For St. Al softball coach Buck, the game is more than a hobby

The St. Aloysius Flashes softball team has been under new leadership. Savanna Buck just finished her first year as head coach.

The Flashes have struggled over the past few seasons, but Buck is working on a plan to change that by teaching her young team the proper way to play softball.

Buck grew up living in Georgia and did not start playing softball until the age of 12, and eventually she was cut from her sixth-grade team. She then started getting more competitive, and that’s when softball became more than just a hobby for Buck.

Buck and her family moved to Tuscaloosa, Ala., during her high school years, and after finishing high school, Buck committed to play college softball at Hinds Community College in Raymond, Miss.

Her time at Hinds would only last for a semester as Buck decided to transfer to Blue Mountain College in the Northeastern part of the state. There, she once hit a grand-slam home run in a victory against Middle Georgia State College.

Buck would eventually transfer to Louisiana State University Alexandria where she helped her team reach a 52-10 record.

Buck has now taken over the Flashes softball program where, she says, she loves every young lady she teaches the game of softball.

“We have to work hard and invest in them,” she said. Her dad, Jeff Buck, is her assistant.

These days Buck is focused on preparing her players both mentally and physically while her team continues to make her happy with their good efforts.

Coach Buck has been giving lessons since she was 15, so she is not new to working with youth.

“We have girls coming in at 16 who never played before, and I am looking forward to building these ladies up to become successful,” she said.

The Flashes had an upsetting season this year but other than senior Emme Eaton—who Buck saw as a leader—are returning most of their players. Eaton will graduate in the spring.

Next year, which will be Buck’s second season as head coach, she will be more focused on coaching the defensive side and on improving communication.

“Never give up on the game,” she said. “You only lose if you quit.”