Midnight Madness continues for softballers under new leadership
A coaching change didn’t stop Richmond from continuing a first-day-ofpractice tradition in varsity softball.
Circa 12:07 a.m. Monday, the Spartans took the field at Southview Park in Richmond for their annual Midnight Madness practice to start their preseason training. It was their first Midnight Madness practice under coach Trent Thompson, who recently succeeded longtime coach Staci Maddux, now the Richmond Middle School assistant principal.
Thompson learned about the tradition from Maddux shortly after being hired early this summer, he said.
“(She) was just great about … transitioning me in and being very helpful with everything,” Thompson said.
Another new coach assisted Thompson in guiding the Spartans through calisthenics, short-toss warmups, base running drills, batting and fielding drills – assistant and former Richmond softballer Tricia Slade.
“I’m actually older than the Midnight Madness practice, because when I played here – I graduated in 1998 – we didn’t have a fence…