By KAROLYN€ STOK€LY
Staff Writer
When her team is struggling,
softball coach Sandi Iverson has
learned throughout her years of
leadership that yelling at her
players won't get much done.
Iverson, instead, has resorted
to different tactics. She has
learned that the best way to keep
the team relaxed is to keep them
loose, whether it's wearing a
Burger King crown while coaching at third base or taking a trip to
the mound during a game and
telling a "Silly Sally "joke.
"I use those when my team is
really uptight," Iverson said.
"One day when we were doing
horribly, instead of going to the
pitcher's mound and getting on
her, I just went up there and told
a Silly Sally joke and it worked.
"So I've been using it ever
since. I like to change the atmosphere."
Sophomore center fielder
Amber Bragg said that Iverson's
style shows that she really cares
about the team, and it also keeps
them unified.
"Her jokes are the best ever,"
Bragg said. "Like Silly Sally was
playing with matches one day at
her house, and the curtains
caught on fire and the whole
house burned down. Her mom
saw and got mad. She yelled at
her, saying, 'When your dad gets
back, he is going to beat the living daylights out of you.' Silly
Sally just laughed and laughed
and laughed. She knew her dad
was inside the house.
"They are so funny, especially
the way she tells them."
Step aside Drew Carey, you
have competition.
You could say that Iverson has
an interesting coaching technique, but it has made her very
successful since taking over the
softball program in 1979.
.In any sport you come across,
\t coaches seem to be more
erned with winning and
overall records, but that's not the
case with Iverson, who is more
concerned about keeping the
game fun for her team. '
"You know what?" Iverson
said. "It's a game and it needs to
remain that way."
Iverson said that she picked
up this attitude at the University
of La Verne where she earned her
bachelor's degree in 1973.
Iverson played volleyball, basketball and softball in college.
For her athletic efforts,
Iverson was inducted into the
University of La Verne Athletic
Hall of Fame on Feb. 20.
"It's such an honor forme to
have been chosen," Iverson said.
"It really didn't sink in until I
was at the dinner receiving the
award, and I saw all the other
inductees, some old friends I had
gone to school with and old
Softball Coach Sandi Iverson.
teachers."
Iverson's softball coach
Nancy Blickenstaff had nothing
but fond memories of the first
baseman who was willing to try
any position.
"She was a competitor, yet she
was a good sport," Blickenstaff
said. "She played to win, but at
the same time she saw the bigger
picture and realized that winning
wasn't everything.
"I am really proud to have
coached her."
Three years after she graduat
ed -from the university, Iverson
found herself playing softball for
less than $300 a month in
Phoenix for the Women's
Professional Softball League.
Iverson played from 1976-77
and in 1979 on teams in Phoenix,
Bakersfield and in San Jose. The
league didn't last long because of
poor attendance and unwilling
sponsors.
"It was so exciting," Iverson
said. "It wasn't college softball,
but still it was competitive and a
great experience."
The league was short lived,
due to a lack of interest from
fans, but Iverson wanted to
remain involved in sports which
is where she found her niche:
coaching.
Iverson is now in her 20th season with the Lancers. Since taking over the program, she has
produced six conference championships. She was also selected
Southern California's Coach of
the Year in '86, '91 and '96.
"When I first started I didn't
think that I would be here so
long," Iverson said. "I never
thought that I would make it to
see the year 2000."
Lucky for the Lancers,
Iverson has no intentions of leaving the college anytime soon. She
hopes to finish her career at PCC.
"I want to end my career here
at a community college," Iverson
said. "This is the greatest to
coach at a community college
and teach. This is a great job."
Iverson is used to seeing her
teams achieve success, and she
has high expectations for this
year's squad. The team, which is
currently 9-11, is on a five-game
losing streak after a disappointing showing at the Golden. West
Tournament.
Iverson is hoping the team can
come around offensively. The
problem for her team right now,
Iverson said, is they can't get
runs to score. Maybe a well
placed Silly Sally joke will get
them out of their rut.
