by Ryan Rogers
LSUSports.net
The LSU softball program took a new direction with the arrival of new head coach Yvette Girouard prior to the 2001 season. Girouard led a team that lost a stellar senior class in 2000, and despite this made them believe that they were a better team in 2001.
After the dust settled, LSU found itself in the Women’s College World Series for the first time where they finished in the final four.
Girouard was already a proven coach leading UL-Lafayette to three WCWS appearances and being name NCAA Division I coach of the year on two occasions.
What she found at LSU was a program on the verge of exploding- or maybe it has already.
“I have been tremendously impressed by LSU. I can not believe the resources available, the pride and tradition that exist at this school,” said Girouard
Coach Girouard claims she took a different approach to the 2001 season than she ever had before in her coaching career. Obviously it paid off.
“I took my own advice, I told myself to enjoy my athletes more,” said Girouard. “I need to enjoy everything that goes through coaching every year. There are not too many people that have a second chance after 20 years. I’ve been given a wonderful opportunity with a very talented team. I think it was probably the most relaxed I’ve ever been in my coaching career.”
LSU earned a milestone victory in defeating Oklahoma in the WCWS to advance to the final four of the tournament. The 13-inning 2-1 victory over Oklahoma WCWS was viewed by a record 1.57 million fans on ESPN2.
To put those figures in perspective, there were more viewers for softball than ESPN’s Major League Baseball coverage in America over the Memorial Day weekend.
“I had never been in an environment like that before. There were 6,000 people in the stands and 5,500 were cheering for the home team Oklahoma. It was deafening. Added to the atmosphere was the television coverage and it was really a situation I was never in before. I’ve been to the WCWS four times and it gets bigger every year,” said Girouard.
“We had to beat the defending national champions and we did it on their home field.”
Girouard envisions an even brighter future for softball, but the sport is in very good shape as it is right now.
“That’s the impact the television coverage can make on your sport,” said Girouard. “I really think softball has a lot of potential for exposure in the future. It’s a game that a lot of people can like. Once you’ve come out and watched softball you’ll be hooked. It’s so much like baseball that men like it. The games are very fast so women like it. They don’t have to sit through four hours of softball like you would sometimes in baseball. There’s a lot of great pitching on display in college softball. I really think that softball is a great sport that people can grow to enjoy.
“I think I knew that softball had made it years ago when little boys would run up to us and ask us for autographs.”
Girouard knows full well the advantages LSU will gain with a WCWS appearance and television exposure. Sports like football and basketball have basked in television exposure over the years at the collegiate level.
The biggest impact will be in recruiting. No matter what sport you’re dealing with, the metaphor usually stands as true. ‘If you want to play with the big boys, you better go out and get the big boys.”
Girouard has always had success recruiting in the past. Her efforts may improve even more with the added incentives she has to offer after the WCWS appearance.
“Recruiting is going extremely well. We’ve e-mailed all of our prospects and our responses have just lit up the Internet,” said Girouard. “Almost everyone we’re interested in across the country is interested in LSU. I received a phone call from a man in Dallas who said his 8-year old daughter wants to come to our summer camp because she saw us on ESPN2.
“We can compete with anybody in the country for any student-athlete.”
Girouard has also learned that she has become somewhat of a celebrity. Girouard was baffled by gentlemen at the airport in New Orleans arriving home from the WCWS.
A man approached her and said, “You’re the coach of LSU’s softball team.”
Girouard responded yes and the two spoke about the WCWS for a few minutes. Then Girouard inquired about where the man was from. Expecting him to reply New Orleans or another local area, Girouard was surprised by his answer.
“He said he was from Washington D.C. He said he stayed up all night watching the LSU-Oklahoma game. He went on to say that from now on he will follow LSU softball every season,” said Girouard
Girouard is very happy with the seat she sits in now at LSU. She appreciates the foundation laid down for her at LSU so that she could take the program to the next level.
“I think what this program has done in five years in incredible. They’ve done nothing but win. And to be in the WCWS in your fifth year is incredible statement with credit going to everyone who’s had a place in LSU softball over the last five years.”
Girouard is extremely pleased with her team’s results in 2001. She smiles when LSU supporters mention to her how disappointing it must have been not to win the National Title. Girouard is striving for a national title one day, but is quite content with a top four finish.
“I think LSU fans are spoiled by baseball and track. National titles don’t happen over night. A fellow coach at LSU once told me LSU has the best fans and the worst fans. The best fans because they support you with unmatched enthusiasm. But the worst fans because anything less than a national title is not good enough. It’s great that the fans expect success, but we will have to take things very slowly as we build toward our ultimate goal,” said Girouard.
“I think that there’s every reason to believe that we can be very successful year-in and year-out. That’s one of the reasons why I came here because LSU provides an opportunity to be in the elite of college softball every year. Now things can happen that can affect that. Injuries, you could have a bad recruiting year. But overall, LSU has the resources, the name, the national prestige, to be able to get you to the WCWS consistently.”