Tucker Sheram, right, and other Coahulla Creek players warmup their arms before practice on Wednesday, March 14, 2012. The Coahulla Creek High School baseball team practiced at the school in Dalton, Ga., on Wednesday. The Coahulla Creek team is a first-year prep program and has opened the season with four wins and one loss.VARNELL, Ga. – Of the many obstacles facing Michael Bolen as he mapped out his strategy for the inaugural baseball season at Coahulla Creek High School, a big one was how to overcome the stigma attached to new programs.
Bolen, a veteran of eight years coaching in the college ranks, has seen the value of confidence and did not want his young Colts to buy into the talk that they would be instant losers.
“Even though we’re a first-year program, we had high expectations,” Bolen said. “Why not us? That’s what I told them. Somebody’s got to be there, so why can’t that be us? Yes, we’re a new school, but our goals were to win games and fight for a playoff spot.”
Two weeks into the season the Colts are 5-1, including a win over one of the area’s most respected programs, Dalton. While the early success may have surprised most outside the program, Bolen knew from day one his team had the talent to succeed. Unlike with most first-year programs, he has the luxury of three seniors and two juniors for leadership.
“Those guys have been great leaders,” Bolen said. “As a coach, I’ve always said, ‘Practice is ours and game time is yours,’ and the younger guys have bought into that in following the older ones. We’ve told them you will be rewarded if you put in the hard work, and they’re seeing that right now.