Hopes to coach someday  
Xtreme's Lily Engel tries  
hand at softball instruction


Harford Xtreme Showcase's pitcher, outfielder Lily Engel (also high school junior, Polytech, Woodside, De) has known a few coaches over the years, while she has played the game of fastpitch softball. 

Count 'em. There's been a varsity HS coach, four pitching coaches, seven travel-ball head coaches, and you could better than triple these numbers in assistant coaches. 

Lily Engel as an instructor at the Wesley College softball clinic held Saturday, June 2, at Delaware's Smyrna-Clayton Little Lass fields.

But, can she coach others herself? Can she step up, take charge, and teach the skills of the game she loves to youngsters?

She has pondered that question many times, while also confident she can do it as she considers possibly pursuing Physical Science as a college major. (Other higher educational studies she may choose, she says, are Media & Film, Psychology, and the college freshman catch-all, undecided.)

Last Saturday, she received her first opportunity to take on a fastpitch softball instructor's role. 

Lily stands before a collage of photos from the softball clinic where youngsters 10 & under and 11 & older gained tips on hitting, fielding, base running, and were offered an optional pitching lesson.

Head Coach Juli Greep of the Wesley College Wolverine's softball team invited Lily to assist as a first-time coach in a “Wesley softball clinic” for local youngsters starting out in the game.

The clinic was held at the beautifully landscaped Smyrna-Clayton Little Lass softball fields nestled along side the expansive, winding Duck Creek Pond, Delaware, and, fittingly, its densely floating leaves of water lilies.

Lily (center) shares a laugh with Wesley College's softball head coach Juli Greep (on right) and the Wolverine's centerfielder Jessica Barranco (on left), while working with the clinics participants.

Wesley's Assistant Softball Coach Courtney Kozar, Wesley centerfielder and leadoff hitter Jessica Barranco as well as several other varsity players also took part in the program.

The clinic was divided into three groups: Ages 10 and under from 10 AM to noon, ages 11 and up from 1 - 3 PM, with pitching instruction for all age groups from 3:30 - 5 PM. Hitting, fielding, and base running was the emphasis in the first two sessions.

Left-to-right, Wesley centerfielder Jessica Barranco, Lily, Wesley head coach Juli Greep, and Wesley assistant coach Courtney Kozar address the young softball enthusiasts at the start of a clinic session. Gathered in the background are other Wesley varsity athletes.

“I really enjoyed working with Coach Greep, the Wesley players, and helping the kids foster their love of softball”, said Lily.

Lily hopes she can find opportunities to coach more young ladies in the future. She may try a stint or just help out at the Little League level.

“It was nice watching the girls improve their skills in the clinic” added Lily. “It was neat how excited the girls got when they completed a task!”

For now, however, she can look forward to continue being coached herself as she enters a packed summer schedule filled with her own pitching/ outfield playing assignments at travel-ball tournaments from New England, across PA, MD, and NJ, to NC and SC.

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Lily demonstrates and praises excellent fielding techniques at the Little Lass' Wesley College softball clinic.

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