OLD ORCHARD BEACH — One of the keys to a team being successful year in and year out is having a coaching staff with the knowledge and passion to keep things moving in the right direction.

New Old Orchard Beach softball coach Jason Webber is hoping his enthusiasm and wisdom — along with a solid coaching staff — will help him turn around the OOB program.

“There will be a change in attitude. There will be a change in expectations, but there’s also I think that attitude that these girls want to learn how to play softball, and I hope that correlates into winning,” said Webber. “That’s my goal right now is to teach the girls how to play softball. Teach them how to be competitive and then hopefully with their drive and me helping them with their knowledge of softball, it will produce a winning team.”

Webber’s love for the game of softball has grown over the years, but it started with a goal to make Old Orchard Beach a place where softball players can thrive.

“I started with the Little League softball and middle school softball and helping out as much as I can. It’s really a growing passion of mine in terms of I really think that this community can have a very competitive softball program, and I think with my excitement and drive I think that can spill over to the kids,” Webber said.

The new coach takes over a Seagulls team that went 3-13 last season. Webber believes the talent is there to have a quick rebuild — and it will all start with making sure the best athletes come out for the team.

“(I know) that there are athletes out there,” said Webber, who has seen the OOB girls soccer and basketball teams be successful in recent seasons. “They are in this school, have won games, have been in playoff games and have that (winning mentality) that gets them over the top.”

Webber believes his approach to practice will help keep the players engaged and focused.

“I think softball can get a bad rap sometimes because practice can be boring and there is no excitement, but I think it’s how you present practice to the kids,” said Webber. “I have music at my practices. We are always moving, we have stations … it will be a culture shock for a lot of the girls that have played for the past three years because there will be a change.”

The first-year coach is happy to take over the program and to have the full support of OOB Athletic Director Dean Plante.

“I think having an AD like coach Plante is tremendous as a varsity coach because you’re dealing with the same parents and the same athletes. Some of the issues that he has goes over to softball — some of the good and the bad,” said Webber. “It helps to bounce things off (him) and to deal with the things that pop up. It’s great to have someone in that supporting role.”

Webber, who grew up in Madison which has a strong softball tradition, is hoping to bring that level of success to Old Orchard.

“Coming from a town like Madison, where softball is really ingrained and the (winning) mentality of (their) softball program … hats off to them they run a good program from youth on up,” said Webber. “So I grew up in that kind of atmosphere and I wanted my daughter to have that same atmosphere here.”

Webber is hoping the new era of OOB softball will start with a playoff run this spring.

“Any coach that’s at the varsity level (winning) a Gold Ball is their goal. I’m going to tell the girls that ‘I’m coaching you like we are going to win the Gold Ball,’” said Webber. “It might not be where we end up at the end of the year, but we are going to work as hard as we can and we will be coached as hard as we can to win a Gold Ball. There will be expectations and there will be stuff that we want from them, and I think these girls are ready to take that challenge on.”

Webber, who will be assisted by Bill Blanchette, plans on bringing a bold approach to the 2018 campaign.

“We are going to be aggressive. We are going to be flashy on the base paths. We are going to be aggressive at the plate and make people play defense,” said Webber.

The OOB coach believes the talent in the program and his aggressive and enthusiastic approach to the game will lead the Seagulls to a lot of success in his first season.

“All in all, I think we are going to have a playoff run,” said Webber. “I think we are going to make the playoffs, and I think we’re going to have a little run at it. The goal is to make the playoffs — and at that point anything can happen.”

— Sports Editor Pat McDonald can be reached at pmcdonald@journaltribune.com or at 282-1535 ext. 322. Follow the Journal Tribune Sports Department on Twitter @JournalTsports.

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