BAYNE STEPS DOWN AS LADY COUGAR SOFTBALL COACH

By BRYAN GRISHAM

CSCC Sports Information Director

Unless you have walked a mile in their shoes, very few people know how much work goes into being a coach at any level, expecially at the college level. Practice, recruiting, meetings, strategy sessions, psychologist, psychriatrist and sometimes mom and dad. These are just a few of the duties of a coach.

 

Cleveland State Lady Cougar head softball coach, Suzanne Bayne has decided that after 10 years of coaching at her alma mater (two as an assistant and eight as head coach) that it was time to do something else. Emotions ran high as the coach announced her decision to step down at the end of the season.

 

Bayne's two boys, Christopher (7) and Tanner (2), provided the final motivation in the coaches decision as they asked mom to come home.

 

"The boys have had to share mom for a long time now and I just decided that it was time to spend more time with them," explained Bayne. "I missed 14 of their games last year and that was just too many. I am torn, because I love coaching and the day to day relationships with the team. But, the boys wanted mommy at home, so that is where I am going to be."

 

Bayne will be moving to a new position at Cleveland State as the Coordinator of recruitment and enrollment manager and she is very excited about the new position.

 

"God has been awesome as always and he has opened a new door for me with a job that allows me to be with the boys more," Bayne continued. "I am going to miss the girls and game day the most, but I've thought about this for a while now and finally decided that this was the time to rearrange my priorities. Coaching is a passion. You have to have it in your blood. I am very competitive and at game time, I am tunnel vision and focused and I always wanted that from my team."

 

"When the final out is recorded and it hits me, I'm sure that it will be a very emotional time," said the coach. "I've been involved with softball for thirty years now. I played since I was four and now coaching for the last 10 years. When you are a coach it is a 24/7 job. You are on call at all times. I wouldn't trade my time at Cleveland State for anything, but now it is time to start a new chapter in my life and I am both anxious and excited."

 

Christopher, Tanner and husband Allard's gain will be Cleveland State's loss, that is for sure.