WESTPHALIA — After more than three decades coaching baseball and softball, Dan Campbell thought he had closed the book on his coaching career.

Not because he had lost his passion for the game, but because life had begun moving in a different direction.

Campbell and his wife purchased a home in Sun City, Ariz., and planned to spend the winter months away from Missouri. A spring baseball schedule no longer fit the retirement they envisioned.

Then Fatima’s softball coaching position became available. “The fall season appealed to me because I’m still going to be around in the fall,” Campbell said. “I’ve always been impressed with Fatima’s players, their work ethic and their program, so I decided to throw my hat in the ring.”

The opportunity allowed Campbell to return to the dugout without changing the retirement plans he and his wife had already begun putting into place.

“Fall is going to work really well for me,” he said.

For Campbell, the move also represents a return to a sport that has been part of his life for decades.

This season will mark his 23rd year coaching softball and more than 30 years combined between baseball and softball.

“I’ve had good players,” Campbell said with his characteristic humility.

Even so, his resumé speaks for itself, and he now inherits a Fatima program with its own tradition of success, including two state championships within the past five seasons.

“Hopefully we can carry on the tradition,” Campbell said.

He began working with the Lady Comets in March, although several athletes were still finishing their soccer and track seasons before joining softball. Since school let out, nearly the entire 16-player roster has been on hand for weekly workouts. “We’ve been practicing on Wednesday nights for about two and a half hours,” Campbell said. “The girls have been working hard, and we’ve laid a lot of groundwork for the season.”

Rather than spending the summer traveling to multiple camps, Campbell elected to invest that time teaching the system he and his coaching staff want to implement before official practices begin Aug. 10.

Fatima played a summer doubleheader against Owensville, but much of the offseason focused on instruction. “We used our time running drills and learning the way myself, Coach (Rich) Kliethermes and Coach (Makayla) Broeker want to do things,” said Campbell. “It makes the transition a lot easier once practice starts.”

His philosophy has remained remarkably consistent throughout his coaching career. “I like first and foremost to work on pitching and defense,” Campbell said. “A good strong defense and good pitching, throwing strikes, not beating yourself, eliminating the walks and the errors, will go a long way in high school sports.”

Offensively, Campbell intends to keep opponents under constant pressure. “We’re going to bunt, we’re going to hit and run, we’re going to try to steal bases and not wait around for the home run,” he said. “We’re going to try to put as much pressure on the defense as we can.”

Helping implement that philosophy are assistant coaches Broeker and Kliethermes, both of whom Campbell praised for the work they’ve already done with the program.

“Makayla throws a lot of good batting practice for our hitters, and Rich has been working with the pitchers, catchers and outfielders,” Campbell said. “They’ve been wonderful.”

Perhaps Campbell’s biggest surprise this summer has been the talent he inherited.

Looking only at last year’s record, he wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. “I’ve been kind of blown over by the talent that we have,” Campbell said. “We’ve got some girls that can play.”

Although the roster is relatively young, Campbell believes the future is bright.

“We’ve got some good hitters, some good team speed, some good gloves, and our pitching is coming around,” he said. “We’re young pitching, but they’ve definitely got the talent to be as good as they want to be.”

One storyline this fall will see Campbell coaching against longtime friend Jason Dudenhoeffer, who recently accepted Linn’s head coaching position after serving as Campbell’s assistant in baseball.

“Jason’s a good friend of mine,” Campbell said. “He did a great job as my assistant.”

While the rivalry between Fatima and Linn remains one of the area’s most competitive, Campbell said he was pleased to see Dudenhoeffer receive the opportunity. “He’ll do a great job over there,” Campbell said. “He’s dedicated to those kids and that community, and he’ll give it his all. That’s a good hire for Linn.”

As Campbell prepares for another season, his motivation has become simpler than ever.

He no longer needs coaching to define his career.

Instead, coaching has become something that fits naturally into the life he and his wife are building.

Retirement may have changed where Campbell spends his winters, but it hasn’t diminished his desire to teach the game.

Now, with a veteran’s experience and a renewed appreciation for the opportunity, he’s ready to begin the next chapter with the Lady Comets.