Coach Spotlight: Ashley Breland

Q: What was your favorite thing about coaching the softball girls this past year?
A: My favorite part about coaching was being able to teach an awesome group of girls not only how to play the game but to love the game.

Q: Do you plan on coaching next year and what made you want to coach this year?

A: Yes I plan on coaching next year. I wanted to coach this year because I absolutely love this game. I have missed softball so much and to be able to come back to the high school that I graduated from and take the field as a coach was one of the most rewarding things I have ever done and I am forever grateful for the opportunity.

Q: This past season, who influenced the team the most and why?

A: I believe the better question would be who did not influence the team because everyone brought something to the plate and contributed to the team in some way, regardless of their position or status. With out each player on the field and in the dugout we would not have been as successful.

Q: When you were younger, could you have seen yourself as a softball coach? 

A:Yes!! From the time I was playing little league I knew that I never wanted to leave this game. My whole life has revolved around softball and I could not imagine living life without this game.

Q: What are your best memories and what will you miss the most about last season?

A: One of my favorite memories is the practice where we made a slip and slide and learned how to slide. That was definitely the most fun practice we had all season. Another one of my favorite memories is from the Manchester game because there were two outs made by putting Manchester in rundowns. One was between second base and third base (Aneesha, Brittany and Julia) and the other was between third base and home (Brittany and Chloe) The girls executed the plays with finesse and it was at that moment that I felt absolutely successful because we spent about half a practice working on that and to see them put what I taught them into action was one of the most rewarding times of my life. There are about a million more memories I could tell you about but I will just end this by saying I could not have asked for a better group of girls to have my very first year coaching at this level.

Brittany Church,

Editor