Alvarez right on the money about her team

Kristy Alvarez said she knew as soon as she became the FPD softball head coach that her team had a chance to be special.

The Vikings proved her right.

FPD claimed the GHSA Class 1A private school championship, finishing 31-6 in its first season under Alvarez — The Telegraph’s All-Middle Georgia Softball Coach of the Year.

“I knew the senior class. I had been their teacher the year before, so I got to know them really well that way,” Alvarez said. “I just knew what they had done in the past. I knew what we had coming back, so I was pretty confident that if we could jell together as a team and have that team chemistry, we’d be fine because I knew they’d be able to handle everything on the field.”

Alvarez, who took over for Jim Turner, was 143-67 as a head coach before taking over the Vikings’ program.

“She really helped us build the team bond that we needed that I really felt like we were missing from previous years, and that just really helped us get there,” senior Allie Parkerson said. “At the beginning of the season it was a little rough just because new coach, new players, freshmen, everything. About the middle of the season after a few tough losses, actually, was when we started realizing that we had something special because we could bounce back from those losses.”

The Vikings’ season included a 17-game winning streak and finished up with a 5-3 win over Wesleyan for the Class 1A private school title.

Already being at FPD and knowing the players helped with the team’s transition this season.

“That helped a lot, and just my past experience as a head coach,” Alvarez said. “I knew that it doesn’t matter how much talent you have if your team doesn’t really connect that you can’t really go that far. So those past experiences, plus knowing the girls pretty well, it all came together and helped.”

This story was originally published December 23, 2016 at 2:15 PM with the headline "Alvarez right on the money about her team."