This summer, Hillsdale Softball hired Amber Young as pitching coach. Young, who graduated last year from Tiffin University, fills a long-standing gap in the coaching lineup.
“We have had the opening since I got here in July of 2011. It’s been open for two years,” softball head coach Joe Abraham said. “You can’t get anyone to come to this town for a part-time job.”
Abraham said that the addition of Young to a staff of assistant coach Erin Porter and himself allows softball practices to run more smoothly and gives the coaches the opportunity to give adequate attention to the 19 team members.
“Last year I was actually playing against them. I was at Tiffin, and I knew Joe and Erin and they contacted me about coming in and helping out with practices,” Young said.
Young said she was looking at other schools, but she was attracted to Hillsdale because it was in the GLIAC.
“She pitched for the last four years for Tiffin and so we knew her from the league,” Abraham said. “She’s a first-team all-league pitcher, so just her experience as a pitcher and throughout the league are invaluable.”
Don Brubaker, director of athletics, also saw this invaluability, seeing as Young was hired the same day she had her interview for the job.
Junior pitcher Katie Ardrey praised Young’s encouraging and motivational coaching style.
“She was very successful in college as a pitcher. She’s able to see various aspects of my pitching that I can’t see and correct them,” Ardrey said.
Young said that her past successes in the GLIAC softball league, and the mental aspects of the pitching game that she became familiar with, qualify her for the coaching position.
“Pitching is at least 50 percent mental, and a lot of times her confidence and having her believe in you definitely helps,” Ardrey said.
Even coming to Hillsdale to coach was a bit of a mental game.
“The thing I was most scared about when I came is how well the girls were going to take to me because I’m young, and came from a rival school,” Young said. “But the girls have been receptive and want to try new things. So it’s been the biggest relief by far.”
“I like her a lot. I think it’s nice to have a younger coach. She literally just graduated, so she has a very close relationship with how the game is, having just played it,” Ardrey said. “At first we weren’t sure if it would be [effective], especially being so close in age, but she really stepped into the role well, and I’ve found her advice and coaching very useful.”