Concordia University Chicago appoints Lisa Lovitsch as head softball coach
RIVER FOREST, Ill. -- Concordia University Chicago is pleased to announce that Lisa Lovitsch has accepted the position of head coach for softball, effective January 1, 2008. Lovitsch, currently in her second season as assistant volleyball coach at Concordia, succeeds Kathy Gebhardt who will continue on as the head coach for the Cougars' volleyball program.

"I am very excited about being given this promising opportunity," states Lovitsch. "Seeing young people develop into all-around athletes, on both a physical and personal level, and watching them mature through experience is my passion, and I trust that my coaching skills and enthusiasm will be of great benefit to the Cougar softball program."

Lovitsch carries with her a rich athletics background into the position. She was a standout athlete in softball, basketball and soccer at suburban Westmont High School, and she excelled in softball and basketball at Concordia University in Seward, Nebraska. Her softball honors at Concordia Seward were many, including four all-conference honors, three Most Valuable Player awards and four "Outstanding Outfielder" honors. She served as a player/coach during the 1989 season while the team's coach was on sabbatical and served the following year as an assistant coach for the Lady Bulldogs.

"Softball has been a part of my life from an early age," explains Lovitsch. "I probably first picked up a bat and ball at age five and began playing organized baseball at age eight. I was playing softball constantly by the time I was 14 and, between high school ball and the summer leagues, I had many chances to develop my skills and increase my knowledge of the game."

Lovitsch inherits a Cougar softball program that is coming off of a 9-28 season and featured just 12 letter winners in the spring of 2007. Lovitsch notes, "There will be challenges with this new position, and certainly increasing the numbers will be a priority. I do feel that Concordia Chicago is an amazing school; its location and tradition are just a couple of its great features, and it offers its students not only a chance for a great education but also many activities with which to get involved. I think that I can successfully promote all of those attributes plus the chance to play for a softball program that is on its way up."

Lovitsch goes on to say, "This coming season will be one of much evaluation while working with the players that we do have committed to the program already. In many ways, we will be developing their skills from the ground up. However, I feel that the enthusiasm that I bring to the job will help override many of the challenges, and I will look for our players to bring an enormous amount of energy as they look to improve individually and help the team move forward. Our program will be fun but, at the same time, feature a great deal of intensity."

Lovitsch graduated Concordia Seward in 1990 with a B.S. in elementary education and concentration in art. She earned her Master's in education from the University of Phoenix in Denver, Colorado in 1996.

Courtesy of Concordia University Chicago, Sports Information Department, January 14, 2008.