Tuesday, July 10, 2018

Part of a regular series.

Throughout the year, GNACsports.com uses this space to profile conference student-athletes, coaches, and administrators. Collectively, it is these individuals who make the GNAC one of the top NCAA Division II athletic conferences in the nation.

Name: Shelley Whitaker
Sport: Softball
School: Concordia
Hometown: Oak Harbor, Ohio

Colleges Attended & Degrees: University of Rio Grande, Muskingum University (Undergraduate: Physical Education/Health and Sports & Exercise Studies/Business Management. Graduate: Education)

Why Did You Become A Coach: I became a collegiate coach to share my passion for success within a competitive setting and to share in the growth of athletes both on the field and off.

Who Has Influenced You The Most As A Coach - Either As An Inspiration, A Mentor, Or Philosophically: I was fortunate to have a great mentor in Kevin Haslam who pushed me to challenge myself not only in the coaching realm but also as an athletic administrator. He allowed me to experience all aspects of conducting a successful collegiate athletics department.

Biggest Obstacle Overcome As A Coach: Coaching is one of the greatest professions that we have an opportunity to pursue a career in. The biggest obstacle that we face, in my opinion, is striving to maintain a work-life balance as this career is a lifestyle rather than a job. With that being said, I wouldn't trade this job for any other!

What Does Division II Mean To You: Division II means providing a highly competitive stage for our student-athletes to compete, both on the field and in the classroom, in a more intimate setting than Division I or Division III.

Extracurricular Activities: Weightlifting, exploring new places and wine tasting.

Best Advice You Would Give To Student-Athletes: Set realistic goals, work towards them daily and believe in yourself. Work ethic is something that no one can take away from you.

If You Could Spend The Day With One Person (Past Or Present), Who Would It Be (And Why): My dad. He was a great influence on my life and career.

Favorite Sports Team: THE Ohio State Buckeyes football

Favorite Athlete: Barry Sanders

Most Memorable Sports-Related Moment: My greatest athletic moment continues to be watching athletes enter our program as freshmen and watching their growth/development over their four-year careers.