Commentary by Larry Lannan
Deana Gausepohl started playing softball at age 7. Her love of the sport has grown through the years. Now she’s a coach and S.P.O.R.T.S board member, supporting the sport she’s loved all her life.
Deana played softball all the way through high school at her upstate New York home. She started coaching when her younger sister began to play softball and Deana has never looked back.
Her local coaching career began when with the family move to Fishers four years ago and her twin daughters wanted to play softball. Deana started coaching and before she knew it, was a member of the board.
Finding a way to connect with her players is key to coaching, according to Deana.
“There might be one that’s an outstanding athlete, but if you can’t connect with that athlete to get her motivated to take it to the next level, she’s going to plateau , might lose interest in the sport altogether,” Deana said. “You might have somebody with two left feet but is dying to learn and wants you to teach them.”
Deana believes it’s important to teach the players two key concepts.
“At a Rec level, it’s so important that we teach the fundamentals of the game number one, and number two is good sportsmanship. Good sportsmanship and teamwork are things they will be able to take throughout the rest of their lives.”
Her work with the S.P.O.R.T.S board has taught her the importance of volunteers. Board members are out getting the work done so the games can go on.
Thinking about volunteering but not quite ready to make the commitment? Deana has a message for you. “Do it for the kids. It’s for the kids.”
If you would like to volunteer, check the Web site at http://www.fishershseyouthbaseball.com