Top Headlines
January Softball Clinic Another Success for Calvin Softball Team
For the second straight year, the Calvin softball team and its coaching staff hosted a high school softball clinic inside the Huizenga Tennis and Track Center. This year’s clinic took place on January 21 and included nearly 30 clinic registrants. Although the weather outside was cold, the action inside Calvin’s T & T facility was red-hot as the high school players attending were given expert instruction on fielding, hitting and pitching.
Four Members of 2011 Calvin Softball Team Receive NFCA All-American Scholar-Athlete Honors
Four members of the 2011 Calvin College softball team have received NFCA All-American Scholar-Athlete honors. The four individuals from that Calvin team to be so honored include Shelby Mast (Hudsonville/Hudsonville HS), Heather Sanderson (Rockford/Grand Rapids Christian HS), Malissa Swinkels (Beamsville/Smithville District Christian HS) and Rebekah Kline (Rochester/Oakland Christian HS). The award is given to any player submitted by a member coach who achieved a 3.50 grade point average or higher during the 2010-11 academic year. This year’s total of 4,331 honorees bested last year’s total by over 30 student-athletes. The membership category with the most participating institutions this year was Division III with 168, while high school led the way in total honorees with 1,160.The 2011 Calvin softball team was led by head coach Sharon DeKleine.
Calvin College Athletics Program to Join Nation-wide Division III Partnership With Special Olympics
By sports information student assistant Andrew Knot
As part of the Division III National Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), Calvin athletics recently joined a Division III partnership with the United States’ Special Olympic Committee, adding a valuable opportunity to the athletic department’s already service-driven outlook. The SAAC is an NCAA organization tiered at the national, conference, and school level. The national, and governing, branch of the organization, seeks to “to enhance the total student-athlete experience by promoting opportunity, protecting student-athlete welfare and fostering a positive student-athlete image,” according to the organization’s website.
