North Penn High School Softball is a powerhouse known across the state and even the country. Winning the state championship three out of the last four years, there is no doubt about the team culture or the talent of the athletes as they prove themselves game after game, year after year. With those stats, it can be very easy to fall into the trap of giving the girls on the field all the credit, which isn’t wrong, but the true “superhero” is one behind the bench who cultivates an environment that allows his players to thrive and grow. Head Coach Rick Torresani is that person.

After coaching the Knights for 25 years and softball for 32, Torresani tallied his 500th win when the team defeated CB South 8-1 on May 1st. Achieving a milestone reached by few coaches in North Penn history, Torresani is a prime example of what passion and dedication to a team can foster.

“It’s all about the players, the school, and the assistant coaches that I have had for the 25 years I’ve been here. It is a milestone for me because I had the chance to be at a school that cares about the student athletes and helps them achieve their goals. For Athletic Directors who helped along the way, especially Mr. Don Ryan who was a mentor for me,” Torresani stated.

The palpable chemistry and success the team possesses was not automatic. It took years of development and hard work from teams reaching back to the beginning to cultivate a program as successful as the one that can be found dominating the diamond just off Sumneytown Pike.

“In my first few years it was about developing a culture that would include everyone, players, coaches and parents,” Torresani explained. “In the beginning it was hard, but even in my 1st year the girls accepted what I was trying to do.”

“Torresani has created a really strong foundation of our program and it keeps building every year. At the beginning of each season, he makes it clear what our team goals are and he makes sure that everyone is doing their part to help get there,” North Penn softball junior captain Cailin Halfpenny explained. “I think that as a team we understand that he’s hard on us because he wants us to be the best we can and this is how he has created this winning environment.”

Like any coach, his goal is always to do what is best for his girls, but over the years with their guidance he has had to shift and adjust. While change isn’t always easy, it proved to be what was best for the team and helped them reach even higher.

“I have had to change with the times and have enjoyed watching them grow and become great students of the game of softball. For instance years ago I would tell players what to do and how to do it. But as the years moved on the girls would ask me why I was doing that and what benefit did it help them become better players. Which showed how much they cared and wanted to learn,” Torressani said.

This learning was mutual. While Torresani was leading the team with his expertise of the game, they were also teaching him along the way.

“The past few years we have been successful and have truly understood what it means to not just play for yourself but most importantly playing for their teammates,” Torresani explained. “Each player in their own way made me a better coach. A coach can learn so much from their players and I have done that.”

The bonds formed on the field reach further than the foul poles as his players are just as much a family on the field as they are off it.

“They know that I love them, that we are a family and whatever happens within the team, good or bad, we are there for each other. This year’s team is a continuation of the teams that I have had since I started,” Torresani said. “They care for each other and that we are a family.”

“Having a shared goal of winning and being successful really brings our team together,” Halfpenny stated. “We know that as a team we have to win and lose together and Torresani emphasizes this whenever we go through losses as a team. I think our team is a family because we all know that being happy for your teammates’ success is more important than being focused on your own individual success.”

Despite receiving doubt and being underestimated by their competitors, Torresani has always instilled confidence and encouraged his team to just play their game.

“Torresani has taught me that nothing is handed to you and you have to work for everything, in softball and in life. Going through the season this year and last year, our team faced a lot of doubt from other teams but Torresani would always tell us to just keep working hard and good things will happen,” Halfpenny said.

Although Rick Torressani is the name displayed on the banners for his accomplishment, his success stems from so many other people that have had a hand in shaping him into the coach he is today.

“It’s about the players who were willing to let me coach them and accept who I was as a coach. I have always said that a head coach is only as good as their assistant coaches and I have had some great assistant coaches. But mainly having a family who have been behind me through thick and thin,” Torresani concluded.