Coaches Corner for July 21st: Reed Smith, Ogden Softball

With us on coaches corner KWBG get a chance to put on Ogden wrap on Ogden softball season Reed Smith joining us Bulldogs finish up 21 and 17 on the season and coach I know in the preseason had a preseason ranking which I thought was outstanding something you guys definitely earned from what you did at the end of last season into this season Reed looking back did that put any pressure on you do you think? I think that it just comes with some expectations you know you know we had a great season last year and you know going 22 and 12 you know especially with a group that's gonna return a lot of kids going into this this season it just you know it puts a little bit of a target on your back and it brings some expectations I think that you know everyone was just coming in this season with you know some high hopes and and you know maybe maybe a little bit too high a hopes or maybe a little bit too much swagger I guess so to speak and you know started the season you know a little rocky and you know had to you know throughout the season had to find you know ways to you know prove ourselves and and kind of get back on track and you know ultimately I really think that we did that over the course of the season and felt like you know we took our lumps and you know we you know booted some balls or you know made some mistakes early on in the season just like just like any team does but you know was really proud of how we ended the season and and and really proud of the the level of ball that we were playing you know down the stretch and in the regional play well and I hate to fast forward from from you know talking about preseason to the end but that's where I wanted to go next because you guys I think we're playing some of your best softball at the end of the season when I look back read from your first and your excuse me your second encounter with Madrid you guys ended up I think losing four games in about a month I mean you had really gotten things together did a really nice job I thought over at the Bobcat Classic in Marshalltown you got a couple of nice wins there and then you started to put together the W's you were looking for read if you had to be playing your best softball going in the postseason in my opinion yeah definitely yeah I felt like just the kids were clicking you know especially early on in the middle part of the year it felt like you know the three parts of the game they'll pitch and defense and hitting you know we would maybe get one or two of those to be at a high level and then you know we we wouldn't play well on defense or you know we'd play good defense and we'd hit well or well we weren't great in the circle or we we play good defense and we pitch or you know we couldn't get I couldn't get enough run support that night so that's just kind of the story of the game and you know you're gonna have those games throughout the year and you know I it at times you know is frustrating for me and I'm sure is frustrating for the kids to just kind of feel like you know hey we're doing well in one or two areas but we just can't quite put it all together but the last two weeks of the season you know had some nice wins over you know Des Moines Christian you know had a nice tournament in Marshalltown beating Grand De Christian and Colfax you know went on a little bit of a run and then you know played it a tough West Marshall and Green County teams but you know I felt like both those games were tough competitions to help us get ready to go for regional play and you know we're we're able to beat Madrid in the first round of regionals you know played a really tough magic game that was you know a close game and you know those games where you get rained out and you know going into the bottom of the second and then you know you've got to pick it back up the next day but I can be that can be really tough on kids you know to get refocused and you know to get back after it and you know to pick it back up in the middle of a game where you know we had Claire Cruz lead off the day which I'm not sure how many times Claire Claire let off a game in her career but you know and you know ended up playing well enough to win that ball game and then you know played really well against you know really tough Grand De Christian team that you know has ended up you did you know first in the state tournament so a lot of credit to them but yeah you know you know I just I love coaching this this group this year you know even through you know the ups and the downs you know I felt like there was a group that you know really just got along with each other and felt like they loved showing up to the ballpark every day and they're just a they're an absolute blast to coach and so you know I just disappointed our season you know ended a little bit earlier than than we expected but you know ultimately you know I I would have said that if we didn't make that the state championship you know it's just such a such a fun group to coach you know and I wanted to spend as much time with this group as I could this summer just you know I love their enthusiasm and just their joy of playing the game the softball. Reed it wasn't a gigantic senior class but the quality was so I mean it'll be one of your you know senior classes I think you look back on and you go man how do we replace the Harley Jansen behind the plate how do we replace the Katie Wilcoxon in the circle how do we replace an Aubrey Leonard at short I know Lauren Matthew stepped up this year and played a really nice first base for you as well I mean boy it's tough when you look at that list I guess Reed to say man it wasn't a huge class but man they were talented. I just have you know I have so much pride and and respect for our four seniors this year you know three of them have been starting since they were eighth graders you know this is my six years ahead coach so you know I've been coaching them for you know five of the six years I've been a head coach and they've just been stapled with a program and I just have you know again I just have a ton of pride a ton of respect you know I'm I'm very thankful and blessed that you know of all the hard work and you know their willingness to spend a lot of time in the offseason working on their game and their ability to be great leaders throughout their career you know they've gone through you know seasons where you know we only want a handful of games you know early on in their career and I'm just very very happy for them that they were able to you know find some success and and have some winning seasons towards the end of their careers just because they you know they deserve that they deserve to have that experience you know to find some success based on you know the attitude that they have the work ethic that they that they all contributed to the program and just their ability to be a good solid teammates to one another you know again you know they're a group that you know I you know I wish I could keep coaching them for for years to come but you know kids got to graduate and move on with their lives and you know get a go get a college degree and but again just just very proud of you know Katie Aubrey Harley and Lauren you know very thankful for what they've contributed to the softball program and I know that all four of them are gonna make a lasting impact to our softball team even even for future years to come I'm not gonna ask you for a starting lineup for May of 2027 read I promise I won't do that but is there at least a little bit of you and I know you know coaches always tell me about a week or so 10 days they get a little itchy going gosh I wish I was at the ballpark but is there a little piece you that's kind of excited about what this lineup could look like next year I'm excited for next year I think the future is bright but you know I'm still not thinking about next year yet I'm still I'm still in a grieving mode I guess about this past season it was just you know we just had a bunch of great kids you know was really was really proud of them and you know the ball that they were playing and just their their effort and attitude over the course of this season so I you know I'm still I'm still dwelling on this year and and still you know thinking about just the season that we had and wishing that you know I was at practice or you know just just at the ball field with them but you know I think I think the the future of Ogden softball is bright so I'll I'll I'll just leave it at that read thank you as always appreciate all the time you give us during a coach's corner this past summer we'll look forward to doing this again coming up next summer with you thank you thanks for all your support over the course of the season and sporting Ogden Ogden students and Ogden softball you bet Reed Smith again joining us Ogden softball here in coaches corner