Head coach, Greg Ellis, looks to put STLCC softball back on the map
By: Spencer Gleason
-Sports Editor-
After the Lady Archers softball team finished their inaugural season with an overall record of 27-23 and placed second in the Regions XVI Tournament, the Lady Archers announced on Aug. 14, that assistant coach Greg Ellis would become the newest member to join the head coaching staff at STLCC. Ellis, will be the third head softball coach in three years to call STLCC-Meramec home.
“We should compete for the regional title every year,” Ellis said. “If I can get the players that I think I can get to come and play here, regions will just be another tournament for us toward nationals. That should be ours to win every year. That is my goal.”
Ellis gives himself five years to make that goal a reality.
“In five years, I should be able to build this program up,” Ellis said. “If I do not make it to nationals within five years, I am going to be very disappointed. Of course, if it happens sooner that is great.”
Ellis, who was the assistant coach for the now defunct STLCC-Forest Park Highlanders softball team for two seasons under co-head coaches Ken Williams and Sharon Marquardt, has also coached summer select softball teams for ten years.
“The summer programs have really put a charge and a ton of interest in the college level,” Ellis said. “Whereas, when Celeste (Knierim) coached here she got the cream of the crop from the St. Louis area. Every great softball player wanted to come to Meramec. Now a lot of St. Louis girls go other places instead of staying right here. It is more of a challenge to try to get the local girls to come here, which is my goal.”
During her softball-coaching career at Meramec, Celeste Knierim became the all-time winningest softball coach in National Junior College Athletic Association history with a record of 1,041-544. Since her retirement in 2004, the then Meramec Magic struggled to break a winning percentage above .500. Ellis will hope to change that and turn the page by bringing in local talent.
Although STLCC may be a stone’s throw away from home with mom and dad for local recruits and they might not get the “quote, unquote college experience as much,” Ellis believes the draw to his Archers is the family atmosphere his team embraces.
“I would say, come here and try it out. If after a year they do not feel like they want to play anymore, that is okay and they would not have cost their parents a fortune,” Ellis said. “Another thing too, is their mom and dad have watched them play for years now — every game. Now the kid goes away somewhere where it will be hard for their parents to see another game. If they come here, it will be easier for the moms and dads to see the games.”
