Having the title of a Softball Head Coach, the first thought that might strike is that the person has years of experience and expertise devoted solely to softball.
This is not the case with Softball Head Coach Robbie Moen, who has gained over 20 years of coaching experience not only in softball, but in baseball, volleyball, football and soccer as well.
This is Moen’s first year at Coppell. Before this, Moen had an enriching experience coaching the Russian National baseball team in 2017.
“That was the coolest experience I ever had coaching,” Moen said. “I got an opportunity from an old coach from the University of Arizona [who] called me and asked me if I would be interested, and I said, ‘absolutely.’”
It can be a challenge communicating with people whose first language is not English, but Moen was able to work his way around this language barrier.
“I did a lot of demonstrating,” Moen said. “I drew pictures on the ground and had a translator for conversations. This way, I was able to connect with [the team].”
This experience has taught Moen skills which he incorporates while coaching Coppell’s softball team.
“It was a really good thing for me as a coach because it taught me how to communicate without being able to verbalize a lot of it,” Moen said.
Specifically, learning to communicate with people who speak different languages has helped Moen efficiently coach the team and individually address players’ weaknesses.
“It really makes you realize that you have to be able to reach every player at different levels because skill levels aren’t the same, [even though] they are close,” Moen said. “I should be able to reach this person’s learning ability and get them to understand, and if they cannot get it the way I am explaining it, I should figure out how to explain it in another way.”
His expertise is reflected in his coaching style, which focuses on helping the team learn from their mistakes and improve.
”He is a very visual person,” senior Mallory Moore said. “He shows us what we are doing wrong. He is not a person who just tells us that we are doing something wrong.”
The experience of working with the Russian national baseball team has also taught Moen the importance of addressing every team member, to ensure that the team as a whole is at its best.
Moen’s passion for softball and teaching this sport led him to the position of head softball coach at coppell.
“The balance that he provided is what excited me about Coach Moen in the interview process,” Coppell athletic director Kit Pehl said. “[He had] that combination of providing a student athlete experience with the opportunity to win and to have a strong program.”
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