With each step the Weatherford College softball program makes history, with the most recent entry being the conclusion of their first fall schedule.

“It felt really good to be able to finally get on the field,” said head coach Dottie Cupp. “All the girls were super excited to start practice. It's always exciting to start practice in the fall, but it is really special being part of the beginning of this program.”

And while less emphasis is put on winning and losing and more on developing (although they like to do both), the Lady Coyotes played a tough schedule against mostly four-year programs.

“We were able to compete and stay in most games,” said Cupp. “We had a chance to win every game we played in the fall except for one. I believe we have the talent to compete in our region and be successful.”

Cupp said the thing she looks for most in the fall is work on fundamental skills.

“We go into depth for position play and work on improving each student athlete's skill level,” she said. “Each and every day we teach new skills and work on their existing skills. We also lift all fall, teaching proper form and technique in the weight room.”

Cupp said several of the players grabbed her attention and even improved their chances of becoming starters in the spring.

“I think many of them worked hard and became better,” she said. “We have a lot of depth when it comes to pitchers. Pitching is one of our strong points. Offensively, we have some pop and have the ability to drive the ball.”

Cupp said not only was it nice to see the team finally take the field, it was nice to get back to on-the-field coaching for herself.

“Before Aug. 31 it had been over a year since I had coached,” Cupp said. “The time away from the game made me realize how much I love it and how much I love to coach.”

In all, Cupp gave a strong assessment of her team's first fall season.

“We had a strong fall even though we did not win every game,” she said. “We did a lot of good things. We worked hard, got stronger, developed some leadership, worked together, did community service, worked on softball skills, and ultimately became better people. We need to work on some of our defensive plays. Coming back after Christmas we will need to see a lot of live pitching to get our timing back"

"I am happy with our progress this fall. The team has worked extremely hard at everything we do, and their hard work has really shown. I am excited to see what they are going to do in the spring.”

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by Rick Mauch