Here’s the English translation:
I’ve been open from the start about the goals we’re pursuing this season. At the center of it all is continuing to build up our youth development. At the same time, it’s important to us to do right by our senior players too, giving them the chance to keep developing as athletes and take on responsibility.
The strong number of new players has brought us extra challenges in the middle of the season. As a coach, I’m very happy about that, but at the same time this development brings organizational and athletic challenges with it. The recent results show that we’re currently using a lot of substitutions and different lineups to give all the players playing time. As a result, we’re still missing some of the cohesion that experienced teams have. We saw that in the games against Aachen too. The two losses against a strong opponent make clear how valuable well-rehearsed routines are on the field. We’re continuing to work on that.
Setting goals is important, and so is adjusting them when needed. That’s why we’ve sharpened our focus: the emphasis is less on results and more on our players’ development. We want to give as many athletes as possible playing time, so they can gain experience and build confidence.
In both games against the Greyhounds, we tried out different lineups to give players new roles and responsibility. In the second game, our pitcher — only 14 years old — was especially in the spotlight.
She handled her role excellently, holding the Greyhounds to just a few scoring chances over four innings and playing a big part in our lead. As the game went on, though, the opponent managed to find their rhythm better and build up more pressure. Looking back, we could have reacted sooner here. But that’s part of development too: even after many years in the sport, there are always new experiences and insights to learn from.
Our approach for the final games of the season isn’t changing. We want to play with joy, gain experience, and keep trying things out. The focus isn’t on league standings, but on the individual and collective development of the team. Our goal is for every player to come out of this season stronger.
On September 10th, we’re reaching another important milestone: in cooperation with SSB Düsseldorf and the Freiherr-vom-Stein-Realschule, the Senators are launching the first softball club (AG) for grades 7 and 8.
I’m really looking forward to this task and the chance to introduce our sport to the girls who’ve signed up, and to show them what they can achieve together as a team.
