MAURER STEPPING DOWN AS CUBETTES’ HEAD COACH
Brenham Cubette softball coach Jamie Maurer has announced she’s stepping down as head coach of the Cubettes.
Maurer led the Cubettes to a 25-12 mark this past season, which included a tri-district championship and wins the first three rounds of the playoffs.
The Cubettes’ season ended Friday night with a 3-2 loss to #2-ranked Barbers Hill. The Eagles took the series, 2-games-to-one. The Cubettes finished the season 25-12.
Over her four seasons at the helm of the Cubettes’ program, Maurer’s teams were a combined 81-44 with playoff appearances in the past three seasons.
Maurer said she’s “…honored to have coached for a school, program and community that I care so deeply about.”
“It is time for me to step out of this role so that I can be a constant presence for my family.”
Brenham Athletic Director Glen West thanked Coach Maurer, “…for her hard work and dedication to raising up the program.”
“She did an outstanding job. I really appreciate her hard work and dedication to the success of the program. I understand her reasoning for the decision.”
West went on to say, “We will open up the post and start advertising the job immediately.”
Maurer was an All-State pitcher for the Cubettes when they won their first State Championship in 1996, and threw a no-hitter in their Semi-final win over Brownwood.
Maurer will appear tonight on the Brenham Sports Line with Ed Pothul at 5:30 on KWHI, www.kwhi.com and on KWHI’s Facebook page.
Coach Mauer should be commended on the job she did over her four years as head softball coach. She showed the pride, character, and competitive drive having been a life long member of the Brenham Softball community her entire life. As was two other coaches on her staff. She acquired this dedication as a young lady growing up in a a softball exemplary community that revolved around not by winning but winning wearing green and white. Her and Coach Jasinski were on the first AAAA State Championship team from Brenham HS. Coach Boeker was on the 2000 team that lost in the finals. They know how to win.
But the difference in their era and the era today is just what one poster mentioned. Not as an asset like they ragged on but instead more the problem. Today’s softball athletes in Brenham do not dream of playing for the Cubettes from the time they can walk as these cocaches did. Today, girls play on select teams spread out all over, they take pitching and hitting lessons from outside money grubs, including during season, and thus they play for themselves. They are bred to believe in their outside coach rather than taught to listen and trust their school coach, Ask Coach Mauer and Coach Jasinski who they played with in the summer ball. They played with the same team to prepare for the next championship season in high school. They played ASA as the Brenham Cubettes. Same exact team. They knew each other up and down. They were taught the Cubette way. There were no leasons outside of what they received from their Coaches. Ask them. Coach Mangan always demanded his team play together and they never played anywhere else. Pitching and hitting was consistent to all players because they were taught by he and his coaches, so no inconsistencies, and the girls only knew one way, the Brenham Cubette way. And their dads, too, coached them their whole lives as well. But they weren’t attacked with negativity and distrust at home. The Cubette Community worked together, totally, for one cause, winning team championships. The parents today could not handle the regiment of what those Coaches played under and the dedication to the Cubettes that was demanded. The only way this program will ever win again at that level is to change the culture of all participants including parents. Kids need to dedicate themselves not to softball but to Cubette Softball. The next coach will go through the same problems that Mauer had and the results will be the same unlesd a coach is brought in that the players, coaches, parents, and community trust and support without question. Support is not just showing up at games. That means total trust. At home and while on the field.
And so bringing in an outsider won’t work, even if they could get a good one, unless that person begins at tee ball, and commits to building a softball community not just a softball team. Total support and trust is the only way. Money won’t buy that.
Ask those coaches that won championships who and what they think is needed in the leader of program. Because a
Candidate is out there. But the persons making the decisions need to understand the roots to past Brenham Softball success. The person needed is out there and willing to come but the people in charge have to be willing to do what’s best for the softball program not what may be best for Brenham athletic program like they have done in the past. The person needs to be hired because they know what it takes to build a successful program not because there husband or wife is a great football coach or volleyball coach too. Brenham Softball should not ever settle! It deserves the best. This program at one time was the measuring stick to all programs in Texas. Jamie Mauer was a
great hire. She is a poster child for the Brenham Cubette Softball program. I think Coach Mauer did an excellent job and should be commended for the success she accomplished especially when she had so many obstacles and entities against her. Look who is representing this region in state this year to know how tough the district was. She Is a champion from beginning to the end and should have been given the respect she deserved. But if parents and softball community members don’t speak up to the administration and demand the best candidate, and then more importantly trust and support them, this season will be the best for a long long time. Bring in a proven program builder!
Coach Mauer should be commended on the job she did over her four years as head softball coach. She showed the pride, character, and competitive drive have been a life long member of the Brenham Softball community her whole life. As was two other coaches on her staff. She acquired this dedication as a young lady that grew up in a a softball community that revolved around winning wearing green. Her and Coach Jasinski were on the first AAAA State Championship team from Brenham HS. Coach Boeker was on the 2000 team that lost in the finals. They know how to win.
But the difference in their era and the era today is just what one poster mention as an asset instead of the problem it is. Today’s softball athletes in Brenham do not dream of playing for the Cubettes from the time they can walk. Today, girls play on select teams, take pitching and hitting lessons from outside money grubs, and thus they play for themselves. Ask Coach Mauer and Coach Jasinski who they played with in the summer. They played with the same teammates to prepare for the next season. They played ASA as the Brenham Cubettes. Same exact team. They knew each other up and down. There were no leasons outside of what they received from their Coaches. Ask them. Coach Mangan always demanded his team play together and they never played anywhere else. Pitching and hitting was consistent to all players because they were taught by him and his coaches, so no inconsistencies, and the girls only knew one way, the Brenham Cubette way. And their dads coaches them their whole lives as well. The parents today could not handle the regiment of what those Coaches played under and the dedication to the Cubettes that was demanded. The only way this program will ever win again is to change the culture of all participants including parents. Kids need to dedicate themselves not to softball but to Cubette Softball. The next coach will go through the same problems and the results will be the same until a coach is brought in that the players, coaches, parents, and community trust and support without question. That means total trust. And so bringing in an outsider won’t work, even if they could get a good one, unless that person begins at tee ball, and commits to leasing a softball community not just a softball team. Total support and trust is the only way. Money won’t buy that.
Ask those coaches that won championships who and what they think is needed in the leader of program. Because a
Candidate is out there. But the persons making the decisions need to understand the roots to Brenham Softball success. The person needed is out there and willing to come but the people in charge have to be willing to do what’s best for the softball program not what may be best for Brenham athletic program like they have done in the past. They should not ever settle! This program at one time was the measuring stick to all programs in Texas. Jamie Mauer was a
great hire. I think Coach Mauer did an excellent job and should be commended for the success she accomplished especially when she had so many entities against her. Look who is representing this region in state this year to know who tough the district was. She Is a champion from beginning to the end.
I will never bad mouth coach Maurer on any social media site or any public place because I have too much respect for her. She’s a wonderful person and I know she did what she thought was best for this program at all times. But as an athlete in the softball program this past year, I feel attacked by this comment. The coaches encouraged us to get outside lessons if we felt like we needed them because neither Jasinski or Maurer felt that they should “mess” with our swings or felt comfortable telling us mechanical things about hitting. To play college ball, you HAVE to play on a tournament team outside of Brenham. Colleges do not recruit from high schools, and they don’t recruit from teams that don’t have big names either. Pitching and hitting should not “be consistent” in the way I took it from your comment. Different things work for different people and you cannot expect everyone to swing or pitch the same way. Watch the women’s college World Series going on right now. You can watch any one of those teams (who are all getting instruction from the same coaching staff) and they still all swing/pitch in different ways because different things work for all of them. Coach Maurer had an unbelievable amount of talent on her team. We had 10 people in every given line-up and 7-8 of them are going to play college ball. Two of them committed as freshman in high school. Could playing just high school ball do that for us? No. It couldn’t. Times have changed and the recruiting process as well as just high school sports- they have all changed. You can look at any other school in this state and those girls are either on travel teams or they are not playing until high school softball rolls around. It’s just the way things are now and just because you’re not caught up with times doesnt mean you have any right to attack anyone on this team. Remember- we are only 15-18 year old girls.
Very well stated. And this is the same for high school baseball. Our son had a different leg kick when he pitched, which some though was unorthodox, but it worked for him. He was extremely successful in high school and went on to play 4 record breaking years in college which allowed him to be drafted afterwards. These days, to be successful, you must play more. You see different talent, different levels of expertise, and only makes you a stronger player. Those games should be used to solidify and tweak your style though, not change it. And granted, it is a benefit if possible to play with the core of your high school team through the summer to build rapport, but it’s not always possible. Everything happens for a reason, this as well. You will never make everyone happy.
Cubette, I respect and admire the manner in which you made your point in response to Cubette family softball member. You displayed far more maturity, respect, and diplomacy than a FEW of the softball parents who savagely attacked Coach Jamie Maurer on this forum when she announced her resignation. And those FEW parents did not have the decency or guts to state their name instead hiding behind some fake name such as concerned parent, etc. It’s so easy to unload on another person when you do not have to take personal responsibility for your opinion. The word “coward” comes to my mind.
By the manner in which you responded you probably have instant credibility with the readers of this forum as opposed to the FEW parents of the softball team who also attacked the Softball Alumni Association for their “lack of support” of the team only to be corrected when the Alumni publicized their contributions to the new covered batting cages and scholarships for the seniors on the team. They should be embarrassed and ashamed but I doubt that is even possible.
I saw a tweet yesterday by Bob Shipley a very successful high school coach who won multiple state championships in his career. He is now on the staff at the University of Texas. HIs tweet stated, “Don’t pour so much into your kid’s athletic careers that you forget to teach them about life. When it is over they are stuck with who they are.” Good sound advice for a FEW Cubette parents.
“Life is not fair.” We do not always life happily ever after.” “Nobody owes you anything.” The sooner a young person learns this the better they are prepared for the rest of their life.
High school athletics is unlike Little League and select ball. Parents do not get to SELECT/HIRE THE COACH their kid plays for and the position they play. They also DO NOT GET TO FIRE THE COACH when they so desire.
Coach Mack Brown once said, “ for a team to reach its maximum potential the coaches have to trust the coaches, the coaches have to trust the players, the players have to trust the coaches, and the players have to trust the players”. At the high school level it is hard for the players to trust the coaches when they hear the coach being bad mouthed at the dinner table at home.
I also want to express my appreciation to Coach Maurer and Coach Jasinski and the rest of the coaching staff for the outstanding job they have done over the last 4 years with the Cubette softball program. You made this Brenham Cub/Cubette fan very proud!!
I’m amazed at the comments. Look at the recent coaching hires for the softball program: Mangam won state, Wilson won state and has established a powerhouse at TLC, Womack has done well at Dripping Springs, and now Maurer goes three rounds this year. Seems like Coach West has hired quality coaches, but for a variety of reasons they left. One of the main reasons is pay compared to any district toward Houston. If you think this pay issue is isolated to the girl’s program you are ignorant of the situation. Look at the varsity football coaches coaches the football program has lost the last 8 years or so. Many time, like softball, money probably factored in to the move. Coaches like Shanlee, Ratliff, Meekins, Yeager, Sink, Lee, and Agnew. The budgets of all the sports do not compare to any other district team budgets. That is the reason for the fundraising that takes place in Brenham every year. Every year I try to support all the sports fundraising efforts because I realize all the budgets are all underfunded. My point is dont try to make this a girls issue or softball issue. The issue is deeper than that and kudos to Coach West for leading Brenham to the success we’ve had during his time here.
As a teacher and a coach of this great school district I am saddened by all of the negative comments posted on this article. People are casting stones when they have no idea what its like to walk in the shoes of a high school coach. I have gotten nothing but respect and support from Coach West and everyone else in the administration division. People also have no idea how much time it takes to be a head coach. We are compensated for that extra time and not as much as you might think when you factor in the extra hours spent coaching in addition to the time spent teaching classes. In fact coaches could leave BISD and get a significant raise in other school districts, but the leaders of this BISD have made a commitment to increase the compensation for all employees who work for Brenham. As a coach you can’t make everyone happy, and such is life. You have to work hard, be responsible, and have integrity. These are the things that Coach Maurer and all the other coaches in BISD teach kids everyday. So before you cast anymore stones have some empathy and understand that we coach for the kids in BISD. We strive make them better in life, not just on the fields, courts, pool, golf course, classroom, or the track.
Maurer is a great coach and a great teacher. Sounds like some sour grapes because certain parents didn’t get to run the show the way they wanted. I find it funny that people are on here bashing West and Maurer who both have successful records in sports and beyond.
As to the people bashing coaches as teachers….some of the best teachers at the high school are coaches. There are bad teachers both in and out of the coaching field. Lumping all coaches together as bad teachers just shows ignorance.
Well said, HS Athlete. You’re probably right. The parents seem to think they run the show. Sadly, they don’t realize that all they’re babying is just setting up their precious little snowflakes for failure once they get out of school because the world is hard and life ain’t fair and these poor babies won’t know how to act when there’s no one there to tell them how great they are.
I think you did a great job Coach Maurer.
Calling these players “snowflakes” is sexist and degrading. Have you seen how hard they play? How dirty they are when they walk off the field after practice or a game? These players work hard and most are honor students. Would you say this about a football player?
This discussion started by pointing out the lack of support. The fact is that at Brenham High School, girls sports are not given equal treatment as boy sports. This goes from support at games to the payroll difference between head coaches. Teachers or not, they are underpaid in comparison.
The lack of support from the Alumni Association comes from the fact that they have thousands of dollars in the bank and the players cannot even get new uniforms or covered stands for the fans.
Let’s use this negativity to make some positive changes. Show our female athletes and coaches that they are worthy and equal in the school district’s eyes as well as the athletic department.
Well said! That’s all that the parents of future Cubettes want!
So well said “academics first!”. My children had a few coaches for teachers in High School and they were awful !!!! I totally agree with you. It’s really sad that Sports has the upper hand over Academics in this District.
Especially football! How many state titles do we have to show for our ever expanding coaching staff and inflated salaries!?
Let’s focus on what really matters: Academics and teachers!
And I bet most of these “Coaches” are football coaches.
All the people demanding a better coach need to remember that they are also teachers! Maybe we should worry more about getting the best ACADEMIC TEACHER for our students and let the coaching be secondary. It is bothersome to me to have a child placed in a classroom with a “coach” for a teacher, especially when you know coaching comes first with many of these people. Sports is not the end all be all! No matter how good many of these girls are, it is still just a game and they need the academic background to succeed in life. Lets hire a TEACHER first and let the sports take a backseat to the academics, instead of the other way around!
Great point! When a classroom teacher is hired and will also be in a coaching position, they should definitely impact kids in the classroom academically more than on the field. Interestingly enough, Coach Maurer was not a certified teacher and she had never coached anything when she was hired, but was the “most qualified” according to Athletic Director Glenn West. She came in through the good ole boy club. Those facts point to issues at higher levels within BISD.
If hey are hired as coach/educator they should be good at both! I am all for having good teachers as I have children in BISD and want what’s best for them in and off of the field.
And you really think someone wants to take this job??? Good Luck finding a candidate, Coach West, that’s willing to jump into this fire. Let the daddies that have coached their own daughters take this team. Daddy ball! They can make sure their daughters are babbied. And let’s not forget the hours they’ll have to spend in the classroom… Embarrased for this community and these responses.
I’m confused at all the negative responses I’ve seen on social media regarding Coach Maurer! She didn’t teach, there was no support to name a few responses I’ve heard since she stepped down. These girls are 15 – 18 years old and have been playing the game for 10 or more years. they have played on select teams and have played at high level with these teams. At this point they either have what it takes or they don’t! In order for these kids to be successful it has to come from the home first. If after every game you as parents go home and trash the coaches to your child then they will learn to blame someone else for these shortcomings instead of looking in the mirror and seeing the real reason they didn’t succeed. When they fail a test is it the teachers fault? Sports Doc summed it up last night when he said there is only one team that is happy at the end of the year and that is the state champion.
Travel ball ends when the High School season begins. It is up to all parties involved to sustain the progress. The girls probably practice more with their High School team than their Travel teams. Regarding the 10 “starters” one hasn’t decided on a college, two decided to be students and the remainder verbally committing or signed letters of intent…the majority if not all will be Honor Graduates…I think they have it.
I am not sure what the difference in your comments are compared to the rest. You are attacking parents and kids (15-18 year olds…YOUR WORDS)
All should share some level of accountability…we came up short and the season is over…
I certainly hope that the school board, administration and athletic department pay attention to this feedback, the parents and players. Obviously, there is a lot going on behind the scenes. The fact that girls sports are not being given the same consideration as the boys shows how behind we still are in our school district. And why is the Alumni Association not backing the Cubettes with support? Why is someone with coaching experience not being hired? These young ladies certainly work as hard as the boys and made it to the 4th round of playoffs. Let’s get these players a coach with experience. Sounds like a change is needed starting at the top.
The expectation for this team was to win the 2017 5A State Championship. The skill level, depth and talent was there. As a Team progresses through the playoffs each opponent will get better and skilled coaching comes into play. Skill comes through education and experience. This team seemed to lack that at the top. This team probably progressed as far as they did based on their talent.
Ms. Schroeder is not alone in her feelings about the Brenham Alumni Association. It does not improve their standing when the leader of the pack nominates his children to the board, or has an insane amount of money in their coffers, or let their 501C3 lapse. But that is an entirely different issue.
As a fan of Brenham Sports I feel an opportunity to win the 2017 5A State Championship was missed in Girls Softball.
In response to the above….As a parent, I feel there is NO school athletic support system NOR the Brenham Alumni Association. It was so very upsetting at the lack of support from our Alumni Association !! That being said…THANK YOU to our amazing support our girls got from everyone else in our great town of Brenham , that did come out and support our girls!! Believe me, the girls noticed who was there or who wasn”t there. I”ve heard it from the coaches,” parents don”t be negative”….these wonderful talented girls are also very intelligent young ladies. They see all and feel the lack of support from our BISD athletic dept.
Just to add to my first comment, I am sure they will not open the checkbook for a well qualified candidate and that Glen West and his puppets will not allow that to happen as to not take away from his and the other male sports budget! I hope and wish I am wrong but the next time they do the right thing for the girls sports will be the First!
Thanks for your service Coach Mauer, now let’s hope they don’t settle for an easy way to fill the job and actually offer some of the good coaches out there a good compensation package for what could be a very good job.
Like we didn’t see this happening. I hope the board and Glenn West make a better decision on their next hire. Please don’t pick anyone they think is best for the job becasue they are a former player and friends of friends. Maybe West should go also.