The girls’ softball field on which former Monroe High School girls’ softball coach Vince Rossi spent countless hours during his 32-year tenure as head coach now bears his name.
The Board of Education of Monroe Public Schools voted Tuesday night (August 11) to rename the MHS girls’ softball field, Vince Rossi Field. While a number of facilities in the district are named after individuals with exemplary contributions to Monroe Public Schools, the renaming in honor of someone still living is rare at Monroe High School. A dedication ceremony is being planned for next spring.
“A committee of softball parents thought it was important to rename the field during Coach Rossi’s lifetime so he could enjoy this well-deserved honor,” said Monroe Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Barry Martin. Per district procedure, the question of renaming the field was reviewed three times by the board before the final vote. “Coach Rossi was that rare individual who not only could coach his teams to winning records but he also, as a Monroe High teacher, urged them to excel academically as well.”
Although his school-record of 807 wins likely never will be matched and his coaching legacy of 22 league titles, 11 district titles, six regional crowns and three final-four appearances in the state tournament were enough to have him elected to the Monroe High School Athletic Hall of Fame and the Michigan High School Athletic Association, there was something that made him even prouder as a leader of student-athletes.
“Vince was a stickler for good performance in the classroom, too, and 22 of his teams achieved academic all-state honors,” said Monroe High School Athletic Director John Ray. In fact, a number of his former players became school teachers and entered other advanced professions.
The field which has been renamed Vince Rossi Field also was developed during Coach Rossi’s tenure and under his leadership. One of the finest fields in the region was built with a considerable number of individual and corporate donations as well as countless volunteer hours of “sweat equity.”
But even more work is being done now, because the field is undergoing major improvements to the dugouts, field entry points for participants and the actual infield surface making it much easier to drain after rainfall. Plans also are moving forward for a new scoreboard.