Julie Smith

Co-Director · jsmith24@ulv.edu - 951-751-7569

University of La Verne director of athletics Chris Ragsdale has announced the hiring of former U.S. Olympian Julie Smith as head coach of the Leopard softball program.

Smith, a decorated softball player at the collegiate, national and international level, was the starting second baseman on the 1996 U.S. Olympic Team that captured the gold medal in Atlanta. She also was a member of two World Championship teams and three Pan American squads that earned gold medals.

Though ULV will be her first collegiate coaching job, Smith has amassed seven years of coaching experience from the club level to the professional ranks. She currently serves as president of Teamsmith, Inc., coaching three of its Amateur Softball Association (ASA) travel teams. She also spent the 2005 season as general manager and head coach of the New York/New Jersey Juggernaut franchise of National Pro Fastpitch (NPF).

"I'm extremely pleased to announce Julie Smith as our new softball coach," Ragsdale said. "Julie’s credentials both as a player and a coach are impeccable, and I believe she is the person who will take our softball program to new levels."

A native of Glendora, Smith graduated from Charter Oak High School and was a member of Texas A&M’s 1987 NCAA national championship squad as a freshman. She also earned All-America honors that season before transferring to Fresno State. At FSU she would go on to earn All-America honors in 1990 and 1991 while helping the Bulldogs to an NCAA second-place finish in ’90. Smith was named Fresno State’s Female Athlete of the Year in 1991 and earned a spot on the NCAA 25th Anniversary Team in 2006.

“The opportunity to work in a collegiate environment is very exciting to me,” said Smith. “My expectations are to maintain a winning program here at La Verne while developing the necessary skills for the players to reach their full potential and make an imprint on this program.”

Over the past eight seasons, La Verne has captured four SCIAC softball titles (2000, 2001, 2002, 2004) along with four second-place finishes (2003, 2005, 2006, 2007)

Terry Schweikert

Co-Director · tschweik14@sbcglobal.net - 714-222-1953

Cal State Fullerton assistant coach Terry Schweikert returns for her third season as part of Michelle Gromacki’s staff, serving as the team’s “defensive coordinator” and recruiting coordinator, while helping Gromacki in all aspects of the program, including camps and clinics. Hired to her post in July, 2001, Schweikert spent the previous five years as an assistant coach at a pair of Big 12 Conference schools.

 “Terry’s knowledge of the game and her experience have been the reason for our consistant success. It didn’t take me long to realize that every great program has great assistants,” Gromacki said. “Terry has high standards for herself which translates into the team’s high standards. I couldn’t do without her.”
 She has been a member of four NFCA Regional Coaching Staffs of the Year, twice with the Titans and once each at Nebraska and Missouri.

Cal State Fullerton has finished in the top half of the league in fielding percentage in the Big West Conference over the last two seasons, including a high of .968 in 2002. She has teamed with Gromacki to win a pair of Speedline/NFCA West Region Coaching Staff of the Year awards the past two seasons.

Schweikert’s broke into coaching in 1997, serving as an assistant coach at her alma mater, Missouri. In her first season, the Tigers won the Big 12 Conference regular season and tournament title and returned to the NCAA Tournament. In her second season, Schweikert helped Missouri reach as high as No. 9 in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association’s top 25 poll.

While with the Tigers, Schweikert helped coach 11 All-Big 12 Conference team members, 11 Academic All-Big 12 Conference honorees, one Big 12 Conference Player of the Year, and an All-American.

From Columbia, Mo., Schweikert moved to Lincoln, Neb., where she spent three seasons as an assistant to Head Coach Rhonda Revelle at the University of Nebraska, helping the Cornhuskers to regional final appearances in 1999 and 2000. Schweikert also helped Nebraska to back-to-back Big 12 Championships in 2000 and 2001.

While with the Huskers,Schweikert worked primarily with the middle infielders and coached a three-time All-America infielder. She assisted Revelle with recruiting and also coordinated Nebraska’s camps, clinics and community outreach programs.
Nebraska was 138-57 (.708) overall and 41-12 (.774) in Big 12 play during Schweikert’s three seasons. She also coached a pair of All-Big 12 Conference honorees and three All-Midwest Region awardwinners.

Schweikert played softball for Missouri from 1982 to 1985, earning Missouri’s rookie of the year honors as a freshman and player of the year honors as a junior. She helped the Tigers to their only Big Eight Tournament title and first College World Series appearance in 1984. During her junior and senior years, Schweikert captained the Tigers and was named all-region both seasons.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in education, Schweikert returned to her hometown of Springfield, Mo., to serve as the head swimming coach, head volleyball coach and assistant basketball coach at Parkview High School. She also spent four years at Hopkins High School in Minnesota, where she served as the head softball coach and led her teams to two state tournaments. In 1996, she led Hopkins to a perfect 14-0 conference mark and was named the Minnesota High School Coach of the Year.

Throughout her coaching career, Schweikert has continued to play softball competitively. In 1990, she was named an Amateur Softball Association All-American while winning a national championship.

Schweikert currently resides in Corona. Her parents are Bill and Dorothy.

Kim Detwiler, MS, ATC, CSCS.

Kim is a Certified Athletic Trainer for the University of La Verne softball team, and also serves as full time faculty in the Athletic Training Education Program at La Verne.  Certified athletic trainers are skilled and educated in the prevention, treatment, assessment, and rehabilitation of athletic injuries.  Kim went to Modesto Junior College where she obtained an Associate’s degree in Sports Medicine, and then continued on to San Diego State University and earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Athletic Training.  After passing the Board of Certification Examination, Kim went to the University of Oregon and achieved a Master’s of Science in Athletic Training.  She is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist.  In addition to her role as a professor and athletic trainer at the University of La Verne, she volunteers as the chair of the National Athletic Trainer’s Association’s Young Professionals’ Committee. 

Mission Statement · Coaching Staff · Contact Us

info@teamsmithsoftball.com

Copyright 2011, TeamSmith Softball Organization. All rights are reserved.