CC: What are your goals for your team this season?
Coach Morris: My team goals are ultimately for this team to bring home a blue map (win a state championship) and have a high-quality experience this season
CC: Tell me how things have changed since you have played here.
Coach Morris: Not much has changed as far as the tangible things since I played at Sparkman but the game of softball has developed a lot and there is more talent across the board. I think that’s due to the availability of hitting facilities and trainers and access to knowledge from professionals via social media and the internet.
CC: How does it feel to be coaching where you played?
Coach Morris: It feels GREAT to be back home. It’s so nice to coach girls who have like-minded ideas and expectations for their team.
CC: What were some of your achievements when you played here?
Coach Morris: We won the 6A state championship game my sophomore season, were runner-up in the 6A state championship my junior season, and were ranked #1 all season long my senior year until our ace pitcher broke her ankle right before postseason play. Individual achievements were not as important to me but I know there were numerous all-tournament teams and All-City, All-Metro awards.
CC: Describe how the team has prepared in the off-season.
Coach Morris: Our off-season preparation was focused on fundamentals and creating that strong foundation, physically and mentally. We were also working on building a team environment and playing on the rich traditions that make Sparkman Softball.
CC: What is your coaching philosophy?
Coach Morris: My coaching philosophy focuses on doing one small task right, one task at a time. It closely aligns with Nick Saban’s process mentality. Softball is the sum of a lot of tiny, seemingly insignificant moments that when put together make a huge impact. I want to empower any girl that I coach with the knowledge that no task is too large, or too challenging for her and that when you string small wins together by doing those little things right, you build success.
CC: What are the pivotal games on the schedule this season? Why?
Coach Morris: Every game is crucial this season. I want to build a strong schedule every year so that we face challenges and are tested for a full 7 innings. When we face teams that compete for the full 21 outs of a game, every time we play, the better off we will be when it comes time for postseason play.
CC: Who are some of your key players? What do they bring to the team?
Coach Morris: We have a VERY strong senior class. There are currently 8 (9 seniors) on the team and 5 of them have signed softball scholarships. They are experienced and extremely competitive. They are smart and very mature in that they understand the process of building a winning culture.
CC: What is the team’s strength?
Coach Morris: To put it simply, we can hit. The offensive game is where our success lies. And ultimately, as long as we score more runs than the other teams, we win. I like our chances.
CC: What were some of your best memories here?
Coach Morris: My favorite memories were really the times spent with my teammates. We played in the Gulf Shores tournament every spring break and won it 3 of my 4 years, which meant playing well into midnight on the last day of the tournament. Playing at Lagoon Park for the state tournament and seeing our fans supporting us in the stands every game and having dance-offs between games. All of the idiosyncrasies we shared: little superstitions we had for pre-game routines (like we had to get a bag of sour patch kids before every game and we all, coaches and players, ate the same color sour patch kid in the exact same order EVERY single game) and put the number 203 on display for motivation (the state championship game was played exactly 203 miles from our field at SHS and it was a reminder of how far we had come to get to the end), writing No Doubts, No Regrets on our wrists to remind us that we needed to play the next 90 minutes without any fear or hesitation to make a play, or the matching ribbons for our hair a mom would make us for every game. We were spoiled but we also had a village that made the times spent at the ballfield and the people we were with some of my favorite memories to date.
