pixL photography by Laura Mullen

Lori Duncan was by no means the typical coach. Her experience and dedication to the game of softball put her in an excellent position to be the head coach for Pleasant Valley’s girls softball team. Duncan played for North Scott in her teens and went on to be the shortstop for University of Louisiana. She competed in two Women’s College World Series, but her love for softball didn’t end there, as she transitioned into coaching.

Before her time at PV, Duncan had coached for both North Scott and LSU, where she led each team to many victories. In 2008, PV was lucky enough to claim her as their own. The PV softball team has accomplished much under her lead and has won four MAC titles. Alexia Lara, junior PV pitcher, says, “My favorite thing about Coach Duncan is how passionate she is about the game.” As any great coach, Duncan not only cared about the game itself, but for her players as well.

Sadly, after being fortunate enough to have her for nine years, PV will start searching for a new head coach as of this coming season. After much debate, Duncan has decided it is time for her to step down. Duncan explains, “The time I was devoting to my softball family was limiting the time I was able to spend with my family at home. I currently have two young boys who are growing up really fast, so I felt it was time to pause coaching in order to make the most out of this time with my young family.”

Although very reluctant to let her go, PV has honored her request. Lara shares the team’s feelings, saying,  “It is a very sad thing to see her go, but her impact of PV’s softball is everlasting. She will be missed so much.” These feelings go both ways as Duncan herself expresses, “I will miss the laughter and the conversations in the dugout after practice. Coaching a summer sport is unique in a good way because of the extra time spent as a team. Spartan softball ended every huddle with “US,” and I will very much miss being a part of “US.”

Many PV girls coached by Duncan have gone on to compete at the college level, but her influence doesn’t stop there. It has spread to even the younger generation of softball players, since Duncan has played a role in the PV Explosion teams as well.

Something Duncan tried hard to instill in her athletes was ‘believing.’ Duncan shares, “Sports, school, and life all place us in positions where we are expected to do something, but we haven’t attained the skill to do it…YET. But ‘believing’ can unlock the door to attaining pretty much anything. Our softball girls were the best at holding onto ‘believing’ through the process. Even on our worst days we would remind each other that our failures project us toward our goal because they teach and improve us. As a coach, I found it extra rewarding to see my girls press on through doubt to conquer a skill.”

Like Lara said, though Duncan’s time as PV head coach is over, the impact she has had on the PV softball program will always remain. The only thing left to say is: thank you, Coach Duncan.