Local softball coach named 2019 "Coach of the Year" by FlipGive

Tricia Fletcher, who coaches the 12U Elite Krunch softball team in Central Pennsylvania, was named as one of FlipGive’s 2019 Coach of the Year Award winners and found out the exciting news in a very special way. Her team helped arrange for her to receive the phone call notifying her she had won while they were all together, and they even surprised her with the framed official winner’s certification and a cake!

Coach Fletcher is known for her constant smile and high energy. Whether it be as a small child, her college days or currently as a mother, wife and youth travel softball coach nothing has changed. She still carries the same infectious smile and is always high energy, confident and driven to succeed in all that she does. Coach Fletcher instills those same qualities and values not only in her children, but of those who are lucky enough to call her “coach.”

During the Monday through Friday work week, she works a normal full time job, and the majority of her evening and weekend time is devoted to coaching. To say she’s committed to her players and team is an understatement. She’s spent the last four years with the Krunch after coaching for a time at Gettysburg College and Cumberland Valley High School.

“I love the game, developing players from one skillset to the next, and helping them achieve their goals,” said Coach Fletcher.

You could say softball is in Coach Tricia Fletcher’s DNA. Believe it or not, she is actually a fourth generation softball player. Tricia gets her softball genes from her mother Nita’s side of the family. In fact, Nita’s mother and grandmother were both shortstops and catchers. Her mother was a pretty good catcher in her playing days also and could be found for many years catching Tricia as she learned to pitch and teaching her the game of softball as a child. Tricia’s sisters also played softball for several years.

Tricia played softball at the University of Maryland and the University of California-Berkeley before becoming a coach. During her two years at Berkeley, she played in 67 games and helped the team to a fourth place finish in the college world series during her senior year. The Golden Bears also won the Region 7 Championship in 1999, and Tricia won the Golden Glove award for least defensive errors in the infield. With her career at Berkeley behind her she then began pursuing her master’s degree in Sports Science and became an assistant coach at Miami of Ohio University. During this time the team won the MAC Championship.

Coach Fletcher married Wayne Fletcher in 2005. Soon thereafter, they had a son, Wayne Fletcher II, who is now 13 years old, followed by a daughter named Kayla in 2007, who plays softball on Coach Fletcher’s Elite Krunch team. Both of Tricia’s kids play basketball as well. A true sports family, Tricia’s daughter also plays soccer and her husband is the head basketball coach for Central Dauphin High School boys’ team.

Leslie Riggleman, the mother of one of Coach Fletcher’s softball players, said: “Her ability to get her teams to compete at high levels and all the while being able to instill confidence, build self-esteem and drive her players to do their best on and off the field has made her one of the areas most sought-after softball coaches. If you ask her current players what Coach Fletcher inspires them to be, you would be surprised that the word ‘softball’ wouldn’t be included in 95% of their answers.”

Tricia spent her high school years playing softball, basketball, and volleyball. Tricia didn’t start pitching until the age of 13, but quickly became a force on the mound. She was best known for her curveball. Due to her tremendous athletic ability, her high familial softball IQ and her overall mental quickness, Tricia was able to play every infield position during her high school years. She was a three-time captain of the softball team and a four time first-team all-county selection. She was awarded player of the year during her senior year of 1995.

These days you can catch Coach Fletcher’s daughter, Kayla, at shortstop for her team the Krunch 12U Elite, with some of those same qualities.

Tricia will tell you that she has had many influences over the years to get to the coach that she is today. None of them more influential than another-- just different periods in her life.

Coach Fletcher’s team has qualified to play in a world series in Florida the summer of 2020 and is expected to compete with the highest level of teams from the east coast, thanks of course to their fearless leader’s dedication and expertise.

For more information, visit www.flipgive.com.