Messiah Softball Philosophy

We believe in striving for excellence in all that we do. Our athletics motto is "Pursuing Athletic Excellence, Developing Christian Character." This is the heart of our coaching philosophy. We are pursuing athletic excellence and pushing our team in that pursuit. We also strive for excellence in our lives off the field and are involved in our players' personal development as well as their athletic development. 

Our goal is to win games, but we believe in a sound ethical approach to the game and playing within the rules.  We expect our players to play hard but play fair. We work to develop each player individually and to reach their full potential within the team framework. Coaches do not yell or degrade players. We treat each player with respect and expect the same in return from the players.  

We place high value on the pursuit of excellence and the process of the pursuit. We expect each player to work hard in preparation for games. Winning comes as a by-product of pursuing excellence in practice and in good sound preparation. Finally, the team will always come before individuals. We expect the team to commit to their teammates and coaches will do the same. Although individuals are important, the team and what is best for the team will always come first. We place a very high emphasis on team above individuals.  


A Christian Team
All of us come from different backgrounds and experiences. We are not all the same and we do not all have to express our faith in the same way. However, we must have some common principles as we play and represent Messiah College.  We are great athletes who embrace Christian principles for living and integrate those into our lives on and off the field.  We seek to play fair and act with self-control and integrity while playing at the highest level of softball.

A Competitive Team
Messiah won the 2009 NCAA Division III National Championship, highlighting the program's eight trips to NCAA national tournament, as well as four trips to the Division III World Series.
We are high caliber players who choose to be a part of Messiah’s team because of the quality of our softball program and the quality of our academic programs. We are "scholarship level" athletes who recognize the benefits and the value of the "Messiah College Experience." 
We recruit and play on a national level. Many of our players have been recruited by other schools at the NCAA Div. I & II levels, but have chosen Messiah. Many have turned down scholarship offers. We recognize the value of attending Messiah College where we are competing on a national level in softball, as excellence is stressed in both the classroom, the playing field, and our personal lives.
We will compete at the highest level. In the Fall, we compete against Div. I and II programs. Players are committed to training and fitness even out of season.  In season we compete in the MAC Commonwealth Conference, one of the most competitive conferences in NCAA Div. III softball -- Messiah and others from our conference have made it to the NCAA Division III National Championships, as well as regularly appearing in NCAA Regional competition.

A Committed Team
Our team is very dedicated and committed.   We train hard and the team puts lots of effort into their training.  We have weight lifting programs, conditioning programs and skills programs.   Our players work hard all year round, playing summer ball and training hard to return to softball season at Messiah every year.  It takes a total focus and complete dedication and commitment to play for Messiah.  

We also get to travel overseas with the team once every four years.   Messiah has taken multiple international trips over the past few decades.   Our most recent trip in the summer of 2019 was to Panama.    The team stayed with a softball alum Jessica (Regan) Cotton who was also a National All-American and is currently in the Messiah College Athletics Hall of Fame.  Jessica and her family live as missionaries year round in Panama.    The team has also been to several other destinations over the years, including the Dominican Republic, Hawaii and Australia.    Where would you like to go?
 
 Our team success is not only because of our great athletic talents, but because of our commitment to one another on and off the field. Our team gets along very well and they have fun together off the field. When we're on the field, we're all about softball. This is something that helps make our team so unique. All players know their roles and are truly there to help their teammates become the best they can be. It's all about the TEAM at Messiah.