DEMOPOLIS — When University of West Alabama senior Shannon Goggins responded to the opportunity to assist the Demopolis High School softball team for the 2008 campaign, it proved to be the berth of a mutually-beneficial relationship with potentially long-reaching dividends.

Goggins&8217; on-field experience helped her garner the respect of the players she has spent the season motivating.

Goggins, who began playing softball as a five-year-old in Midfield, smiles as she recalls her parents&8217; reluctance to allow her to take up the game. At the urging of her aunt and uncle, they relented. While the game quickly became a passion for her, the desire to coach did not surface until her college days.

Goggins explained that her experience assisting younger players during UWA-hosted camps sparked the desire to coach.

That seemingly innate gift has proven noticeable to others who have been privy to her interactions with the team.

Admittedly, the greatest difficulty Goggins experienced in transitioning to coaching was channeling her competitive spirit.

While her aspirations may ultimately lead her to coaching at the collegiate level, Goggins hopes her stay in Demopolis becomes a little more permanent than she had initially intended.

Her desire for an extended stay is reciprocated by Browder, who can hardly contain his admiration of the job she has done thus far.