Winning Combination ...
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Dale Hubler, Times-Union Sports Writer
AKRON -ÊEarl Barger knows he's just an unpaid assistant, but he's quick to point out he's probably the hardest on Tippecanoe Valley's head softball coach.
That's because the Vikings' skipper is his 28-year-old son, Brian Barger.
"Yeah," joked the younger Barger, "I take the heat and he takes the credit."
As indicated by their easy-going attitude and genuine love of the game, the two of them have a special bond - as father and son, and as the coaching staff that has brought unheard of success to Valley's softball program.
After a 12-0 win at Three Rivers Conference rival North Miami Wednesday, the Vikings are 11-3 and ranked No. 8 in Class 2A.
Though they've played just 14 games so far, the Vikings are only three wins away from breaking the school record of 13 - the number of wins Valley had in each of the past two seasons with the Bargers calling the shots.
The younger Barger says they're shooting for 17 or 18 wins this year, and the elder Barger chimes in with talk of tournament success.
This talk was unheard of around Valley, and then the Bargers came along, and Brian talked about winning a sectional championship in three years.
That third year is now, and as advertised, the Bargers have righted the Valley ship and the Vikings are sailing along.
"You have to give a lot of credit to the girls," the younger Barger said. "They've worked hard for us. They bought into what we wanted to do and they've adjusted to it. They know they're not the best softball players in the world, but they work hard and they work together."
To those that know Brian and Earl Barger, their success isn't surprising, it's been there every step away of the way.
The Barger family love for softball started in 1967 when Earl came home from the Army and played his first fast-pitch game in Muncie.
"Yeah, I remember that first game, 3-2," Earl said. "I'd never played before, and I ended up being a catcher. The guy just said put this stuff on and let's go, so I played. I really enjoy the game."
Brian picked up the game as a teenager in Leesburg when his father began coaching now 23-year-old sister Shannon, who played softball and basketball at Warsaw Community High School.
Just 14 years old, Brian umpired games, and now says the strategy to the game got him hooked.
"There's a lot more strategy to it than baseball," said Brian, who played baseball for Jim Dermody at WCHS and graduated in 1993. "I've been offered baseball coaching jobs, I just like the strategy that goes into softball. And girls are a little easier to coach."
In 1996 the Bargers started a 16-under traveling all-star team in Warsaw called the Wahoos, which to this day still exists and will host an invitational in June.
In 1998, Shannon's senior year at WCHS, the Bargers managed the Tiger junior varsity team - Brian the head coach and father Earl the assistant not afraid to speak his mind.
Though just their first year with the Bargers, the JV Tigers went 24-4, which Brian points out is still a school record for wins.
Earl spent two years with Warsaw, while Brian was with the orange and black for three, and then jobs opened at Triton and Tippecanoe Valley.
"I applied at both Triton and Valley, and then Valley called me for an interview," said Brian, whose now 20-year-old brother Michael also played baseball at Warsaw. "I told them what I expected and what we were trying to do. They called me back in October and told me the job was mine if I wanted it."
Not strangers to the game of softball, the Bargers' resume speaks for itself. In 1998 they coached a team to runner-up status in the IHSAA-ASA state tournament. That same year a Barger-coached team won the NSA tournament in South Bend. In 1999 they were NSA champions again.
They don't always see eye-to-eye, but it's clear the Bargers have found a winning combination.
"I don't agree with some of the things he does, he's got a lot of things to learn," Earl said. "But we work well together and we enjoy the game. That's what it's about. I don't get paid. I'm not in it for the money. If that was the case I'm in the wrong busines."
Said Brian of having his dad by his side during games, "It's fun, and it's a little different. He's not afraid to tell me I did something wrong. It doesn't bother me who gets the credit. If something needs to be said, trust me, dad will be glad to say it."
It's when they both said something that Earl joked was their greatest moment, as father and son were both kicked out of a travel tournament game - just seconds apart the father laughed - and had to forfeit.
For two guys not afraid to say what's on their mind, their record speaks for itself. [[In-content Ad]]
By Dale Hubler, Times-Union Sports Writer
AKRON -ÊEarl Barger knows he's just an unpaid assistant, but he's quick to point out he's probably the hardest on Tippecanoe Valley's head softball coach.
That's because the Vikings' skipper is his 28-year-old son, Brian Barger.
"Yeah," joked the younger Barger, "I take the heat and he takes the credit."
As indicated by their easy-going attitude and genuine love of the game, the two of them have a special bond - as father and son, and as the coaching staff that has brought unheard of success to Valley's softball program.
After a 12-0 win at Three Rivers Conference rival North Miami Wednesday, the Vikings are 11-3 and ranked No. 8 in Class 2A.
Though they've played just 14 games so far, the Vikings are only three wins away from breaking the school record of 13 - the number of wins Valley had in each of the past two seasons with the Bargers calling the shots.
The younger Barger says they're shooting for 17 or 18 wins this year, and the elder Barger chimes in with talk of tournament success.
This talk was unheard of around Valley, and then the Bargers came along, and Brian talked about winning a sectional championship in three years.
That third year is now, and as advertised, the Bargers have righted the Valley ship and the Vikings are sailing along.
"You have to give a lot of credit to the girls," the younger Barger said. "They've worked hard for us. They bought into what we wanted to do and they've adjusted to it. They know they're not the best softball players in the world, but they work hard and they work together."
To those that know Brian and Earl Barger, their success isn't surprising, it's been there every step away of the way.
The Barger family love for softball started in 1967 when Earl came home from the Army and played his first fast-pitch game in Muncie.
"Yeah, I remember that first game, 3-2," Earl said. "I'd never played before, and I ended up being a catcher. The guy just said put this stuff on and let's go, so I played. I really enjoy the game."
Brian picked up the game as a teenager in Leesburg when his father began coaching now 23-year-old sister Shannon, who played softball and basketball at Warsaw Community High School.
Just 14 years old, Brian umpired games, and now says the strategy to the game got him hooked.
"There's a lot more strategy to it than baseball," said Brian, who played baseball for Jim Dermody at WCHS and graduated in 1993. "I've been offered baseball coaching jobs, I just like the strategy that goes into softball. And girls are a little easier to coach."
In 1996 the Bargers started a 16-under traveling all-star team in Warsaw called the Wahoos, which to this day still exists and will host an invitational in June.
In 1998, Shannon's senior year at WCHS, the Bargers managed the Tiger junior varsity team - Brian the head coach and father Earl the assistant not afraid to speak his mind.
Though just their first year with the Bargers, the JV Tigers went 24-4, which Brian points out is still a school record for wins.
Earl spent two years with Warsaw, while Brian was with the orange and black for three, and then jobs opened at Triton and Tippecanoe Valley.
"I applied at both Triton and Valley, and then Valley called me for an interview," said Brian, whose now 20-year-old brother Michael also played baseball at Warsaw. "I told them what I expected and what we were trying to do. They called me back in October and told me the job was mine if I wanted it."
Not strangers to the game of softball, the Bargers' resume speaks for itself. In 1998 they coached a team to runner-up status in the IHSAA-ASA state tournament. That same year a Barger-coached team won the NSA tournament in South Bend. In 1999 they were NSA champions again.
They don't always see eye-to-eye, but it's clear the Bargers have found a winning combination.
"I don't agree with some of the things he does, he's got a lot of things to learn," Earl said. "But we work well together and we enjoy the game. That's what it's about. I don't get paid. I'm not in it for the money. If that was the case I'm in the wrong busines."
Said Brian of having his dad by his side during games, "It's fun, and it's a little different. He's not afraid to tell me I did something wrong. It doesn't bother me who gets the credit. If something needs to be said, trust me, dad will be glad to say it."
It's when they both said something that Earl joked was their greatest moment, as father and son were both kicked out of a travel tournament game - just seconds apart the father laughed - and had to forfeit.
For two guys not afraid to say what's on their mind, their record speaks for itself. [[In-content Ad]]