UNCW Softball

Anyone have any info on UNCW's softball team for this upcoming year? They have not updated their website for the upcoming year and no roster is posted. I know about 4 freshman that are there this year and was just wondering does anyone know how the team is shaping up.

 

UNCW

The team seems to be shaping up well. 12 new Freshmen, 5 Sophomores, 2 Juniors and 1 lone Senior (the great homerun hitter Carley Hughes)

My DD says Coach Kelly is GREAT! They are still searching for an Assistant Coach. Team practices are long, hard and exhausting but totally worth it and they are still doing individual workouts three times a week along with conditioning and weight training.

1st games is against Mt. Olive College on Sept 28th. Double header at UNCW at 1pm.

She says they can't wait to hit the field this fall. Seems to be alot of excitement among the girls to see what this season holds

 

Thanks for the update. The team seems to have a lot of talent and the new coach is hopefully the shot in the arm the program needed.

 

UNCW: Realistic Expectations

The new coach there will do a fine job but it's going to take some time. Remember, this team went 0-21 in road games last year. It will clearly be different team this year but the adjustment to D1 ball will not occur instantly. The returning pitchers have potential (solid mechanics) but will need to learn what it takes to throw seven innings. I think Kelly can help with that but they need to find a solid pitching coach. Typically, the Seahawks out of conference schedule is relatively soft with the exception of ECU and UNC. Success in the CAA may be tough this year as Hofstra, JMU and Georgia State all return their top pitchers and Drexel (with ex-UNCW assistant Kim Camara) and Towson also return top players.

The website is a disaster. What is to be gained for still scrolling Coach Jarrell's resignation as one of the top stories? The SID there needs to get to work!

 

Whoa... Let's back off the Sports Info. Department

Before you know the whole story, let's back off on the Sports Information bashing.

Having been in the profession myself, I feel I must respond...

You need to be a little less myopic and see the whole picture. That department works countless overtime hours and does a thankless job (from some places I've worked, I was there past 11 p.m. more often than not in the fall and spring and I can't tell you how much bunk I took from parents who only saw what they thought I should have done for their kid.) They are a long way from playing softball that counts and there are fall sports in session, so be patient and things will happen.

I've worked at places where the coach specifically told me not to update rosters until they are set, because some folks may not make the team yet (be redshirted, for example). There are only so many players that are allowed to suit up in the spring and pulling your kid's name off the roster this soon obviously would upset you and the coach doesn't need that hassle right now.

Is the softball contact new? How many other sports are they responsible for? Are they doing media guides right now and neglecting the Web until their information is right? Have they given the players forms to fill out for bio information and some slow people haven't turned theirs back in yet?

Before you go banging on someone, you should know the whole story first.

I'm not disagreeing with you on the most recent story being a resignation... something positive should follow (like the hiring to fill that position), but all of the rest of that stuff does not need to be up to the second here with 4+ months before games that count.

There's a place that SIDs post and you'll see lots of parent bashing there because of the grief these people place on the sports information people (particularly for kids who don't register in the stat columns, yet they want their kid mentioned in the game story). Web site - http://sid.proboards100.com/index.cgi?board=general

The positions turn over a bunch because it's an underpaid and under-appreciated job with way too many hours (I calculated that I made less than a dollar an hour one October because of the 8 sports I had to manage myself, which put me in the office for three-straight 80-hour weeks.

If you can do better on that salary with that workload, then I invite you to try.

(Sorry for the rant... I get very defensive about Sports Information Folks... they are the lifeline for information at the college level and they bust hump to try to get everything out as fast as possible for lots of sports all at once and I want them to be better appreciated from within their schools and from the outside looking in.)

 

think about it

I know nothing about editing websites , but surely it would take only a click or two to remove the previous coach's resignation story.

 

I appreciate you comments but

there's not excuse for the shape of this site. UNCW has no football team, the typical reason for ignoring other sports this time of year. I know they have a fall schedule. If nothing else, Coach Jarrell's resignation out of the "featured stories" mix. As pointed out above, that can't take more than a few clicks of the mouse.

 

...for the most part, folks are interested in the UNCW softball program and only want to read about the team, kids, coaches, schedule.
I've gotta say that I too am disappointed when I check out the site and come up empty.
The post from the fella who worked in an SID gig was very informative.
His point on the release of an official roster makes sense to me for sure.
And IMO, the coach is new and is working to gain some decent foothold on the school, program, AD, team, facilities, schedule, asst. coaches, parents, personal life, etc.

BUT, geez UNCW, marketing 101.
Obviously this program has, well, for lack of better words, "raked over the coals".
There is ZERO to be gained looking back.
And there is 100% possible to gain by looking forward.
I can accept UNCW/SID proofreading there approach in reaching to the public.
......but for only so long.

Just seems to me that its a little past due for them to "polish" up the program.

Awesome school, great kids, the beach, ...c'mon, how hard is marketing this?

 

A lot to offer

You're correct. UNCW has a lot to offer. Great location and a solid academic reputation. Ironically, i think the location has sort of work against them as it seems some of girls who were recruited in the past seemed more concerned about the beach than ball. Hopefully, Kelly will turn that around. The issue has been $$ Coach Jarrell's program was far fully funded five years ago when my DD was being recruited. If they really want to compete for a CAA title that will need to change as Hofstra and JMU and probably some others are playing with full deck of schollies.

 

With respect...

....would you please explain the $$ Coach Jarrells program being far fully funded five years ago?
Are you saying that UNCW had more $ to apply to the program 5 yrs. ago?
I know that the HC makes something like $40k.
Thats the first problem to me.

Hey DukeD4, I'm with you 100% on this one pal.

And given the past history of win/losses, if I were the new coach, I'd be beating the door down to say "hell yeah folks!, my program is going to the top!"

Look at Duke, ( pardon the pun ), the football Duke, when David Cutcliffe became the new head coach, the school gave him, at the very least, a damn good pat on the back, and said "we're with you".
Public opinion of any program is important, but public opinion of a new program needs all the help available.
You never get a 2nd chance at 1st opinion.

For now, lets leave this issue at this folks. Trust in the UNCW AD, and staff, and things will fall into place.