University of North Carolina Athletics
Carolina Softball Journal
October 27, 2011 | Softball
Oct. 27, 2011
We're not in 20-hour weeks, not even in 10-hour weeks, but we're practicing 2 HOURS A WEEK? Does this mean I'm a "muggle" (non-athlete) now?! Okay, so that's a little extreme, but what in the world are we to do with this extra time? Luckily, we go to UNC so there is plenty of school work to occupy any extra time during the week. These "individuals," as coach P likes to call the four weeks until break, are a time where Steve, our trainer, works us really hard in the weight room for five days and we focus on specific areas of our game during the limited practice times. For a lot of us, academically speaking, this break could not have come at a better time.
Let's go back two weeks. The week before our game against the NPF, we used practice to prepare ourselves for the match-up against some seasoned professionals. Our drills were a little more intensified: one day, Coach Boo and Coach Mick split the infielders and hit SHOTS our way. We were a little nervous going into this drill, but I think everyone liked it because we didn't have time to even think about making errors! Another day that week, the coaches kicked up the pitching machine to better resemble the pitcher we would be facing during the game--former UNC stand-out, Lisa Norris. After Friday's practice, we were all anxious to see some of our former teammates and compete at a higher level of play. Some of us got an early glimpse at our competitors at a clinic that was held at Walnut Creek. Some UNC and State players assisted the NPF team with a clinic they held that evening. It was great to see some of our rivals/friends and work with the eager girls who showed up to play!
When Saturday finally rolled around, we couldn't wait for the game to begin. I have to admit I was anxious to see how the NPF players would hit off of Lori, but after shutting them out the first inning, I knew we had a great chance to win and we were eager to compete. Unfortunately, Lisa's nasty change-up kept us off our feet and we did not make the adjustments necessary to win the game. It didn't help that their team totaled 3 homeruns, Brittany McKinney being one of them! Despite the score, we used our experience to get better and to set a pace for how we should prepare for our upcoming season.
The following week was extremely stressful for a lot of us who had midterms and papers due right before fall break on that Wednesday. We tried to maintain our focus during our last two team practices that Monday and Tuesday. Coach P graciously cut the practices a little shorter than usual knowing our academic worries. I know that by the time my two exams and 10-page paper were completed by Wednesday afternoon, I was more than ready for a relaxing fall break! A lot of girls got to go home and it was back to the beach for me!
