By the numbers, Mike Candrea's credentials invariably trump his coaching colleagues across the country - eight national championships in the last 18 years, 1,100 career Division I victories faster than any coach in history, 20 trips to the Women's College World Series over the last 21 years and a gold and a silver medal are tough to argue against. Perhaps the most remarkable statistic is the virtual guarantee that all four-year players at UA leave with at least one national championship ring to their name. With the exception of just one senior class, every four-year letter winner beginning with the freshman class of 1988, all the way through this year's UA team, has been a part of at least one national championship. Last year's title secures the streak will remain intact through 2010. To put that in perspective, this year's entire freshman class was born after the 1988 frosh suited up for UA.
     Particularly notable this year, are Candrea's achievements that reach beyond the intercollegiate softball realm. As he continues his role as the U.S. National Team head coach, Candrea is not only responsible for maximizing the talents of the best players in the world, but also serving as an ambassador for both his country and the sport of softball. Since assuming the national team's head coaching position in 2002, Candrea's Red, White and Blue squads have won every gold medal and tournament imaginable. Under Candrea's watch the U.S. National Team has captured titles or medals at the 2002 and 2006 ISF Women's World Championships, the 2003 and 2007 Pan Am Games, the 2006 and 2007 Japan Cups, the 2006 and 2007 World Cups of Softball and the 2004 Olympic gold medal.
     Mike takes to center stage Saturday where he will demonstrate the mechanics of hitting in one session and follow with 50 minutes on different offensive strategies and situations to use them.

Associate Head Coach Lori Sippel is a truly accomplished player and coach. She has extensive experience, including at the international level, where she is one of only 133 worldwide members of the International Softball Federation Hall of Fame. As a head coach, she recently guided Team Canada to a fourth-place finish at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China, Canada's best finish ever.
     Arguably the most dominant pitcher in Nebraska history, Sippel competed for the Huskers from 1985 to 1988, earning All-America honors twice as well as academic All-America honors. Her success as a player has translated into the coaching field, where she is widely regarded as one of the top pitching coaches in the nation, as well as one of the top international coaches as the head coach of Team Canada.
     Sippel has developed three All-America pitchers at Nebraska where during the past 10 seasons, the Husker pitching staff has compiled at least 350 strikeouts eight times, while posting eight of the top nine single-season marks in school history.
     Sippel will be part of a main session Friday where she will offer step-by-step pre-season advice for conditioning and weightlifting as well as pitching drills to keep sharp.
     She then joins the staff for the Ultimate Rap sessions where again pitching is her topic, discussing such areas as situational pitching, fielding the position and how to throw the Drop.
     The head coach at Nebraska, Rhonda Revelle, says she thinks her assistant is something special.
     “Lori is an elite pitching instructor in a category with a select few,” said Revelle. “But she is more than a pitching coach. She is a coach in all aspects of our program.”
     A 13-year member of the Canadian National team, she was inducted into the Canadian Hall of Fame in 1993. The next year she helped get Canada into the Olympics. In March of 2005 she was named the head coach of the national team.

TIM WALTON
University of Florida

   For the third straight year, the University of Florida softball coaching staff was named Southeast Region Coaching Staff of the Year by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. Head coach Tim Walton led the Gators to a 63-5 season and their first-ever appearance in the Women’s College World Series championship series.
     The Gators took home their second consecutive Southeastern Conference regular-season (26-1) and tournament titles, while turning in only the second undefeated conference road record in league history. Florida hosted Regional and Super Regional action in the 2009 NCAA Tournament as they put together a 29-game win streak, the longest of the season in the country.
     Walton was named SEC Coach of the Year for the second time. He earned his 300th career win early in the season with a 10-5 win over Pacific. He then became the winningest head softball coach in UF history with a 7-0 victory over Tennessee, amassing 193 wins. He has put together a 226-57 (.799) record in his four years at the UF helm and a 349-121 (.743) all-time head coaching record (seven years).
     The 2008 Gators were the first team in school history to reach the NCAAWorld Series where they finished with a 3-2 record, reaching the semifinals. Florida won its first SEC title along the way.
     Just how he got the Gators to that point will be his main topic at a main session Friday when he explains how he went about building a championship team. Then, at the Ultimate Rap sessions Friday he’ll give a step-by-step approach to pitch selection, hitting to the opposite field and effective game routines for the 18-and-under athletes.
     Walton, the third head coach in the history of the Gator program, came to Florida from Wichita State University in Wichita, Kan., where he had been the head coach for three seasons. In 2005, Walton led the Shockers to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 16 years as they earned the first at-large bid in school history. Wichita State finished the 2005 season with a school record 46-18 record and broke 30 school records in the process.

Northwestern softball has taken a unique turn with a unique coaching situation in which this pair of sisters has found imaginative ways to make Northwestern into a powerhouse. In 2007 the Wildcats became the first private school ever to make back-to-back Women’s College World Series appearances.
     Kate, the head coach, and her twin sister, Caryl Drohan, who serves as her associate head coach, have Northwestern rated among the best programs in the country.
     "I believe strongly in the philosophy of Northwestern University and the vision of our softball program. Northwestern softball offers an environment that challenges you to excel as a student, as an athlete, as a teammate and as an individual. At Northwestern, you are surrounded by people who understand what it means to be truly committed. There are no limits to how far the student-athlete can go. The unique experience of Northwestern University is second to none,” said Kate Drohan who is entering her ninth season after building the program into one of the nation's best and leading the Wildcats to backto- back Women's College World Series semifinal appearances in 2006-07 and seven straight NCAA tournament appearances. Drohan took over the Cats after serving as an assistant under legendary head coach Sharon Drysdale for four seasons.
     In 2009 the Wildcats broke team offensive records for batting average, slugging percentage, runs per game and home runs. They were among the top 10 in the nation in three of those categories while fielding a team with a GPA of better than 3.0.
     Northwestern won its first Big Ten title in 2006, its first since 1987 and qualified for the Women's College World Series for the first time in 20 years.
     It was the second straight season the Wildcats won 50 or more games, a mark they had never reached before the Drohan sisters arrived on the scene.
     Kate has cemented her status as one of the best coaches in Big Ten history, joining former Northwestern coach Sharon Drysdale, Carol Hutchins (Michigan) and Gayle Blevins (Indiana/Iowa) as the only coaches to ever take Big Ten schools to the WCWS. Drohan and Hutchins are the only two to make the final pairing. After spending her first three years at NU as an assistant, Caryl was promoted to Associate Head Coach prior to the 2005 season. She came from Hofstra University after spending five years on the coaching staff there, four as an assistant coach and the 2001 season as the Associate Head Coach.
     So, how do you go about building a program on the national level? What kind of drills do you use to reinforce the things you teach? The sisters give their secrets of motivating and connecting with today’s athletes and offer skills and drills for outfield play as part of Thursday Thunder. At the Ultimate Rap sessions Friday the sisters take turns on team communications, perfecting fundamentals, defending first and third, and three non-negotiables in the Northwestern Swing.
    Obviously their methods work. Big 10 dominance has become a trademark. They have had topthree finishes each year including championships in 2006 and 2008. They are 111-40, with a 78-16 record in the last five years.
     In the last five years (2005-09), six different Wildcats have earned a total of 12 All-America honors -- including a trio of freshmen. Also, NU has earned the last five Big Ten Player of the Year winners (Garland Cooper in 2005-07, Tammy Williams in 2008-09), three of the last four Big Ten Pitcher of the Year (Eileen Canney in 2006-07, Lauren Delaney in 2008) and four of the last six Big Ten Freshman of the Year awards.
     Since joining the Northwestern staff in 1998, Drohan has coached 27 National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Region selections, five NFCA All-America Scholar Athletes, and 37 All- Big Ten honorees. Five Wildcats have been selected in the National Professional Fastpitch senior draft in the last six years.
 

   Ken Eriksen has built a reputation with his success on the softball field because of his all around knowledge of the game and his ability to teach all aspects. He will use that versatility at the “Be the Best You Are” clinic where he will teach how to develop catchers at Thursday Night Thunder, work on pitch recognition for both the offense and defense in a Friday main session and mix in “How to” sessions on throwing mechanics, defending the speed game and tie-breaking strategies during the Ultimate Rap sessions.
     Now entering his 14th season as USF head coach and his 25th overall with the softball program, Eriksen has shown an uncanny ability to build winners.
     Since Eriksen has been head coach at USF, only one of his teams has ever ended a season with a losing record. He has led seven teams to the NCAA Tournament and has won two conference titles. In all, Eriksen has amassed a record of 587-303, the winningest coach in the history of the program and the most among any active coach at USF. Eriksen has guided USF to 12 winning seasons and a Big East championship in 2008.
     He has served as assistant coach for the USA softball team and helped them win their third straight Olympic Gold Medal.
     Eriksen served as head coach for Team USA in the 2001 Pan American qualifiers and led the team to a gold medal.
     During his playing career, Eriksen amassed a wealth of international experience. He participated in eight ISC World Championships and eight ASANational Major Championships. In 1988, he was a member of a select team that represented the United States against the Cuban National Team. In 1991, Eriksen was the catcher on the United States National Fastpitch Team that won a silver medal at the Pan American Games in Cuba. In 1992, he was named First Team All-World as a catcher and to the All-North American Team. Eriksen played in three Olympic Festivals winning a silver medal in 1993. In 1997, after retiring from playing, he was named the head coach for the Men’s Team that represented the United States in St. John’s, Newfoundland.
     In 2001, Eriksen was named assistant coach with the United States Women’s National Team that won an Olympic gold medal in 2004. Eriksen, who still holds his position with the national team, has the primary responsibilities of pitching, catching and scouting for Team USA. He recently led TEAM USA to the 2009 Canada Cup title.
     He’ll offer a step-by-step look at Thursday Thunder with a Catching-101 session. At the Ultimate Rap he’ll use all of his experience on a wide array of topics that include footwork agility and drills, as well as sessions on setting your defense.
 

  Cheri Kempf is owner and Pitching Instructor at Worth Club K where she has taught and trained thousands of athletes since 1991. Best known for her pitching expertise, she has consulted with the Amateur Softball Association and the United States Olympic Committee to develop universal standards by which to teach fast pitch pitching.
     She will use that experience as she puts together a tutorial based on her book “The Softball Pitching Edge” starting with a session at Thursday Night Thunder on workout plans, a Friday main session on drills to develop the change up and follow with sessions at the Ultimate Rap where she will teach how to throw a variety of pitches, including the rise, the curve, and the screwball Kempf has more than 30 years of experience playing and coaching softball at all levels. In college, Kempf was a three-time All American and an NAIA National Champion. In amateur softball, Kempf was an ASA National Champion in youth ball before moving onto the staff of the world-renowned Raybestos Brakettes in the ASAWomen’s Major Division. While on the Brakettes, the team captured two ASANational Championships. In 1992, Kempf was a member of the United States National Team that went on to win a gold medal in the World Cup competition in Beijing, China.
     Kempf has been inducted into the NAIA Collegiate Hall of Fame, the Missouri State ASA Hall of Fame and the Missouri Western State College Hall of Fame. Amember of the Women’s Sports Foundation and the National Fast Pitch Coaches Association, she has done extensive motion analysis research at the premier biomechanics lab in the United States, the American Sports Medicine Institute in Birmingham, Alabama.
     She has written a book and produced a DVD of the same title, The Softball Pitching Edge. Along with Dartfish, the world-renowned software company in sports, Cheri has created the most extensive and intensive breakdown of the pitching motions involved in the fastball, drop, rise, screw, and curve. She is also the inventor of the Spin Right Spinner, a training device used to teach the correct mechanics of the pitching movement to softball and baseball pitchers, and the Powerline Mat, which provides distinctive marking specifically for pitching, along with a consistent and safe surface on which to practice pitching.
     Cheri also is recognized as a popular television analyst for college and professional softball. She has been seen and heard on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, Fox Sports, the YES Network, Cox Sports Television, and Comcast Cable Network.