South Meck Position

:xyzthumbs...very good points. They also need to make sure they keep a very active booster club going. SM had one of the best HS baseball booster club for years. You can't let that slip....shoot, if Bags wanted a real dome, it would have been done in a year...well...maybe not that long.

 

Not Good

The new SM coach is not currently a baseball or football coach at Stoney Point HS in Round Rock TX. He is the Golf coach. CMS strikes again! What a fiasco. Quit kidding yourselves. 2007 they'll finish 3rd or 4th and then it will really tank. They simply will not keep up with PHS, AK and Weddington. Not with a part time coach who also coaches football and should be coaching golf! Another East Meck in the making. Steck will pass them up within 3 years if they're not careful. That's the reality.

 

I hope you wrong, the great thing about this area, it is rich in baseball tradition and an outstanding youth league in Park Sharon which feeds the school a lot of players. Sure Providence will be strong, but it will years before AK will have any shot at winning the area. Everyone knows i think the best thing to happen to the SM program is Bagwell leaving, let's see him develop the AK proram!!!!!

 

South Meck (6 Months Later) Go Back and See How Accurate You Were

This is an interesting exercise. Go back and see how well you predicted the future.

Butler 14 South Meck 0 (in 6 short months!)

Even I'm shocked how fast this program tanked. I knew it would but I thought the returning players would keep them competitive in spite of the new (football) coach. I was wrong.

At this level Coaching is Everything!!!!!!!!

 

I must believe that Coach Jurecka had no clue as to what sort of lions den he was entering when he took the head baseball coaching position at South Mecklenburg. He has become the “sacrificial lamb” that Collins threw on the altar to get back at whomever it is that he has a problem with locally. Randy Rummage, Brian Cottam, Mike Edwards etc. would have all been excellent choices to fill the position at South, but Collins chose to overlook them for whatever reason and bring in someone completely unfamiliar with the area’s rich and competitive baseball history. In order for Coach J to be successful, obviously a number of things must change, but not all of the changes that need to be made are his alone.
The most critical part of Coach’s success lies in hiring a coaching staff that can truly add to the team’s training. Currently the team is in desperate need of a pitching coach that is able to work with the pitching staff through the winter, and who is able to attend all varsity games. As it is right now, the pitching coach is the head coach for the junior varsity team. With this situation, when the junior varsity team plays at the same time as the varsity, there is no pitching coach to help varsity pitchers work their way through tough games. Also, pitchers must be practiced diligently every single practice session. A consistent schedule of running, long toss, flat ground work, bullpen work and strength and conditioning are a must for pitchers at this level. To my knowledge there is a system in place, but it doesn’t seem to carry the weight in practice that it should for them to be successful against strong hitting teams. Coach Sexton is very knowledgeable, and has a great deal of espertise to impart, but he needs be allowed to take more ownership of his pitching staff, and elevate his workouts to meet their needs.
The second thing that could prove critical to South Meck’s success is that practice for the varsity squad must be run at a higher level, and separately from the junior varsity. Currently, the junior varsity practices with the varsity, and takes precious time away from the varsity team. As a result, practices seem to leave the players less that enthusiastic and ready to play high level baseball. A more up tempo pace with the varsity team working alone would bring some badly needed energy to the team, and would promote unity by creating a smaller group of guys working together. By separating practices, more reps in all aspects of the game would be possible in the same amount of time which would inevitably raise batting averages, lower ERA’s and reduce defensive errors.
It has been said that “coaching is everything at this level,” and to an extent I agree with this. However I have always felt that coaches should never take to much credit for their team’s success, and should not shoulder too much blame for their team’s failures. South Mecklenburg can put a lot of talent on the field at any given time with multiple lineups, and with a lot of experience. With that being said, Coach Jurecka doesn’t throw the pitches, run the bases, field the routine ground balls, swing the bat, or make the easy outs; that responsibility falls squarely on the shoulders of the players. The kids on this team know how to play baseball at a high level, but they must accept the responsibility for their failures and make changes to get the job done. Otherwise, Bobby Cox couldn’t get them turned in the right direction. There is definitely no substitute for quality coaching and opportunities to succeed, but players must realize that ultimately, the success of a program lies in the hands of its players. They have to make the choice to turn things around.

 

Come Out, Come Out, Wherever you are!

Come On Honker, Braves, Philly Dave, Spitball, DBacks, Luigiboy and Observer.

Man up and give me your 6 month assessment of the new South Meck Baseball Program. I looked back at your posts. Some were right on the money. (MINE WAS FOR SURE). And some of you............well it's time to come clean.

Unless you think beating East is a resurgence? Predictions on the upcoming AK/SM games? The Old Coach is taking Soph's and beating Independence and Myers Park already!

Don't bother predicting this Friday's game. South won't go 7 innings against Providence.

Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are?

 

Well, I said about everything I can in that other thread. I don't want to say too much more because I respect the kids that are still playing. It must be a terrible feeling for them.

But I agree with you, I didn't fathom the the Big Drop this quickly. For those that have been very close to the program, it is painful to watch.

The one thing you keep rooting for is for the seniors on this team. They're great guys who love this game. You hope they keep battling and fight through the adversity and keep their heads high. The easy part is to point fingers and give up.....but true character is displayed in challenging times.

At this time, I don't expect them to win a lot of games, but I would like to see them battle in every game and maybe win some that they probably shouldn't.

 

This is a very good post. Not that I agree with everything said, but you obviously spent a lot of time thinking about it and expressed yourself very well.

Oh...and welcome to the board Dead Red. Based on your first post, I am looking forward to your views in all of the threads in the future. Very few threads have to do with a negative situation, so don't be influenced by this thread what TBR is about.

Have fun!!!!!

 

hmmmmm...

my two cents only. I agree to a large extent with what dead red has said...One can t help but think where and what research was done by the new coach again as to what he was going to be leading... Athletics and success comes in cycles perhaps it is South's turn to cycle down? Sometimes the cycles occur frequently other times they are few and far between...with teams drawing and simply reloading year after year...I truly feel for the guy especially if he is doing his best and he is in fact very knowledgeable about the game?! I hope South comes out and gives the Prov all they want and more! Brings back memories of a long long long long time ago! Again, as suggested the players themselves must ignore the past and come out and play each and everyday with one mindset and that is too play hard give 110 percent one and collectively...fight tooth and nail and try to win at all costs however it takes fighting like hell in the process to gain victory.... "Do you want to live forever?"

 

Very, very true