Davenport University Grand Rapids, Michigan
Nike Softball Camps totally immerse you in the sport, giving you the kind of focused, intensive training essential for improvement - no matter what your ability level. Every facet of the game is covered - hitting, fielding, base running, team play and more. Our goals is that your performance as an overall player will improve, along with your self-confidence but it is up to each player to take what they have learned and apply it to gametime situations.
Leading instruction is Assistant Coach Kristin Miedema. Miedema is joined by Head Coach Ronda Varnesdeel as well as members of the Davenport Softball Team.
Highlights Include
- 8:1 camper to instructor ratio
- Daily emphasis on fundamental development, team play and more
- Official NIKE Camp T-Shirt
- Great NIKE prizes
- NIKE Softball Camp Graduation Certificate
Camp Director
Ronda Varnesdeel
Ronda Varnesdeel begins her fourth season at the helm of the Softball program at Davenport. In 2010, Varnesdeel guided DU to a 46-16 overall record and they followed with a 38-18 mark in 2011.
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Last season, Varnesdeel led DU to their first WHAC Tournament and regular season championships and DU's first bid to the NAIA National Tournament. Her 46 victories in 2010 is the most ever in Varnesdeel’s coaching career, with her garnering 37 twice before while at Aquinas College and 38 last season for DU. Varnesdeel led her team to a 21-3 conference record in 2011 and a 1st place finish in the WHAC. Varnesdeel recorded her 200th career victory on Feb. 22nd against Concordia College (Minn.).
Before starting the Panther program in 2009 Ronda spent six years at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, MI in which she was at the helm of the program for five of those years. While at Aquinas, Varnesdeel established the program as a small college softball powerhouse. She led them to four Wolverine Hoosier Athletic Conference Championships in 2003 and 2005-2007. She was named WHAC Coach of the Year in each of those years as well as Region VIII Coach of the Year in 2005, a year in which she led her team to the NAIA National Tournament.
Ronda was also a stand-out athlete for the Saints in which she was a four-year starter for the basketball and softball programs and led the Saints to a national championship appearance in both sports. Varnesdeel also earned all-conference and all-region selections during her softball career.
In her two years of coaching at DU, Ronda has had 1 2nd Team All-American, 7 All-Conference Selections, 3 All-Conference Honorable Mention Selections, 6 NAIA Scholar Athletes, and was honored as a NAIA Scholar Team with a cumulative team GPA of 3.3 in 2010.
Varnesdeel, who received her bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Aquinas College, resides in Grand Rapids, MI with her husband Bernard Jr. and her 4 year old son Bernard III. Varnesdeel also serves as the Assistant Athletic Director for the Panthers.
Assistant Coach
Kristin Miedema
Kristin begins her second season as an assistant coach on the Panther staff after a very successful playing career at DU. Her coaching duties will also include serving as the JV Head Coach.
Miedema was a member of DU’s inaugural team in 2009 and led the Panthers to a program best 46 wins in 2010. The third basemen earned All-Conference, NFCA 2nd team All-Region and NAIA Scholar Athlete honors while at DU. She is currently holds the single season record for games played (62), runs batted in (56) and stolen bases (19).
Assistant Coach
McCall Salmon
McCall begins her third year as the top assistant for the softball team. Along with her softball duties she will also serve as the Assistant Sports Information Director. She joined the DU staff after a very successful playing career at Aquinas College.
A first baseman/utility player for the Saints, McCall led her team to three straight WHAC Championships from 2005-2007 and the team posted a 134-70 overall record during her time there. Individually, Salmon earned All-WHAC honors in 2004, 2006 and 2007 while serving as the Saints team captain during her junior and senior campaigns. She also excelled in the classroom at Aquinas as she was named to the All-WHAC Academic team in 2006 and 2007 and was an NAIA Scholar Athlete in her senior year. Salmon also received the prestigious Helen Louise Brogger Award which is given to the top female athlete in the graduating class.
Salmon received a Bachelor of Science degree from Aquinas in Business Administration and Sports Management and is currently working on her Master of Art degree in Sport Administration at Central Michigan.
US Sports Camps combines with Nike and USA/ASA Softball to offer the Nike Softball Camps sponsored by USA Softball.
USA Softball is the brand created, operated and owned by the ASA that links the USA Men's, Women's, Junior Boys' and Junior Girls' National Team programs together. USA Softball is responsible for training, equipping and promoting these four National Teams to compete in international and domestic competitions.
Whichever program you do decide on, each Nike Softball Camp staff member is ready to work with you and provide the best possible softball experience while you train and strive to be a better softball player.
Sample Daily Schedule
- 7:00 a.m. Wake Up/Shower
- 7:30 a.m. Breakfast (Overnight Campers)
- 9:00 a.m. Bus Leaves for Fields/Arrival All Campers
- 9:15 a.m. Offensive Station Training
- 12:00 p.m. Lunch
- 1:00 p.m. Defensive Station and Position Training
- 3:30 p.m. Live Hitting/Games
- 5:30 p.m. Dinner
- 7:00 p.m. Evening Activity
- 8:30 p.m. Fitness Center Open/Climbing Wall/Free Time
- 9:00 p.m. Extended Day Campers Depart
- 10:00 p.m. Campers to Rooms
- 11:00 p.m. Lights Out
Check In:
Sunday, 1:00 p.m. – All campers - Check in takes place at the Davenport University Student Center. (Extended Day Campers will depart that evening at 9 p.m.)
Check Out:
Graduation will be at 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday at the softball field.
Read camper reviewsNIKE Camp at Davenport was Amazing!
"The NIKE camp at Davenport was AMAZING! The camp far exceeded our expectations and I will recommend several of the conditioning drills to my Varsity coach so my High School team can benefit from them as well. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING EXPERIENCE!"
Taught My Daughter More Softball & Being A Young Lady
"I cannot put into words the experience my daughter gained from going to the camp. She not only learned skills in softball but how to be a better young lady. The morals and values the staff brought to the camp were extraordinary. We looked at sending her to another camp and decided on the NIKE Camp for convenience and I am so glad we did. She was going to be a day camper but when we got there she saw some friends and we were able to change her to be an overnight camper. I will highly recommend this camp to anyone who is interested in gaining skills and personal growth. We look forward to next year!!"
Overnight Camper
I Hope to Go Back Every Year
"The camp was very well-planned out and had a good program. The times to wakeup eat and play were reasonable and the instructors knew exactly what they were doing and taught the campers in an easy-to-understand way. I hope to go back every year!"