Whether it is in the classroom, weight room, or out on the field, Head Softball Coach Kara Amundson instills in her players the philosophy of taking on each aspect of their lives fearlessly.
Amundson brings an extensive background in coaching and softball to her first year as head coach.
Amundson is no stranger to the Racer athletic program as she served as an assistant coach during the 2010-11 seasons and interim tennis coach for 2011-12.
Getting to know the players and working through the transition of installing a new coaching staff is one of the hurdles Amundson will face.
“Being a new coaching staff, one of the biggest challenges we have so far – implementing new ideas and drills and strategies and things like that,” she said. “(The players) have been awesome to work with and my assistants have done a great job in pushing them forward
and getting everyone on the same page and creating a very positive atmosphere.”
The 2012-13 season is broken into fall, which is comparable to an exhibition season, and spring, which is the actual conference play and championship season.
Amundson said the coaching staff’s knowledge of previous seasons and their ability to recognize the key players and their capabilities will help in conference play.
“Everyone is always looking ahead to win a championship,” she said. “Even as a new coaching staff, I think our eyes are set on the big goal of competing in the OVC for a regular season and postseason championship. I think that is definitely a realistic goal for us.”
The team is lead by five seniors, 14 returning players and five freshmen. Experience will play a factor in the team’s on and off field chemistry. Amundson said trust and preparation is the cornerstone of any successful team.
“We work hard every single day in practice, the weight room and conditioning to prepare ourselves for when we get to the games,” Amundson said. “The game should be the easiest part. You work hard in practice so everything will come together in the game. Having a calm mind is one of the biggest things we as a staff try to preach.”
The team and coach look forward to their spring season and are already making preparations.
“We play Mississippi State first, and it will be some really great competition to start off our season with,” Amundson said. “I think we need to play teams that are going to challenge us right off the bat.”
The team begins the spring season with a tournament against Mississippi State Feb. 15-17.
Laura Kovarik, Staff Writer