Santiago Canyon College’s new softball coach focuses on confidence and team building ...Middle East

Spring 2026 may seem like a long way off, but the new Santiago Canyon College softball coach is already recruiting for his 2026 Hawks team.

Louis Simon is a resident of Irvine and grew up mostly in Southern California, playing baseball and football in college until a broken leg took him out of the game. He became the head softball coach at Beckman High School, where his team won three division titles, and four years ago founded a summer collegiate softball league that boasts 10 competitive teams organized by his nonprofit Game Ready Enterprises.

Now, Simon is applying his skills to building a strong SCC softball team.

His coaching approach is to help athletes be their best, mentally and physically. “What’s great about softball or any sport is that you have an opportunity to use the tools of the sport to help you grow,” Simon said.

He urges players to think about their goals and define why they want to play the game.

“I love to pose questions to help them think a little bit,” he said. “If they understand what they’re doing and why, it’s going to have a lot more clarity for them to take the steps forward to improve what they’re trying to do, whether it’s in the classroom or in the field.”

Another part of his coaching philosophy is to encourage players not to fear failure. “If you’re afraid to fail, how are you going to succeed without taking that risk?” he said. “And that’s the good thing about the sport of softball and baseball. They call it a game of failure, but I say you don’t succeed until you fail. I encourage failure — that means you’re trying. If you’re not even trying, you won’t know what you’re capable of. So why not give it a shot while you’re young?”

Simon spent years in the entertainment industry where he worked as a professional stuntman. When his daughter showed interest in playing softball at age 8, Simon began to coach her and helped her train as she grew older.

“She loved the competitive aspect of the game,” he said. “From my baseball background, I got into training with her and tried to teach her the right technique of things.” She played center field in college softball and recently graduated from the University of Central Florida.

When COVID-19 hit in 2020, many young people, including Simon’s daughter, suffered from the isolation. “Some athletes were going through some pretty severe depression and difficult times mentally during that period of time,” he said. “I had a few college coaches who had athletes going through that here in Southern California.”

Several of them approached him with an idea. “They said, ‘Lou, can you create a college softball summer league where these girls feel positive again, strong again through their skills? We need something like that.’ ”

Without thinking too much about it, Simon agreed.

The result was that he founded Game Ready Enterprises with the stated purpose of helping to build mental health along with sports skill, to develop community leadership and provide career guidance for college-age girls.

The League, as it is called, has grown each summer and has been a successful and fulfilling venture. So when Simon was asked to coach the Santiago Canyon College softball team —  which is part of the Orange Empire Conference — it seemed like a natural next step. “It is one of the toughest and most challenging conferences at least in California, if not in the U.S.,” he said.

He was already familiar with SCC’s field, campus and the college’s good reputation. “I knew it very well,” he said. “Everything really lined up. It was perfect timing. My heart was in it from that moment. I’ve seen all the good it can do for these kids by showing them someone cares for them. And it’s about life strength as opposed to everything being about the game. So it was a good balance for me to say, ‘Hey, I’d love to be a part of this program, and this is what I bring to the table.’ ”

Simon will continue to recruit players until the fall when they begin to train as a team in preparation for the next season, which begins in May 2026.

Although he can take about 20 players, reaching that number is not Simon’s priority in recruiting. He looks for character traits such as a willingness to learn and playing for the team. “To me, that goes a long way because it builds character, it builds the chemistry, it builds a bond with the sisterhood on our team and absolute respect,” Simon said.

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