In the 2013–14 school year, Coach Begent began his career as the Varsity Softball Team’s assistant coach, working alongside Coach Stone. When he wasn’t spending time on his multiple other jobs or filling up the water bottles, he was practicing with the girls to improve their skills. With the end of last season and the farewell of not only the seniors, but also that of Coach Stone, Coach B took the opportunity to become the head coach of the team. This transition, however, has not been without challenges.
“The biggest thing is the numbers. A lot of other teams have bigger numbers. It’s not about cutting people but building them up,” he said. Throughout this past season, Coach B not only worked on improving the girls’ communication skills and keeping a positive mindset during a game, but also on properly respecting one another. During the girls’ games against Maine-Endwell, after every inning the girls would greet each other with either a high-five or a pat on the back for a job well done.
In a recent interview with the co-captains, Eliza Sherwyn ’15 and Emily Powers ’15 both agreed that Coach B changed the way they felt towards the game and team. “I think that Coach believed in us when no one else did—changed our attitudes for the better. He put a lot of care and effort into us, and that was very admirable,” Sherwyn said.
“Coach did really good at stepping up, and taking us up was a challenge—because we are a challenge, and he learned how to deal with girls when he was used to guys,” Powers said when asked how well Coach B did this season.
At the girls’ last practice, Coach B decided to play kickball and bond with the girls before they said their final farewells. The team laughed, playfully joked and cheered their teammates on to get a home run. Although this season was good, Coach B is optimistic about next year’s season to be even better. “Hopefully with the progression the girls made this year, more people will be motivated to come try out next year. Get our program growing,” he said.