Softball Season Is Back In Hicksville
Last week, as I was driving down Newbridge Road, my daughter and I caught a glimpse of Hicksville High School’s baseball field. Gleefully, she chirped, “Look! The high school is having their softball tryouts!” Since I was approaching the traffic light at the intersection of Old Country Road and Newbridge, I was able to glance over at the field for a split second as I eased my foot down on the brake. “See?” She pointed a slender finger at the field. “There’s ‘H’!”
It’s about that time of year for teams to form and practice to begin. It’s also a time of year that evokes some wonderful memories. Our daughter joined the Hicksville Baseball Association, through a chance meeting that occurred in a local nail salon. One of the patrons was talking to her young daughter, who appeared to be about my daughter’s age. They were discussing “the team;” the mom kept glancing my way, as though to include me in the conversation. Once we began conversing, I discovered that her husband coached a softball team for HBA. We were then invited to “walk on” to the team on Saturday. My daughter was thrilled. When she tried out for the coach, he was thrilled to have a “leftie” on the team. He placed her out in the field at first, and soon she was brought in to play first base, where she was a natural. And so, every Saturday for the next few years, we could be found at Ballpark Field, cheering our “southpaw” from the sidelines.
One of the most memorable aspects of our daughter’s softball career was our introduction to Varsity Lady Comets softball coach, Rich Hinnerschietz. A teacher over at Fork Lane, Coach Hinnerschietz oversaw several different sports teams, including the softball team at the high school. We were told in the past of “H’s” reputation for being unfair, rotating only occasionally and doing whatever was possible for a win. We’d had experience with other coaches with our daughter’s travel teams, so this did not sound unreasonable. After all, everyone wants to see their team win.
Though I can understand that everyone deserves a chance on the field, my experience with “H” allowed me to see that he was more than fair with every member of his team, and that the blustering by some parents couldn’t be further from the truth. For us, Rich Hinnerschietz was a hardworking coach who was not only warm and friendly, but also genuine and caring. His love for the game was inspiring, and our daughter loved him completely. To her, he was like a favorite uncle who reached out and helped her through some dark times, unlike any other teacher or coach she had ever met. To this day, he’s still one of our favorite memories of our daughter’s softball career.
As I was walking one of our dogs through the neighborhood last evening, I noticed an older gentleman with several teen boys on the diamond of the elementary school by our home. That glorious sound of the crack of the bat reverberated against the brick walls of the school as the boys fielded the ball in turn. I’m wishing the Lady Comets a grand season, for I know that somewhere on Hicksville High School’s field, Coach Hinnerschietz is coaching a new team of softball recruits, and my heart smiles with fond remembrance.
