What a last few months it's been for Kevin Shelton of the Texas Glory: he was honored in December at the NFCA Convention as having the National Club Coaching Staff of the Year and he also was a key figure at the event, leading panels including a three hour discussion with college coaches on recruiting.

Then, last week it was announced that Kevin would be serving as the GM of the fifth team in the NPF, the Dallas Charge.

I asked the successful club coach how this would impact his time and work with the Glory and he gave some interesting answers about his role in both club and pro softball moving forward…

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FullCountSoftball.com: Being a pro team GM seems like it will be a lot of work! How will this impact your work with the Texas Glory organization and other softball related roles you have?
Kevin Shelton: Being a GM does seem like it would be a lot of work. So far it is quite a handful. At this point I haven't found that juggling both is too big a problem except that I don't get to spend quite as much time in the cage with athletes as I'd like. I do have to plan a little farther out. More importantly, Texas Glory has some tremendous leaders in place like Ed Naudin and Rickey Richardson. They along with the rest of our coaching staff and other volunteers are the real navigators that help keep the ship on course. Our athletes continue to work hard and prepare themselves. We have a solid foundation that should help keep us on track. I'm currently coaching a 12U and 18U Texas Glory squads and don't see the Dallas Charge GM job keeping away from practice or games. It will be challenging, but right now it feels very doable.

FCS.com: How did you connected with the NPF and the idea for you to become a GM take place?
KS: I'm not 100% sure. Had a few chance meetings and conversations with folks that had nothing to do with the NPF or being a GM. A few weeks later I got a call from those folks asking me if I would be interested in being the GM of a Dallas NPF Team. It was pretty surprising and a bit overwhelming. But I knew right away I wanted to accept the challenge. Feels like a once in a lifetime opportunity and that everything I have done in my professional and softball life to this point has been in preparation for this.

FCS.com: This is an exciting move for softball in Texas and pro softball overall, especially as it widens the NPF footprint… what did you like about this opportunity enough to become involved?
KS: Everything except maybe the timing. It is such a great opportunity on many levels. Where to start? Growing the NPF provides a chance for our athletes to mature in the game to be their very best. Usually our athlete's careers are over at 22 or 23. MLB players are just getting to the majors about that time. As our young women get to play after college they'll continue to get better and better. That's exciting. Putting a team in North Texas is huge because it brings the game to an area that really loves the game and has over 5 million people. Hopefully we can create a Dallas Charge fan base and energize the area about fast-pitch. It is great chance to lead a group that can be active in the community and make a positive difference in people's lives. That may be our most important job and has the chance to leave a lasting legacy.

Personally, I am excited about having yet another chance to be part of a competitive environment. It's gonna be fun! The chance to build something solid and put together a quality group of people to do it is exciting.

FCS.com: What will be your primary roles in the short-term and overall as the team gets established?
KS: Short term, we have a staff of 1 1/2. Soon we will be a staff of 2 1/2. So we all have every role. Establish relationships, get sponsorships, attract good people, tickets, merchandise, travel, lodging, budget, marketing, PR, etc. Long term it will be similar, hopefully just a little easier because we have established a solid base from which to work. We'll have more help in the future so that will help. The good news is the league and other teams are there as a resource and have been willing to help. We all have the same goal -- make the league successful.

FCS.com: Perhaps you can't answer this, but are there talks or plans to add more teams and perhaps create a footprint in the West at some point?
KS: If we do our job correctly there is a chance the league will continue to grow.

FCS.com: What do you think this does for softball in general in giving young players the dream to play beyond college?
KS: Hopefully, it is just another step in making those dreams come true. We aren't the first. There have been leagues before the NPF including the WPSL and the PFX Tour that helped pave the way. We have a long way to go. The league is still relatively unknown. I still hear young ladies and their parents say "I didn't know there was a pro league." Every pro league in this country started small and fought through its early years until it reached a tipping point. With a little luck and a lot of hard working athletes and coaches we can do our part to help set the NPF on a path that will help it inspire generations of young ladies to play the game from the rec to through the pro level.