Former UCLA coach Sue Enquist delivered the keynote address to officially open the 2021 NFCA Convention on Wednesday. (Photo: NFCA)
By JUSTIN MCLEOD
Sue Enquist was among “her people” on Wednesday night. The former UCLA head coach and player spoke to a crowd of hundreds of coaches in the official “kickoff” event to the 2021 NFCA Convention in Las Vegas.
Earlier in the day, some pre-convention sessions and meetings were held, but the highlight of Wednesday was the opening reception and Enquist’s speech.
NFCA Executive Director Carol Bruggeman, in introducing Enquist, called her ‘the coach’s coach’ and reminded attendees that Enquist once sat where they currently were – in a crowd of peers, as a young coach, wanting to learn and grow as much as possible.
When Enquist ascended to the platform, some technical issues caused her microphone to malfunction. After a few ‘Testing, testing’ moments, Enquist shouted ‘TESTING’ to help break the ice in the midst of an awkward, anticipating silence around the room. The crowd laughed and the moment set the tone for the rest of Enquist’s speech – light-hearted and filled with fun and humor, but a speech that also included some great nuggets of wisdom.
“Celebrating the Stubborn Optimist” was the theme of Enquist’s speech, and with that theme, she targeted her talk and spoke directly to the coach’s mindset and incorporated elements of both challenge and encouragement.
A frequent speaker in her post-coaching life, Enquist’s experience on the dais was clear from the outset. So, also, was her penchant for memorable quotes. A few samples, each their own golden nugget:
- “We value what we measure and measure what we value.”
- “[Coaches] are a belief maker” responsible for creating belief in who players are, not just what they do.
- “It’s not your program – we are stewards of the game.”
- “[Team] culture is hard, because culture is like a baby – you have to keep your eyes on it 24/7 and feed it multiple times a day.”
And, when noting the sequined blouse that she wore, “If you’re wondering if the party has started, my top is saying the party has started!”
One of the main themes throughout Enquist’s speech was the difference between “bad stubborn” and “good stubborn”, as she categorized them. She shared stories of her early years of coaching, noting herself as being “bad stubborn” and set in her ways. Concerned more about results than anything, she noted:
“Bad stubbornness is just your ego so get over yourself!”
She challenged the coaches to be the “good kind of stubborn” by choosing to go against a natural tendency to catch players doing things wrong on the field. Instead, she said it’s the thought process that should be changed, encouraging coaches to be the one to look for the things their players are doing right and to build on that.
Throughout the speech, Enquist made a point to acknowledge and celebrate those who work behind the scenes and those who have been in the softball world a long time. At different intervals, she had the crowd applaud NFCA employees, assistant coaches in attendance, and those that have been involved in the game for over 40 years.
Extra Inning Softball correspondent Joy Roeder also contributed to this article from Las Vegas.
Today at the NFCA Convention: Thursday’s slate includes a full day of Convention events, including Notre Dame head coach Deanna Gumpf’s 1-on-1 chat with former Fighting Irish women’s basketball coach Muffet McGraw and James Madison head coach Loren LaPorte‘s presentation of a talk entitled A Season to Remember.
