CMS women's softball welcomes a new coach this season, Betsy Hipple, recently coaching at Hunter College in New York. Hired following an extensive national search, Hipple is described by Mike Sutton, CMS director of athletics and physical education, as a "terrific choice for the CMS program. She is competitive, resourceful, and committed, and really understands the unique challenges and opportunities of the three-college program at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps."
Hipple coached at Hunter College for the past five years, and says she looks forward to first ensuring the academic success of the student-athletes, and also providing a sports experience that "offers players an opportunity to excel as students of the game, play at a high level, have lots of fun, and develop lifelong friendships through fierce, fun softball."
Hipple received a master's degree in health education from the University of Utah and her bachelor's degree in recreation education from Northeastern University. She spent more than 10 years as an Outward Bound instructor in North Carolina and Florida, and also volunteered with the Peace Corps in Africa for more than two years. She also serves as an associate consultant for Avastone Consulting, a Georgia-based firm in which she designs and delivers complex business simulations with corporate executives in unique, outdoor, experience-based settings. During her five-year run at Hunter College, she developed winning teams, earning Tournament Titles in the school's conference and qualifying for NCAA Playoffs.
"Leadership is the key," Hipple says. "It is my forte, and it forms the foundation of successful coaching. I can't wait to meet the team and get started, and I'm juiced to go after the SCIAC Championship right out of the gate."