Soft(ball) as a baby’s bottom

By Latesha Johnson | gargoyle@flagler.edu

“I only have three weeks to go and we don’t have a name decided,” said Kristen Overton.

Overton is the head softball coach at Flagler College and for the second year in a row, she is expecting to give birth to a child during the season. This will be her second child, but it will be her first girl.

“This will become more challenging that’s for sure,” Overton said. “I will have to learn how to balance my home life and softball life much better.”

Some of the softball team members said they are familiar with Overton being pregnant because they had the chance to experience it last year. This year, things are a little different.

“The only thing that is an issue this year is that she is due in a very critical part of our season,” junior pitcher Katie Enright said, “right before the conference tournament starts.”

The team is having an up-and-down season this year and is currently holding a 24-14 overall record. Overton says that the team has handled her pregnancy very well as they have made adjustments on a daily basis to make up for what she would normally do.

“I am a hands-on type of coach and not being able to physically get out there and hit to the girls or pitch to the girls has a different effect on the practices,” Overton said.

She has the experience of coaching 17 college softball players this season, but hopes that her own children take a different route when it comes to sports.

“I will have a harder time watching them play baseball or softball if I’m not coaching. So I hope that they play other sports that I do not know anything about,” Overton said. “That way I can’t be their coach and maybe I’ll just be able to enjoy watching them.”

Right now Overton is focusing on the girls she does want to coach, and wants her team to finish strong.

“We have the talent to do great things, but right now we are lacking the consistency to advance our potential,” Overton said. “If we can pull it together we will be great, but if we don’t then we will fall short of my expectations.”

Overton does not expect to be in her office often after the birth, but she said she will not take any time off from softball. She plans on being at practice and games until the season is over. Once the season ends, Overton will take maternity leave over the summer, but will do some recruiting on the weekends.