The ABCs of softball instruction

“I want to see you scraping dirt.”
Keith Gurwell’s instructions were simple.
If the young softball players were in proper defensive position, they should be crouched low enough to scrape dirt with their gloves.
“If you can’t scrape dirt, you’re not low enough,” he said. “You’ll think you can get to a ground ball and it’ll roll right below it.”
Proper fielding technique was the centerpiece of Sunday’s softball clinic, offered on a weekly basis by Gurwell, Iolan Travis Weseloh and a handful of other volunteers.
The sessons began in November and will run each Sunday afternoon through April, next Sunday excepted because of Christmas.
The clinic is offered free of charge to anyone eager to learn about softball, regardless of their age.
Sunday’s session had girls as young as 7 to high school-aged.
About 20 were on hand, roughly 10 fewer than normal.
“We expected that because of Christmas parties and church programs,” Gurwell said.
The clinic runs from 1 to 3 p.m. each week at the Student Activites Building (Red Barn) at Allen Community College.
The type of instruction runs the gamut, from the basic elements of fielding, throwing and swinging, to more intricate details on strategy.
The clinic’s genesis began about 14 years ago when Gurwell signed on to coach a summer league softball team.
While the squad was blessed with talented athletes, Gurwell noted a striking lack of fundamental instruction.
“I brought them out to the college for a weekend workout,” he recalled.
A few more showed up the following week. Then even more the next.
“The goal is to have girls show up at whatever skill level, and come out ready to play ball,” Gurwell said. “We think we can help the girls get better.
Clinics this fall have brought in girls from Iola and Chanute, while previous years have drawn participants from as far away as Fort Scott, Moran, Garnett, Kincaid, Yates Center and Moran.
All are welcome, Gurwell stressed.
“We really like to see high school girls participate,” he said. “We’ve had quite a few improve enough to make a go of it in college.”
College coaches can quickly assess if a player knows her stuff.
“They can tell just by watching a girl field ground balls if she’s ready for college,” he said. “If you’re not set up properly, they probably won’t give you a second look because they don’t want to have to take extra time to teach fundamentals. Those are things girls should know already.”
Weseloh, who has girls in high school and middle school active in softball, has helped for about eight years.
“He’s been great to work with because he’s so thorough,” Gurwell said. “He takes the time to teach.”
Sunday’s session also included help from local volunteers Roy McCoy, Kevin Hall and Rick Ross. All stepped forward at various points to work individually with the youngsters to ensure they were practicing properly.
Gurwell also lauded the ACC officials for their cooperation.
“They’ve got such a great facility here, and we can go all winter because it’s indoors,” Gurwell said.
Gurwell carries a fondness for the college athletics program. He’s helped paint signs around the baseball and softball diamonds, built dugout shelters for both facilities and helped in other ways through the years.
“We’ve had a great relationship,” Gurwell said, praising ACC Athletics Director Jessica Peters and her predecessors. “They’re the ones who make this possible.”