River Valley's Phil Shepler retiring after 280 softball wins, five league championships

CALEDONIA — Phil Shepler knew it was time to retire from softball.

"I’ve got arthritis in both hands, and it continues to bother me. I can’t hit balls like I used to," he said.

Shepler doesn't play. Instead, for the last 17 years, he's been the head coach at River Valley.

All-Marion Star Softball Honors: Who were the top honorees and first- and second-team?

Fahey Bank Athlete of the Month: River Valley's Lanie Wooten takes it for second time

"As windy as it is at River Valley, one of the things I like to do is hit infield pop-ups and fly balls high in the air so they get used to game situations," Shepler continued. "It was getting to the point where I was having trouble doing that. The hands were aching all the time. The first couple days where I hit fly balls to the outfield, man, I tell you what, I am so sore in the shoulders because of that."

Of all the high school sports, softball and baseball might be the most physically demanding of them all to coach. Besides the hundreds upon hundreds of fungoes hit during practice and before games, there are the other labors of the job.

"I have to do my own fieldwork. When you have them rain days and you’re out there for three or four hours trying to get a field ready, that’s hard on my hands," he said. "Even driving a Gator and trying to hold the steering wheel, it cramps my hands. I just felt like it was time."

Shepler's career at RV

He leaves with an enviable 280-118 career record, winning 20-plus games five times and only posting two losing seasons in the span.

The Vikings won five Mid Ohio Athletic Conference championships in Shepler's tenure and were runners-up in the league standings twice. He also took five teams to the district title game.

"I’m definitely going to miss it. I’m going to miss the kids more than anything. I enjoy being around the kids every day," he said.

RV's best season under him was in 2013 when the Vikes went 13-0 in the MOAC and 26-1 overall, losing a 2-0 district championship game 2-0 to Granville. Last season, RV won a league title and ended 2023 with 20 wins. This year they were 15-8, 9-5.

"The thing I liked the most is seeing a kid come in as a freshman and then as a senior they do something really well. They turn out to be a super kid and a super athlete, even off the field," he said. "It’s so rewarding to see that they’ve worked so hard to do something and you’ve coached them so hard to do stuff. You see the end result, and I’m going to miss that more than anything."

During his run, Shepler coached seven All-Ohioans: Courtney Rengert, Cambry Arnold, Claire Nicholson, Morgan Lott, Alexis Stevens, Shelby Westler and Lanie Wooten as one seemed to beget the next.

"Luckily, I had kids come in who were already talented. I can’t take all the credit for that because the Stevenses and Nicholsons and Lotts, all those kids, that’s not just from Coach Phil," he said. "That took years of playing travel ball in the summertime. You don’t get that good playing four weeks at practice before you play high school ball. It don’t happen that way. You have to play in the summer and get some reps."

Whatever he role he played in all his players' development, development at RV occurred under his watch as the records and accolades attest.

"Anybody can coach third base when it comes to game time, but it’s what you do in practice and getting to the game. Seeing the kids succeed is what I’m going to miss the worst," he said.

What else will he miss?

Shepler will miss the girls and playing a part in their evolution as high school softball players, but there are other things he will miss by not coaching anymore.

Every season, the team would spend a weekend in Columbus, hanging out at a hotel and going to an Ohio State softball game to bond and make memories.

"We always did that so the kids who want to play at the next level can see the next level," he said.

There was one more special event he looked forward to every season.

"The thing I enjoyed the most was the youth clinic I did. I had such good feedback on that. We’ve had 50 kids the last several years. It books up in a week or two," he said.

What Shepler loved seeing were current varsity players teaching the next generation of Vikings the game, running them through all sorts of stations and drills for offense and defense.

"I know my kids understand it when I see them teaching the little kids how to do it. Then I know I did my job teaching," he said.

rmccurdy@gannett.com

419-610-0998

X @McMotorsport

Instagram @rob_mccurdy_star

This article originally appeared on Marion Star: River Valley's Phil Shepler retiring after 280 softball wins, five league championships