Didra overshadowed by Northampton baseball situation again

FROM KEITH GROLLER

Sorry Scott.

I just realized that for the second time in a matter of months, Scott Didra has been overshadowed in one of my newspaper columns by what's going on with the Northampton baseball situation.

Back during the summer, on the same day that I announced that Didra had resigned his position as softball coach at Pennridge, the news broke that Mike McDaniel had left his post as Northampton baseball coach.

Actually, he left weeks earlier, and we were able to finally get some confirmation on his departure.

Again, on Thursday morning, news involving Didra had to be placed inside a column headlined by the Northampton baseball situation, which continues to be one of the most talked-about things in all of Lehigh Valley sports.

This time, Didra is getting a job -- he's the new softball coach at Saucon Valley; a position that has also had its share of controversy within the last year although at not nearly the same magnitude of what has gone on in Northampton.

Few people love coaching more than Didra, so I am happy he has been given the opportunity at Saucon Valley.

Win or lose, Didra tries to make his sport fun for the kids involved, and has done that wherever he has been -- Emmaus, Allen, Catty and Pennridge. He won a district title at Emmaus in 1993 and is coming off two successful seasons at Pennridge.

"The more fun you have, the more you win; and the more you win, the more fun you have," he said.

Saucon Valley athletic director Bob Frey said he was impressed with Didra's enthusiasm and experience and looked forward to him taking charge of a program that encountered considerable upheaval last season when John Seneca was let go by the school board -- you see Northampton doesn't have a monopoly on bizarre school board moves -- just before the season started.

Seneca had gone 66-26 in four seasons, but got burned by a few disgruntled parents with school board conections in an all too familiar scenario.

Robyn Savitske, a former Saucon Valley pitcher, came back to help out the program as a last-minute replacement coach. She was hired less than a week before the season was set to start.

The Panthers went 15-7, 11-5 league, but just missed qualifying for the Colonial League playoffs.

They beat Becahi 15-14 in a wild district quarterfinal, but lost to eventual district champ and star pitcher Krista Morrone 1-0 in the semis.

Considering the circumstances and the tense situation she inherited, Savitske did well considering this was her first head coaching experience.

But her real career had to come first and she left to take a job in kitchen design in Lebanon, New Hampshire. Savitske majored in interior design at Endicott (Mass.) College.

"It was very tough to decide between relocating for a full time job offer and a fantastic team that I would love to take on and keep moving up from last season," Savitske said. "The girls were all so talented and a pleasure to coach. I will miss the team very much. It was a great, last minute opportunity last year to coach for Saucon Valley and I am truly grateful for being given that."

Didra will have a talented offensive team to work with led by all-area outfielder Alyssa Lombardo, who is also a two-time state sprint champion.

An ESPN website has reported that she has accepted a scholarship offer to Stanford, although no official announcement has been made by either Lombardo or Saucon.

Didra was eager to meet the team and get things rolling.

The Panthers graduated two key seniors last season in pitcher Colleen Garrity and catcher Sarah Seneca.

"I believe Saucon Valley is going to be a great fit for all of us,'' Didra said. "It will be nice to have that hometown feeling of coaching in a community closer to where I live and teach [he lives in South Whitehall Township and teaches at Emmaus]. I'm really looking forward to getting started.

"I will be bringing my longtime friend and loyal assistant Jeff Ebert as varsity assistant coach. We work so well together. We teach the game, but we have fun with it at the same time. The girls pick up on that and it makes for a more relaxed and productive atmosphere."

http://blogs.mcall.com/groller/