I Have been blessed to have five great ADs over the years who have helped me in so many ways. Looking for 21-22 info? He made sure the 2021 team was ready to go. Welcome to the Keystone Oaks Softball team feed. Mine was Skipper, Joe Ferguson was Professor and the one that stuck with Dan (he had several) was Dinosaur. In 2010 we were D9 Runners-up losing to Elk County Catholic in the final. Great coaching colleague and friend!! Dans commitment and dedication to Clarion softball was unparalleled. I dont think that its not too big for her. Former Longtime Clarion Area Softball Assistant Allen (Pete) And Wife Robin Peterson. Jim Campbell was the field manager and he and his crew had the Little League complex looking as good as Ive ever seen it out there. 8 Coming off a Division II State Championship in 2021, Keystone returns with a new face at the helm. Use the top navigation to find past season schedules, scores, rosters and more. Keystone's 2012 National Championship-winning team. I emailed Dan for quotes, I think late Thursday or Friday. Keystone softball: Doug Cooper announces retirement; Wildcats look for new coach. The Bobcats made the District Nine playoffs all but one season, winning districts in 2011 and made the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) playoffs four times (2010, 2011, 2016 and 2019), winning the West Championship and advancing to the State Title game in 2011, and advancing to the quarterfinals in 2019. Played at 3 Fields: Mondauk Park in Upper Dublin, Whistlestop Park in Colmar, Fellowship Park in Lansdale and Keith Valley Middle School in Horsham. While he did consider the wins and losses a part of the game, he always wanted the ladies to learn and love the sport. Thank you for your many years of coaching and supporting the players. Win or lose,Dan would always have something positive to say after the game. On a side note, most people dont know that Dan is a closet Notre Dame fan. My daughters were very fortunate to play for Dan. I was blessed with being the Chairman of the tournament. Another time we showed up to a playoff game and the field needed a lot of work, so as the visitors, the coaching staff and I think even some players jumped into action and got that field ready. Most recently, Ford has been the director of facility operations at Riverfront Sports Complex in Scranton and the head coach for the Riverfront girl's travel softball team in addition to serving as the junior high coach at Mid Valley. gilbert vega. About a year ago, he wassending upliftingand inspirational textmessages tofolks inwhat hecalled The Daily Dan. I cant wait til I get one. Dan was one of the best coaches I ever got to work with in my 15 years here at the newspaper. Ford was the head coach forthe Impact Panthers from 2018 to 2019. Following my undergraduate studies, I decided to pursue a masters degree in Organizational Leadership. Obviously, that was many years ago and I continued to marvel over his dedication to his sport, his team, his players and his community. Rhone-Alpes | History, Culture, Geography, & Map | Britannica We graduated the same year and he has been one of my best friends throughout the years. My son Chris was on the team and Randys boy Mike, and later on Neil was also on it. Dan taught commitment, perseverance and hope so that when they needed hope that was just a look from coach Dan and everything was fine again. Use the top navigation to find past season schedules, scores, rosters and more. To this day I still get a Christmas card from him every single year! Everything that came with those lessons were always positive and taught with the player in mind. Records were thrown out the window because of the rivalry we had developed. A special thanks to my wife Linda who has supported me and my love for coaching and my teams through all of the years. 2010 - B.S. Coming off a record-setting season, Cooper plans to keep Cassell motivated to continue to get better, knowing that his team has a lot of goals to accomplish. Dans passion for coaching and his commitment to youth was refreshing. The graduation of their senior class left positions to be filled on the diamond, but plans on putting the pieces together. Clarion softball will miss Dan, and He has earned a long and happy retirement. That always made my day and I thank you all for that. Keystone Softball Leagues. I will also cherish the time he gave to my family! Coming off a Division II State Championship in 2021, Keystone returns with a new face at the helm. So please forgive me, but I will be speaking in generalities and not be mentioning very many people by name. He was interested in me sharing memories of special seasons, assistants, games etc. Bats/Game-ball: Wood softball bats are used with a 11 inch ball. PS, Coach P. still beat him in the foot race. They were good and rightfully so. I feel the same way about Randy Leadbetter, Joe Ferguson, and Dave Beers. We thought we had a pretty good team coming back that year and we put in 2 great weeks of practice. Keystone Announces 2022 Hall of Fame Class 6 Seasons 56-93 Overall (.376) / 42-34 CSAC (.553), ALMA MATER Direct links to the resorts. Mat/Plate used to call strikes. !. Then I know that they are going to work their tail off for me, just like they worked their tail off for the other coaches," she said. Practices were set up to achieve this. I vividly remember the very first time I interviewed Dan after a game. As usual, Keystone continues to reload with talent. NCAA Champion Magazine. He stresses fundamentals, hard work, and TEAM play. On 3/22, the Keystone Oaks varsity softball team lost their away non-conference game against Ellwood City (PA) by a score of 11-1. This file is auto-generated */!function(c,l){"use strict";var e=!1,o=!1;if(l.querySelector)if(c.addEventListener)e=!0;if(c.wp=c.wp||{},c.wp.receiveEmbedMessage);else if(c.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if(!t);else if(! You are all greatly appreciated and I cant thank you enough. We finished the year 24-1 and although the ending was not how we wanted the season to end, the ride we took together get to the State Final as a team and community is something Ill always remember. Collegiately, Ford played two years at Division II Millersville University from 2017 to 2018, competing in 46 contests with two home runs for the Marauders. at 1:00 p.m. Keystone softball: First year coach Doug Cooper, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Keystone softball: First year coach Doug Cooper looks to repeat as state champs, Bay grad R.J. Sunahara of D-II national champ Nova Southeastern enters transfer portal, MLB lefty batting average up; game times down, Big weekend for Truex brothers in NASCAR races at Dover, Browns pick up fifth-year option on Jedrick Wills, Keystone track and field: Ryne Shackelford unofficially breaks state long jump record for second time, Railroads of Lorain County program to take place June 8, Avon Lake football: Clay Broadhurst stays motivated to earn first college offer, Olmsted Falls' Brooke Largent on way to full recovery after life-threatening injury suffered in collision, Browns keep busy after draft signing rookie free agents, 68-year-old Elyria man dies in house fire, Avon Lake football: Derek McCrum's change of heart matches family football pedigree, Lorain's Pawlak Park improvements stalled over potential bidding contract issue, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Some special notes on the 2011 team: They scored 301 runs for the season. Softball Leagues - keystonelittleleague.sportngin.com Clarion was 21-0 and Smethport was 19-0). She coached at multiple positions in the Keystone softball program, ranging from the middle school to numerous positions in the high school ranks. Berger Named Next Wilkes Women's Basketball Head Coach - Wilkes Mariah Ford Named Head Softball Coach at Keystone 6/1/2022 10:30:00 AM By: Keystone Sports Information Story Links La PLUME, Pa. -The KeystoneCollege Department of Athletics has announced that Mariah Ford has been hired as the new head softball coach and begins her duties on June 1, 2022. This is a man that sends Christmas cards to players and families he coached decades ago. They werent just players to him, they were people he cared about, and continues to care about after they leave school. (And if help is ever needed in getting a the field ready for a game, Im sure one call to Dan will have him out there in a heartbeat. I am blessed and so thankful to all of these people. But the greatest feeling was when after working on the field all day and being dead tired my players would tell me how nice the field looked and thanked me for it. We also had a Home Run Derby. Played at 3 Fields: School Road Park in Hatfield, Whistlestop Park in Colmar and North Penn Little League in Lansdale. League wide player stats recorded and displayed on website. But as I said before the hundreds of memories I have of that park whether it is Little League, All-Stars, or Bobcats softball are priceless. Two of my former players (Riley and Quinn) even got married and live in Georgia, last I heard. Since resigning as Clarion softball coach, I have been busy going through a lot of my old papers and I was shocked at how much I have accumulated over the last 30 plus years. Heck, its not like Ive never done it before and yet, Im sitting here with a lump in my throat, a tear in my eye and a smile on my face as I attempt to sort through a myriad of memories of Dan that keep popping into my brain. We didnt always make it easy for him. ryan bown. Also dozens of volunteer assistant coaches in both Clarion softball and Little League who were so good and helpful and I thank you so much. In the later years, the Star Wars movies were a big thing and the kids had a long banner they had made up with the words May The Sorce Be With You referring to the famous quote in the movie May The Force Be With You. I think what set Dan apart was his love for baseball and softball, and the calm but competitive demeanor he exhibited. Im lucky to have been in attendance for some of your biggest games. Keystone won 33 of their 34 games during their championship run, making it the fourth time in Piazzas 19-year career. For someone who has spent nearly his entire adult life sitting at a computer and typing in words fora living, youd think Id have some idea of how to convey my thoughts and feelings about Dan Shofestall stepping down as Clarion High Schools softball coach. I think that it is definitely one of those moments where I still cant express how important this job is to me and Keystone. Evans was a standout softball player for the Giants from 2001-02 to 2004 and she also served as head coach during the 2012 season, leading the Giants to a 19-17 record (11-11 CSAC), including a postseason appearance. Dan would often be seen prepping the field at Weaver Park hours before a home game, making sure his team was able to play. You are the ones who have inspired me and I thank God for every one of you and the memories we shared over the years. This is going to be a second year and transition. Mariah Ford - Head Softball Coach - Keystone College Athletics I will definitely miss our conversations. I am honored to have coached with one of the best youth coaches. Some of my best memories with Coach Dan are these, the first team he took to the playoffs, we traveled way up north, maybe Sheffield, it snowed during the game in late May and we lost by maybe one run but Coach Dan was setting up a successful championship run. Ill leave it there, knowing that although he may have retired from coaching and Ill miss him dearly, well always have a connection that will stand the test of time!!! I loved my Little League days and the amazing kids I coached. 2010-2015: East Stroudsburg University (Assistant). Keystone softball: Doug Cooper announces retirement; Wildcats look for new coach Doug Cooper will always cherish his time at Keystone. Happy retirementyou deserve it!, Longtime Clarion-Limestone Athletic Director And Former Baseball Coach Brad Frazier. Well, I believe the quotes reached me by Saturday afternoon or early evening. At that time we decided to nickname each other Gilligan, the Professor, and Skipper. Amazing Era Ends As Clarion Area Softball Coach - Clarion Sports Zone The KeystoneCollege Department of Athletics has announced that Mariah Ford has been hired as the new head softball coach and begins her duties on June 1, 2022. Not knowing that we would be doing this for three years in a row, when it came to the second year in All-Stars, we decided to have Dan be the manager, and Jim and I be the coaches. He had a tremendous gift to make every player feel important and integral to the teams success. Read more about Alison's selfless act in this article. AlisonRitter started her collegiate head coaching career at Keystoneand also serves as academic coordinator. We would talk on the phone giving each other scouting reports on our upcoming games but the week in which we played, there were no phone calls. He represents everything that is good in coaching. Ive probably coached close to 600 games starting many years ago. Having the season canceled was a disappointment, but Dan never dwelled on it. Dan has been a well respected softball coach in the KSAC as well as the state of Pennsylvania for many years. Airport shuttle | Grenoble airport Shewas a three-time Louisville Slugger/NFCAAtlantic All-Region Team honoree, earning First Team accolades as a designated player in her freshman year before garnering Third Team accolades at first base in her final two seasons in addition to being named to the CAC All-Conference Team all four seasons. Ohio's Keystone High Softball Looks to Continue Its Record-Setting Run In 2017, Ritter successfully donated a kidney to help save a friend's life. We had a game that evening with C-L and we had no choice but to push the ice off of the tarp with brooms onto the grass outfield. 2 Seasons: Spring (mid April til late June) & Fall (mid August til late October). Head Softball Coach. The Keystone College Department of Athletics has announced that Mariah Ford has been hired as the new head softball coach and begins her duties on June 1, 2022. I have known Dan for a very long time before coaching against each other. Prior to his time at Keystone, Berger served as the Interim / Acting Head Women's Basketball Coach at Pine Manor College in Chestnut Hill, Mass. Longtime Former Cranberry Softball Head Coach Glenn Barcinas. We used to have a tarp for the softball field. With Coach Shofestall, it was and is, first and foremost about others, especially the Kids. We had countless off-season workouts and practices, far more than most other teams at Clarion High School at the time. Dan was of course an amazing softball coach but an even better leader. It was nice for the fact that you could cover the field when rain was coming. Keystone Oaks High School (Pittsburgh, PA) Varsity Softball - MaxPreps.com Kettel resigned following his eighth District 2 championship in a 10-year run at Scranton Prep where his . The girls that took advantage of the time were the ones that showed it on the field. That may not mean a thing to most, but to a sports department, it was verymuch appreciated. Dan Shofestall is one of the best leaders and coaches of young people I have ever known!He is a tireless worker always learning and developing new drills and new techniques to teach the sport of softball to our young ladies. You could tell he enjoyed everything about coaching softball. Coach Dan ticked every box. director of softball operations. These girls know what (the program) is all about, he said.