By: Adalee Hobson, SHS Media
Long before the Lady Lions punched their ticket to semi-state, their coach had already made the biggest impact - not just on the field, but in the lives of every player he ever coached. Rodney Brough is the softball coach for the Salem Lady Lions. He has been coaching at Salem since 2014.
“I wanted to teach and coach football and then I became a dad of girls!” Brough said. “Being a girl dad changed my coaching direction, and I wouldn’t change that for anything. I have gotten to coach so many girls at Salem and surrounding schools through school and travel ball, it has been so rewarding. A handful of them are coming back to be my assistants at Salem as well.”
One of the girls Brough coached, who is now one of his assistant coaches, is Lexi Garloch.
“I have had bad experiences with coaches, but Coach Brough is one of the best experiences that I have ever had,” she said. "He stands out as a coach because it's not just about the game for him. It's about taking care of players and allowing the softball field to be their outlet. He expects the best you can give everyday, with the grace of allowing failure. He produces culture and increases team values. Instead of wanting to win he wants to produce good productive people that will thrive in real life.”
For the Lady Lions, this message has stuck with them through practices and every game. Brough's coaching style is about effort, accountability and supporting one another on and off the field.
His players say he reminds them that who they become as people will always be more important than what the scoreboard says. This belief pushed the girls all the way to semi-state last season. They fought through the hard games as their coach reminded them to focus on the moment, trust the work, and play for each other.
“The hash tag I often use is #WinnersWin. This doesn’t mean it's always about winning. It’s about doing the best you can, bringing a good attitude and effort and overcoming obstacles or circumstances,” Brough said.
Karly Sweeney and Callie Backherms are two players that played for Brough and plan to come back this season to help coach.
“Rodney had a big impact on me as an athlete by pushing me to work hard and focus on being a leader,” said Sweeney. “Now, as a coach, I’m able to see and learn from the way he runs practices, teaches skills, and encourages players.”
Backherms said that being coached by Brough helped shape how she sees the game.
“And now I get to learn from him in a new way while helping develop the next group of players,” she said. “It’s been a really special full-circle experience.”
Brough's coaching style has made such an impact in each player's lives that they want to stay near the sport and environment he has created.
For the Lady Lions, he isn’t just the coach who led them to semi-state. For them, he’s the coach who changed the game.