But in his time as a softball summer camp coach, Murphy said he has enjoyed one thing above all: the opportunity to help budding ?athletes grow.
“It’s just an opportunity for us to showcase the University athletic department and our softball program,” Murphy said. “It’s an opportunity for young ladies to come to Tuscaloosa and experience campus and to see what our softball team is all about.”
Already through the first two rounds of camp, Murphy and his team of 46 helpers have taught, practiced with and motivated two different groups of participants.
“We originally only had one camp, way back in the very beginning of the program, and then it expanded into the two,” Murphy said. “And then we divided it into age. One is for older kids, and one is for seventh grade and under.”
While hosting both camps last week, Murphy and his crew spent the first half of the week teaching kids in fifth through eighth grade the fundamentals of softball, and they spent the second half working with high school athletes to hone in on and ?specialize skills.
The official website of the camps, ?alabamasoftballcamps.com, offers a detailed description of each camp offered, including the distinctions between age groups.
The 2014 Patrick Murphy Softball School Summer Camp will cover all defensive positions, including: pitching, catching, first base, second base, third base, shortstop and the outfield, in addition to all aspects of the offensive game, which include hitting, bunting, slapping, base running and sliding, according to the website.
Though each camp caters to different ages, the same principles are present. The younger group gains the general knowledge of the sport, but these concepts also transfer to the older crowd while working on specialties. Despite the differences, Murphy said he has only one goal for ?both groups.
“When they leave, I want them to have a love for the game of softball,” Murphy said. “That’s number one. We don’t want them to be bored because it’s very hot. We’re outside the whole day. We spend a lot of time out on the field. We want them to get the best experience out of it. It’s almost like a 9 [a.m.] to 10 o’clock at night. We want them to feel real good about the game of softball and, of course, their ?experience with Alabama.”
The summer is not over for Murphy and some of his team. Although not an original aspect of the camps, the program offers a two-day team camp option where nine teams do drills, practice, scrimmages and go through a team-building exercise.
“Team camp is so much fun,” Murphy said. “You’re kind of like their secondary coach, and their real coach gets to add what he or she wants to add. They get a perspective of what it would be like if Alabama had to practice. And they get to go through all of our practice drills, and their coaches are right there. It’s so much fun. And it’s a team setting, so they get to be together as a team and gel early instead of having to wait.”
