The softball roster has been updated... Anyone know why it is missing several players? Missing players are: Anna Klumpp, Sarah Mooney, Miranda Kemp, Reba DePriest, and Morgan Heath. If these players, especially Mooney really are leaving the team, this could hurt us very badly.

Wat

Apparently Mooney asked for a release, and JMU would not grant it... http://robocoach.websitetoolbox.com/post...?&trail=60

We lost our best hitter to another school? Something is seriously wrong. Who knows the details?

(08-07-2013 10:34 PM)GoJMUDukes Wrote:  Apparently Mooney asked for a release, and JMU would not grant it... http://robocoach.websitetoolbox.com/post...?&trail=60

Your link quotes a guy saying she was granted a conditional release.

(08-07-2013 11:10 PM)POTUS#4 Wrote:  

(08-07-2013 10:34 PM)GoJMUDukes Wrote:  Apparently Mooney asked for a release, and JMU would not grant it... http://robocoach.websitetoolbox.com/post...?&trail=60

Your link quotes a guy saying she was granted a conditional release.

Yeah, I realized that after the fact. Regardless though, the loss is this many players, and especially Mooney cannot be good for the program. At least we still have Ford to pitch, but hopefully some of the new recruits are solid hitters.

(08-07-2013 10:52 PM)olddawg Wrote:  We lost our best hitter to another school? Something is seriously wrong. Who knows the details?

This is just speculation, but from what was written in the DNR early in the season, or maybe just before it started, Dean ran a very tight ship with almost military like training and control and some of the team were not very receptive of it. They seemed to say "we will give him a year and see how it goes, but I am not a fan of this style of coaching." The previous coach, Flynn, seemed to be more of a mothering/nurturing type of attitude, where Dean is not. My guess is that some of the players Flynn recruited were unhappy with the change in coaching style and could not handle it.

Almost all the players leaving were rising Juniors, so they were players recruited by Flynn and played for a year before the coaching change. Some players need to be nurtured, some need to be challenged and driven. That is part of the recruiting process(on both sides) and these players were recruited by a different person.

Transfers happen, I am sad to see so many players leave, but I have faith that Dean will do a good job of rebuilding the team with his type of players and it will end up well for all involved.

Note: Dean has great softball connections, one example is Jennie Finch, and I am sure he will bring in many great players to help fill the roster.

(08-07-2013 11:31 PM)JMUDukes20 Wrote:  

(08-07-2013 10:52 PM)olddawg Wrote:  We lost our best hitter to another school? Something is seriously wrong. Who knows the details?

This is just speculation, but from what was written in the DNR early in the season, or maybe just before it started, Dean ran a very tight ship with almost military like training and control and some of the team were not very receptive of it. They seemed to say "we will give him a year and see how it goes, but I am not a fan of this style of coaching." The previous coach, Flynn, seemed to be more of a mothering/nurturing type of attitude, where Dean is not. My guess is that some of the players Flynn recruited were unhappy with the change in coaching style and could not handle it.

Almost all the players leaving were rising Juniors, so they were players recruited by Flynn and played for a year before the coaching change. Some players need to be nurtured, some need to be challenged and driven. That is part of the recruiting process(on both sides) and these players were recruited by a different person.

Transfers happen, I am sad to see so many players leave, but I have faith that Dean will do a good job of rebuilding the team with his type of players and it will end up well for all involved.

Note: Dean has great softball connections, one example is Jennie Finch, and I am sure he will bring in many great players to help fill the roster.

Agreed, this is kind of typical when a new coach with a new style comes in. Nothing to be too concerned with. Obviously we want to keep our players, but coaching changes cause transfers like this often. You would think winning would change their minds, but oh well. Good luck to them.

(08-07-2013 11:31 PM)JMUDukes20 Wrote:  

(08-07-2013 10:52 PM)olddawg Wrote:  We lost our best hitter to another school? Something is seriously wrong. Who knows the details?

This is just speculation, but from what was written in the DNR early in the season, or maybe just before it started, Dean ran a very tight ship with almost military like training and control and some of the team were not very receptive of it. They seemed to say "we will give him a year and see how it goes, but I am not a fan of this style of coaching." The previous coach, Flynn, seemed to be more of a mothering/nurturing type of attitude, where Dean is not. My guess is that some of the players Flynn recruited were unhappy with the change in coaching style and could not handle it.

Almost all the players leaving were rising Juniors, so they were players recruited by Flynn and played for a year before the coaching change. Some players need to be nurtured, some need to be challenged and driven. That is part of the recruiting process(on both sides) and these players were recruited by a different person.

Transfers happen, I am sad to see so many players leave, but I have faith that Dean will do a good job of rebuilding the team with his type of players and it will end up well for all involved.

Note: Dean has great softball connections, one example is Jennie Finch, and I am sure he will bring in many great players to help fill the roster.

Agreed. And this past season's W-L results speaks for itself as it reflects Dean's approach to coaching (especially so when compared to Flynn's last team).

Flynn was ultimately shown the door because "her recruits" didn't produce Ws on the field, despite being given every advantage of a top D1 softball program. If Flynn's recruits are indeed disgruntled by Dean's style of coaching, and are the principal members of the current team looking to transfer, perhaps those same players should take a step back and take a hard, long look in the mirror at their own competitive attitudes.

Personally, I wish the same kind of coaching change that was made for softball would take place for the men's baseball program. A kind of soft, loser's attitude has been allowed to rot the program from the HC position on down.

I retract with apologies and deleted my comments. I re-read his post and realized he had "baseball" and not "basketball." I have to agree with him just based on watching and following the team. Thanks.

If we had players leave after the success they enjoyed this season because they don't like working hard, I say good riddance.

13 new players officially announced. not sure how many have scholarships.

Had a long chat with a former softball-playing student's mother when we hired Dean, and she had nothing but glowing remarks to say about him. From the sounds of it, he does things the right way, and he expects the same from his players. Again, according to the mother and some of the other local softball parents I've also chatted with here in NoVA, the same couldn't be said about our former coach.