Lorene Ramsey

Lorene Ramsey, a pioneer in women's sports, is one of the most successful college coaches of all time. In 1968, Ramsey joined the staff of Illinois Central College, a community college in East Peoria, Illinois. There, before the passing of Title IX, she started the women's athletic program. She coached the softball team for 28 years, compiling an overall record of 840-309 and two NJCAA National Softball Championships. She also coached the women's basketball team for 33 seasons amassing a record of 887-197 while winning four NJCAA Women's Basketball Championships. She has been inducted into 10 halls of fame including the National Softball Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. She was a founding officer of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association and, as a player, was inducted into the ASA Hall of Fame in 1987.

History

Lorene Ramsey was born July 10, 1936 in St. Louis, Missouri. In 1955, she moved from St. Louis to central Illinois to pitch for the Pekin Lettes. A successful athlete in her own right, she pitched for 18 years there and had an overall record of 401-90. In 1965 she pitched 98 1/3 scoreless innings. She was a four-time ASA All-American. In 1968, she left the teaching staff of Pekin High School to join the staff of Illinois Central College, where she helped develop an intramural sports program for both men and women. This program turned into Illinois Central College's current intercollegiate athletic program. Throughout the history of Illinois Central College women's sports, hundreds of women have gone on to receive NCAA Division I and II athletic scholarships to four-year colleges and universities.

ources

* [http://www.icc.edu/ Illinois Central College]
* [http://asasoftball.com Amateur Softball Association]
* [http://nfca.org National Fastpitch Coaches Association]
* [https://ncaa.org NCAA]