Q&A: Joan Joyce
While Florida Atlantic fans may be familiar with the coaches of the Owls football, baseball and men’s and women’s basketball teams, FAU has plenty of dedicated and accomplished coaches of the other sports that sometimes don’t get as much attention.
FAUOwlAccess.com asked those coaches about their jobs and programs in this occasional summer Q&A series.
Originally published on
6/16/2009
by
FAUOwlAccess Staff Report
Recognized as one of the top female athletes of all-time, Joan Joyce has coached the FAU softball team since 1995 and is the only softball coach in school history and was named the Coach of the Year by the Atlantic Sun Conference five times.
Joyce has also coached the FAU women’s golf team since 1996 and was on the LPGA Tour for 19 years
Women's Golf coach Joan Joyce
FAUOwlAccess.com: How difficult is it to coach the softball team and the spring golf season?
Joyce: Mostly, the golf tournaments are Mondays and Tuesdays so the competition isn’t a problem. The most difficult is the practice round. I either miss that or I go right after our Sunday game. That is the hardest, but I have good assistants.
FAUOwlAccess.com: You played on the LPGA Tour, so what skills do you use from being one of the sport’s top players in coaching?
Joyce: I use a lot of the mental part of playing golf. I use that in softball, too. One shot at a time. No dwelling. Get to the next one and figure out what you have to do next. It keeps it positive. The important things that I learned playing golf, I try to teach them.
FAUOwlAccess.com: What is the most interesting thing in your office?
Joyce: My picture of the golf ball which one of my players drew for me.
FAUOwlAccess.com: How did you get started in coaching?
Joyce: I was teaching lessons but after I came to FAU I started helping the current coach and once he left I took over the program.
FAUOwlAccess.com: What is your favorite part about coaching at Florida Atlantic?
Joyce: Taking the kids to see all the different golf courses, they are all nice. Also the competition. I set the tournament schedule according to the golf courses that we are going to play.
Softball coach Joan Joyce
FAUOwlAccess.com: Which skills that you you learned as one of softball's top players do you use in coaching?
Joyce: There is actually a lot - Being an aggressive coach and pitching knowledge.
FAUOwlAccess.com: What is the most interesting thing in your office?
Joyce: My walls.
FAUOwlAccess.com: How did you get started in coaching?
Joyce: I have been coaching since I was 13. It was a park team while I was playing. I was a physical education teacher.
FAUOwlAccess.com: What is your favorite part about coaching at Florida Atlantic?
Joyce: The competition level of where we are and trying to get to a national tournament.
FAUOwlAccess.com: What has been the best moment at FAU?
Joyce: Our win against Michigan in the first regional for our program. We advanced to the semifinal of that regional.