Haddonfield Memorial High School softball team’s new head coach is known for his hard work and commitment to the sport. The softball players, if they aren’t already showing these two qualities, will surely be exemplifying them this season with the new coach in charge.
HMHS announced Brett Young as its new head softball coach. Young has a lot of experience under his belt, showing he has a lot to bring to HMHS.
“We are very excited to have coach Young take over our softball program,” athletics director Lefteris Banos said. “His energy and commitment to hard work made him a great candidate for the position.”
Young graduated from Haddon Township High School in 2000 where he excelled as a baseball player. He went on to play Division 1 baseball at James Madison University and was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in 2002.
After a career-ending injury, Young coached at various colleges and organizations until receiving his bachelor’s degree in health and physical education from Oklahoma Panhandle State University in 2013. He also has been teaching private baseball lessons since 2012. Many of those he has helped have been picked up by big name colleges and universities.
Although Young’s injury kept him from playing professionally, he feels helping and coaching others is really a greater reward.
“I get a lot more out of helping others than I did playing myself,” Young said.
Young just moved back to South Jersey not too long ago and is substitute teaching. He is looking for a full-time physical education teaching job, but for now he has taken the job as head coach here in Haddonfield for the HMHS softball team. He found out about the job through another teacher at the school with whom he is a good friend. From there, he spoke to a few others before applying for the position.
“I thought it would be a good idea and went ahead and applied. I felt I could bring a lot of good for the Haddonfield softball team,” Young said.
Young said he would really like to bring in a good, hard work ethic to the HMHS softball team. He would like to see his players have that mentality in practice as well as on the field.
He also said he would like to continue HMHS’ success. Having been known for its athletics, Young would like softball to be one of Haddonfield’s successful teams.
Banos hopes Young will bring success as well as help students transition from younger levels to the high school level.
“We hope that coach Young will be able to also work with the Haddonfield youth softball program to create a culture of a seamless transition between the youth levels to the high school program,” he said.
Although the season doesn’t start until the first week of March, Young wants to work with the girls to start getting ready for the season. Some of the team has already started working out on Sundays, according to Young, and he hopes to get more girls working out and doing so more times during the week. The softball team’s first meeting will be after midterms.
Young’s expectations for this season are almost anticipated from what he has already shown. He wants to bring success to the softball program and teach the girls hard work and good attitude.
“Being new to the Haddonfield district, I would like to try to implement the successes they have had and try to change the mentality as ‘just another team’ into a program that has success; and that comes from the girls, bringing hard work and a good attitude, whether on or off the field, and outworking the opponents,” Young said.
Banos is excited for the season to start and he, just like Young, hopes for a successful season.
“We are excited about the upcoming softball season. We have a great mix of young and experienced girls on the team who enjoy each other and they will work together for a successful season,” Banos said.
