Gerrard Diaz, gdiaz@shawanoleader.com
Contributed Photo Tigerton High School softball coach Glenda Smith, middle, joins former Milton softball coach Don Vruwink, left, and former Beloit Memorial softball coach John Schroeder as the 2014 Hall of Fame class during the Wisconsin Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association’s induction banquet Feb. 8 in Wisconsin Dells.
Glenda Smith, Tigerton High School’s varsity softball coach for the last 23 years, isn’t done coaching yet. That’s why she was kind of shocked at the news.
Smith recently was selected to the Wisconsin Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association’s Hall of Fame.
“I had no idea,” Smith said. “When they called, I was like, why me? I’m still coaching, and you think about the hall of fame years later.”
What the WFSCA saw was Smith’s long list of accomplishments. Her record is 378-109, and she has coached Tigerton to eight Central Wisconsin Conference-10 titles and three state tournaments, including a runner-up finish in 2012 and a state championship in 2010. Both of those teams earned the WIAA/Mutual Insurance Sportsmanship award.
Smith has also been a senior all-star coach three times, the National Federation of State High School Associations’ state coach of the year in 2010 and a member of the WIAA coaches advisory committee for three years.
“I’m very honored, and humbled to be chosen with all the outstanding coaches there are in the state of Wisconsin,” Smith said.
Smith, former Milton softball coach Don Vruwink and former Beloit Memorial softball coach John Schroeder were the sixth class inducted into the hall of fame, which has 22 members. They were honored at a banquet Feb. 8 in Wisconsin Dells.
“It was pretty neat,” Smith said. “The whole thing was just something I’ll never forget. I had quite a few family members from Kewaunee and some very good friends from Tigerton there. It was all good.”
Smith said her athletes and the tight-knit community of Tigerton share the honor with her.
“All the kids I’ve coached in the past should look at this and say they were a part of it,” Smith said. “Everybody asks what is the best team you’ve coached and, definitely, the state years stick out, but I’ve had the honor to coach a lot of excellent athletes in the Tigerton area. I’ve had over the years some kids who really worked hard for me.”
Smith, who has coached volleyball the last 31 years and has been Tigerton’s athletic director the last 14, said she found Tigerton to be a special place.
“When I first came to Tigerton, it was to get some experience and move on,” Smith said. “But I’ve made some very good friends there and they’ve always been supportive, the community, the parents, I can’t tell you.”
Smith said, as a coach, she has tried to get her athletes as involved as possible and to make sure they are enjoying themselves.
“Being in a small district, I always hope the kids are participating in as many activities as they can,” Smith said. “I don’t want anybody emphasizing on one or two sports. Go out there, have fun and enjoy every season and not just one or two.”
With softball practices set to begin in less than a month, Smith said being a hall-of-famer won’t change her approach.
“It’s an honor, but when it comes down to the beginning of the season, it’s going to be same-old, same-old,” she said.