Representing Team USA for the second time, assistant softball coach and BUILD professor Roman Foore is named to the coaching staff for the 2022 Men’s National Fastpitch Team. 

By Chace Gadapee

Roman Foore made his first trip to Auckland, New Zealand back in 2013 with a travel bag filled with cleats, gloves and game jerseys. But come November, his travel bag will be filled with clipboards, game statistics, and coaching notebooks. Foore is headed back to Auckland, to represent the 2022 USA Softball Men’s National team as they compete in the 2022 World Baseball Softball Confederation Men’s Softball World Championships Nov. 26-Dec. 4. Foore was named an assistant coach for Team USA, his first stint with the team as a coach. However, this won’t be the first time Foore has represented Team USA, as he played infield for the 2013 team. 

No stranger to high-level softball, Coach Foore was bound to be involved with the game from an early age. Starting his career playing baseball at Normandale Community College in Bloomington, he would transfer to Texas Lutheran University and be a part of a record-setting 1996 season, setting a school record for single-season team wins with 45. It was at TLU where Foore became involved with softball, serving as a student assistant during his fifth year. 

“I knew some people on the team and the new head coach was wanting help. They needed somebody to drive the van, hit ground balls, throw and just help out, so I kind of fell into it,” Foore said. “I was really lucky.” 

At the end of his collegiate career, Foore turned to his father Rich Foore, a long-time fastpitch player himself, for guidance on the next steps. It was after his college graduation that he began playing men’s fastpitch with his father. He and his father played in their hometown’s local town ball fastpitch league during the summer months. This was the first opportunity Foore got to play organized fastpitch, after making a promise to his father that he would only focus on his collegiate baseball career before stepping into the softball world. While playing fastpitch, his father continually provided opportunities for Foore to enhance his knowledge of the game. He and his father coached a local softball team together as well as provided private hitting lessons to eager players. 

“I really enjoyed learning about fastpitch. I was learning as a player and learning as a coach at the same time,” Foore said.  

Foore spent time playing fastpitch softball at the professional level with the then American Softball Association’s Kegel Black Knights as well as being named to the 2013 Team USA Softball Men’s National team as a first baseman. Coming from a military family, Foore knew being able to represent the USA meant much more than playing fastpitch internationally.

Soon, opportunities opened up for him as a softball coach. Foore first took an opportunity at Eagan High School as an assistant coach in the early 2000s and has been involved in the coaching world ever since. After five seasons with Eagan and being named the assistant coach of the year in 2008, Foore has had various coaching opportunities at both the Division I and III level as well as professionally. Foore spent two seasons with the University of St. Thomas as an assistant coach and helped lead the Tommies into two MIAC championships as well as a third-place finish in the NCAA DIII World Series. Additionally, he served as an assistant coach at Arizona State and Appalachian State, as well as professionally with the Chicago Bandits, Texas Charge and Scrap Yard Fastpitch. More recently, he and his wife Penny serve as the associate head coaches for Bethel and spend the summer with the USSSA Pride women’s professional fastpitch team. 

Coach Foore is always looking for ways to incorporate his playing experience into his coaching philosophy. Starting as a player representative for Team USA, Foore acted as the voice for the players at team meetings, roster selections and media opportunities. Foore would gain opportunities to develop his own coaching philosophy by bridging communication between the players and coaches for Team USA. 

Being able to see the game from both the perspective of the players and coaches has helped him become a successful coach and mentor for his players. Foore understands that most of his coaching and playing experience has taught him to have open communication and conversation with his players in order to have success on the diamond. 

Coming off a historic 37-7 season last year at Bethel with its first-ever NCAA tournament appearance including a regional title, Coach Foore is looking forward to learning and bringing back new knowledge after his time spent coaching with Team USA. Specifically, Foore is looking forward to finding new ways to motivate his team. He spends time learning how Team USA players work and compete each day in order to be successful during world championships. He believes this success is found by being hungry to compete, having the humbleness to continually learn, and how to work hard in the monotony of everyday life. Coach Foore won’t just be watching how Team USA competes, but also taking note of how other coaching staffs from different countries are working together to win. 

“I watch how New Zealand and Argentina operate, and figure out what they are doing with their coaching and if there is something that I can bring over to our team,” Foore said. 

Bringing back lessons learned from teams across the world is something that Coach Foore is looking forward to providing for Bethel softball, come the start of its season. 

The USA Men’s National Softball team will travel to Auckland, New Zealand Nov. 26-Dec. 4 to try and add to their already 10 WBSC Men’s Softball World Championship medals as they compete against 11 other countries including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Japan, New Zealand, Philippines, South Africa and Venezuela.