World Series champion and six-time All-American title winner Priscilla Rouse-Becker has played softball for nearly 30 years, and has been coaching on and off for almost 26 years. Rouse-Becker has had a few remarkable moments throughout her career playing softball, she said in an email to the Dragon Press.
World Series champion and six-time All-American title winner Priscilla Rouse-Becker has played softball for nearly 30 years, and has been coaching on and off for almost 26 years.
Rouse-Becker has had a few remarkable moments throughout her career playing softball, she said in an email to the Dragon Press.
“We won the City Championship when I was a senior in high school. In college I went to four NCAA World Series tournaments winning two National Championships, one runner-up, and on semi-final. I won a gold medal in Amsterdam as part of the US National Team and won a World Series Championship with the Women’s Professional Fastpitch team, the Wahoos,” Rouse-Becker said. “The journey to each of these was memorable and great accomplishments.”
Senior and softball team captain Shelby Esparza was very happy to learn that Rouse-Becker joined the Foothill athletics coaching staff.
“When I heard she was going to be coaching, I got really excited, because she made All-American two years in a row,” Esparza said. “She’s really famous in the softball world. And she’s so humble,” she said.
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Rouse-Becker started coaching because she “felt a need to give back to the game.” Her passion for softball encouraged her decision, and she wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to help others improve their skill.
She has helped to coach the varsity softball team at Kennedy High School in Granada Hills, a womens’ travel team in the San Fernando Valley, has helped with a 16u Travel Team from the San Fernando Valley, and spent about seven years coaching with the Tri-Valley Softball League in Ventura. Rouse-Becker has also ran and participated in over 20 softball clinics in Oregon, Washington, Florida and California within five years of each other.
“Clinics included training coaches how to coach and develop skills. We also set up training stations for over 100 kids from five to 17 to learn and improve upon fundamentals. I spoke to athletes, parents and coaches about competition, college and the benefits of participation in team sports for women,” she said.
Rouse-Becker got involved with Foothill athletics after stumbling upon someone at a youth softball game, who asked her if she would like to apply for the head coach position for softball. She’s very impressed with what Foothill has been able to do with a first-year program.
“It’s a true testimony to Joe Bova and Emily Stevens. I know first hand why this is one of the top schools in the country,” Rouse-Becker said. “Joe Bova and his team will not settle for less. They have taken the same motivation [as for academics] in to the sports program and it shows.”
Her main goal for this season is for each girl to understand how important team participation is, and experience the benefits of a true team effort. She expects her Dragons to each end their year as a better athlete than they were before and to grow as people.
Sophomore Foothill softball player Lindsey Sharp appreciates her coach’s enthusiasm.
“She’s super nice and outgoing. She could be a little bossy when we’re not doing our work right, but that’s a good coach. It’s a good quality to have,” Sharp said.
Some players on the team have had 10 to 12 years of experience, while others have had none, but they’re all valuable assets in Rouse-Becker’s eyes. She believes “the sky is the limit” for her girls, and that their first season performance depends on “how well they are able to team with each other in order to conquer the world as a united force.”
“They are stronger when they play together. They need to each believe that and respect what each person brings to the team,” she said.
Rouse-Becker believes that not all athletes understand the dynamics of being a good team player, and it’s an obstacle that must be overcome; the individual doesn’t win the championships, but the team.
“It is not just about what you can do on the ball field but also about what you can do to inspire your teammates and help them feel safe enough to do well,” she explained. “You have to eliminate the fear of failure in order to nurture success.”
Background Photo Credit: Rachel Horiuchi/The Foothill Dragon Press
