Notre Dame Coach

[Clyde]

I have never seen a fastpitch softball thread get so much attention as this one. I have no idea who Joe Stevenson is.....anybody with details?

 

An annoucement was sent out touting the hire yet they never mentioned word one of what teams he has coached. My guess is he has not coached a high school team but, rather, summer teams.

 

29 years old. Played men's fast pitch at a high level. Other than that, who knows?

[History]

An annoucement was sent out touting the hire yet they never mentioned word one of what teams he has coached. My guess is he has not coached a high school team but, rather, summer teams.

 

29 years old. Played men's fast pitch at a high level. Other than that, who knows?

 

Contradictory to one of the reasons listed as to why the old coach was let go...

[Keystone Colonel]

Joe coached the summer teams at NDA for Coach Meier (including their daughters) the last couple of seasons, and from what I have been told, he will be retaining most of the entire staff. His ex-wife is the Head JV Volleyball Coach - that may very well be the key. There is no major change here in experience or knowledge- good baseball guy with kids in NDA. He is a solid pick for the program but not necessarily an upgrade from the prior coach. Pretty much same team and coaches with different Head Coach - so what exactly did NDA gain here? Who were these "qualified" candidates to have most of the staff return? Does Joe answer the looming and potential conflicts of softball and club volleyball? I sometimes question Kim's thought process in these matters. Good luck to Joe and the rest of the softball pandas.

[Keystone Colonel]

I have never seen a fastpitch softball thread get so much attention as this one. I have no idea who Joe Stevenson is.....anybody with details?

 

Maybe that is because you had an up and coming softball program growing lots of interest at NDA and throughout NKY. Meier was a walking billboard for NKY girls softball and specifically NDA. With that comes interest...

[Clyde]

Contradictory to one of the reasons listed as to why the old coach was let go...

 

There was a list of reasons?

[Clyde]

I sometimes question Kim's thought process in these matters. .

 

I bet.

[History]

There was a list of reasons?

 

One of the items listed was that the Panda's were looking for a coach with much experience coaching girls fast pitch softball. I wish the new coach nothing but the best, but something seems off in this story, that is all I am saying.

[Clyde]

One of the items listed was that the Panda's were looking for a coach with much experience coaching girls fast pitch softball. I wish the new coach nothing but the best, but something seems off in this story, that is all I am saying.

 

I guess I didn't word it properly. Obviously, Kim didn't put out a list of reasons so I should assume you're tight with the former coach. If that was a reason given (and I have no reason to doubt you) then I'm on board with you about the "seems off" part.

[Porky]

One of the items listed was that the Panda's were looking for a coach with much experience coaching girls fast pitch softball. I wish the new coach nothing but the best, but something seems off in this story, that is all I am saying.

 

I guess I didn't word it properly. Obviously, Kim didn't put out a list of reasons so I should assume you're tight with the former coach. If that was a reason given (and I have no reason to doubt you) then I'm on board with you about the "seems off" part.

 

Something definitely seems off. I thought the previous coach was doing a really nice job with the program.

[History]

I guess I didn't word it properly. Obviously, Kim didn't put out a list of reasons so I should assume you're tight with the former coach. If that was a reason given (and I have no reason to doubt you) then I'm on board with you about the "seems off" part.

 

Not to drag this out, but I did know the former coach. I wouldn't say I was tight with him, but I did know him. I happened to see the written stated reasons from the AD as to what the Panda's would be looking for in the new coach, and significant experience coaching girls fast pitch softball was listed.

 

Again, I personally think NDA was on the right path and hope it continues. Girls softball is a great game if played right. I simply question the stated reasoning and then the conclusion. All the best to the new coach and program at NDA.

[nkysoftball]

Just out of Curiosity, could someone give me a list of "Experienced High School Softball Coaches" that are available in Northern Kentucky? If that was one of the qualifications ND was looking for they would have had a tough time filling the position. Good luck to Coach Stevenson, if anyone has seen the facilities recently they know that Notre Dame is certainly trying.

[Clyde]

Just out of Curiosity, could someone give me a list of "Experienced High School Softball Coaches" that are available in Northern Kentucky? If that was one of the qualifications ND was looking for they would have had a tough time filling the position. Good luck to Coach Stevenson, if anyone has seen the facilities recently they know that Notre Dame is certainly trying.

 

The softball field project has been going on for quite some time. I'm guessing there isn't a lot of money for it so they've depended on donations of money, supplies, and effort. Heck, the first bleaches were donated by Oak Hills High School when ol' Charlie knew someone there and brought them to NDA. The softball field pre-2005 was simply unacceptable. Glad to hear it's still being worked on.

[punttheball]

The softball field project has been going on for quite some time. I'm guessing there isn't a lot of money for it so they've depended on donations of money, supplies, and effort. Heck, the first bleaches were donated by Oak Hills High School when ol' Charlie knew someone there and brought them to NDA. The softball field pre-2005 was simply unacceptable. Glad to hear it's still being worked on.

 

I can't remember the number but NDA has spent a considerable amount of money on the field, batting cage, bullpen and home team dugout. The labor has been provided by parents and players. They are going to build the visitors dugout next year. The work that has been done so far has been first class.

[Keystone Colonel]

But none of this ever came together on and off the field until Meier connected the dots between the community, administration, players, parents, etc. There are a lot of kudos to go around but there is no doubt Meier got this off the ground with a feeder system, summer programs, the field, JV and Frosh teams, and bringing in some very qualified coaches. Hence the reason most of the coaches are coming back....the real question that I don't see answered is where is there real improvement....wasn't the current direction going in the right way doing it the right way?

 

As far as your list of "qualified" coaches - Stephenson, McMillan, Mel, Petroze, Birkenhauer, Montgomery, Baker, Baer, Brinkman, Petradis....just a guess on coaches who were involved or interested.

[Clyde]

But none of this ever came together on and off the field until Meier connected the dots between the community, administration, players, parents, etc. There are a lot of kudos to go around but there is no doubt Meier got this off the ground with a feeder system, summer programs, the field, JV and Frosh teams, and bringing in some very qualified coaches. Hence the reason most of the coaches are coming back....the real question that I don't see answered is where is there real improvement....wasn't the current direction going in the right way doing it the right way?

 

As far as your list of "qualified" coaches - Stephenson, McMillan, Mel, Petroze, Birkenhauer, Montgomery, Baker, Baer, Brinkman, Petradis....just a guess on coaches who were involved or interested.

 

Your fondness of Coach Meier is impressive.

 

NDA has had a frosh team before. It died because not many other schools had one (thus no games to play).

They've had summer teams before.

The parents all worked on the field.

NDA has always had a JV team.

 

Coach Meier did a decent job. He was up against what every other coach was up against and, frankly, fared no better. It's a tough gig and there are too many factors that NO head coach at NDA can control.

 

Maybe the "previous head coaching" was a goal. As hard as it is to get a fastpitch coach at NDA and simply because not many can get there that early Kim Gunning is not going to let go of a good coach for no reason at all.

 

Time to move on and give a new guy the chance.