Published: November 10, 2009 10:05 pm      

Good start

Vaughn will help launch new team

Since she was in middle school, Katie Vaughn wanted to be a teacher and softball coach. On Tuesday, Vaughn took a big step in reaching those goals by signing a scholarship with Bryan College in Dayton, Tenn.

Vaughn, a senior who just completed a stellar season playing second base for Northwest Whitfield, plans to major in education and will help start a Lions program that is scheduled to begin play in 2010-11 and will compete in the NAIA Appalachian Athletic Conference.

“I want to be a high school teacher and coach,” Vaughn said.

“I love softball and I love being around people that like to play. You never get tired of it and when I’m done playing, I still want to go to the field and work with people who are trying to get better and help younger kids in the classroom.”

Vaughn said other colleges were in the mix with Bryan, such as Covenant (Lookout Mountain) and Union (Barbourville, Ky.). But in the end, Vaughn chose Bryan because she liked the school’s Christian values, Dayton’s small-town atmosphere and the idea of starting a softball program from scratch.

“Everyone there is nice,” she said. “It’s a great campus, beautiful facilities and they’re building a brand new softball complex that’s supposed to be real nice.”

The Lions will be coached by Rocky Stinson, who comes to from Mid-Continent University in Mayfield, Ky., where he guided the Cougars to three National Christian Collegiate Athletic Association tournament appearances.

Vaughn said Stinson will give her a chance to compete for a starting position at second base, which she said also played a role in her decision to attend Bryan.

In her final prep season at Northwest, Vaughn was a senior leader on a Lady Bruins team that reached the Class 4A state semifinals.

She was a key component on the team, starting at second base and making a number of key plays in the Lady Bruins’ postseason run.

In the region championship game against Sprayberry, she made a late-inning diving stop on defense to save a run in a scoreless game the Lady Bruins eventually won 1-0.

In the second round of the state playoffs against Apalachee, she hit a double in the sixth inning, sparking a three-run rally that propelled the Lady Bruins to the state quarterfinals in Columbus.

Northwest coach Shane Ramsey said Vaughn’s fist-pumping reaction while standing at second base epitomized the spirit that she brought to the team.

“Her expression standing on second,” said Ramsey, “and the enthusiasm she showed was what our team was about this year. She wants to be remembered as a great teammate and a great student. And she wants to be remembered as a winner.”

Vaughn said she intends on carrying that enthusiasm, leadership and clutch play to Bryan.

“I want to be a leader,” she said. “Someone you can come to on and off the field. On the field, I want to step up in big games and key situations. Off the field, I want to set a good example in the classroom and everything I do.”