Spring Valley coach keeping it fun in Little League Softball

SPRING VALLEY — For Jeff Mauck, coaching the Spring Valley St. Margaret’s Little League (ages 11-12) softball team has brightened up his summer.

“They’re enjoyable to have around. This group is a fun group,” Mauck said. “They always seem to step up to the challenges, and they move forward and play hard.”

“We have a pretty good team, everybody seems like they like to come and play, and none of the girls give us any problems.”

Mauck, who is an 11-year veteran of coaching, both summer baseball and softball, said that part of the job of being a coach includes keeping his young charges interested in practicing and learning about the sport.

“You’ve got to have fun or they won’t be there,” Mauck said. “You’ve got to challenge them at practice and make little games.”

Mauck said that he hopes his team learns life lessons while learning about the right way to play the game of softball.

“Discipline and fundamentals are the two main factors. It’s not just about sports, its about what you learn about life.”

“Hopefully they take away the fact that if they work hard enough at something they can get better at it, they can improve,” Mauck said. “That goes along not just with sports but later in life with whatever they’re going to do.”

When asked what advice he would give to a rookie coach, Mauck draws upon his experience and comes up with a one word answer: “Patience.”

“At this age you have to constantly remind kids about stances, and focusing on this and that, where you’re going to throw it. There’s a little bit of work involved, but that’s part of the deal at this age.”

Mauck says that the attention put into defense in early practices this summer has paid dividends for his team.

“They all try to get in the right positions, and if they can’t get it cleanly they knock it down. They do a good job of getting in position and being where they’re supposed to be,” Mauck said. “Defensively they’ve done pretty well.”

With the season drawing to a close for his team, Mauck says that the girls on the squad, who are 9-1 this summer, have come close to accomplishing one of the goals he has for each summer season.

“You become a team at the end you hope. That’s the goal to teach them that yes, you  do great individual things individually, but you hope as a team you make everyone better.”