1st Practice, today, 6am

funnel,

Sounds like a great way to launch the season. It also looks like some pretty good weather for the first week of practice.

Good luck to all area teams and kids. Looking forward to some great baseball this spring!

Great job!!!

Great Idea from DeSoto...................

I hope your team realizes how fortunate they are in the coaching department.

I will second Texan's opinion is saying Desoto High School is fortunate to have you. Good Luck in your season may it extend well into May..... By the way did a previous coaching gig involve an Arlington school?

Thanks! This is only my 2nd year at DeSoto. I have been in playoffs before, but I really want these kids to have that experience. All they have experienced is losing and everyone (even at their own school) telling them they are no good. I love challenges, so here I am.

I ended the practice with a story from my senior year, how I missed a squeeze bunt that cost us the district title. I told them how I went home that night and tore up every letter, every questionaire from every college that I had. I felt that I was not good enough to play any more. I was our coaches example every year after I graduated when they worked on bunting.

My teammates knew how I would react and they all came over and "picked me up." This event, I believe, changed my life. I have seen what a TEAM can do, as a player and a coach.

Of course, when I see my former teammates, they ask how much my teams squeeze and how I react when we don't execute it...I can laugh about it now. But that night was the worst night (at the time) of my life, and the best!

I told the kids they will remember this season the rest of their lives. We will have some failures during the course of the season. How we deal with them, will define what type of team we are and what type of people we are.

quote:

Originally posted by cougarbaseball:
I will second Texan's opinion is saying Desoto High School is fortunate to have you. Good Luck in your season may it extend well into May..... By the way did a previous coaching gig involve an Arlington school?

Yes it did!

I thought so.. My son who goes to Seguin in Arlington played in your tournament last year and I guess somewhere along the way you came up to him and complimented him, so I wanted to say thanks.

quote:

Originally posted by cougarbaseball:
I thought so.. My son who goes to Seguin in Arlington played in your tournament last year and I guess somewhere along the way you came up to him and complimented him, so I wanted to say thanks.

I knew a few of those kids on that team. I really like the catcher, Scott Hensley. He does a great job behind the plate. If I were a college coach, I would snatch him up fast!

Thanks, that would be my son.... and he is getting some interest just not enough to suit him. Appreciate the kind words as always, I was disappointed we were not in your tourney again... You are still having it aren't you?

No sir. We are hosting a JV tournament that weekend. Our varsity is traveling to Waco to play in the Heart of Texas Tournament.

Good luck to you guys!

Funneldrill:
You have a PM

Good luck coach. I'll enjoy following your team's progress this year.

Funneldrill--My son would have preferred your practice. His was at 12:01 in the morning!

I think the idea of a 12:01am meeting is cool, despite being somewhat illogical on a school night. I am a little surprised that the district allowed it for something other than football.

Funneldrill -- great ideas on providing appropriate focus on day 1. I hope your season goes well.

PantherSon thought the first after-school workout was well-done....several parents watched from the hill (I missed it).

Six days until Scrimmage 1!

quote:

Originally posted by Panther Dad:
I am a little surprised that the district allowed it for something other than football.

Whoooeeee....

I thought about the 12:01am thing, but I did not because of the concerns mentioned. Besides, that is a basketball tradition and I tend to shy away from basketball traditions...haha.

Energy was great for the evening practice. Today we start our normal routine regarding practice times. I am a little concerned about our energy today. We are intrasquading today and tomorrow, so I'll just change the situation up inning by inning to keep things fresh. Tommorrow we will end 30 minutes early to stay under our 8 hour alotment for Mon-Thur practices.

By no means do am I ready to come on here or any message board and proclaim the DeSoto Eagles a playoff team. It is more of marathon instead of a sprint. But, it is a new year, the kids are excited and so am I. This about sums up my accounts of practice.

Good luck ta all.

funneldrill,

I am a Desoto alumni (1976 - its been a while)...good luck to the Eagles this year.

Its a small world...Berkner hired a former DeSoto coach (started last year, he was only at Desoto one year I believe).

thanks berknerdad

I hope to put together a big alumni game for next year. I talk to Coach Jones from time to time and if we can get the alumni together, we'll make sure he can be here.