Along with the induction of the 2014 Hall of Fame Class, Day 3of the NFCA Convention held in Las Vegas at the Ballys Hotel was highlighted by the touching presentation of the inaugural Donna Newberry Perseverance Award to Notre Dame head coach Deanna Gumpf.

Also included in the day’s program were Travel Ball, High School and Cal JC caucuses as well as the continuation of the Division I and III caucuses. In addition, several speaker presentations, the conclusion of the Exhibit Hall, the first Emeriti Group and the softball summit were highlights of the Friday convention activities.

The evening concluded when NFCA Executive Director Lacy Lee Baker, SUNY Cortland head coach Julie Lenhart, Oklahoma City head coach Phil McSpadden and Alabama-Huntsville head coach Les Stuedeman were inducted into the Hall of Fame in a ceremony held in the Celebrity Ballroom at Planet Hollywood.

Prior to the Softball Summit, which is designed so that the respective membership groups can share their specific news with the entire softball community, the presentation of the inaugural Donna Newberry Perseverance Award was made to Gumpf preceded by excerpts from the Notre Dame video series “Strong of Heart.”

Georgetown head coach and first vice president Pat Conlan presented the award to Gumpf.

Along with the Softball Summit, the day featured three keynote speakers:

• former UCLA catcher Jen Schroeder with “A Catchers Grind: Molding The Defensive Difference Maker”
• Wisconsin associate head coach Randy Schneider with “Creating Teaching: Thinking Outside the Box”
• Santa Clara assistant coach Matt Lisle with “Hitting Common Faults & Fixes with Advanced Drills”

In the afternoon, Alabama State head coach Chris Steiner-Wilcoxson presented “Championship Defense: Getting Game Ready” and University of Alabama’s strength and conditioning coach, Michelle Martin-Dilitz shared “Polishing An Athlete: Complex Training For Power & Speed Strength.

The final day of the convention begins Saturday with an early morning speaker, attorney Tracy Warren, immediately followed by the Coaching Staff of the Year Brunch.

After lunch, Roundtable Topics will include speakers Rick Pauly, pitching coach at Georgia, Tori Nyberg from Elevate Performance Counseling and Dr. Chris Mazoue addressing Travel Ball Curriculum to round out the convention.