A rising tide of success
After a stellar playing career at Lynchburg College and after just one season as a graduate assistant, Dawn Gibson Simmons '97 took over the reins as head coach of the softball program in 1999 and steady improvement started immediately.
The Hornets have dominated the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) in recent years, winning the last three titles and capturing the most recent crown on April 26 with a 4-1 victory over Eastern Mennonite University in the title game.
Lynchburg won the Fayetteville Regional in 2008 and made the program's first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division III Finals, and are looking to return this May.
Dawn won her 300th game earlier this season and in just 11 seasons on the Hornet bench she has a 319-141-2 overall record (137-37 in the ODAC). Dawn is a four-time All-ODAC Coach of the Year and has also been named the state's top softball mentor once.
"The best part of our success the last three seasons is seeing the team get rewarded for their hard work and accomplishing their goals and dreams," Dawn said.
What does she look to teach the young ladies that play softball at LC? "Always work hard to achieve what you want; there is no 'I' in team; always be respectful; be confident, not cocky. Every action has a reaction - everything they do is a reflection of themselves and our team - whether on the field, in the classroom, or out in the community. Someone might be more talented than you but you can always out-work and out-hustle them."
Current graduate assistant Elizabeth Perkins '08, a former All-American third-baseman, has had the opportunity to see different sides of the young coach. "Dawn has a way of pushing you to make you want to work harder every day. She never lets a player or the team be satisfied about where they are. Dawn gives everything she has in order to get everything out of each member of the team as a player and as a person.
"Being on the other side of things now, I see how much work she puts in every day. Softball is never far from her mind, even when she isn't at work or on the field. Dawn is always thinking of ways to improve our practices or performance."
Just how successful was Dawn during her playing days? An athlete usually doesn't excel at two sports during their college careers. It is even rarer when that student-athlete is superb on three intercollegiate varsity teams and is among the top scholars in her class.
Dawn was the starting setter on the Lynchburg College volleyball team, the starting point guard on the basketball team, and the starting third-baseman/catcher on the softball team. She held the career volleyball record for assists in a season and for a career. She is the sixth-highest scorer in LC women's basketball history (1,016 points) and also held the softball career records for games played and sacrifices until a few seasons ago.
After winning numerous conference and regional accolades, she was named the Lynchburg College Women's Athlete and Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 1996 and earned Senior Athlete of the Year honors in 1997.
Whew!! How did she have time to balance everything?
"It was a combination of time management and very helpful professors, mentors, and coaches," she said. "Being an athletic training student was just as fun and rewarding to me as playing a sport."
"Dawn was the epitome of the student athlete," said former LC volleyball coach Marie Lewis. "She was an ultimate team player and was a coach's dream by never questioning coaching decisions but wanting to understand the why of strategy."
Those close to Dawn are amazed at how humble she is. "I first met Dawn when her mother brought her to LC for a visit as a high school senior," said Pat Aronson, LC associate professor of athletic training. "She was so shy, she wouldn't say a word unless I asked her a question. At the end of the conversation about athletic training, her mom pulled out a local newspaper article about Dawn being a great athlete . . . Dawn was so embarrassed that I thought she was going to melt into the floor."
The Hornets have captured six ODAC softball titles in program history - three with Dawn on the playing field and three as head coach. With Dawn at the helm, these trophies will probably be joined by others soon.
