Roster management does not stop when newcomers are signed. For Tennessee softball head coach Karen Weekly, that is where a big part of it starts. Last week, Weekly laid out her measured, need-based approach to the portal and why the Lady Vols added just one player this offseason.
The other half of her philosophy is what she does with the players already in the program. She develops them, and she makes them earn it.
“I’m not going to say be patient, because I’m the type of coach that if you beat somebody out as a freshman, you’re going to play,” Weekly said. “I don’t care. We’re going to get the best nine people on the field that we think can help us win a ball game.”
The proof of Weekly’s philosophy shows on the roster. Look at the paths of the Leach twins and Emma Clarke.
Gabby Leach did not start a game as a freshman in 2024. She appeared in 35 games off the bench and worked from there. By her sophomore year she was a regular starter, making 49 starts and hitting .292 with 7 home runs. Last season she took another step, starting 63 games and hitting .298 with 13 home runs and 47 RBI.
Alannah Leach’s climb was a little different. She hit .222 and .244 in limited roles her first two seasons with just 12 starts as a sophomore. Then came the 2026 season. She started 47 games, hit .291 and launched 13 home runs after entering the year without a single one in her career.
Emma Clarke showed the fruits of her work as well. She earned a role as a freshman in 2025 with 34 starts but hit just .211 with 2 home runs. A year later she was in the lineup every day. She started 63 games and jumped to .274 with 14 home runs and 43 RBI.
“She had a role to play her freshman year, kept working, earned more and more opportunities,” Weekly said. “And then her sophomore year she’s in the lineup on a regular basis, but again, all because she earned the opportunities.”
This is where development and team chemistry meet. Nobody is handed a spot. Everybody earns it against the player next to them, and that keeps the culture healthy. The veterans set the standard, and players buy in because they have watched it work. It is the same culture Weekly talks about when she describes who she recruits in the first place.
“I’m just gonna keep going back to we have so much fun together,” said Gabby Leach after the 2026 LSU series. “This is one team. Every single day, even in the locker room, we have so much fun. Everyone enjoys being around each other, and everyone wants to make each other better, and everyone’s so happy for each other. Even if you’re not playing, and people in the same position, everyone is so excited for each other, and that’s what keeps us going every day, and just the joy we have.”
Some may feel Weekly’s approach is a bit outdated with the current landscape of college athletics. Part of the college fan base wants the loaded roster now, built by going out and landing the biggest names available. Another part is fine being patient and still values watching players work their way into the lineup. In fact, what that first group gripes about these days is exactly what an approach like this protects against.
Valuing hard work, development, and seeing players earn their spot is the way to keep a true and healthy environment. It also protects the players already in the program. They know before they ever sign to play at Tennessee, or any school that carries the same approach, that hard work is still valued. Additionally, they don’t have to worry as much about being told to find somewhere else to play because a bigger name came through the portal.
“It’s all about what you do when you get here,” Weekly said. “What do you earn? You’re going head to head with the other girls on the team, and if you’re in it, you’re going to get it.”
