BALLSTON SPA — Coach Amanda Fifield heads into her 7th season coaching a sisterhood of varsity softball players.
In 2016 the Scotties softball team won their first ever section championships. That win solidified Fifield’s new approach to selecting her team each season. Uniquely her team tryouts are open to all softball athletes from grades nine through twelve, and the best players, regardless of age, will play on her varsity team. She makes sure her team knows that it’s not about age, but about talent and attitude.
Having a flexible attitude is important for Fifield as each year her athletes may not play the same position they did the prior year or a position they play on their travel team.
One player that comes to Fifield’s mind as an example of a positive attitude is her senior first baseman and co-captain, Megan McMahon.
“I tell anybody, I’m looking for people like Megan McMann,” said Fifield. “She’s the first person in a practice, last one to leave.”
Off the field, she holds her athletes to a high academic standard with a goal of having a 95 average grade point average for her team.
“I tell them we are student-athletes. Student comes first,” said Fifield.
In order to achieve her athletic goals for her team, she teaches her players accountability for not only themselves but for the team. At the beginning of the season Fifield asked her players to find a personal goal, and a team goal and to figure out how their personal goals can help the team achieve the team goal – which is to win another championship.
“The biggest focus for our team is to be able to communicate and be united like a family,” said Fifield. “If we can do those things one pitch at a time, we should be able to achieve our goal.”
