Barry Gorodnick, former head softball coach, has stopped coaching the softball team, because he is in the hospital for cancer treatment. The entire community has missed him, and a fundraiser has already been set up to help pay for Gorodnick’s treatment, The Gorodnick Family Fundraiser, which has raised 47,972 dollars.

The softball team brought in a replacement coach for Gorodnick, but current head coach Mitch Hughes is only a temporary coach.

“You got to know that I’m not the permanent coach, I’m only holding his place, you know, keeping his seat warm,” Hughes said.

Senior Clare McGowan has been on the varsity softball team since her freshman year, the year when Hughes first joined the team.

“Coach Hughes is trying to keep similar to Coach G’s system, because the hope is that Coach G will come back,” McGowan said.

The system has stayed the same, even through coaching change, because of the coaching success for so many years.

“Hughes has been keeping the same system that Gorodnick used for 25 years of coaching,” McGowan said.

However, there are differences between their coaching styles. Rooney said Hughes always expects more from the team, for them to constantly be pushing themselves.

“Hughes always expects us to be our best, not that Gorodnick didn’t, but Hughes always expects us to be giving more than we already are,” senior Kelsey Rooney said.

The coaches have different approaches to how they handle players, and their mistakes.

“Coach Gorodnick likes to take you and tell you what you did wrong in private,” senior Kelsey Rooney said. “Coach Hughes will address you directly, and tell what you did wrong you right when you did it.”

Hughes agreed he does not have the same approach when dealing with people.

“Coach Gorodnick is better at the warm and fuzzy, and I am not,” Hughes said.

Although there are always differences when there is a new coach, according to the McGowan, the changes are minimal.

“Nothing is really that different from coach Gorodnick to coach Hughes,” McGowan said.

Hughes has kept the same system because of the style of the team as well.

“Coach Hughes has been here for four years and knows the traditions that Gorodnick had in place,” senior Lauren Stapleton said.

Hughes also differs from Gorodnick in the ideas about player roles on the team.

“Gorodnick is a lot quieter and more about team leadership, where the players step up and lead the team,” Stapleton said. “Hughes is a lot more vocal in his approach and takes a more direct lead.”