Last Thursday (March 27, 2014), Monte Sherrill, the Head Coach of Alexander Central High in Taylorsville, N.C., won his 700^th game in his career to give him a remarkable overall record of 700-59.

Still going strong as his team is ranked No. 4 in our latest FAB 50 rankings and No. 1 in the MaxPrep ratings, he took some time to reflect on his “accidental” softball career as well as on the people and philosophies that have led to his great success…

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I would have never imagined that I could reach this milestone number of wins when I first started coaching.  My long stint with softball began when Coach Tony Elder asked me in the fall of 1988 if I would consider moving over from the Varsity Baseball Assistant to the softball squad. I really thought it would be a one or two year fill-in period before moving back to baseball, but what happened was quite the opposite.

Instead of moving back to baseball, we turned our softball team into a female version of baseball.

Tallying the 700th win, many people have asked the reason for the long-term success. There are a lot of factors that come into play with that question, but it all started with the way I was raised. I was the oldest of four boys and we were living in meager times with no frills.  My Dad worked hard for his paycheck and was very “old school” in much of his thought.

Pushing forward and going above the minimum expectation was the only way to shine in the workplace. He always reminded us that we would reap what we sowed, living by the mantra “if you make your bed, you sleep in it”.

As I began to play ball, I quickly learned that I could not compete with the other kids from different upbringings that dealt with money and were entitled to things that I never would be.

Once we were all on the field together these things were not important.  We had equal opportunities to make our mark but sheer determination shone brighter and flashier than any new equipment could ever be.

My objective was to out-work, out-practice and out-perform them all. The intensity and drive that I brought on the ball field not only equalized the off-the-field issues, but it helped me to focus on success.  I wanted to shine like the player I had patterned my game after, Pete Rose.

With the mindset of laying it all out on that field, the words of Vince Lombardi come to mind: “I am not sure that winning is so important as not losing.”

At times, my passion has been misconstrued as too intense, but that’s the way we were taught to play back in the 1970-‘80’s era. Those were the days when everyone did not get a trophy for being on the team or even finishing second. Only the winners were rewarded.

I specifically remember one instance when my Little League coach, Bobby Deal, gave our team an incentive.  He told us that he would take us to Hardees for a hamburger if we were undefeated at the end of the year. Boy, that ‘s what we went after, giving it all we had.

In fact, we ended up winning the Little League State Championship because we thought he might take us out for another victory meal. It sure is different now. I have built our program on the old fashioned philosophy of earning your spot and every player being a part of something that is bigger than themselves. We were a “throwback” team in 1989 and still are in 2014.

My background and work ethic has helped me reach this milestone, but it’s mostly because of the player who I have had over the years that have simply been the very best.  This is seen by not only their skills, but their ability to handle the constructive criticism that they get from me every day.

I have not been easy to play for, but compared to what Traci Carrigan Fox (our only senior on the ‘89 team) was part of as well as those players that experienced our push to succeed early on in my career… well, let’s just say that I am a teddy bear now!

On this note, I want to openly “Thank” all of my former/current players for giving our program the very best every day to put us at the top each year. The players in our program know that they only play if they are the best player for our team and that no egos are allowed at practice.

They know that practice is where true champions are made, that no politics come into play on our team and that we are only as good as today’s performance.

I also know our kids will always respect the American Flag and the veterans and they will always know where they stand in our program.

If I had to hold my hat on only one thing that has affected my program the most it would be the influence of the Marine Corps. Our teams might be made up of high school females, but these girls would do well in the U.S. Marines in any situation or job. The espirit de corps, the chain of command, wearing the uniform with pride, the code of conduct, and their overall ability to perform under pressure has been the staple of every team.

Our practices of drilling/skills/situations has always been so much more intense in practice than it is in games, including the State Championships.

A theme you hear in the Marines is, “The more you sweat in peacetime, the less you bleed in wartime.” We have adopted that philosophy in our practice sessions.

Every day for three hours, six days a week, our kids are put through enormous stress and attention to detail of the fundamentals of the game. Our kids have at least 225 quality swings every day, and field close to 100 hit balls.

If you really think about it, we have a layering effect going on. Each day we want to triple the practice intensity of other teams, triple the swings and catches, and practice longer than any team. The culmination of these standards is what allows us to put distance between our program and all other teams.

We are built as a no-nonsense group of banded sisters that can flat out play. We play fast physically and mentally and we play angry with resolve knowing we deserve to win.

I must take my hat off to the unbelievable group of assistant coaches that have been with me, from the first being one of my best friends, Danny Dyson, to the present day group who I feel are the best around.

The great part of our staff, throughout the years, has been a shared responsibility to help the kids try to get 1 percent better every day. At Alexander Central, there are never any “off” days and our coaches put their heart and soul into the players.

I sincerely appreciate all the people who have helped me reach 700.  I have learned far more from these assistants than they have learned from me.  I am a stronger and better coach because of the solid foundation of coaching staff that is holding me up.

I want to especially recognize Darrell Adkins in our current program who is retiring from softball.  Our high school has truly missed out on his exceptional abilities as a Head Coach in its history.  This man has everything it takes to take any program to the top!  He has it all as a coach.

My family has been more than supportive of my passion to coach. Many times, the wives of coaches are the unsung heroes of the team. Thanks to Becky for being my assistant coach.

As my family grew, my job changed and I’ve tried to accommodate.  I have had many cold dinners, nights of washing uniforms instead of being home, working on our field at all hours, and mowing the grass at home with a flashlight at midnight.

I am like my Dad in that I want to leave no stone unturned when it comes to my program. I strive for perfection in every aspect.

Ultimately, though, I hope my players have seen that I love the Lord through this game of softball. I am not close to being a perfect person or coach, even not close to the good representative of a good Christian, but I have been saved by the grace of God.

The 700 wins is a lot and I am humbled in that large numeral, but my No. 1  victory in Christ outweighs that total, or any total, by 100 fold.  God, Country, Corps (AC Softball in this case) remains intact in our program!

Monte Sherrill
Alexander Central HS
Assistant Athletic Director
Head Softball Coach

www.alexandercentralfastpitch.com