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Thursday,May 4, 2017
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SPORTS

Michigan Softball Academy makes impact

Michigan coach Carol Hutchins 

stepped from the first baseline toward 
home plate. Her smile couldn’t have 
been larger.

“Alright, let’s go baserunners,” she 

screamed emphatically. 

Unlike most cases, though, she 

wasn’t critiquing her players’ form 
or implementing game strategy. 
Hutchins was rooting on a handful 
of the participants at the 8th annual 
Michigan Softball Academy.

And looking around, it was hard to 

find anybody at the facility — coaches, 
players, staff, participants — without 
that same beaming smile.

The Softball Academy is a training 

camp-esque 
environment, 
run 

by the players and coaching staff. 
Participants, donned in pink, rotated 
through stations run by the players, 
working on a different skill at each 
spot. The event’s culmination was 
a social mixer after the on-field 
activities. 

In its eight-year existence, the 

program has raised over $700,000, 
according to Hutchins, with hopes of 
surpassing $1 million soon. All of the 
proceeds go to the American Cancer 
Society with the intent of fighting 
breast cancer. This year’s event raised 
a total of $135,207.

The Academy was created in 2010 

at the Michigan softball summer 
camp. The team had participated in 
a walk for breast cancer awareness 
prior, so the issue was already on 
Hutchins’ mind. Then, when several 
parents who were dropping off their 
kids jokingly asked why they couldn’t 
also run the bases — and perhaps 
drink wine afterwards — the idea for 
the academy was born.

Hutchins 
had 
several 

conversations with Tami Rummel 

at the American Cancer Society, and 
thus, the Michigan Softball Academy 
was formed.

And for the veteran coach, the 

message of the event to her team is 
clear.

“Life isn’t about you, life is 

about making this world better, 
and 
making 
your 
community 

better,” Hutchins said. “We have 
this platform in this fantastic 
environment 
called 
Michigan 

softball, with these priviledged kids 
need to leave here understanding 
that they’re the luckiest people on 
earth, that they’re very priviledged, 
and their duty is to give back to this 
community.”

Janet Quaine is an original 

member, having gone to the event 
regularly since its inception in 2010. A 
breast cancer survivor treated at the 
University’s clinics who was also an 
avid softball player and fan, Quaine 
marveled at the importance of the 
event — and the job Hutchins has 
done promoting it to participants and 
players alike.

“I was under the age of 50 and 

had breast cancer that… most of the 
time you’re not even supposed to get 
a mammogram,” Quaine said. “It 
kind of all fit together, because I love 
softball and U-of-M saved my life.” 

“It’s just very nice that all the 

girls take all this time to do this, and 
Coach Hutch is just awesome to do 
that… there’s just smiles and grins 
everywhere. … All goes for a good 
cause, too.”

The participants are here for a 

good cause, no doubt. But they’re also 
here to play softball — some more 
seriously than others.

“I was checking the MVPs into the 

locker room,” Quaine said. “Some of 
the people were coming and saying, 
‘You didn’t bring a glove?’ ”

Quaine, a former shortstop, hung 

up her glove several years ago. She 
played softball throughout her youth 
and after high school. Times were 
different then, and she never pursued 
a chance to play in college. 

“I came from the thumb,” she 

said, pointing to her small, rural 
hometown of Westland, Michigan. 
“So it was Class D, and nobody ever 
said ‘Hey, you should go to college 
and play ball,’ which I probably 
should have.”

For people like Quaine — who 

now works in the University’s 
clinical department — the event 
cultivates a fun softball atmosphere 
while serving as a crucial fundraiser 
for the future of cancer research. 
For Hutchins, it also doubles as a 
necessary educational experience for 
her team.

“Years ago, when we first did 

this, (former football coach) Lloyd 
Carr asked me ‘Why do you pick 
the night before your biggest 
weekend of the year’ — which is 
typically when we have it — to do 
this?” Hutchins said. 

“And I said, ‘Because, there’s 

nothing like giving, giving, giving 
to make kids really understand 
that this world isn’t about them. 
And 
honestly, 
their 
sense 
of 

empowerment, the joy they get in 
knowing they’re contributing to 
such a great cause, I mean they’re 
proud as peacocks, and they have a 
great time doing it.”

Sophomore 
catcher 
Alex 

Sobczak, one of the many Michigan 
softball players with ear-to-ear 
grins today, certainly heeded that 
advice.

“Personally, it’s my favorite time 

of year,” Sobczak said, in reference 
to the Pink Game and the Softball 
Academy. “To give back and just 
realize how much these people are 
sacrificing for a greater cause.”

MAX MARCOVITCH

Daily Sports Writer

MARINA ROSS/Daily

Michigan coach Carol Hutchins has helped raise over $700,000 to fight breast cancer through the Michigan Softball Academy.

Michigan fires men’s 
and women’s coaches

The 
Michigan 
men’s 
and 

women’s lacrosse teams will be 
getting a fresh 
start on the field 
with the opening 
of 
the 
South 

Competition and 
Performance 
Complex in 2018. 
But this isn’t the 
Wolverines’ only 
fresh start – they 
will 
also 
have 

new 
coaches 

leading 
them 

into their new 
home.

Athletic 
director 
Warde 

Manuel 
announced 
Tuesday 

that men’s coach John Paul and 
women’s coach Jennifer Ulehla 
will not be returning next 
season.

After 
70 

years as a club 
sport, Michigan 
elevated its men’s 
lacrosse program 
to varsity status 
in 2011. The team 
began 
NCAA 

competition the 
next year with 
its first official 
game, a 12-9 
loss to Detroit. Paul previously 
had coached Michigan’s club 
lacrosse team for 14 seasons, 
and continued as head coach 
with the Wolverines’ move to 
NCAA competition in 2012.

In six seasons at the helm, 

Paul recorded a record of 23-61, 
with a 2-24 record in Big Ten 
play. His last season was his 
most successful – Michigan 
won a program-record eight 
games, 
finished 
above 
.500 

for the first time in program 
history, and defeated No. 10 
Penn for its first-ever win over 
a ranked opponent. However, 
the Wolverines were winless in 
five games against conference 
opponents.

“We are extremely grateful 

to John for his personal and 
professional 
investment 
in 

helping to build the varsity 
lacrosse 
program,” 
Manuel 

said in a statement. “John has 

invested 
over 

two decades in 
the 
growth 
of 

lacrosse at the 
University 
of 

Michigan 
and 

we owe a debt of 
gratitude to John 
for getting the 
men’s 
lacrosse 

team 
to 
this 

point. 
Building 

a program is no 
easy 
task 
and, 

through his efforts, we are in 
position to take another step 
competitively on the national 
level.” 

Michigan 
upgraded 
its 

women’s lacrosse team from 

club 
status 
to 

varsity program 
in 
2011, 
along 

with the men’s 
team. 
However, 

the 
Wolverines 

only began play 
in 
2014, 
two 

years after the 
men.

Ulehla posted 

a 
record 
of 

20-49 in her four 

seasons as head coach, with a 
1-21 overall record against Big 
Ten opponents. This season, 
Michigan went 5-12, equalling 
its record from the 2015 season, 
and won its first-ever conference 
game – a 12-11 overtime victory 
at Ohio State.

“After 
evaluating 
our 

women’s lacrosse program, I 
have determined that a change 
is necessary at this time,” 
Manuel said in a statement. “We 
are thankful to Jenny for her 
efforts in starting the program, 
and wish her success in the 
future.”

Manuel 
announced 
that 

Michigan will begin a national 
search for its next lacrosse 
coaches immediately. 

LACROSSE

Athletic director Manuel dismisses Paul 
and Ulehla, citing need for fresh start

JACOB SHAMES

Summer Managing Sports Editor

“Building a 

program is no 

easy task”

“We are 

thankful to 
Jenny for her 

efforts”