Williams tries to keep emotions, expectations in check on first day

Kristi Williams got an emotional phone call Sunday night, one day before her first practice as the head softball coach at Blue Springs South High School.

It came from former Jaguars head coach Vickie Brummel, who Williams served under as an assistant for eight years.

“I don’t want to get all emotional now,” Williams said as tears streamed down her face, “but it hit me that Vickie wasn’t going to be here anymore when I got that call. It meant so much to me. I didn’t sleep Saturday night, I didn’t sleep Sunday night and I didn’t get much sleep last night. I’m just so excited about this opportunity.

“These girls are special to me. They know it’s going to be different this year – we’ve already had ‘the talk,’ you know, where I told them it’s going to be my team and we’re going to do things my way.

“I didn’t want to come into the season and have them say, ‘That’s not how Coach Brummel did it.’ We got that out of the way early. I’m not Coach Brummel and I don’t expect them to be Kaitlin Schaberg (who is a freshman playing softball at Stanford) or Brooke Parker (who is a freshman playing at UMKC).

“I told them, ‘We’re No. 21.’ And that’s all I expect from them.”

She was referring to this year’s squad being the 21st softball team in South history.

She said the first two days of practice have been demanding because of the number of players she and her staff are dealing with.

“Right now, we have 37 players,” Williams said, “and you just can’t get done what you want to get done with that many players. We are going to be assigning the players to their respective teams and it will be much easier and more productive working with 12, 13 or 14 girls.”

Williams was a popular choice to replace Brummel, who retired as a coach and teacher.

“I’m really happy Coach Williams got the head coaching job,” senior pitcher Michaela Tolliver said. “I think it’s important to replace a coach with someone everyone on the team is familiar with. And we’re familiar with Coach Williams and really respect her.”

PUSHING FLUIDS: Area football teams are practicing in the early morning hours and taking plenty of water breaks to make sure the record-breaking heat doesn’t affect the players.

“We’re going from 5:30 to 7:30 a.m.,” said South coach Greg Oder, whose Jaguars are the defending Class 6 state champions, “and coming back from about 9 to 11:30 a.m. We’re making sure the guys get plenty of water. We have the water tanks and our managers are out with water bottles.”

It was a similar scene at Grain Valley High School where second-year head coach Jimmy Tucker was making sure his Eagles weren’t grounded by the heat.

“We’re trying to get most of our work done before it really gets hot,” Tucker said. “This heat is nothing to mess around with.”

There was a familiar face on the Grain Valley sidelines as Missouri Mavericks trainer Wes Fillingame was watching over the players.

“Their trainer left, so I’m filling in until they find a replacement,” Fillingame said. “I’m still trying to get used to this heat. It’s a lot cooler in the Events Center (where the Central Hockey League team plays).”

While the temperature is different, the injuries are the same.

As he talked about the high school football scene, a young man who had injured his arm approached Fillingame.

“Can you wrap this for me?” the Eagles player asked.

Fillingame nodded yes and took him over to the sidelines to take care of the cut on his arm.