‘Living the dream’: Lions’ new softball coach developing players, enthusiasm

COTTAGE GROVE – When Cottage Grove’s new softball coach, Sarah Keefauver, was offered the unexpected opportunity to oversee an entire program as the Lions’ head coach, she leaped at the chance. After all, she was only fulfilling her lifelong dream.

“This is my dream job,” Keefauver said. “It always has been –  to teach and be a head coach of the softball team. I didn’t think I’d see the dream come true this early in my life, but I’m so excited about it.”

And that enthusiasm was certainly palpable on Friday at Cottage Grove’s doubleheader against Marshfield when Keefauver was seen dancing on the sidelines, leading the cheers, and being the life of Varsity Field. The Lions completed a successful second week of Sky-Em league, going 3-0 against the Marshfield Pirates. 

Promising future

This marks the first time since at least 2014 that Cottage Grove has swept Marshfield in its three scheduled games and the Lions’ first win against Marshfield in two years, when they went 1-2 against the Pirates during the ’23 season. 

While the team relies on senior leaders such as pitcher Emily Pacheco, who struck out 28 overall against the Pirates and went 3-for-3 with 3 RBIs in their last game, and Addison Hitt from the middle of the lineup, the new coach points to younger players, too.

Keefauver said the talent is spread out and includes the younger classes. She said she hopes to depend on that in the following years.

“We just have a lot of different girls who can do a lot of different things,” she said. “We have quite a few sophomores in the lineup this year that are holding their own for us; Alexsis Woody is doing awesome. Shae Richardson showed up today. Also, we’ve got June Thornton – she’s a captain for us. She also works a lot behind the plate for us. Instilling that confidence in them and showing them that they are just as valuable as some of that senior leadership who have a few more years of experience at this level. They’re all stepping up and doing their job.”

Developing and refining the younger players is especially crucial this year, as the team has “got a chip on their shoulder this year to have a winning record.” Despite the efforts of standout players, the Lions went from 2003-21 without a winning record (according to the Oregon High School Sports Records).

Instilling a new philosophy

Keefauver hopes to change that and elevate the program by leaning on her developed relationships with the players and instill a belief in unlimited potential.

“I’ve known them for a couple of years now as I assisted coaching for the last two years,“ Keefauver said.  “Not as a full-time assistant, but I was a pitching coach, and then I was doing skill work with them as needed, and I showed up to games when I could. Also, this is my third year teaching at the high school. I teach Language Arts, so I get to see them all the time. I think that’s really special, too. We get to spend a lot of time together.”

Keefauver has had a couple of coaching stints that range from being an assistant coach at multiple schools, including Thurston High School. She’s also helped with basketball. This is her first year as varsity head coach at any school, though.

“I want to show them that the sky’s the limit and instill that belief and success and excellence,” Keefauver said. “I expect them to do great things every day, so when they do, I’m not surprised by that, because I know that they’re capable of it.”

Keefauver’s coaching philosophy also touches upon community impact. The team is encouraged to be pillars in the community and school, focusing on academic success and good behavior.

“For us, that looks like taking care of business,” Keefauver said. “In the classroom, being the kid that people want to have in class, being nice to everybody, kindness, leading by example, not being involved in, like, the high school drama. It’s getting them in that mindset of how they carry themselves in the world, and that when you do the right thing, it gets you a lot farther.”