Friday, September 14, 2012
Former Doane College assistant softball coach Tiffany Higgins is the new head softball coach for Southeast Community College.
Higgins replaces Pat Lytle, who retired after beginning the Storm program in 2009 and guiding the team through its first three seasons.
“I am excited for the opportunity,” Higgins said. “I look forward to continuing to build the SCC softball program. Coach Lytle has done an amazing job of developing the program. I plan to continue his legacy. It looks like the team overall is a strong defensive squad. We have several returning players and a couple of experienced transfer students who I look to make an immediate impact, as well as some incoming freshmen who are very knowledgeable about the game.”
Although last year was her first as a coach at the collegiate level, Higgins has been coaching since she was 14, starting as a T-ball and coach-pitch coach for several years during the summer. She also was a coach during several player training camps in which she volunteered for as a high school and collegiate athlete.
Higgins’ philosophy centers on the offense.
“My coaching philosophy is if you hit you play,” she said. “Both offense and defense are important. However, in order to win games, a team has to be able to produce runs. All of the defense in the world will not score runs.”
Higgins said she plans to have her players polish fundamentals during fall workouts and scrimmages.
“We will all be getting to know each other, and the focus will be developing the players into a cohesive unit, as well as offensive improvement,” she said. “Next spring I expect the team to be just that, a team. We will continue to develop our offensive play into effective run production. Early in the season we will be gaining experience, and I expect to peak at just the right time.”
Higgins also works at the YMCA in Beatrice, where she serves as a personal trainer and fitness instructor.
“I look forward to using my knowledge in these areas to assist in developing our players’ physical abilities,” she said.
Higgins is originally from Johnstown, Colo., and graduated from Roosevelt High School in 2002. She played varsity softball four years and received numerous honors.
She earned a bachelor’s degree from Doane in 2006 after majoring in physical education with an athletic training emphasis. She played softball three years for the Tigers, earning All-Great Plains Athletic Conference Honorable Mention honors. She also was a co-captain for the Tigers and was named a National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics Scholar Athlete.
Higgins also served Doane as a student athletic trainer, where she served as secretary and president of the Athletic Trainers Association. She played semi-professional softball in 2004 and 2005. While at Doane, Higgins also earned a spot on the Dean’s List six out of eight semesters.
She is working on a Master’s of Business Administration degree, with an organizational leadership specialization, from Ashford University and plans to complete it in 2014.
Higgins lives in Beatrice with her husband John and their three children, Austin, Serenity and Kaylee.
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For more information contact:
Stu Osterthun
Administrative Director of Public Information and Marketing
402-323-3401