CORBIN — Former Corbin softball coach Crystal Stidham was issued a letter of non-contract renewal on May 13 as Corbin Independent Schools elected to move in a different direction despite one of the most successful stretches in Lady Redhound softball history.
During her six seasons as head coach, Stidham guided Corbin to the program’s first-ever 13th Region championship in 2022, three 50th District championships, the most by any Corbin softball coach since the 2006 regional realignment, and three appearances in the 13th Region championship game, including a runner-up finish this season after the Lady Redhounds battled through numerous injuries.
Stidham also helped establish Corbin as a consistent regional contender, leading the Lady Redhounds to six consecutive regional tournament appearances while facing perennial state powers North Laurel and South Laurel in each of the program’s three region title game appearances during her tenure.
She finished with a 107-90 record, and posted a 16-20 mark this past season after starting 1-8 due to injuries to key players. Corbin posted a 15-12 during its last 27 games before falling to South Laurel in the 13th Region title game.
In a statement reflecting on her time with the program, Stidham expressed gratitude for the opportunity to coach at Corbin.
“Coaching for the last six years as the Head Coach at Corbin has been a Blessing. I was also Blessed to get to coach seven years before that as an Assistant Coach. I was also the middle school coach a couple of years before that. So overall 15 years and over half of my teaching career of 26 years has been coaching softball at Corbin,” Stidham said. “All I have ever wanted to do is to build something more for our girls at Corbin. I just wanted to help to grow a program that put them, our young athletes and their school on the map.”
Stidham said the accomplishments enjoyed by the Lady Redhounds over the last several years were the result of countless hours of work from players and coaches throughout the program.
“For the average outsider looking in, you may see a team, know bits and pieces, or just have glimpses of what truly happens to build something like we have had at Corbin,” she said. “Every player, every year, working tirelessly building onto the dream we have had in place. Getting every one to buy in to what you are building because you know what it takes to get there, but also knowing at times they won’t always see the vision, but you pray along the way they will eventually understand what you are working to build for the team.
“It’s not always been easy, but it’s always been worth it,” Stidham added. “Because at the end of the day my job was being there for the kids, it’s what any coach should be there for. I’ve always wanted more for them. Just to Coach.”
One of the lessons Stidham said she tried to instill in her players was learning how to overcome adversity and find success beyond the final score.
“One of the hardest parts of coaching has been teaching them that softball is a game of failure,” she said. “It’s tough and can be hard. But if they work through it, the strikeouts, the missed plays, biding their time when they are still waiting because they are on a team, the joy they will find when they succeed and overcome will far outweigh those moments.
“And success isn’t always a win on the scoreboard, it’s the small victories, getting the play, connecting with your team, catching that ball in the gap, getting that hit when your team needed it,” Stidham added. “Those aren’t always seen but are crucial for when the big victories happen.”
The longtime coach said she takes pride in what the program accomplished together, including helping elevate Corbin softball into one of the region’s most-respected programs.
“I will always be so grateful for what we have built because it has never been just me,” Stidham said. “There is no Me in the We, never has been nor ever will be. Because it takes a team to be successful.
“A team of coaches and a team of players is what has made Corbin Softball a force in the Region, a name to be noted across the state, a group of ladies bought in to wanting more for their their is what won Corbin their first ever Region Title and gave us a run at state in 2022, three District titles in last six years and six Region appearances all six years and three title game appearances,” she added.
Despite the non-renewal, Stidham said she remains thankful for her time leading the Lady Redhounds and will continue supporting the program and its athletes from afar.
“I am so proud of what our team has accomplished over the years,” she said. “I will continue to pray for our young athletes and for their continued success. Because as I said at the end of the day it is about them.”
As for what comes next, Stidham said she is placing her trust in faith and whatever opportunities may lie ahead.
“As for me coaching in the future, who knows,” she said. “I know at the end of the day, Gods plans are not our plans, we may never know why, but we aren’t meant to. I trust that He will open doors, just as he closes them.
“Although we don’t always know why, I’ve never wavered from trusting Him and the path He has set before me,” Stidham added. “I have loved my time as the head coach of Corbin Softball, but it has been chosen for me to move on because a new direction is desired. I will trust God and know I’ve given everything I could to help leave it better than it was when I started, and look forward to what He has in store for me whatever that will be.”
