A week ago Chad Lapp received a call from Chilton County High School Principal Dr. Cynthia Stewart asking if he was interested in becoming the school’s head softball coach.

After a discussion, it did not take long for him to jump at the opportunity and accept the position.

“When I first got here, I had let her know that I was interested in the position and it finally became available,” Lapp said.

Lapp has been a member of the staff in physical education at Clanton Middle School for four years and was the head coach of the middle school softball team last year.

“We had an exceptional group of players and parents, and it led to a great year,” Lapp said. “Those girls continued to learn and I’m excited to eventually coach those girls again at the high school level.”

Lapp wants to instill consistency throughout both the middle school and high school programs.

“It’s all about developing a program, which is done from the bottom to the top,” Lapp said.

The foundation for building a steady program involves communication between coaches at each stage in a player’s development process.

Lapp wants players to understand the responsibilities, so that nothing is a surprise as they transition through the ranks.

“It is a great need for these girls to work together as a group as they climb up each year,” Lapp said. “If these girls continue to work and stay together, they should be lights out by the time they get to be juniors and seniors.”

Nikki Maddox was an assistant coach with the middle school squad last year, and is expected to take over as the head coach this season and continue what has already been introduced.

“She was the glue to our team last season,” Lapp said. “She did a great job of developing team unity behind the scenes.”

Lapp’s previous coaching experience includes head Junior Varsity coach at Prattville High School for seven years, as well as other stops at Holtville and Charles Henderson, where two of the girls he coached went on to play at Troy University.

“The drama is a little more advanced in high school compared to junior high,” Lapp said. “The level of play often depends on the makeup of the player. I always like to find those girls that a determined to be a winner, and they will do everything they can to make it happen.”

According to Lapp, he has seen both sides of the spectrum during his years of coaching. He has seen girls that are 14 years old play like 17-year olds and vice versa.

“There’s a lot of support for all sports in the community,” Lapp said. “I believe that the softball and baseball programs can be extremely successful, especially with the city showing their determination by building a new four-field complex [at Clanton City Park].”