It runs in the family: Lita Sanders taking over for her dad as Wildcats softball coach
Pueblo Central High School graduate Lita Sanders will soon be taking the reins of the Wildcats’ softball program from her father and long-time Central coach Larry Romero.
Sanders, a Pueblo native, said she’s excited to showcase her own coaching style and methods as she becomes just the third coach in the program’s history.
She said because her dad is the team’s former coach and has built a strong program during his tenure, many people figured she was a “shoo-in” for the position.
“But I wanted to earn this position on my own,” Sanders said. “My dad created such a great culture here, I just want to help continue that tradition.”
Sanders played softball for Central and went on to star at Colorado Mesa University where she had a .294 career batting average, made the RMAC All-Academic 2nd Team and was later named to the university’s all-time roster.
While she may have a background in playing the sport, coaching is a different ball game; a fact Sanders learned quickly while assisting her dad on his staff.
"About five years ago, I took a step back because I couldn't get through to my kids," Sanders said. "I observed him and tried to figure out what made him great and it was him committing to the kids 110%,” she said.
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Sanders hopes she can make the same commitment her dad did in his 17 years coaching at the school and show her players the same passion.
After her brief time away from the game, she refocused herself and is now ready to take on the challenges of being the head coach. And fortunately for Sanders, her dad is still around to reach out to for help or guidance.
"Luckily for me, I still have my predecessor around," Sanders said. "I'm not too proud to ask for help."
Having that experience and knowledge in her corner should bode well for Sanders, who is taking over a program that has had success in the past few years but has not been able to quite reach its potential.
Her goal is to take the Wildcats farther than they’ve ever been before. To do so, she’ll have to get her players to buy into the program.
"Maintaining what has made Central great," Sanders said of her goals for the team. "If I can keep that family environment, the structure, the discipline, and the overall passion and respect for the program, we can overcome the fear of failure."
Sanders is hoping to get the team past the regional round of the state tournament this year and make her mark on the sport as a coach.
Coaching runs in the family, and not just between father and daughter. Sanders' husband is the head coach at Fort Lewis College in Durango.
Having her husband so far away doing the same job has been “an interesting experience,” Sanders said, “but it shows how much I believe in this program.”
Sanders is excited for the season to get started and is looking forward to working with the incoming freshman as well as the veterans on the team.
"I'm looking forward to seeing the relationship that our upperclassmen build with the younger players, taking them in and mentoring them," she said.
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Christopher Abdelmalek is a sports reporter for the Pueblo Chieftain and can be reached at cabdelmalek@gannett.com or on Twitter @chowebacca
This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Lita Sanders named head coach of Wildcats softball team
