"Coach Rice is one of the best coaches I have ever had in my entire career. Coach Rice absolutely plays to win and is one of the most dedicated coaches I know. She puts in the extra effort not just to help her athletes succeed in softball, but also to help shape us as individuals. She is very direct and honest—sometimes we would even joke that she was “too honest.” But that honesty was one of the things I appreciated most. She always told me what I needed to hear, even if it was the hard truth. Those conversations helped me understand her expectations and pushed me to become a better player and person. Coach Rice built my confidence in so many ways—both on the field and academically. She created a true love for the game that some coaches can never do. At Slippery Rock, she built a culture where softball is fun, and she made sure practices included activities that kept us laughing and enjoying the process. One year after losing almost every pre-season game, instead of yelling like most coaches would have, she calmy was just telling us not to panic, that we were great players and it'll all come together, and it sure did. She always preached the importance of “family, school, softball”—in that order. I missed plenty of practices for family or school reasons, and not once did I feel like she was disappointed in me for doing so. That understanding and support made all the difference. The culture shift that people have talked about was driven by Coach Rice. I came in right as that shift was beginning, and while the players played a role in leading it, we were only able to do so because of the guidance and example she set. I’ll never forget something she told me in one of our many conversations: “I change the way I coach to the type of players that I have, and I’ll do whatever it takes to do that.” That mindset defines who she is as a coach—and why she has made such a lasting impact on all of us."