The lessons of fall softball go deeper than wins and losses as programs build their culture for the spring
The Greater Purpose Behind Fall Softball
As I have observed fall softball in different places, I have really enjoyed seeing teams form their identities. Whether it is getting young pitchers more work or building a stronger small ball approach, the process may serve different reasons everywhere. As someone who is always excited to watch softball, it is easy to get caught up in the scores and stats of it all. I had to remind myself that fall is about much more than numbers. That may be why you will see that stats are not kept. The more I watch and talk with coaches, the deeper takeaways from fall ball really capture the heart of it all.
A couple of points I want to mention today came from my conversations on Friday with NC State Head Coach Lindsay Leftwich and Georgia Head Coach Tony Baldwin. Both shared their thoughts on the fall process, and Baldwin’s perspective framed it in a way I had not thought about before.
Leftwich, like many coaches, does not focus on winning fall softball games. You hear a lot of coaches say that, but the score is still kept and posted on social media. There is nothing wrong with that, so do not take this as me taking a shot at anyone. Fall is really about the development of your team well before the season starts. It is about finding what works, who fits where, and how you can best prepare for February.
“Like I don’t even turn the scoreboard on at fall games because I want them to focus on the process of what we are trying to do as a team,” Leftwich said. “We are trying to stack quality at bats. If you are a left-handed slapper, you are trying to bunt for a base hit at least one time a game. What does that look like in the fall?”
They may know what the score is, but she is not concerned with winning fall games. So what if you win 25 to 2 in a fall game? That is not the ultimate point, especially if you are playing competition that is two or three levels below you. The score means nothing here.
As Leftwich expressed next, and so did Coach Baldwin during our conversation, fall results are not necessarily a mirror of what the spring will be.
“I have definitely been part of teams that have won every single fall game and blown people out, and then came back in the spring and were terrible,” Leftwich said. “I have also been part of other teams that were really bad in the fall and lost some games here and there, and then continued to push forward when the season began.”
That idea stuck with me. It made me think about the purpose behind every rep, every inning, and every at bat in the fall. The real work is not in the scorebook, but in the foundation being built for what comes next.
Now, I am not here to call out anyone. This is simply a piece on the outlook of fall ball and what I have come to learn and take away from my thoughts and from coaches who know exactly what this time of year is meant for.
So going into Coach Baldwin’s mindset of fall softball, he phrased it as “The Honeymoon Phase.” That made me pause and think, okay, what a great perspective. Everyone is happy right now for the most part, especially the newcomers. The reps and playing time are there in the fall. All is well, right?
“This is the honeymoon phase. Everybody is happy in the fall, right? Everybody is practicing, getting the same reps, everybody is on the red team or the black team in the intersquad games, and everybody is getting at bats in these fall games,” Baldwin said.
“Everybody is happy now, and then you find out what your culture really looks like when you put up a lineup on February 6th. Then you have a bunch of people whose parents show up to the game and their kid is not in the lineup, and you deal with some of that. Embracing that tells you a little bit about your culture. Then you get into the SEC, and it is really hard, and you are playing these ultra-competitive games, and sometimes you get punched in the gut. How do you respond to that? Those are the things you are trying to prepare your culture for right now.”
That is when you start to really see what the culture and mindset of a team are all about. The fall is a fresh beginning for many players. It could be the freshman who has always been one of the top players and has never had to sit, or maybe a transfer entering a new situation hoping to revamp their career.
Whatever the case, the real identity and mindset show when the lights come on for real in February and throughout the season. Fall is building the foundation that tests who is ready to embrace the grind, who can handle being challenged, and who will stay consistent when the routine changes from development to competition.
The honeymoon phase eventually fades, but what remains is what truly defines the team.
I love seeing how the process is done. I am more about what goes into the product before it becomes final. That is a big reason why I have tried to observe fall softball action and talk to coaches whenever I can. Each program approaches it differently, and every team has its own rhythm and purpose during this time of year. Whatever the case may be for each program right now, we will see in just a few months the reality of it all. Until then, I will keep observing, taking notes, having conversations, and wait until February hits.
Featured Image Credit: (Sofia Yaker/UGAAA)
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