WHAT DO WE DO NOW?
Ballston Spa Softball uses technology to prepare team in time of social distancing
SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY » The coronavirus has ravaged the sports world in an unprecedented manner.
Now in these uncharted waters of postponements and cancellations in the high school sports world, Ballston Spa Softball Head Coach Amanda Fifield is trying to prepare her team the best she can with so many question marks looming.
“Right now we have to go day by day,” said Fifield. “The hardest part is we have so many seniors this year. It’s the first time in a while Ballston
Spa has been a veteran team, to say the least. It’s been tough for them, but like schools are, we are planning on them returning April 20.”
Ballston Spa Softball is led by a five player senior class of Katelyn Hilko, Lauren Kersch, Caroline Srokowski, Paige Davis, and Allison Sgambati. Kersch and junior Ana Gold are this year’s captains.
“For us, it’s mentally being there together. With the social distancing, they want to do team captain’s practices and I told them, ‘no we can’t do any of that,’” said Fifield. “I’ve reached out to my captains and any message I have
for the team I will send to them. I’ll either face time them or send them a message, talk on the phone, whatever it may be, and have them relay the message to the team.”
Though they are not able to meet at a field and practice, the Ballston Spa softball team is utilizing technology to their benefit to get the team focused and prepared mentally for when the season does finally arrive.
“We’re fortunate at Ballston Spa that we have a couple of online systems that I can get them all to sign in at the same time, so we will have team online practices everyday,” said Fifield. “That’s going to consist of the mental part of the game, watch some videos, talk about what they learned, how does it apply when we get back together.” Fifield continued. “Most of our team has equipment at home of some sort. One of my players put up a batting cage in her backyard,” said Fifield. “I’m telling them they have to do their own stuff, so I am uploading videos of some tee drills that I want them to do if they have a tee and keep them doing their work.”
Fifield feels that if the players can do the small things at home, it will help prepare them for when they get back together.
Well, if they get back together.
“I don’t want to use the word ‘if,’” said Fifield. “I would hate to see this class in particular lose their senior year, or any senior for that matter. Lauren Kersch is my first five-year varsity player. It hurts, i’ll say that.”
Fifield is staying positive that sports will return for those seniors this spring and the feeling is not just that of Ballston Spa, but of all Section II.
“We all definitely want to play,” said Fifield. “We have to all wait and see what happens. I’m doing what my AD lets me know and try and wait for the word. I try not to inquire too much because I don’t want to overload our Athletic Director with questions being that I am sure I am not the only coach wondering and waiting. It’s being impatiently patient.”
The break isn’t just affecting Fifield’s players. Fifield loves the game of softball and loves her team, but she understands that she can not show a moment of weakness in the wake of disaster.
“Softball has forever been part of my life. For me it hurts to not have a season. It feels like, ‘What am I going to do now? How am I going to keep these girls in it? How is this going to go?’ I can’t let them know how much it is eating me up on the inside,” said Fifield. “Many of them are much like me and feel the same. We are hurting together, but we are going to get through it together.”
To add to the whirlwind of emotions that comes when a season is up in the air, the Scotties were desperate to get back on the field and compete for a state championship this season after falling in last season’s final 3-0 to Williamsville East.
“In 2017, our goal was to get back to the final four. 2018 our goal was to get to the championship game. 2019 we wanted to get back to the championship game. This year’s goal was we wanted to get there and win it,” said Fifield. “Every year we set that goal just a little bit higher. One mishap is the difference in that 20 inning game, no wind and that game would have been over much sooner. There are so many ‘What iffs’ about last year, but it ended the way it was supposed to end for us. Everything works out the way it is supposed to even if we didn’t want it that way.”
“Right now we are hungry and we want to make this our year because it most certainly should be our year, could be our year, right now we will be hopeful to play any games,” said Fifield.
Season or no season this spring, Fifield and the Ballston Spa Scotties will honor their five seniors for everything they have done for the softball program.
“In one way, shape, or form, when it is all settled, season or no season, we are going to do something for our seniors,” said Fifield. “I think that’s going to be most difficult thing. In the event of no season, pulling the team together for that one final hoorah will be emotional.”
As the seniors look at the possibility of losing their last chance at a NYSPHSAA State Championship, sophomores and juniors look at the possibility of losing a recruiting year for college and the chance to get scouted to play college softball in the future.
“We’re all in the same boat and I think that is the only positive that we have to look at and say, ‘We’re not the only ones,’” said Fifield. “I also look at the fact of, what if these colleges that are shut down, redshirt players because they didn’t make it 50 percent of their season? I look at Lauren Kersch, who is going to SUNY Geneseo. Her sister is a senior at SUNY Geneseo. Her sister pitches there. If that redshirt happens and Lauren goes there, they have both Lauren and Ashlyn, which is a dynamic duo, but what does that do to the incoming freshman class if the seniors stay?”
Fifield and the Scotties are taking things day by day right now. They have to. With so much in the air, all they can focus on is doing everything in their power to prepare for the expected season’s start at the end of April.
“We need to keep them doing their own work,” said Fifield. “I told them doing the small things at home will help them be ready when we get back together. Hopefully we get back together.”