East Fairmont softball working to build "Bee culture"

Apr. 1—FAIRMONT — The East Fairmont Bees are rebuilding, with a young team whose lineup is comprised of majority freshmen and sophomores, and the architect is someone who knows what the finished product ought to look like.

Genie Reesman is nine games into her tenure as East Fairmont softball's head coach, and while the Bees sit at 1-8, Reesman is measuring progress in ways outside of the win-loss columns.

"Coaching such a young team, when it comes to that, it's really not your record," Reesman said. "It's more about creating a culture, that East Fairmont Bee pride, that team bond, that family culture.

"You have to establish that culture, establish trust. We're making our team become a family. Once you do that and build that culture, the rest of the game will come."

Reesman is a first-time head coach teaching a Bees team that is still in the larva stage, with two seniors and three juniors atop a crowd of sophomores and freshmen. But the East Fairmont skipper speaks with confidence about her team's trajectory, as Reesman is not a novice to East Fairmont softball at all — she was there at the very beginning.

Genie Reesman was a member of Bees' first softball team in the program's very first year in 1992.

"Coming back to East Side and being able to coach softball after being one of the inaugural players on the team in 1992, coaching where I originally played, it's just a great experience," Reesman said. "It's a great opportunity for me to work for and mentor the girls at East Fairmont High School.

"For me, it's a dream come true to be able to come back and do what I can for this school that helped me become what I am."

Reesman was also a volunteer assistant last season, making this year less of a cannonball into unknown waters and more of a continuation of upward progression.

Much of the first-year manager's staff is likewise made up of former players — Shay Swiger and Blair Nuzum are recent graduates of the school who have come back to help out the new generation. And Steve Swiger, the previous head coach of East Fairmont softball, is also still around as an assistant.

Reesman spoke about the special bond former players like herself, Swiger and Nuzum can bring to a coaching position with that team.

"I think anytime a former player can come back and help, you have that pride and feeling of tradition, where you know the expectations of the school," Reesman said. "You know the history of the school. You know what you want the kids to portray, the respect, the responsibility that comes with representing a school. When you come from that environment, then you're able to teach them that environment.

"Being a former player and knowing what you come from and what East Fairmont represents, you can pass that tradition on to these players so that they can continue to represent East Fairmont High School."

Also helpful to Reesman's introductory year has been the support she's gotten from her seniors, Kameryn Smock and Lindsey Abel, and her juniors, Marisa Delbrook, Kinsey Hardesty and Isabella Talerico.

"When you're young like we are, you're still teaching fundamentals," Reesman said. "I have great leadership in my upperclassmen, and that's wonderful. They're very good about helping the younger players, lead them, teach them. When you have leadership out of your upperclassmen, that's helpful. You have to create your team's culture before you can become a team."

Of the young nucleus this East squad hopes blossoms into a formidable unit, Brooklyn Haddix and Sophia Stevens have impressed as freshmen, both in the Top 3 for the Bees in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage.

The pair's progression on the mound has also been a focal point in their first years in high school.

"Having Blair Nuzum as a pitching coach, being able to have her on the sidelines daily to help them with their pitching, her being a former pitcher, is definitely beneficial," Reesman said.

"Those two girls, if they continue to work hard like they are now — and they pay attention, they listen, they work hard, they have a great work ethic — if they continue to do that and throw pitches, they are going to definitely make an impact on East Fairmont softball."

Among East's sophomores, Somya Cottingham and Isabella Vincent have batted 1-2 in the Bees lineup in plenty of games this season, Cottingham leads the team in on-base percentage while Vincent leads in batting average.

Coming up on the halfway mark of the regular season, the young Bees are putting their heads together to grow a culture, build confidence, and be able to improve each game.

"As of right now I'm very pleased with the way they've come out and played," Reesman said. "They've been able to handle the pressure, even while they're still learning the game."

"That's the big challenge this year, the upperclassmen, the underclassmen, bringing them all together and creating that culture."

Reach Nick Henthorn at 304-367-2548, on Twitter @nfhenthorn_135 or by email at nhenthorn@timeswv.com.