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BASSI’S PHILOSOPHY:       “My primary goals for every season are to develop a personal relationship with each player and to, literally, enjoy the journey we are about to embark upon.       “Make no mistake, I want to win as much as the next coach does  — but through losing those tough games over the years, I have adjusted my coaching philosophy to include more of the “process” of the game and less “just wanting to win.”       “Players and coaches alike want to win, however, what separates good teams from great ones is the area of focus.       “My focus is on the team as a unit, my players as individuals, and total buy-in into my philosophy.       “The team, above all, is greater than the sum of the parts. No single player can afford to stray from this belief — it is vital to our success.”

“I believe there are three main components to achieving success on an athletic field.  One is the team must stay competitive.  There must be a competitive will to compete at he highest-level day in and day out.  Two, the team must stay tough.  Mental toughness and focus are a result of mental training.  Mental training is a process that takes place in the off-season to prepare for the ups and downs of a grinding season.  Three, the team must stay together.  If we are truly about “what is best for the team”, then we must be unified on all fronts.

Every athlete has a role, which contributes to the team’s interest.  Unity Council comprised of players and coaches enables the communication to be open and honest.”

 

      Bassi has won thirty or more games 10 times and prior to 2004, for 9 consecutive seasons.  Her teams have advanced to the Regional Finals the last nine years, and reached the State Tournament seven times.
      Additionally, the team has earned the Orange Empire Conference Academic Champion Award four times since 1993.  This is an honor given to the team with the highest grade point average.       

In 2004, Bassi mentored the Hornets to a 25-14-1 record, a tenth consecutive regional playoff appearance which opened with a pair of victories before absorbing a loss in a regional bracket final.       During the 2003 season, Bassi guided the Hornets to 39 wins, a second consecutive regional title, and another trip to the state championships.       The Hornets went 1-2 at the Final 8, placing fifth for the second season in a row.       In 1996, the FC appeared in its first state tournament championship game since winning the 1980 title, but lost to Sacramento City.

      Bassi led Fullerton back to the tournament in 1998 and guided the Hornets to a fourth-place finish.
      In 2000, Bassi piloted the Hornets, who were ranked among the Top 5 in the state for most of the season, to another Orange Empire Conference (OEC) championship with an impressive 19-2 mark.
      Bassi was honored with her third conference Coach of the Year award that season. She was named the OEC women’s Coach of the Year for all sports in 1996, when she led the Hornets to second place in the state championships.
      Since 1992, when the National Fastpitch Coaches Association began selecting a community college All-American team, Bassi’s program has produced 27 All-Americans.
      Bassi’s 542 victories at Fullerton College ranks her with FC coaching legends Hal Sherbeck (football) and Coleen Riley (women’s basketball).
      FC also boasted the Southern California Player of the Year in 2002 (Colleen Burdick) and 1998 (Marisa Ornelas) and have had numerous All-State and All-Southern California selections under Bassi.
      Bassi’s coaching career began at Fullerton College in 1985, when she assisted former head coach Margo Davis.
      One season later, she accepted the head job at Huntington Beach High School, where she led the Oilers to a 14-11 record.
      Bassi landed her first collegiate head coaching job in 1988, when she was named co-head coach at UC San Diego.
      In two seasons, she helped the Tritons to a combined 67-19-1 record and back-to-back NCAA Division III Regional showings.
      Bassi has also coached at the club level and was an assistant coach on Gordon’s Panthers 18-and-under 1993 and 1994 gold national championship teams.
      She also served a six-year term on the National Fastpitch Coaches Association as the state’s community college representative.
      Since 1998, she has served on the California Community College Softball Coaches Association as an executive board member.
      She is also active within FC’s athletic department.
      In 2005, Bassi guided the Hornets to a 31-16 record, an 11th consecutive Regional Playoff appearance, which began as the only 14th seed ever in the history of community college softball to advance to a State Championship.  Along the way, the Hornets defeated No. 3 ranked Cerritos College and No. 6 ranked Ventura College twice to earn a trip to the “Big Dance”.  The Hornets momentum carried into the State Playoffs finishing in 3rd place.  A first round loss to the No. 1 seed Delta College (2-3) put the Hornets in a “must win or be eliminated” situation.  Fullerton defeated Shasta College (4-2) and Conference rival Cypress (3-1), then battled in a 9-10 defeat at the hands of West Valley College.  West Valley would later forfeit their wins (an ineligible player) giving the Hornets its best finish since 1996.
      Bassi served as one of the event coordinators for the inaugural Fullerton College Sports Hall of Fame.
      As one of two associate athletic directors, Bassi oversees game and event management during the fall and winter semesters, and is currently organizing an FC Sports Hall of Fame.
      As an instructor, she developed the curriculum for the Physical Education Certificate Program and sits on the student health advisory committee.
      In addition, she teaches Sport & US Society on-line, as the college moves toward offering a degree program over the Internet.
      Bassi, a scholarship athlete who played softball, ran cross-country and competed in the 1,500-meters in track at Cal Poly Pomona, earned her bachelor’s degree in 1985.
      The 1983 ASA All-American played for nine seasons with Orange County Majestics and helped the squad to the 1987 Major Fastpitch national championship.
      In 1997, Bassi returned to the playing field for the first time in eight years as a player/assistant coach for the Orlando Wahoos, the champions of the inaugural Women’s Pro Fastpitch League.
      Bassi also spent part of 1998 as the head coach of the Tampa Bay Firestix.
      “Those experiences were incredible,” said Bassi.
      “To be a part of a professional league, to see the fan-base grow, and to see women have their dreams and goals fulfilled was exciting.”
      In fact, much of Bassi’s philosophy on community college coaching is built around helping her players reach their next goal — playing at a four-year school.

She’s seen more than her share of players reach that level since taking over in 1990 — 49 players have received scholarships to play at four-year institutions.       “One of the understandings about this level of play is that it’s a stepping stone,” she said.       “We work extremely hard to help place our student-athletes at the next level.  It takes a talented individual who embodies attention to all details on and off the playing field.        “Networking with the university coaches helps establish a recruiting arena from which our players are chosen.

      “That’s why I want to make sure our players are prepared...mentally and physically.
      “I stress teamwork, punctuality, reliability and commitment, because these things can be used later in life, even if softball can’t.”
      Bassi’s dedication to sports and coaching was formed at an early age.
      Her brother and father, a youth sports coach, inspired her to enter the profession.
            “But female coaches, particularly Carol Spanks and Shirley Topley, as well as my father, served as very positive role models. I’d like to do the same.”