New Era of El Camino Softball
Donation protected
I'm Sinead Nelson, PE and Health teacher at El Camino High School, and new assistant varsity softball coach. Bree Campbell, ECHS alumni and all-around badass security guard, is our varsity head coach.
So here's the deal. Bree and I felt really eager and inspired over the summer and decided fill a coaching vacancy for a softball team that won eight games total in the last three years. The program we inherited has a whopping $71.83 in our account, which, when adjusted for inflation, can buy us about a third of a decent catcher's mitt.
It is important to note that we aren't starting from zero with regards to equipment. We do have some of the basics to get us started in this new era of El Camino softball, and our fundraising goals are to fill in some of the gaps and make some upgrades as needed. We currently have:
- A pitching machine. All the wheels are broken, which makes the accuracy a little inconsistent. Will the pitch be a strike? Will it drill you on the ribcage? Will it fling the ball 17 feet in the air? Round and round and round it goes, where it launches nobody knows. Half of our team is scared of the machine, and our athletic trainer is concerned about a potential concussion epidemic if we try to use it.
- A pitching mound with rock hard clay that hasn't been maintained since the field was installed. During last year's rainy season, a bold "let's put kitty litter all over the mound to absorb the water" strategy was used, and it wasn't exactly successful. It absorbed so much water that it fossilized the clay. We don't have a tarp for the mound, so as soon as it rains, the Nile River flows right through the infield and creates a muddy reservoir centered on the pitching rubber.
- An assortment of hand me down gloves from the El Camino PE department, former players, and visiting teams who forgot gloves in the dugout and never came back to claim them. Some of them are children's gloves, some are worn thin, some don't have laces, and all of them are for right handed throwers. No southpaws here!
- Helmets with ancient, decrepit, actively deteriorating padding. Did you know helmets can expire? Because ours did. #TheMoreYouKnow
- Bats. No complaints here. They're decent bats. We'd just like some better ones.
- Three rakes for field maintenance. They get the job done, but apparently the team don't like wearing batting gloves while raking in order to protect from rake handle splinters. First world problems, if you ask me.
- An outfield home run net thingy that covers about a third of the outfield. As long as our home run hitters can aim the ball between left center and center field, we're in the clear. Anywhere else over the fence, though, it's bad news for the neighbors' windows. Hopefully they enjoy the spontaneous free softball delivery direct to their living room.
In all seriousness, we are grateful for the opportunity to bring El Camino softball into a new era, and are looking forward to a great season. We have a fantastic group of players - many of whom are giving softball a try for the first time - who are excited to compete and have a memorable high school softball experience. We want them to take pride in the program we are building, and having high quality equipment and facilities would bring value for years to come.
Any donation, no matter the size, is very much appreciated. If you're local, we hope to see you at the field to watch some Colt Softball this season!
Many thanks,
Bree and Sinead
Organizer
Sinead Nelson
Organizer
South San Francisco, CA