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On National Coaches Day, we celebrate the mentors, leaders, and role models who make a lasting impact on student-athletes and their communities. Today, we’re proud to spotlight Coach Justine Vogie, who brings passion, perspective, and purpose to Harrison High School’s JV Softball program.
A Life of Softball
For Justine, softball has been a lifelong love. She’s been involved with the game for more than 30 years, filling roles as a player, umpire, and now coach. “I genuinely love the game of softball,” she says. “I love being able to help players realize and reach their potential and show them that there’s more to the game than just hitting and fielding.”
Her approach echoes the influence of her own JV coach from high school, someone she remembers for making the game fun and easy to love. That spirit lives on in Justine’s coaching style, which emphasizes both fundamentals and strategy, as well as balance, joy, and perspective.
The Joy of Teaching Strategy
While teaching mechanics is important, Justine lights up when describing the moments when players begin to grasp the deeper strategy of the game. “Fundamentals are key, but when a player is ready to start growing their knowledge of the strategy, and then when that lightbulb clicks. It’s one of the most enjoyable moments in coaching.”
She recalls one game in particular where a player hit a home run and then stepped up to the plate later in the same inning and launched another. That kind of moment, she says, is why she coaches.
Coaching in a Changing World
Like many coaches today, Justine navigates new challenges that go beyond the playing field. “The current landscape of softball and life has changed so much since I was a player,” she explains. “The biggest challenge is managing a team in the digital age. Attention spans are short, and instant gratification is everywhere thanks to social media. Finding ways to divert players’ focus from their devices and keep them locked into practice or a game is something I work on every season.”
For her, the solution is a combination of patience, creativity, and empathy. She says these are skills that define a truly coachable athlete as well. “Being coachable means really listening, understanding the why behind feedback, and trusting that your coach is asking you to do something because they know you’re capable of it. That trait helps you succeed in sports and in life.”
Looking Ahead
As for the future of coaching, Justine hopes high school and middle school athletics never lose sight of the fact that these are still youth sports. “I hope that more parents, coaches, administrators, and officials see this as an opportunity to grow the love and knowledge of the game, not just chase trophies or accolades.”
It’s that philosophy that makes her such an important presence at Harrison and a role model for her athletes.
How Eventlink® Helps Coaches Succeed
Managing a spring sport means navigating unpredictable weather and frequent schedule changes. That’s where Eventlink® helps lighten the load. “With a spring sport that’s notorious for being rained out, Eventlink® makes it easier to check which facilities are available if I need to move practice inside. It also makes it easier to know what time our away game buses are supposed to depart, so I know when all my players need to be ready to go,” she shared.
As the Eventlink® product manager, Justine appreciates that the new features are always evolving to support coaches and schools. “I know the Eventlink® team is always hard at work coming up with new features to keep customers happy, so I can’t wait to see what they come up with next!”
Eventlink® is the best-in-class software for schools and athletic departments. Trusted by schools nationwide, Eventlink is the go-to tool for Athletic Directors, coaches, administrators, parents, and students to manage day-to-day activities for each season. Eventlink streamlines game and practice schedules, e-contracts, facility management, digital tickets, athletic websites, and more. It simplifies the workload for schools and athletic departments while providing a user-friendly, ‘One Spot’ platform to connect with their parents, students, and community.
