New Coach Settles In

Friend Makes Changes, Targets Players' Fielding

Madison Moore, Springdale High shortstop, crosses home plate as Farmington’s Kendra Center waits for the ball to be thrown in April 6 at J.B. Hunt Park in Springdale.

Madison Moore, Springdale High shortstop, crosses home plate as Farmington’s Kendra Center waits for the ball to be thrown in April 6 at J.B. Hunt Park in Springdale.

Monday, February 25, 2013

— Ashlee Friend has had to get adjusted to all the paperwork and minor details that come with being Springdale High’s new softball coach.

After two years as an assistant coach, Friend was promoted to the head job in September after former coach Angela Taylor stepped down to spend more time with her young son.

It’s now Friend’s responsibility to order the team uniforms, schedule the fundraisers and turn around a Springdale softball program that has struggled to get wins and qualify for the Class 7A State Tournament.

“I’m definitely excited for the opportunity. I didn’t know. They didn’t tell me until September,” said Friend, who also serves as an assistant coach for Springdale’s volleyball team. “So when I found out, I just jumped right in and figured it out.

“And here we are today.”

One of Friend’s first tasks was to improve Springdale’s defense and cut down on the fielding errors that plagued last season. She wanted to teach the basics to her players, so they spent weeks working on their defense without gloves.

They fielded ground balls with their bare hands and learned how to get into position to make outs. Springdale shortstop Madison Moore embraced Friend’s different style of coaching.

“I feel like she can connect with us more,” Moore said.

It’s all about trying to instill a winning culture with the Lady Bulldogs.

Friend said her players have tried to leave the past behind them as they focus on this season, which begins at 5 p.m. Tuesday with a game against Gentry at J.B. Hunt Park.

Springdale will continue to rely heavily on junior Chelsea Baldwin to pitch, and Moore has emerged as a quiet leader while making the transition from second base to shortstop.

At the same time, Friend has tried in her few months on the job to instill confidence in an experienced group that hopes to lead the Lady Bulldogs back to the postseason.

“I tried to preach that to them, ‘Girls, I wouldn’t put you in that position if I didn’t think you could do it,” Friend said. “I’m confident in them, and I’m just making sure that they’re confident in themselves.”

Change isn’t always a bad thing as Moore has seen this offseason. The junior said Friend has adjusted the way the Lady Bulldogs bunt and play defense, and the team will try to take advantage of its speed this season.

“At first, a few things changed for the better,” Moore said.

Friend had knowledge of her players from her time as an assistant under Taylor. Infielder Tamika Davis is the only senior for the Lady Bulldogs, who hope to get some much-needed offense from junior Sydney McConnell and others.

“We really just focused on defense because that was the big problem last year, eliminating the errors, making the easy plays,” Friend said. “And then we’ve got a couple girls who’ve got a pretty strong bat.

“If we can back up our defense with a little bit of offense, I think we’ll be successful.”