Courtesy of Keith Groller, The Morning Call. Read the original story in its entirety here:http://www.mcall.com/sports/varsity/mc-dieruff-softball-coach-knipe-0317-20160317-story.htmlSaying Dieruff has struggled in softball over the years is like saying Donald Trump is somewhat opinionated.
The Huskies were 1-19 last spring and have won just 12 games over the last nine seasons. The program hasn't had a winning season since going 13-9 in 2000.
Brianna Knipe, Dieruff's new coach, isn't worried about the past. She's focused on the future and trying to lay the foundation for a more competitive program with her first coaching gig.
Knipe certainly knows about successful programs. She was a key part of one at Liberty High School and then was the starting shortstop at Kutztown University in 2012 when the Golden Bears won a school-record 52 games and reached the NCAA Division II championship game.
"I'm definitely excited and pumped because I have a great group of girls," Knipe said this week as the start of the 2016 season nears. "They work hard and it's a completely new program and I can promise a completely new team."
Knipe was a confident high school and college player and now she wants her girls to play with confidence.
"We do sometimes get the short end of the stick, but I want them to believe in themselves," Knipe said. "They're fully capable of being a top-caliber team. We have the athletes. We just have to make sure we have the heart. We need to make sure we believe in ourselves and in each other. We want to build something that's respected."
Read the rest of Knipe's story on The Morning Call website here.Â
