Bolender named McClain softball coach
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
One of McClain's own will be the new leader for the McClain Lady Tigers softball program starting next spring.
Ed Bolender, a '90 graduate of McClain High School, was named the new varsity softball head coach by the Greenfield Exempted Village Schools Board of Education.
Bolender is switching from the baseball diamond to the softball version, after spending 15 years as a baseball assistant coach, but this isn't Bolender's first foray in coaching softball. In his first year of coaching, he was a softball assistant coach under then-head coach John Wend.
[[In-content Ad]]The new MHS softball coach spoke about how he became interested and eventually named to the position.
Bolender is replacing former head coach Jarrod Haines, who won two South Central Ohio League champions (2011 and 2012 seasons) in his five seasons at the helm of the program. The Lady Tigers went 14-8 last season. Haines recently was selected as the new MHS girls varsity basketball head coach.
"I knew when Jarrod (Haines) got the basketball job, he would probably step down as softball coach," Bolender said. "Jarrod had a solid program there, and I've been waiting for my chance to become a head coach at the school, and the board hired me.
"I'm really excited for this opportunity. People knew I was interested. and once the board made it official, I was very excited. Right now, I'm getting things together, and I want to start building relationships with the players. I'm going to start watching them play in their summer leagues.
"I have to thank Pat (Stevens) for believing in me and the board for giving me a shot. I'm thrilled to be a part of the school as a head coach."
Being a part of the baseball program for nearly two decades as either a player or assistant coach, Bolender said, as he does with baseball, that he believes in playing small ball, which is something he wants to bring to his new softball program.
"I'm big on small ball," he said. "I want to move runners over, and I want the girls to be aggressive on the bases. I don't want them to be afraid and to take the extra bases.
"Bunting is important with small ball, and so it's important with me as well. Everyone on the team will have to have the ability to bunt."
Being new to coaching the sport of softball, Bolender knows he must do his homework, so to speak, before the start of the '14 spring season. Gaining more knowledge about the sport and learning the differences of softball compared to baseball is a learning experience he's excited to start.
"There are obvious differences in coaching softball compared to baseball, but I'm going to do everything I can to prepare myself for the season," he said. "When Glen Crawford (Reinhardt University coach) holds his fall ball camps, I'm going to spend a week with him and learn from him.
"I'm also going to pick Jarrod's brain this fall when we are at soccer or football games. I'm going to educate myself, so I'm prepared for the team this spring."
Going back to strategy and comparisons of both softball and baseball, Bolender said one word can describe gaining wins or losses in any given game.
The word was "defense."
"We are only going to be as strong as our defense," he said. "We'll have to fill a void at pitching, as we lost two solid senior players. We'll have seven players returning who were starters. I'm going to rely on the girls a lot, especially early on, for their leadership, but when it comes down to it, we must play well defensively.
"Offensively, I think we'll be solid. Jarrod left the program in a good situation, and we have a good freshmen class arriving that are good athletes. There are good things ahead for the program in the future."
There is also one big goal in mind Bolender has his sights set on.
"I not only want to continue the success of the program, but I want us to take the next step and win a district title," he said.
Work ethic on the field is another key to Bolender's program.
"I want the girls to bust their tails, because I'm going to bust mine," he said. "I bleed purple-and-gold, so I want the girls to play with pride and play hard all the time.
"I'm also big on being a team on and off the field, so a big component is getting along. There will be no jealousy, and it's important that on and off the diamond, everyone gets along. I want the girls to depend on each other and know they can count on me."
Ed Bolender, a '90 graduate of McClain High School, was named the new varsity softball head coach by the Greenfield Exempted Village Schools Board of Education.
Bolender is switching from the baseball diamond to the softball version, after spending 15 years as a baseball assistant coach, but this isn't Bolender's first foray in coaching softball. In his first year of coaching, he was a softball assistant coach under then-head coach John Wend.
[[In-content Ad]]The new MHS softball coach spoke about how he became interested and eventually named to the position.
Bolender is replacing former head coach Jarrod Haines, who won two South Central Ohio League champions (2011 and 2012 seasons) in his five seasons at the helm of the program. The Lady Tigers went 14-8 last season. Haines recently was selected as the new MHS girls varsity basketball head coach.
"I knew when Jarrod (Haines) got the basketball job, he would probably step down as softball coach," Bolender said. "Jarrod had a solid program there, and I've been waiting for my chance to become a head coach at the school, and the board hired me.
"I'm really excited for this opportunity. People knew I was interested. and once the board made it official, I was very excited. Right now, I'm getting things together, and I want to start building relationships with the players. I'm going to start watching them play in their summer leagues.
"I have to thank Pat (Stevens) for believing in me and the board for giving me a shot. I'm thrilled to be a part of the school as a head coach."
Being a part of the baseball program for nearly two decades as either a player or assistant coach, Bolender said, as he does with baseball, that he believes in playing small ball, which is something he wants to bring to his new softball program.
"I'm big on small ball," he said. "I want to move runners over, and I want the girls to be aggressive on the bases. I don't want them to be afraid and to take the extra bases.
"Bunting is important with small ball, and so it's important with me as well. Everyone on the team will have to have the ability to bunt."
Being new to coaching the sport of softball, Bolender knows he must do his homework, so to speak, before the start of the '14 spring season. Gaining more knowledge about the sport and learning the differences of softball compared to baseball is a learning experience he's excited to start.
"There are obvious differences in coaching softball compared to baseball, but I'm going to do everything I can to prepare myself for the season," he said. "When Glen Crawford (Reinhardt University coach) holds his fall ball camps, I'm going to spend a week with him and learn from him.
"I'm also going to pick Jarrod's brain this fall when we are at soccer or football games. I'm going to educate myself, so I'm prepared for the team this spring."
Going back to strategy and comparisons of both softball and baseball, Bolender said one word can describe gaining wins or losses in any given game.
The word was "defense."
"We are only going to be as strong as our defense," he said. "We'll have to fill a void at pitching, as we lost two solid senior players. We'll have seven players returning who were starters. I'm going to rely on the girls a lot, especially early on, for their leadership, but when it comes down to it, we must play well defensively.
"Offensively, I think we'll be solid. Jarrod left the program in a good situation, and we have a good freshmen class arriving that are good athletes. There are good things ahead for the program in the future."
There is also one big goal in mind Bolender has his sights set on.
"I not only want to continue the success of the program, but I want us to take the next step and win a district title," he said.
Work ethic on the field is another key to Bolender's program.
"I want the girls to bust their tails, because I'm going to bust mine," he said. "I bleed purple-and-gold, so I want the girls to play with pride and play hard all the time.
"I'm also big on being a team on and off the field, so a big component is getting along. There will be no jealousy, and it's important that on and off the diamond, everyone gets along. I want the girls to depend on each other and know they can count on me."