spring 2014 sports lubbock

2 | SPRING 2014 | Sports Lubbock Monthly

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Former Staff

PUBLICATIONToby & Christi Brooks....................................PublishersKristi Hart..............................................................EditorJake Edwards..................................Contributing WriterSummer Morgan..............................Contributing WriterGeorgia Reed..................................Contributing WriterJoe Szynkowski...............................Contributing Writer

ARTLarry Martinez...........................................PhotographerRegina Penney..........................................PhotographerJohn Weast...............................................PhotographerAshley Wirz...............................................PhotographerToby Brooks.................................................Art Director

Sports Lubbock Monthly was previously published monthly by Chaplain Publishing, a division of NiTROhype Creative, 3104 CR 7520, Lubbock, Texas, 79423, phone 806.781.8482. Contents may not be reproduced without consent of the copyright owner. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means electronically or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Sports Lubbock Monthly is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, articles, photographs, or artwork. Please do not submit information, photos, or stories or advertising inquiries to Sports Lubbock Monthly as this issue marks our final production.

ON THE COVER: Pamela Pence has travelled thousands of miles, endured countless hours of rehab and practice and by all accounts willed her way to playing at the next level. The well-liked Cooper senior recently signed with the LCU Chaps to do just that. SLM photographer and all-around great gal Regina Penney left her home in Frenship Tiger territory to venture to the beautiful Pirate softball ballpark off Woodrow Road to snap the pics. You and Andy would look good in red and black, Regina. Just sayin’...

6 | HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL

THE MAN Shallowater’s Richardson is ‘The coach everyone wishes they could have’ by Joe Szynkowski

Features

34 | COVER STORY

UNBREAKABLE Beating the odds, Cooper senior Pamela Pence caps her high school career and signs with LCU Lady Chaps by Georgia Reed

SPRING 2014

20 | HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL

ONE PITCH AT A TIME Headed by alum Chad Reynolds, the Frenship Tiger baseball team inches closer to their goals by Summer Morgan

44 | HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL

DYNAMITE DYNASTY For Coach Gregg Ammons and the Trinity Christian girls’ basketball team, the term ‘dynasty’ has been established in a hurry by Jake Edwards

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Don’t put your next sports event in anyone else’s hands.From professional event planning assistance to complimentary services, the Lubbock Sports team is known for going above and beyond to make each event a success. To receive a free Sports Facility Guide, call 800.692.4035 or log onto LubbockSports.org.

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The End. Again. by TOBY BROOKS

LE

AD

OFF

So I thought we had a plan. I thought we had a solution. I thought we were going to be able to keep bringing you SLM month in and month out without having to worry about whether or not we sold enough ads to cover our costs.

Simply put: We thought wrong.It all started back in February. A gentleman who seemed nice

enough called out of the blue and asked about our publication. I shared with him that sadly we had been forced to cease production because I just couldn’t seem to sell advertisements.

Now let me be really honest with you: I HATE selling ads. If there were some way to be able to produce the magazine without incurring the significant amount of resources it takes month in and month out, we would do it. We enjoy it. But paper and printing and talented folks all take money to operate. That’s where the offer that came in seemed so perfect.

It sounded simple enough. We sign over the rights, his firm sells the ads, we handle all the production, and everyone wins. We got to focus on what we loved without the stress and frustration associated with the steady rejection a competent salesperson has to be able to endure. It seemed like a can’t miss, slam dunk idea. We assigned stories in April and forged ahead, happy that our idea for a magazine for Lubbock would live again, even if we weren’t the owners.

Except for one thing.Not one new ad sold.Not ONE.Now, I love this publication. It was my idea, after all. If selling ads

were easy, we never would have been in this position to begin with. But it isn’t, especially for someone relatively new to this community. I actually had a marketing guy from a local business tell me that he’d never buy an ad from me because I wasn’t born in Lubbock. What do you say to that?

At any rate, unfortunately, we now have no possible way to afford to print the magazine. To make matters worse, we had four solid stories with awesome photographs in hand that would never see real pages.

So what to do? The right thing, that’s what. As much as I would love to print the magazine for our readers, we simply can’t. The next best thing is to lay the magazine out and prepare it as if we were going to print it and publish it digitally.

If you have a better idea as to what we could possibly do to keep bringing you a quality publication on a continuing basis, we’d love to hear it, because so far we’re 0-2.

As I write this, I am no longer the legal “owner” of SLM, and it is truly a sad day to see it end in such a way. But I’m happy that we took the time to give Pamela Pence, the Shallowater Mustangs softball team, the Frenship Tigers baseball team, and the Trinity Christian Lions basketball teams the features they deserved.

I’m confident that given the right circumstances, I could become a millionaire in the magazine publishing industry (I’ve got the track record to prove it, too)

Step 1: Start as a billionaire....

-TB

If you have a better idea as to what we could possibly do to keep bringing you a quality publication on a continuing basis, we’d love to hear it, because so far we’re 0-2.

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Shallowater’s Richardson is ‘The coach everyone wishes they could have’

JOE SZYNKOWSKI

JOHN WEAST

THEMAN

Matt Hoelscher was discouraged with the educational field and strongly

considering a career change, but he accepted the interview at Shallowater High School anyway.

Good thing. One short chat with Fillies

softball coach Jeff Richardson was all it took to reignite Hoelscher’s passion for teaching and coaching. He joined Shallowater’s teaching staff and softball program, and has ‘been

living the dream’ for the past two years since.

“Before considering the job here and meeting with coach, I was thinking hard about leaving teaching forever,” Hoelscher said. “It was a short interview but he really uplifted me. I really feel that God pulled us together.”

Richardson has an uplifting effect on many people, most notably the group of players he shapes for the softball diamond, as well as post-high school living.

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LEADING THE CHARGEFillies infielder Hannah Vigil readies for an at-bat while Coach Richardson looks on.

www.sportslubbock.com | SPRING 2014 | 7


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ANOTHER WINNING SEASON

The Fillies struggled early in the district season this spring before winning their first four games of April to push their mark to 6-2. It was a nice bounce back for a team looking to make postseason noise. Richardson has preached consistency all year long – especially in the field.

“I never worry about our hitting,” Richardson said. “For the most part we have been working on our fundamentals, fielding and throwing. Mistakes in those areas can hurt you late in the season.”

As expected, senior Jordan Estrada sparked the Fillies to 10 wins out of the 13 games she started heading into early April. Her sub-3.00 ERA and 85 strikeouts were big reasons for Shallowater’s regular season success.

Richardson has also seen some surprises from his roster this season, specifically from sophomore slugger Kayla Newton, who hammered out a team-leading six home runs and 38 RBIs into early April. Ashlin Burgett and Bayli Johnson combined for another four home runs and 53 RBIs during the same stretch and Taylor Tetens provided some speed on the base paths, swiping 17 stolen bases in 19 attempts.

“Kayla has shown some real maturity for

a sophomore and come through in big spots,” Richardson said. “And Bayli is one of our three-year starters who is always near the top of every category.”

Johnson worked on improving her hitting even further coming into this season, and credits Richardson with tweaking her approach. “I’ve really been focused on just hitting the ball where it’s pitched,” she said. “Last year my batting wasn’t at its best and I knew I had to be more patient.”

Richardson’s coaching ability spans wider than the batter’s box, Johnson said.

“We’re both very competitive and I think that kind of helps the team as a whole,” she said. “We all respect him very much because he does so much for the team and for us individually.”

‘GUY IN A GIRLS’ WORLD’

The respect the team has for Richardson is partly due to the effective balance of work and play that he encourages. He expects the best out of his team but is not afraid to share some laughs along the way.

“Our team is very family-oriented and that starts with the way coach treats these kids,” Hoelscher said. “I tell people we have the perfect

“I never worry about our hitting. For the most part we have been working on our fundamentals, fielding and throwing. Mistakes in those areas can hurt you late in the season.”

-Shallowater head softball coach Jeff Richardson


CENTURY MARK(left to right) Hannah Vigil #4, Maegan Bownds #32, Ashlin Burgett #19, Head coach Jeff Richardson, Bayli Johnson #10, Jordan Estrada #20, Carissa Hamilton #17 all helped the Fillies hit (and surpass) the 100 win total in just five seasons with Richardson at the helm.

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ratio of work and fun. It really is max efficiency.”

Burgett echoes Hoelscher’s sentiments.

“He means a whole lot to us,” she said. “He’s that coach everyone wishes they could have coming up. And people may not realize that he is even a better man than he is a coach.”

Hannah Vigil describes Shallowater softball as highly competitive on the field and relaxed off of it. Richardson lets the girls be themselves, which can lead to some humorous conversations.

“He is definitely a guy in a girls’ world,” she said. “But we never have to worry about saying the wrong thing. He is just so positive and about having fun.”

“We love joking around with him,” Johnson added. “He’s a good sport about it.”

All of the Fillies will take away their own life lesson from Richardson as they head off to college or the workforce. They have learned about working as a team, pushing themselves to succeed and how to overcome challenges.

“I think I’ll always remember to just remain positive,” Vigil said. “He always has a positive mindset and it is very contagious.”

And while many of the girls consider Richardson a strong father figure, Hoelscher thinks of him as an older brother. He still remembers a very “little brother” moment that occurred early on in his stint ordering pizzas for the team on a road trip to Seminole, Tx. When the

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team arrived to their destination, there were no pizzas waiting. Hoelscher had ordered from a restaurant in Seminole, Fl.

“I’ll always remember the look on his face and thinking that I never wanted to see that look again,” Hoelscher laughed. “He gave me a hug and we all still laugh about it.

“I can sing his praises all day long.”

100 WINSThe high-energy Richardson has been

able to translate his strong baseball pedigree

into softball wins – more than 100 now in five seasons.

The Fillies got off to another blazing start this season and cruised into district play with a sharp 16-2 record. As a relatively small school in District 3A, the Fillies face tough competition night in and night out at the end of their season. That’s why Richardson loads the front-end up with equally challenging opponents from up to 5A. So far, the strategy has worked to perfection.

“Playing bigger schools has taught these


kids to never back down and never give up,” Richardson said. “The character of this team has been the biggest thing I’m proud of.”

Within this spring’s regular season success came Richardson’s milestone 100th win in early March, for which he deflects praise onto his players.

“Coach is a humble guy,” Hoelscher said. “He likes to keep the focus on the team’s success.”

Hoelscher had a message for Richardson on the night of the big win.

“The first thing I told him after the game

was ‘coach, I hope I’m here for number 200.’”

The team presented Richardson with certificate that night, a gesture the modest coach acknowledged as ‘very special.’

“I am just proud of how the program is growing and how these girls have grown over the past two or three years,” Richardson said.

THE FUTURERichardson isn’t just building a team

every year, he is architecting a program


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JUST CALL HIM COACH(from left to right, back row): Ashlin Burgett #19, Bayli Johnson #10, Jordan Estrada #20, Maegan Bownds #32, Carissa Hamilton #17, Hannah Vigil #4, (front row center) Head coach Jeff Richardson

for perpetual success. He incorporates junior varsity players into practices to prepare them for their varsity careers and he continues to grow a youth program that was nonexistent prior to his arrival at Shallowater.

The Fillies coaches also offer individual instruction, clinics and camps to maintain a strong community and player commitment to Shallowater softball.

“Our program is in its eighth year so we’re the baby of the district, Richardson said. “Our growth has been right on schedule with what I’ve planned for.”

The Fillies will drop back down to 2A next season and have been able to achieve success even against consistently bigger schools. “We always preach to our kids that even though we’re not as big, we are equal if we execute and work hard to get better,” Richardson said.

In co-establishing Shallowater’s little league program upon his arrival, Richardson had a vision for teaching youngsters about the game and


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teamwork, even if they didn’t end up playing high school softball. Thirty-eight youth signed up for the first iteration of the program, which has steadily grown to more than 100.

“We want the kids to understand the fundamentals and have a great time,” he said. “I truly believe

working with kids is what God’s plan is for me.”

Joe Szynkowski is a professional freelance writer with Sports Lubbock Monthly. Reach him at [email protected] or follow him @JoeSzynko

ALWAYS ON DUTYLeft: Richardson talks to his team following a recent matchup against the Estacado Matadors.

Right: Richardson has been know to throw a mean BP session.


FLYING QUEENS

HOOPS

ONE PITCH AT A TIMEHeaded by alum Chad Reynolds, the Frenship Tiger baseball team inches closer to their goals

SUMMER MORGAN

If any former Frenship High School baseball player intimately

knows the highs of great success and the lows of falling just short, it’s current head coach Chad

Reynolds. A four-year letterman for the Tigers, Reynolds reached the 1993 state championship game his sophomore year and was the losing pitcher in a one-run loss to Mt. Pleasant.

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“A TIGER DOES NOT SHOUT ITS TIGRITUDE…IT ACTS.” - WOLE SOYINKA, NOBEL PRIZE WINNING AUTHOR AND POET

ASHLEY WIRZ

FHS senior catcher Hunter Douglas


And while such a close defeat will always stick with a true competitor, Reynolds brings the experiences from a stellar career at Frenship and Texas Tech to the diamond every day with his current squad of Tigers.

“Anytime you get a chance to coach at your alma mater, it’s special,” Reynolds said. “I want to have success for the school and for the kids to have success. I think when they know you’ve been in the heat of battle, they can look at you and know you’ve had experiences they can lean on. It makes me more comfortable giving them advice and helping them compete at a high level.”

A CHANCE TO BE GREAT

The Frenship team has done nothing if not compete at a high level lately. After going 35-7 and coming up one series short of the state tournament last year, the Tigers felt they had something to prove this spring. Despite losing 13 seniors, the 2014 team had a collective feeling they had a chance to put another solid season together right off the bat.

Reynolds said after his squad went 5-1 at the season-opening tournament in Round Rock, it helped calm the jitters he always feels going into another season.

“We lost pretty much the middle of our lineup from

last year, so when we went to Round Rock, I was nervous…well, every year I’m nervous,” Reynolds said. “We’ve gone 0-5 or won just one or two games, but last year we went 5-1, so I was hopeful.

“This year we went in not having any idea how we’d fare and we lost that first game, but we were in it and we could have won. By the end of that weekend, we’d rattled off five in a row against some pretty good teams, and that’s when I knew we might have a shot to be pretty good again.”

Senior catcher and three-year starter Hunter Douglas said that while his head coach was nervous going into the season, he and his teammates were not.

“When we went to Round Rock, we had the mindset that we were really good,” he said. “We lost that first game, but what I liked about our response was that we went from thinking we are really good to thinking we had a chance to be really good. The team has learned we can’t just roll the ball out and get a W…we have to grind and execute.

“The chemistry feels different for those of us returning from last season. We were really good last year but had that heartbreak in the fourth round of the playoffs (against Cleburne). We still feel that and don’t want it to happen again.”

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FHS pitcher Jay Rawlins


“We had a really rough start, no doubt about it. That first year, we couldn’t be too selective with our roster…we took anybody and everybody. Thankfully, now we don’t have to do that, but that first year, we had to just get kids here to compete with us.” -Wayland Baptist head coach Johnny Cobb


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HIGH EXPECTATIONS

The Tigers have made runs deep into the playoffs so often recently that it’s become something of a foregone conclusion around Wolfforth.

“The expectations are high here…they always are,” Reynolds said. “I feel like we have some really talented players this year. They’re a confident group with a lot of experience, despite losing so many guys to graduation last year. It’s a special group that can go a long way if things go right.”

So far, things have gone more than just right. Over the first two months of this season, the Tigers have proven they know how to put that special team chemistry to use, rattling off 20 consecutive wins. The team eventually dropped two games to district foe Lubbock Monterey in a hard-fought, three-game series in late March, but they aren’t panicking just yet.

Douglas admitted the team might have become just a bit too comfortable, but said the Monterey losses were the wake-up call he and his teammates needed before they headed into a week off.

“We got a little comfortable and when we gave up that first game, I still don’t think we thought they could take another one from us,” he said. “We had good pitching, but just didn’t execute at the plate and never quite got that sense of urgency we needed. The break couldn’t have come at a better time for us.

“We lost back-to-back games and had to sit and think about it for 10 days. We couldn’t play or redeem ourselves, so it gave us a hunger. Losing games like that

FHS senior shortstop Jake Salyer

Frenship Tigers manager Chad Reynolds

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makes you think, ‘what if, what if,’ and we don’t want to feel that way again. We’ve got to execute and play the game we know how the rest of the season.”

Reynolds has faith in his team’s ability to bounce back from any tough circumstance, as he’s seen them do many times already this spring.

“Our kids have handled things well when we’ve been in adverse situations,” he said. “The pitching staff has risen to the challenge, minimized damage and kept us in games until the offense can get going. Some guys have shut us down but by later in the game, we’ve been able to get to them, come out and win. We don’t go out and play the opponent…we play the game the right way and just consistently focus on what we do.”

Specifically, Reynolds remembers to two games that stand out so far this season as pointing to his team’s ability to get down to business when things get difficult.

“There was one game in the middle of a tournament against Midland High where it was 0-0 going into the 8th inning,” he recalled. “We weren’t catching many breaks and kept hitting balls right at people, but our pitcher Jay Rawlins was not going to get beat and we finally came up with some offense. Somehow the guys found a way to win and we won 2-0.

“Then up against El Paso Coronado, we were down 5-1 and their pitcher was doing a really good job. Finally in the 6th inning, we came alive and scored 6 runs. There was just a calmness and our guys realized we could do it…we could come back and win. Those are the tough games you want to be in, especially early on, so you can learn from them.”

THE TEAMReynolds gives credit to several

players who have made an impact already this season, including Hayden Harrison, Bryce Kiser and Kyler Genenbacher, who stepped in early on in the schedule when other players were wrapping up basketball season. Returning starting infielders Chase Brouillette and Jake Salyer are a solid presence for the Tigers, as well as Douglas, who moved to catcher this season after starting two seasons in the outfield.

Leadoff hitter Chad Curtis started at first base for Reynolds two seasons before moving to the outfield this year. Additionally, several seniors are providing leadership for the squad, including the entire outfield and pitcher and Texas Tech signee Rawlins. New blood, in the form of transfers Chace Sarchet, Brett Hinson and Trevor Eulenbach, has also given the team a boost.

This season, Frenship squares off against their five district opponents in a tough, three-game series each week, and Reynolds only hopes the squad’s tough non-district schedule was enough to prepare the Tigers for the long grind of the regular season. (The Tigers will have completed their district schedule at the time of publication.)

“The way our schedule is, we need a deep pitching staff and a bullpen, and we need to find out who those guys are in the first three weeks of the season,” Reynolds explained. “We feel like we’re ready, but there are some really good teams in our district. Monterey is as good as anybody we’ve played and Lubbock High and Plainview beat up on each other already, so we have to be as good as we can possibly be every week.”

FHS pitcher Trevor Eulenbach

“The way our schedule is, we need a deep pitching staff and a bullpen, and we need to find out who those guys are in the first three weeks of the season.”

-Frenship head baseball coach Chad Reynolds


The Tigers have put up some impressive, close wins this season, as well as some stats-swelling lopsided affairs, having beaten their opponents by 10 runs or more seven times. And while those high-scoring affairs are fun for Frenship’s fans, Reynolds said he’ll take a close game any day.

“I think you can take a lot more away from those close games, especially those comeback wins because you know the guys have the confidence from doing it,” he said. “In future games, they can

look back and know we’ve done it before. Sometimes in those games when you win big, you might hit every dinker in the world and they all just happen to fall. We learn a lot more from those close ballgames because the kids walk away saying, ‘we’ve been there…we’ve done that.’”

As a senior in a leadership role, Douglas knows this season is his last chance to prove what he and his teammates can do wearing the blue and gold, but says they are remaining focused on the task at hand.

Tiger outfielder and leadoff hitter Chad Curtis

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“We’ve stopped looking forward to the playoffs because we know we have to take it one pitch, one inning and one game at a time,” he said. “We can’t worry about things a month from now. The guys have to take care of business now so we don’t miss an opportunity.

“It’s hard enough to play baseball, especially when the game is beating up on you so I try to give that reassurance when we’re in those hard situations. I just try to get the guys to focus on the fact that in every game, we’re playing 21 outs and crazy things are going to happen, but we can only control what we can control.”

CHAMPIONS?The team may be focused on

the next game on the schedule, but Reynolds is clear about their long-term goals.

“Our ultimate goal is to win a state championship…it’s something we talk about and it’s not anything we keep quiet around the kids,” he said. “At the same time, in order to get there, you have to take care of the now. If you start looking ahead, it won’t happen.

“We’re going to play plenty of good teams along the way this year so we’re going to have to be our very best. We have some of the best facilities in the state and such great support and

FHS senior Chace Sarchet


resources from our administration, so that helps our kids have success.”

Reynolds believes the chemistry and confidence this year’s squad brings to the table gives them the ability and the drive to do great things.

“Baseball can be a cruel game. Just when you think you’re doing okay, it’ll treat you bad,” he said. “The kids got left with a bad taste in their mouths after losing to a good Cleburne team last year and were so close to the regional finals. It gave them a unique sense of hunger

in that they really want to have success this season.

“This is one of those groups that really feels like they can win it. They come out, work hard every day and want to be successful. We preach to them that they can’t worry about who they’re playing, but do what they can do make themselves better players every day.”

Summer Morgan is a contributing writer for Sports Lubbock Monthly. She may be reached at [email protected].

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FHS Tiger Koby Claborn


Lubbock Cooper senior Pamela Pence’s work ethic is clear: Hard work pays off.

Looking at her career and prospects it would be hard for anyone to disagree.

Pam’s high school career began with a devastating knee injury but even that couldn’t hold Pam back from making her mark on the Cooper softball team and most recently signing to play softball as a Lady Chaparral for Lubbock Christian University next year.

Whether on the field or off, Pam’s work ethic and drive for success make her a force to be reckoned with.

A determined optimist, Pam really does believe setbacks only make you stronger in the long run.

She doesn’t have to think long when asked how to help other athletes overcome injuries.

“There will be bumps in the road,” said Pam. “You can either stop or keep going.”

And if anyone should know, it’s Pam.

FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME

At three and a half years old, Pam started playing T-ball and found a passion that would set the course for the rest of her life.

By five years old Pam was a force to be reckoned with.

Playing baseball with almost entirely boys, she was the cleanup hitter, shortstop or pitcher.

Her mother, Esmer, knew even then that Pam loved the game and that it was what she always wanted to do.

It was this love of the game that drove Pam and helped her to overcome the challenges that lay ahead never complaining about

Beating the odds, Cooper senior Pamela Pence caps her high school career and signs with LCU Lady Chaps

UNBREAKABLEGEORGIA REED

REGINA PENNEY


COVER

STORY


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long practices or games even as a young girl.

Originally from Brownfield, the Pences found that there were not many sport options for children other than basketball and baseball so they travelled to Levelland where there were more softball opportunities for Pam.

Pam’s father JD Pence explained that she’s been traveling since she was five or six years old to play softball.

In the middle of Pam’s second grade year, the family moved to Lubbock for a job transfer for her father.

So, when Pam got the opportunity to try-out to compete on the highly competitive travel ball teams in junior high it was a natural fit for the Pence family.

It was at this time that Pam made a personal choice to pursue softball seriously.

Not long after, Lubbock Cooper softball coach Landon Winton heard about Pam.

“I got to see her play City League and I knew the first time I saw her play that she was going to be really good,” said Winton.

FOCUSED FAMILY: WORTHWHILE RESULTS

In the eighth and ninth grades, Pam got accepted for the highly competitive fast-pitch softball travel ball team Texas Glory out of Dallas, beating out a wide field of competitors.

The next year she played travel ball

for Texas Elite.For the Pences, travel ball was a

family commitment and vacations were built around games.

Playing for Texas Glory and Texas Elite her travel scope widened, traveling around Texas, Colorado and Alabama and competing at Nationals in Tennessee and Illinois.

“It spread us thin at times,” said Pence’s father JD.

Being in the car for 17 hours and living in a hotel for a week at a time ultimately made the family closer.

“We would leave Sunday morning (for a game) and drive back Sunday night,” JD explained.

Pam’s parents told her that they would supply what she needed but Pam had to do the hard work.

And she did.Pam would do her homework in the

car for school the next day, maintaining a 3.9 GPA and ranking in the top ten percent of her class.

It was a deal that worked well for the family.

“I got to see her play City League and I knew the first time I saw her play that she was going to be really good.” -Lubbock Cooper head softball

coach Landon Winton


For the Pences the sacrifice always had a focus.

“We did what we had to do to get her to the next level to play college ball,” JD said.

“And at the end of the day it was worth it.”

UNBEATABLE: THE COMEBACK KID

Back at Lubbock Cooper, Pam’s promising high school softball career as a Lady Pirate almost ended before it got a chance to start.

Early in her freshman year Pam tore her ACL on her right knee when she went for a rebound in basketball practice.

“It was devastating to find out I needed surgery,” Pam said.

The injury cost her the majority of her freshman softball season and it was a hard road to recovery.

But she was determined. Esmer Pence vividly remembers

her daughter Pam being hooked up to a machine bending her knee night and day for rehabilitation. Even then, Pam remained optimistic and focused the entire time.

“She was determined,” Esmer said, “and was not going to quit.”

After her first injury she was back to playing within six months.

“I pushed aside the possibility I could get hurt,” Pam said, “and pushed myself to be better than I was before.”

Coach Winton said Pam still finished the season with a starting position in outfield on varsity and helped the team finish sixteenth and compete in the regional quarterfinals.

“I don’t know many people who can do that,” said Coach Winton.

“It took a lot of rehab and determination.”

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SOPHOMORE YEAR & SOARING ACHIEVEMENTS

Pam’s sophomore year was injury free and she was stronger than ever.

Living up to all of her promise and potential, Pam came back from her knee injury and won recognition region wide as an outfield powerhouse.

She proved herself as an area softball leader raking in the titles of All-District outfield, All-City outfield as well as All-SouthPlains outfield.

For Pam, the injury free year was a relief.

“I was proud of myself. I had worked my butt off because of the knee injury and I pushed myself and made things happen,” said Pam.

Athletic, fast and fearless, Pam could have excelled at any number of sports, but she chose to focus on softball.

“She’s a super athlete and probably the best center fielder I’ve ever seen,” said Coach Winton.

“Combined with her drive and willingness to put in the extra time to make herself better, Pam is a fierce competitor,” said Winton.

For Pam, the key to success is no secret at all.

“I have to work hard in order to receive something,” Pam said simply, “You have to know you can do it.”

UNBREAKABLE: BEATING THE ODDS

In the middle of her junior softball season Pam was dealt another devastating blow.

During routine practice drills she injured her other knee.

Coach Winton has coached Pam since she was a freshman and could see how hard this injury was on her.

“It was a bad deal,” he said.Winton explained that Pam was

having a great year and knew what a long road of surgery and rehab lay ahead of her.

“Our Coach has a motto for us,” said Pam.

“Find a way. If you ever think you can’t do something... find a way to do whatever it takes to learn.”

And Pam did just that.Pam beat the odds again and worked

her way back into playing shape as though she had never missed a beat.

“She has a lot of determination,” said JD Pence. “There’s not a lot of kids out there who can make it through what she did. Not once... but twice.”

Pam leads the Lady Pirates in triples, runs scored, stolen bases, and on-base percentage.

She sets the stage for the Pirate’s line-up as leadoff hitter and is Lubbock Cooper ISD’s career leader for triples.

All of that after missing one season due to injury and with her senior season still before her.

Other coaches ask Coach Winton often about Pam and are blown away to hear that she has had one knee surgery, much less two.

Her determination has definitely paid off with the realization of Pam’s dream as she now looks forward to playing softball at Lubbock Christian University next year.

“Ever since I knew her,” said Coach Winton, “her goal was to be the very best softball player she could be and to play college ball.”

There is no doubt that Pam has worked really hard to make that happen.

“LCU is going to get a really great addition to their program with Pam,” said Coach Winton.

“She’s just scratching the surface of what she can do.”

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LADY PIRATE TO LADY CHAP: A DREAM REALIZED

Pam has always played softball with purpose and has worked tirelessly keeping her eye focused on the goal of one day playing college ball.

Signing to play with LCU next year saw that dream realized.

It is a goal hard earned and well deserved.“She’s very happy with the decision she’s

made,” said her father JD Pence, “and we are very proud of her.”

Pam looks forward to not only playing at the collegiate level but being able to stay local while still traveling extensively with the LCU softball team as a Lady Chaparral.

Pam will live with her family while studying nursing on an academic scholarship.

She already feels familiar with the team and coach from years of attending hitting camps at LCU.

Lubbock Christian University softball coach Daren Hays described Pam as the “total package kid” and is excited about what she will bring to his team next year.

Athleticism was the first thing Coach Hays noticed about Pam.

Hays explained that Pam has a lot of speed and power for her size and has proven to be a good player at the best levels of high school softball.

Pam’s conscientious work habits also helped her stand out from other softball hopefuls.

Seeing her at hitting camps, Coach Hays was impressed by Pam’s ability to focus.

“Kids that can focus can make adjustments,” said Coach Hays, “and when you get to the college level, it is a huge adjustment.”

Hays said that Pam is an exceptional runner and an even better shortstop.

“Put all of that together with outstanding character,” explained Hays, “and I think she will have a great career here.”

Georgia Reed is a freelance writer for Sports Lubbock Monthly. She may be reached at [email protected].

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SOFTBALL


DYNAMITE DYNASTY


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HOOPS

For Coach Gregg Ammons and the Trinity Christian girls’ basketball team,

the term ‘dynasty’ has been established in a hurry

JAKE EDWARDS LARRY MARTINEZ


HIGH SCHOOL

HOOPS

In sports culture, you’re only as good as your last season. String together a few winning seasons

and you move up the scale to powerhouse. But when you can build a program that is consistently winning games season after season, you just might have yourself a dynasty.

In professional sports, teams find it very difficult to carry on a dynasty, but in college and high school sports, a dynasty is almost impossible for a program that is continually losing athletes to graduation. The pressure to be a dynasty in high school sports can only happen whenever a winning system is set in place by incredible coaching.

For Coach Gregg Ammons and the Trinity Christian Lions girls’ basketball team, the term dynasty has been established more quickly than most. Coach Ammons, who served as a superintendent and a principal for 15 years prior to working at Trinity, has been coaching basketball at Trinity seven years. More specifically, he’s been the women’s varsity basketball coach for the past five years. In only five seasons, Ammons has lead the Lions to the 2nd round of the playoffs, one state semifinal, one state final and to two straight TAPPS State Championships in 2013 and 2014.

When asked how he has been able to maintain the same momentum year after year, Ammons said, “Our coaches work very hard to give our athletes every opportunity to grow in their game. I start scouting our players at the fourth grade. Our athletes come into our system knowing exactly what our expectations are. We hold individual coaching clinics from 6:30-7:30 p.m. every Monday and Thursday for our players to come in a get better every day. I even came on Christmas Eve once. You never know who is willing to show up and get better.”

Coach Ammons teaches his team the art of “speed and pressure” on both ends of the court. “When the Lions come down the court, the ball WILL move and we are going to shoot the ball. When we are on the defensive end of the court, the pressure is going to be put on. We work hard and we play hard. When opponents come to play us, we want them to know that it is going to be a long hard night. They are going to earn it against us.”

LIONS FOR CHRIST

Ammon’s passion for the game of basketball and team success is very evident, but his passion to teach young athletes to grow into mature Godly adults is


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In a culture that is raised up to believe that “winning is everything,” Ammons has never seen “having to win” as a reason to put too much pressure on himself, his coaches, or his athletes. “Our main goal is for every individual and team is to reach their full potential. We treat every team we play with the utmost respect and sportsmanship. Our players are taught to be the first player down to go after a loose ball and the first player up to help others up from the ground. I’ll lose before I change my goal to build bold and confident, Christian women. God gets all the credit for the success of this program.”

A HISTORY OF SUCCESS

From the outside looking in, spectators will see a program that looks to be carried on through success because of so many winning seasons. Trinity has seen six state championships in their storied history with their last two coming recently. Ammons credits Coach Todd Duncan, men’s basketball coach at Lubbock Christian University for implementing a winning culture at Trinity. Duncan served as the athletic director and head coach of men’s basketball at Trinity for 15 years.

“Every kid at Trinity has the confidence to be a shooter,” stated Ammons. “That formula was started

because of the influence of Todd.” Duncan completed his tenure at TCHS with just fewer than 400 career wins and also won a state championship in 1999.

When a program experiences this kind of success in succession, confidence can become second nature to an entire school. “I recently listened to Coach Rick Barnes of the Texas Longhorns speak about how to build a winning system and he mentioned the success of coach Greg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs,” state Ammons. The Spurs are widely respected throughout the NBA for being a team that is a favorite to win an NBA title every year because of the system of excellence set in place by long time Coach Poppovich. “People enter the system and become better ball players. We seek to get the very best out of every athlete so that they can see their own potential.”

PARENTAL TRUST

An important aspect of high school sports is for a head coach to gain the trust of parents. Ammons has held an interesting perspective over the last few years. “I take it very seriously to gain the trust of parents. It takes a lot to turn trust over to a coach. When a parent can’t trust a coach, how can we expect to grow as a team?”

Ammons’ daughter Shanae, now 18 and playing

golf at LCU, was on the 2013 championship team. Many coaches have had the opportunity to coach their own children, but few are able to experience the kind of success that the Lady Lions have been posting over their years. “Shanae was so fun to coach,” said Ammons. “When I needed someone on the team to make something happen, all I had to do was let her know and we could count on it to happen quick.”

Ammons has experienced the feeling of having to release one of his children into the hands of another coach. His son Austin, 21, who also plays golf at LCU, was on Duncan’s team during his time at Trinity. “One of the most difficult things for a parent to do is turn over their child to another coach. Our parents have been great. The longer a player is in the system, the more our parents have been able to trust us. I look at our program from the perspective of a coach and a parent. I currently have to put my trust in the coaches at LCU, and if I can’t trust my child with a coach, there will begin to be a pull in the relationship. If trust can’t happen with an athlete, we will never be able to reach our full potential as a team.”

Ammons and his wife, Tinese, who is a librarian at Frenship Middle School, are very proud of their children’s athletic achievements, but they are even more proud of the other attributes in their lives. “My children have


amazing character. They know how to love others, serve others, and how to make difference in lives. The goal that I have for my children is the same goal that I have any athlete that goes through our program: To build confident, Christian kids.”

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

The term “dynasty” in modern sports culture carries the connotation of a team that has the ability to win a large amount of games and championships over a long period of time. For Lions women’s basketball team at Trinity Christian School, they have been able to achieve their goals to succeed in more ways than just on the court. In a culture where teenagers are constantly being pressured to make bad decisions, the Lions are providing their players with the tools to make a difference in the world after high school.

Trophies look wonderful in cases and remind people of past success, but to see a young athlete succeeding on and off the court with the ability to be a champion in life is where true value can be seen and celebrated. The Lions of Trinity Christian are given this opportunity to learn and grow every school day. For a team that is only losing one Senior to graduation, one would expect to the Trinity Lions dynasty to continue for many years to come.

Jake Edwards is a freelance writer for Sports Lubbock Monthly. She may be reached at [email protected].

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