Buck O’Neil/North Florida Chapter meeting recap – 10/9/2024
Members of the Buck O’Neil/North Florida Chapter gathered at the Florida State University Softball Complex in Tallahassee, Florida, for a special meeting in the late afternoon and early evening of October 9, 2024. Those in attendance included:
- Matt Hudson, President
- Kent Putnam, Secretary
- Frank Alarcon
- Franklin Billingslea
- Jeff Lickson
- John Nogoski
- Glenn Robertson
- Jim Wolf
SABR members were granted exclusive access to JoAnne Graf Field where the Seminoles play their home games. We were seated on the first base side of the grandstand and watched several players take batting practice. Our Chapter President, whose many talents include umpiring professionally, dazzled us with his opinions on which pitches were in the strike zone and which were not.
Afterward we moved to the complex building and, after admiring the trophies and awards on display, relaxed in the conference room for a session with Assistant Coach Kaleigh Rafter. She gave us an in depth inside look at many facets of the program including recruiting, training, defensive strategies, use of technology, coaching all facets of the game, scouting opponents, and more. Coach Rafter was generous with her time and answered our many questions. As the dinner hour approached, we expressed our thanks and departed.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.
— Kent Putnam
Chapter Secretary