Softball Coach Profiles
Head Fastpitch Softball Coach Matt Houseman
Matthew.Houseman@muskegoncc.edu
Matt Houseman is entering his fifth year at the helm of the Jayhawk softball family. The program has made significant strides under the direction of Matt and his staff. The Jayhawks have qualified for the Region 12 tournament both of the previous years and had a program best finish of third last year.
MCC has great expectations for the 2010 season. The Jayhawks qualified for the State tournament last year and are very much capable of competing for a national title this year. Coach Houseman said “We are a tough team and it’s going to take a lot to bring us down. We have nine sophomores this year that are extremely capable of leading our team to great things.”
Before coming to Muskegon Community College, Coach Houseman held several different coaching positions. He has coached at Muskegon Catholic Central, Muskegon Orchard View and Muskegon High School. Matt is also the Lead Instructor for Vortex TPS Top 96 College Coaches Camps.
When asked why he thought the program was going in the right direction he answered “We treat this program as if it were a family. We take care of one another and the last thing we worry about is winning games. We feel if we out work everyone and do it with character and compassion we will be rewarded. That means we will be able to stand on a higher stage and know we did it the way we are supposed to.” Matt also stated “I really feel the girls in the West Michigan area get overlooked. They are good athletes and great workers. We are committed to staying local for the most part. These kids have a lot of pride in this program and will do what it takes.”
The Jayhawks should have one of the best teams it has fielded this season. They have a great mix of sophomores and freshman that will contribute to their success on the field. When asked where he thought his team will finish this year he stated, “That is the question that I ask over and over again in my mind. I have come to the conclusion that we will be a tough team to beat. If we play our style of softball, which is aggressive and in your face, we will end up where we should. I know this; if we do not win a game I will always cherish this group of kids. It has been a blast.”
Coach Houseman not only contributes to the Muskegon Community College softball family, but now he contributes to the community as well by working at Extra Innings baseball/softball facility. “That facility is like a diamond in the rough, and without it we could not get as much accomplished as we do. They have been a lot of help to us and we appreciate their support greatly.”
Matt is supported at home by his best friend and wife, Heidi, and their four children (Jacob, Emma, Megan, Mattie). They have been life long residents of Muskegon and plan on being here for a long time.
Assistant Coach Colleen Morse
Coach Morse is in her second stint with the Jayhawk softball program. Previously she served as both the assistant coach and as the head coach. She got her start in coaching at Oakridge High, where she had the opportunity to coach J.V. Softball. She has also been a volunteer with the Athletic Department for many years.
Colleen has been employed by
Muskegon
Community College for 29 years. She is a graduate of
Oakridge
High School where she excelled at basketball and track for four years. She has played recreation softball for over 30 years and has been a part of a number of teams that have competed and won state championships both in women’s softball and co-ed softball. She is married to Rick and has one son, Ryan Schalk, who is a student at GVSU.
Assistant Coach Ryan Schalk
Coach Schalk is starting his second season as a volunteer assistant with the Jayhawks. He works primarily with the infielders and scouting opponents. He also is the head JV Girls Basketball coach at Reeths-Puffer High School. He has worked with both boys and girls of all age groups as a basketball, baseball and softball coach. This past year he also ran two camps, The Lakeshore Summer Basketball Camp at Oakridge High School and the Lakeshore Summer Softball Camp at Softball World.
Ryan graduated from Oakridge High School in 2005 where he played basketball and baseball for four years. His baseball career was highlighted by advancing to the State Semi-Finals in 2004. His Senior year he earned various honors including all conference, all district, and all area as an infielder. Ryan was nominated as the Male Athlete of the year for the Muskegon Sports Hall of Fame as well as Showcase Athlete of the Year and Male Athlete of the Year at Oakridge High School. He was also Academic All Conference in basketball and graduated 8th in his class.
Ryan attended Muskegon Community College where he received his Associates degree in Science and Arts in 2008. He currently attends Grand Valley State University where he is pursuing a degree in education.
