Mr. Brian Neeefe announced his retirement from the softball program at Southern Lehigh High School after 52 seasons as head coach. He leaves behind a legacy with statistics that speak for themselves. His success at Southern Lehigh will be remembered by his 28 Colonial League titles, 9 District XI titles, and an appearance in the state finals. Overall, Mr. Neefe had an 847-269 record, the most victories in program history.
Not only has Mr. Neefe made an impact on the softball program, but he has also left an impression on the girls he coached. Senior Morghan Davies feels that Mr. Neefe encouraged her to work hard and be her best.
“He’s very inspiring because he’s pretty much been the longest coach I’ve ever known, and he has a lot of accomplishments. He’s all over the news, and it’s kind of just inspiring,” Davies said. “I look up to him as a role model because having him as my coach would motivate me more as a player.”
Mr. Neefe recently added one more accomplishment to his legacy at Southern Lehigh. He was recently inducted into the Hall of Fame along with five others, one being his former assistant coach, Ms. Rosemary Grube. The two of them worked together to bring in and shape their players to be the best version of themselves.
“My time at SL has been very rewarding and enjoyable,” Mr. Neefe said. “Being inducted into the Hall of Fame is the result of being fair, consistent, and working with very talented players and coaches, especially Roni Grube.”
While he does have impressive achievements, Mr. Neefe was also known as a very personable coach who connected with his players on a more personal level. Making sure the team was linked on the field was of course important to him, but making sure they all had connections outside of the sport took precedence.
“He showed me what it is to be a leader through team bonding and by including everyone. He definitely made me a more outgoing person” senior Chloe Benner said.
After the program’s loss of such a knowledgeable mentor, adjustments will have to be made. With different coaching styles and new players coming in, the team will have to set their goals together and be determined to make them happen.
“For him being here for 52 years, I think it will be a huge change since he had so much knowledge about past games, and with him coaching there for a while, he knows the strategies,” Benner said. “He also knew how to work with specific girls because not every girl is gonna learn the same, and we’re not all the same players, so it will be a different way we learn different things.”
Regardless, the girls will carry with them what they’ve learned from Mr. Neefe and apply it to the seasons going forward. Building on themes of collaboration, improvement, high spirits, and more, the Southern Lehigh softball program will continue the legacy Mr. Neefe created.
