Dana College - Softball Camps

Official Web Site of...

DC Vikings Softball Camps

Dana College
Blair, Nebraska

Before the season started for the Dana softball team, Head Coach Marcy Roff told her players to write down every bad experience they had ever had while playing softball. Some wrote a little; some wrote a lot. After they were done, the team went outside and burned all the papers to cinders.

Roff believes that above all else, softball should be something enjoyable.

“You have to love the game to play with us,” she said. “With varsity and junior varsity combined, we play 70-plus games in a season. To do that, you have to be dedicated in and out of season.”

Roff has brought a new attitude to Viking Softball.

“We want it to be a family-type atmosphere,” Roff said. “Everybody gets along. Everybody supports each other. And everybody competes with each other in a healthy way.”

The team spends time together doing team-building activities outside of softball weekly. Roff also assigns every player a “spirit buddy,” whose job is to be her partner’s biggest fan (and vice versa).

But the Vikings are hardly pushovers. Roff stresses aggressiveness in all aspects of play. The Vikings are aggressive on the bases, aggressive at bat and aggressive in the field. They rely on a run-generating offense designed to put all the pressure on their opponents’ defenses.

Every member of the team has her role and is pushed to become the best player she can be. Roff said she is looking for recruits who are willing to accept this challenge and able to be part of something bigger than themselves. Recruits should also have versatility, athleticism, an understanding of the game and the willingness to try new positions.

The Vikings play in the tough Great Plains Athletic Conference and also schedule respected non-conference games. Roff says the schedule helps the Vikings get attention when it comes time to do rankings.

“ We have three goals: Win our conference or our conference tournament and go on to nationals.”