Kim Erdman, the Rush City softball head coach, was kind enough to give us a look at the upcoming season.
What year of coaching are you going into?
I have coached softball for 28 years, starting as the JV coach and moving on to the varsity coach for the last 17 years.
When do you start preparing for the spring sports season?
I think most coaches in most sports prepare year-round in one form or another - looking for drills, checking out new equipment, and just “thinking” about their sport. But once January hits, the girls start showing up at open gym with their gloves and tossing the ball around. That is when the real preparation begins. Quite a few girls played summer and fall ball and this year some even played in a dome league over the winter. This helps keep their arms in shape so we can hit the ground running in March.
Is this a young or veteran team?
It is a mix. We have 4 seniors, 4 juniors, 2 sophomores, 4 freshman, and one 8th grader on the team.
Are there any players on your team that people should watch for, and who is a player you're expecting to make a jump in their play?
I think it will be a different player making a difference in each game. They are all capable of making great plays and having a great day at the plate. If one is going through a slump, it is up to the others to fill in the void until that player gets back on track. So it will be a team effort once we step on the field.
What are some of the team goals this year?
Our goal is the same every year – to still be playing softball when other teams have ended their season. Our regular season is really our “practice” for the playoffs. We need to play our best ball in mid-May so when playoffs hit we are ready to make a run. When these seniors were in 7th grade, they watched the team win the Great River Conference and they have carried on that level of play, winning the conference every year since 2015.
Are there any games that you're looking forward to?
We look forward to all the games. When you are playing teams that are tough year in and year out, those games really get the heart rate up which makes it fun. But if we are playing teams that may struggle a bit, it gives us opportunities to try some players at different positions that they may play the following year.
