Florida fans may be waiting for that “wow” factor from the Gators, but they’re not alone — so is Tim Walton.
Although he has led his team to a 13-1 record and a No. 3 ranking, Florida’s coach wants to see more excitement and energy from his players.
“I want our team to be fun to watch, I want them to be exciting,” Walton said. “I want people to get excited to come watch us play and come to the ballpark. I just don’t think we’re playing to the excitement level that my expectations are.”
This past weekend, the Gators played in front of hundreds of UF fans in Palm Springs, Calif., where they won four of five games. All of the players and coaches, including Walton, said they were energized by the atmosphere and made it their goal to reflect that enthusiasm when on the field.
The team’s proclaimed vocal leader, sophomore Cheyenne Coyle, agreed with her coach and said she looks to give the crowd a little more to watch starting Thursday against Eastern Michigan.
“You can go to a game and not be exciting at all,” Coyle said. “You have to have enthusiasm when you play. You have to make the good plays that people come to see. People go to major league stadiums to see good plays; it’s all entertainment.”
Walton went as far to say that Jeremy Lin has made an impact on college softball. Walton wants to capture the attention of those around the nation with his team’s play, like Lin has done in the NBA.
Sophomore Hannah Rogers has some ideas on how her team can put on more of a show, especially in front of the packed stands of Katie Seashole Pressly Softball Stadium.
“Just as a team, be more fun to watch,” Rogers said. “Go out there and have a good time and little cheers in the dugout can get the crowd excited. Making hard plays that no one thinks you can make can get the team more excited and pumped up about the game.”
In tournaments, the Gators sometimes play back-to-back games against struggling teams, like they did in the first tournament of the year when they played Maine and Illinois State. Walton focused on his squad’s energy during those games, wanting them to perform with the same intensity as they would against ranked opponents.
This past weekend in the Cathedral City Classic in California, Walton was surprised with the turnout of Florida fans, who he said drove four or five hours just to watch his team play. He doesn’t want to let his fans down by giving them a boring game of softball. Walton wants his players to entertain, saying that’s what they are here to do.
“I’ve told the team a couple times, I would not have paid to watch (them) play,” Walton said. “That’s the message I want to give my team. I want them to be fun to watch, play with intensity and play with excitement. At the end of the day, the ‘W’s take care of themselves, but more importantly the excitement level is what people come to see.”
Florida shortshop Cheyenne Coyle said the third-ranked Gators’ softball team has been making an effort to be more exciting to provide entertainment for fans.
