On Tuesday afternoon, Attleboro High Athletic Director Mark Houle announced that Mark Homer would be the next coach of the Bombardiers softball program. Homer, who coached freshman softball at King Philip last season as well as varsity hockey at Oliver Ames, replaces Deb Carreiro who stepped down after last spring.
In an email to local media, Houle stated, “Coach Homer will provide the energy and direction needed to have our girls ready to compete in the Hockomock League and foster a working relationship with our youth league, helping to build a positive experience for future student-athletes at AHS.”
Attleboro High Principal Bill Runey added, “As a teacher at AHS, Coach Homer understands the high expectations of the Blue Pride Community. I am confident that he will build a successful program with student athletes who represent our school well.”
Homer met some of his future players at a meeting at the school on Tuesday. Speaking on Tuesday night, he expressed his excitement at his first opportunity to coach and teach at the same school, which played a major role in his decision to apply for the position. He also noted that he felt ready to step into a varsity role after several years in the KP program, as well as the board of Mansfield Youth Softball, and three years with the Central Mass. Thunder summer program.
“You know when you get to a point when it’s time to move on ,” he said,” and I love the game; for me softball has some different dimensions to it and it just seemed like a real good challenge. If I wasn’t coaching here, I’d be coaching [softball] somewhere.”
Attleboro finished 4-16 last season, 4-12 in the Hockomock League and bottom of the Kelley-Rex division. Homer is well aware of the challenges that the Bombardiers will face in the Hock to improve and make a push for the tournament.
He said, “It’s the top league in the state as far as I’m concerned. At the end of the season, look at the teams that are competing in the state tournament and that tells it all right there”
Homer added, “Those are the teams we’re going to have to compete with but I have no problem challenging the girls in every game that they play. You’ve got to come ready to play and yes it’s tough but it’s also an opportunity for the team to get better.”
This has been a busy month for Houle and the athletics program, which recently added Rick Patch as the new girls’ basketball coach, and Homer admitted that the feeling of “Blue Pride” and excitement surrounding athletics at the school helped make the decision to take over easier.
“There’s a lot of energy in bringing the athletics programs, all of them, to another level, so for me it’s exciting to be on the ground level and helping to create something different,” he said. “I think it’s going to be fun; I’m looking forward to it.”
There will be a couple of interesting games on the schedule for the Homer household next spring. His daughter Brianna, who will be a junior this season, is the starting catcher for rival Mansfield.
“I coached my daughter through ninth grade,” said Homer, “and when it came to high school she said dad I’d rather play against you than be coached by you right now.”
With a laugh he added, “It’s going to be interesting at home the couple days before the game. There’s going to be some bragging rights that’s for sure.”
He had yet to be on the job for 24 hours, but Homer said that he had already been in touch with officials from SAGRA (South Attleboro Girls Recreation Association), which is the youth softball program in town, and stated that it will be critical to build the relationship between the high school and youth programs.
Homer knows that it will be a significant challenge to make a mark in the Hockomock League, but he wants to instill a mentality that believes winning, even against the best, is possible.
“I think the challenge here is no different than when I started coaching at Taunton or at King Philip where you come in and it’s creating a winning attitude where the kids start believing in themselves again,” he said. “It’s not so much about winning as giving that effort.”
He continued, “What I’m looking for from them is that commitment. You’re going to make mistakes but let’s do them going 110 percent.”
Josh Perry can be contacted at [email protected] and followed on Twitter at @Josh_Perry10.