Oakdale Names Softball Field in Honor of Former Coach Darlene Headrick

By Terry Futrell

Dynasty – it is not a word we throw around casually in the sports world, but one that truly describes the softball program developed at Oakdale High School during the years that Darlene Headrick coached from 1986-2003. In recognition of Headrick’s coaching achievements, Oakdale High School named their softball field “Darlene Headrick Field” in a ceremony held before the Oakdale versus Sunbright game on March 14, 2022.

Taking over a fledgling team that had existed for only two years, Headrick was faced with the formidable challenge of developing fundamental softball skills in her players and developing pitchers. This was a tough challenge for a coach who had never played a softball game and for many of her players who also had never played softball before. Headrick previously served as assistant coach for five years and head coach for one year at Victory Christian Academy in Jacksonville, Florida, but had never played on a softball team. There was no community youth softball program at Oakdale at the time, so Headrick was faced with a “green” crop of freshman players each year.

After seven years of development, Headrick’s teams established a remarkable record over the next ten years that exemplifies dynasty. Their accomplishments included:

• A 238-149 win-loss record
• Finishing in the top two in the district for 10 consecutive years – six district championships (1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999), and district runner-up four times (1994, 2000, 2001, 2002)
• Appearing in ten consecutive regional tournaments from 1993-2002 – three regional championships (1993, 1994, 1998), and regional runner-up four times (1995, 1996, 1997, 1999)
• Seven consecutive sub-state appearances from 1993-1999 – won the sub-state in 1998 and appeared in the state tournament

When asked what the most rewarding experience was in her coaching career, Headrick was quick to respond, “Spending time with so many young ladies – close to 150 played for me during those years – spending time with them and watching them improve and compete.”

Headrick stated that her favorite memory was of the 1998 team going to the state tournament. The team won 21 games and beat several large AAA schools – it was an exciting season.

So, how does such an accomplished coach react to having the school’s softball field named after her? In typical Darlene Headrick fashion, she gave all the credit to her former players, “It is a huge, huge honor, but the honor really belongs to all the girls who played. It is more than I deserve – they are the ones who deserve all the credit.”