Shirley Prejean
March 12, 2007Clyde Dennis
March 14, 2007
A year ago, the Vandebilt Lady Terriers finally got over the hurdle that had been in their way for the previous four years — the state championship game. After finishing as state runner-up for three consecutive years, the Lady Terriers won their first state championship since 1999.
“Looking back, it’s just a feeling that’ll never go away,” said head coach Margaret Johnson. “It’s a good feeling for me as a head coach to see five hardworking seniors be able to go out their last year in top notch fashion. With all of it. With the state championship.
“It means more to me for them to know what it feels like for all that hard work, and that it was worth it.”
So what’s next?
More hard work.
This year’s squad has four seniors — last year’s had five — but none have the experience that last year’s core group had. “The difference is lack of experience,” said Johnson. “Four out of the five (last year) had two or three years of starting experience coming into last year.
“This year we don’t have that. I think we’re a lot greener going into this year.”
Being less experience, means having to work hard to achieve success. And if Johnson’s early assessment of her team is any indication, getting the players to work hard should not be a problem. Although the season is only in its second week of play, Johnson said her team’s most obvious trait is its strong work ethic. “I think these young kids are working hard,” she said. “I think … we’ve still got to keep working hard, because we’re not there yet. Their best attribute is their work ethic and their determination.”
The second part of that equation — determination — will have to play a key role in the early parts of the season, said Johnson. “We’re definitely going to take some lumps. We’re going into the season knowing that. We know that we’re young and green. I guess what I’m hoping for is that this team builds character. Meaning that when we have the hard hits, or we take some losses along the way, that they don’t let it get them down. Because we’re going to have to lose to learn, I think.”
When asked to point player she was counting on to step up this season, Johnson declined to comment. “I’m not going to say any names,” she said. “I’m going to let y’all decide over the course of the season, because I can’t do that. Y’all are asking me to separate my team members, with a young team. I don’t want to do that. They’re on an equal playing field right now.”
Despite being young, Johnson is confident that the example set by past players has trickled down to the current players. “I think a lot of times, what it stems from is when you have young kids coming up as freshman and sophomores, a lot of it depends on what they’re dreams are and their goals as young kids.
“When they see some of their role models, or somebody they enjoy watching play, they look up to them and they see them win the state championship, then obviously, they want to do that.”
Johnson said it is that type of goal setting that has helped Vandebilt have the success it has had in its softball program.
“They’re working hard,” Johnson of her team. “And whenever you have that type of work ethic, good things are going to happen. We don’t know when, but I think that success is going to head their way, because they’re working so hard and diligently.”
And if the Lady Terriers continue working the way Johnson says they are, they just might start a streak similar to the three-year run as state runner-up. Only this time, they will be state champions.
