University of Minnesota Athletics
Linda Wells Earns Outstanding Achievement Award
9/22/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Wells will receive the Outstanding Achievement Award, conferred by the U of M Board of Regents, for her groundbreaking accomplishments in women's intercollegiate sports. She began her remarkable career at the age of 21 in 1974, when she became the U of M's first full-time head coach in three women's sports: basketball, softball, and volleyball.
While her peers were still trying to decide what to do with their lives, Wells was settling into an office next to a legend in his own right - Herb Brooks - while she battled to overcome the "playday" mentality that dominated the college sport experience for women. From the start, she was a tireless advocate who challenged athletic directors and school presidents to get what she needed for her teams.
Growing up in the small town of Pacific, Missouri, Wells played five collegiate sports (volleyball, basketball, softball, field hockey, and tennis) at Southeast Missouri State. But softball was Wells' first love. She played professional softball from 1975 to 1979 and was involved with the Amateur Softball Association and the Women's International Professional Softball League. Wells' accomplishments earned her seven Hall of Fame inductions either at institutions where she played or with organizations which she helped develop, such as the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.
After 15 successful years coaching the Gophers and earning a Master's degree in Exercise Physiology from the U of M's School of Kinesiology, Wells headed south to take over the softball program at Arizona State University. She also coached at the international level, overseeing both the Dutch (2008 Beijing) and Greek (2004 Athens) Olympic Softball teams.
In 1982, she founded her own business, Wells Sports Corporation, which specializes in coaching clinics, speaking engagements, and products and services for youth sports. Wells retired in 2005 after 30-plus years of collegiate coaching with an overall winning record of 884-653 (58%), numerous conference championships, All-America awards, and an array of medals and national tournament berths.
According to Regina Sullivan, Senior Associate AD at the U of M, "Linda Wells is a true pioneer in Gopher athletic history. Her dedication and passion for providing opportunities for girls and women in sport helped set the tone at Minnesota where many of her former student-athletes, staff and colleagues still fondly recall the lasting impact she had on their lives. The University is fortunate that Linda shared her talents with us and that she remains a passionate supporter of the Gophers."
Over the course of her celebrated career, Wells has empowered countless girls and women through her willingness to put herself-and her career-on the line to fight for what she believed in. Perhaps her greatest contribution is her vision of what participation and a career in sports should look like for females. Rayla Allison, former teammate, colleague, Hall of Famer, and Title IX lawyer, says, "Wells is one of the most knowledgeable, recognizable, and intelligent people in softball. She has done more to advance softball around the world than any other person. But more importantly, she is capable of seeing broader issues and has fought tirelessly to advocate for all girls and women in sport ... because of that, she is one of the bravest women I know."