The ETSU softball team is setting out to start a new tradition with the first-ever Alumni Slow Pitch game.
This game will be held at Betty Basler Field on Friday, Oct. 21 at 7 p.m., and it will be the second-to-last game for the softball team’s fall 2022 season.
“We are inviting any alumni trying to build a foundation and try to get a family,” said Belinda Hendrix, head coach for the team. “I pride ourselves on a family atmosphere, so I want to get the alumni back and involved.”
A team of alumni from the ETSU softball program will come together as a team and play against the current softball team.
“It’s just to bring back the past/former players to meet the current players and start some kind of tradition,” Hendrix said.
The idea behind an Alumni Slow Pitch game came to ETSU with Hendrix, who started this tradition at Chipola College where she served as head coach for 17 seasons.
“The first year it was very small, and then after that it was just a bunch of people coming back, having a good time and seeing friends; it was fun,” said Hendrix.
Hendrix expressed that her favorite part of these games is meeting and getting to know the former players and hopes for feelings of pride and family to be brought to the program.
“They are the reason we are here. Without them building the program, we wouldn’t be where we are right now,” Hendrix mentioned. “I want the former players to care about what’s going on with us and for the girls to meet the former players to see how it used to be. It’s really different and you can learn a lot from your former players.”
