rock solid education www.SRU.edu
1 Morrow Way Slippery Rock, PA 16057-1326
PAID
NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE
PITTSBURGH, PA PERMIT #1715
I am
TheROCK
Linda Derk, ’87, education/ health and physical education DAY JOB: I am the owner and president of LDI Sports Consulting in St. Petersburg, Fl. For the past 11 years, my company has provided quality fast pitch softball instruction to youth and coaches worldwide. LDI also offers motivational speakers and professional consulting to build positive community programs. BACKGROUND: I grew up in Ligonier. Sports were always my passion. But growing up before great awareness of Title IX, there were not many options for girls and organized sports in my small town. Thankfully, my parents, Ronald and Veronica, were instrumental in getting Little League boy’s baseball to allow me to play. The rest, as they say, is history. After coaching many years at the college level and playing elite level fast pitch softball, I was hired as the first full-time head coach of the Tampa Bay FireStix women’s professional softball team. INFLUENCE OF SRU: I found my way through Slippery Rock University sports. I was a two-sport athlete in high school and had the opportunity to pick between Penn State and Slippery Rock. I was able to play two sports at The Rock. Because of that and the smaller college environment, I chose Slippery Rock. I look at my time at Slippery Rock as my door to opportunity. I received a great education, had a wonderful sports career and made many friends. As an alumna of The Rock, I believe it is important to give back. I have been active in donating directly to the softball and basketball programs. Giving back, to me, is more than financial contributions. It is educating youth on where we were in the past and how we can make a better future. I always say, ‘Success is a journey not a destination.’ I’m glad SRU was part of my journey.