By By Matthew Nascone
It was time for the 2006 Atmore Babe Ruth Fast Pitch Softball season to begin and Teresa Davis got a special delivery. The mail carrier for the McDavid, Fla. Post Office volunteered to coach the 10-12 year olds division Masland Carpet Rug Rats, she had never coached softball.
"This was my first year ever to coach softball and I only did it because my little girl was trying out and they told me they needed a head coach," Davis said. "So I volunteered."
Davis daughter, 11-year-old Courtney Cross, was the little girl who coerced Davis into coaching. Davis said she had played slow pitch softball throughout her time in the halls of J.U. Blacksher High School and Excel High School.
She graduated from Excel after spending her senior year there in 1995. Davis also played for her father in a women's league when she was 13 years old.
Davis said her three children and her husband of almost two years, Bill Davis, are the greatest accomplishments in her life. Davis has to make sure Courtney, 11, Nicole Cross, 9, and Brent Cook, 4, stay in line.
Davis said finding that man who would be good to her has been the biggest accomplishment for her so far.
"It is hard to find someone who will treat you the way my husband treats me and I think that is a great accomplishment."
Since graduation from high school in '95 Davis has worked at Vanity Fair in Monroeville, Masland Carpets here in Atmore and Amsteff-Solutia in Cantonment, Fla.
Now this may be Davis' first year coaching, but she said she has always had the desire, but there has been one thing standing in the way.
"I have always wanted to coach, but I wouldn't approach the league because I am a shy person," she said. "And even now I am shy, so my assistant coaches have helped me out a lot. Keith Bryan is the one who teaches the girls the most stuff and my husband has helped by keeping the score book and figuring out the lineup."
As far as strategy when the Rug Rats hit the field, Davis said Bryan has taught her a lot about coaching.
"He sat the girls down that first day of practice and told them what was what," Davis said. "He let them know that they need to keep up the championship play that got them that championship last year."