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Coach's Game Plan Building a Championship Culture New Softball Coach Jen Lapicki Shares Her Philosophy • By Gregory Barlow F irst year head coach of the Holy Cross Softball team Jen Lapicki is no strang- er when it comes to championships. After making four NCAA tournament appearances as a player and winning the 2011 Atlantic Coast Conference title her senior year with Florida State, Lapicki is eager to share this championship culture with her new team. "One thing I've learned through playing, coaching and being a part of programs that were fighting for playoff spots was the ability to understand the mentality that it takes to get there," said Lapicki. "Going to post-season play is not just about the physical component; it's even more about the mental components. The teams that can overcome failure and adversity are the teams that make it." Although Lapicki looks forward to shar- ing a wealth of winning mentality with the team, she's equally driven by her coaching philosophy, which instills hard work, respect and a team-first attitude. "When I think about what my role is as a coach, I feel like it's our job to provide the tools necessary for our student-athletes to have the best athletic and growing experience they can have," said Lapicki. "For me, coaching isn't all about wins and losses — it's about the entire student-ath- lete experience." Lapicki believes that if she focuses on the student-athlete experi- ence, the program will be successful. When deciding to join the Crusaders, Lapicki saw beyond the fact that the Spring 2017 • Crusader Nation 3 Lapicki and her team at work in the strength and conditioning facility