Sports
Analysis: Rich Central's New Softball Head Coach Eager for New Era
Mina Data hopes to build a foundation this season with her young team, starting with players who bring passion to the game.
For Rich Central head softball coach Mina Data, Friday marked what she hopes is the dawn of a new era for the school’s softball program.
Despite in her first game as the head coach of the Lady Olympians, Data already has started to turn the wheels in the right direction in what has historically been a struggling program.
“Before, I think the girls thought it was a picnic or club,” Data said. “Now we have some competitive athletes that want to take the program and push it to a different level.”
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This is Data’s fourth year as a coach at Rich Central. She spent the last two seasons as the varsity assistant coach.
“I think the girls just needed to adjust and come together,” Data said. “We have a young team, with one freshman and three sophomores in the starting lineup, so it’s definitely a learning process that will take time.”
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One of the sophomores is pitcher Daivonya High. She struggled at times in Friday’s opener, but she also showed flashes of what she can become.
“This is just her second year ever pitching, so she is developing and came in with confidence, but she still has a lot to work on,” Data said.
Data, an English teacher at Rich Central, knows that pitching will be the key to the team’s success.
The Lady Olympians also need to generate some offense, which they failed to do against Hillcrest. They managed just one hit and struck out 17 times against Hawks pitcher Latrisha Maxwell.
“The girls were just a little bit nervous, but we’ve just got to get back to the basic fundamentals we have been going over with them,” Data said.
Data knows her young players are going to be the foundation of the new era. She’s looking for players who have passion that can be passed on to the rest of the team.
Data points to junior shortstop Brittany Fowler as an example of a player who brings passion and energy to the game.
“She is committed to leading the team,” Data said. “She is passionate. That’s where we’re trying to go, to develop that passion here at Rich Central.”
