New face(s) WNC Softball

Rumor is that Fred at North Buncombe and Mac out at Owen will retire at the end of the 04 season..If so ,there will be a good opportunity for two good programs to reestablish themselves as dominant programs....As for looking for an Owen reporter to take over for rabbit, there should be lots of people with ties to the program that could contribue..I may see Owen play but Having no direct connection to any WNC team I will be at what I beleive to be the best game of the day from Franklin to Al.Central..And hope to be in Raleigh to see some WNC teams play.

 

rumors

Rumors sometimes are substantiated and other times just rumors. Fred at North Buncombe retiring is a big loss. I have watched him coached for a few years now and have total respect for his knowledge of the game. He will struggle this year because he lost a lot of quality players from last year. But, being the coach he is he will get the most from what he has. I too heard the rumor about Fred at North Buncombe yesterday. Good Luck to Fred in all he does...He has been a benchmark in these mountains. I don't know enough about Mac at Owen to comment so if the rumors about him are correct then I wish him well also.

 

Fred Ray---A Class Act

Fred Ray is retiring this year. Whether North Buncombe has a winning record or not this year, Coach Fred Ray will go out a huge winner. He is one class act, not only because of his wisdom about the game, but because he always takes the high road when it comes to coaching, dealing with umpires who are having a bad day, and most of all, dealing with the personal issues that surround any softball team.

His original plan was to retire after last year, going out with one of the most experienced teams he has had in years. Once again, he made the decision that would benefit the student athletes the most. He gave one more year to a team that was needing his wealth of knowledge and calm, confident demeanor. This team will be weaker in pitching experience because last year's junior starter will not be able to play, but I'm sure Coach Ray will mold a team that will be very competitive before the end of the season.

Aside from his knowledge of the game, the one trait I wish other coaches would copy, is his positive, never derogatory approach to working with his players. North Buncombe may surprise some people this year, but even if you don't see this NB team produce at quite the level as years past, you will still see the same high level class act from the coaches box.

 

worthy of any TBR member to shake this man's hand and thank him for what he has contributed to the game and our communities!

great post Hawk....:applause: