Vol said:
I've noticed a couple of things about LV softball that some of UT's other teams don't have:

1. The team is well-coached. The Weeklys are smart and prepared. They recruit well and develop players to reach their potential. They don't tolerate or reward slackers and prima donnas.

2. The players buy in and work hard. They demonstrate initiative and the drive to get better. They have strong leadership. They support each other and hold themselves and their teammates accountable.

3. Coaches and players embrace high expectations and refuse to settle. No excuses.

The Weeklys are a lot like Pat-- they think hard work can overcome almost anything. Karen said something recently that captures it in a nutshell. She said there is no "next year" mentality. They expect to go to the WCWS every year. The team being young or inexperienced or lacking pitching depth doesn't change the expectation or lower the standards-- they expect to go to the WCWS "this year" every year.
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Character and composure also.
 
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#9
#9
gule said:
if only they could teach hitting the ball.
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Just for fun, let me ask you a question. Have you ever tried to hit against a SEC quality softball pitcher? If you have you'll understand me when i say...it ain't in any way easy. :)

If you look at our most frequent line up you'll find that we have 5 of 9 batters that hit well, some very well. Of the four that don't hit consistently 3 are freshman facing national quality pitching, virtually every game, for the first time this season. Go back to Megan Gregg's freshman season and check out how well she hit. Not real impressive is it?

Give the girls time to learn the mental aspect of hitting, which is the hard part. They'll be fine next year and year after that. Except for McSwain (who I really like) who will not ever hit very well (imo) on a consistent basis without a major overhaul of her swing. Tooooooo long and hard to square the ball up against a pitcher with good movement or real heat.

Just be a little patient with the young ones...they'll figure it out. :)
 
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#10
#10
StrangeVol said:
Just for fun, let me ask you a question. Have you ever tried to hit against a SEC quality softball pitcher? If you have you'll understand me when i say...it ain't in any way easy. :)

If you look at our most frequent line up you'll find that we have 5 of 9 batters that hit well, some very well. Of the four that don't hit consistently 3 are freshman facing national quality pitching, virtually every game, for the first time this season. Go back to Megan Gregg's freshman season and check out how well she hit. Not real impressive is it?

Give the girls time to learn the mental aspect of hitting, which is the hard part. They'll be fine next year and year after that. Except for McSwain (who I really like) who will not ever hit very well (imo) on a consistent basis without a major overhaul of her swing. Tooooooo long and hard to square the ball up against a pitcher with good movement or real heat.

Just be a little patient with the young ones...they'll figure it out. :)
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I agree with your broader point-but Gregg hit .314 and led the team in hits, extra base hits and RBI as a freshman. She may not be the best example
 
#11
#11
StrangeVol said:
Just for fun, let me ask you a question. Have you ever tried to hit against a SEC quality softball pitcher? If you have you'll understand me when i say...it ain't in any way easy. :)

If you look at our most frequent line up you'll find that we have 5 of 9 batters that hit well, some very well. Of the four that don't hit consistently 3 are freshman facing national quality pitching, virtually every game, for the first time this season. Go back to Megan Gregg's freshman season and check out how well she hit. Not real impressive is it?

Give the girls time to learn the mental aspect of hitting, which is the hard part. They'll be fine next year and year after that. Except for McSwain (who I really like) who will not ever hit very well (imo) on a consistent basis without a major overhaul of her swing. Tooooooo long and hard to square the ball up against a pitcher with good movement or real heat.

Just be a little patient with the young ones...they'll figure it out. :)
Click to expand...

Just for fun as well. Who are the 3 freshmen you are referencing? I got Holcomb who is hitting .365 which we all will take and Seggern hitting .263 which is weak but I truly believe she is ready to break out if she will continue to turn on the ball more.
Gregg hit .314 with 13 HRs. Not bad with the HRs included.

Not to argue at all but see the point. At this time in the year the Freshmen are basically sophmores and we are also going to the big dances which will help some hitters but hurt weaker hitters. JMHO as always:)
 
#12
#12
IMO, 9-4 (McClain, Leach, Holcomb, Gregg and Vines) seems to be working. If Geer would pick up production at 5, we could survive the hit-and-miss bats of Bearden, Seggern and Weimer/Lockman. Ralph will probably PH Batts and McSwain some, too, though McSwain is an automatic out against good pitchers.
 
#13
#13
gule said:
if only they could teach hitting the ball.
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team batting average was the highest in the SEC. I also think we scored more runs than any team in the conference. We were 1 or 2 in most offensive categories in the league. The bottom of our order struggled--but we have some big-time players in battings spots 1-4--and if Geer could get her act together we'd be even more formidable.

The Weeklys are smart--Karen Weekly is a former lawyer and professor, and Ralph knows the game inside and out. Smart is not a word I'd use when describing Warlick. The Weeklys built a first-rate program and recruit well enough to keep it first-rate and more. Listen to Karen Weekly and then listen to Warlick--enough said. When you win, and win consistently, you build a winning mentality and buy-in from all the players. Everything starts at the top, obviously. And here's another thing: The SEC is much tougher, top to bottom, in softball than in basketball. It is probably the most competitive sport, men or women, in the conference--and that is saying something in the uber-competitive SEC.
 
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#14
#14
lvfan35yr said:
don't watch lady vol basketball anymore then.
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I can understand someone having diminished faith in the current staff and not expecting the new crop of highly rated talent to be properly developed.

However, your comeback is just plain snarky. Sorry, but that's how I see it. Time for these girls to play like Lady Vols and not just dress up like them.
 
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#15
#15
larjoranj said:
I agree with your broader point-but Gregg hit .314 and led the team in hits, extra base hits and RBI as a freshman. She may not be the best example
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I probably should have looked at her stats for her freshman year rather than relying on my memory. I was thinking she was just under .300 which is decent but not near where she is as a hitter at present. My bad, brain cells are dyeing like flies it appears. :shakehead:
 
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