As with any sport, millions will participate, but only an elite few will forever engrave their names on the foundations of the sport. These are the legends, and their names will be uttered with a sense of awe long after their days on the field. Without a doubt, the words "Dr. June Walker" sends chills of humility down the spines of even the greatest of players that set foot on the softball diamond. The accounts of her greatness are immortalized in time thanks to former players who pass them on from one generation to the next until they are no longer nostalgic accounts of playing days, but invaluable myths about an incredible individual whose everyday approach to her job touched the hearts of so many.

Entering her office, one sees a wall of decorated All-American certificates, some pictures, and a few small awards. Although it resembles a modest career, it is far from it. An illustrious twenty-two years of coaching is glorified by 16 straight NCAA appearances, 5 National titles, 65 All-Americans, 14 GTE Academic All-Americans, 7 Division III Players of the Year, and a lifetime coaching record of 721-154 (.825).

Digging deep past the golden shell of the program's history, one enters the humble origins of a tradition ready to be born. Dr. Walker's first season ended with a 7-3 record, only 10 games to show for a season. Budget for women's athletics was non-existent as manifested by the uniforms of the first team. She fought hard for gender equity off the field, using her tough demeanor to muscle women's athletics into the spotlight. In return, the players squeezed every ounce of talent out on the field for her and did absolutely anything she said. Classic plays include the "runner on first, no outs, bunt the ball, and plow over the person playing first, eventually scoring the runner play" (such tactics eventually led to a rule change by the NCAA). Players also learned of ways to handle obnoxious fans in the first base bleachers. Once Dr. Walker told a player to overthrow the ball over the tall fence and hit the guy during warm-ups. Sure enough it worked and the problem was solved. Dr. Walker's words translated into teams with solid fundamentals, game faces, and wacky cheers. They were loud, proud, and always looked SHARP. These characteristics were passed down from one year to the next (including the wacky cheers) and became part of the legacy.

In the 1980s, the program saw the transition from AIAW to the NCAA, more games, and bigger trips with tougher competition. Trips down to South Carolina for spring break also meant the classic 17-hour van ride immediately followed by the minimum two hour practice, and then hotels. The first ever NCAA Division III Nationals were held at the brand new Lions Softball facilities at TSC in 1982. To the softball world, TSC wasn't even suppose to be there, but to Dr. Walker, they were supposed to win and her players were equally as convinced. Although the team came in second, they were to have their revenge (starting with the egging of the ECSU bus as they left).

The seven returning seniors were to return the favor of claiming the championship on hostile grounds as the 1983 championships were held at ECSU. The National Tournament saw the birth of "Can You Feel It" by the Jackson 5 as the team warm up song (soon to be anthem), a song still kept popular today thanks to the TCNJ softball program. After a mischievous night out on the ECSU sacred ground, the dam, the team was hungry to claim a championship. As part of her mental game plan in the semifinals, Dr. Walker had each player carry their bats when shaking hands with the ECSU players before the game. It worked. The team went on their way to beat Buena Vista (IA) for the program's first National Championship. The first person to congratulate the team was Coach Clyde Washburn of ECSU with a case of beer and bottles of champagne. Unfortunately that would be all the celebrating the team would see as they return home to find no welcoming committee to honor the first women's championship. The ring "ceremony" was commenced at a player's house with Dr. Walker throwing the rings to the players from across the room.

The new decade of the 90s saw Dr. Walker charge the team full speed ahead and never looking back. TSC had brought home another championship in '89 and looked to repeat the feat in 1990. As fate would have it, the team fell just short and came in second. In typical Dr. Walker fashion, she hit the recruiting trails hard in hopes of adding some talented rookies to her impressive group of seasoned veterans including Jen LoPresti (Such), Jeanne Hengemuhle, Lynn Spirko, Janet Domino, Lisa Hanson, Marie Curran, and Lori Lubieski. To this powerful mix, Dr. Walker added rookies Becky Koenig (Wilde), Erine Grove (Cala), Joey Heckethorn, Margie Acker, Tammy Chmura, and Michelle Carlson (Neveling). Right away the rookies were thrown into the well-formulated practice that produced champions. First days of practice in the South gym included 300 groundballs apiece, turning 100 double plays, and fielding 150 bunts all within the first 20 minutes of practice. From Day 1, the infielders were taught to always get the lead runner NO MATTER WHAT. Unfortunately the 1991 team did not win the title either, coming in a disappointing fourth after losing to Central of Iowa and Coach George Wares in the Semifinals. Dr. Walker not only vowed to get them back in '92, but she even wrote a letter vowing not to lose to any male coaches.

The 1992 season begun with a successful fall. Dr. Walker was big on putting the team to test early on. One of the biggest Fall Tournaments was in Binghamton, NY. Although most of the players liked the beautiful scenery and the Champion Clothing Outlet, Dr. Walker loved the competition. The team finished 4-0, beating all Division I teams including the University of Connecticut. Although known for her calm demeanor, even Dr. Walker showed signs of exuberance, as she was all smiles from ear to ear when she exclaimed, "We beat them all!"

The spring season saw the introduction of the yellow balls and Dr. Walker coaching from the dugout due to a broken ankle in January while on a cruise. The team began the season with a perfect 9-0 Florida trip and a 13 straight winning streak. Dr. Walker still insisted, "Our team is good, not great." That is instant motivation for the team for they wanted to be great, not just good. The team continued to beat Rider and Princeton among others.

Road trips with Dr. Walker were also interesting. On every trip one could be sure she sat behind the driver, book and book light in hand. She is the only person that can read an entire novel in 2 hours with the team giggling, eating, and singing in the background. Not only did she read incessantly, she also taught her players history along the way. Many road trips included her pointing out where so and so lived, or identifying certain battle sites. She is more than just a brilliant softball mind. She is simply brilliant. Her brilliance created two simple travel rules: (1) To be early is to be on time, to be on time is to be late, and to be late is to be left. (2) Don't ride with someone who plays the same position as you, especially pitchers and catchers. Most people remember Rule #1, but in a game against Kean, the team forgot Rule #2. On the way to Kean, the trailing van carrying both Becky and Erine, the starting pitchers, broke down on the side of the Garden State Parkway. Either the lead van didn't notice, or Dr. Walker told them to keep going. Either way, they made it to Kean without the trailing van. Leaving 4 hours early meant plenty of time and no need to panic. Another poor assumption was also made that the other van would return to pick up the rest of the team. After 20 minutes and no signs of rescue, the roadside team noticed the two pitchers didn't make it to the field. Coach Jill Herman made a solo trek to find a phone while the rest of the team changed into their uniforms and started to warm up on the side of the highway. Soon afterwards, another van came to rescue the roadside team and brought them to Kean. The team decided to hit the bathrooms first since having to face Dr. Walker while having to go to the bathroom could be a fatal combination. Hit the bathrooms they did as cleats and tile floors also proved to be another fatal combination. After concluding that broken legs were better than facing Dr. Walker, the players laughed it off, relieved themselves, and prepared to face the music. Of course Dr. Walker was upset and mentioned something about being dummies, but everyone survived to go on to win the National Championships because the pitchers never drove together again!

The 1993 season is considered by many to be Dr. Walker's best coaching performance in her 22 years at TSC. While she had the best pitching combo in the country returning, she also lost key performers in Jeanne Hengemuhle, Janet Domino, Margie Acker, and Lori Lubieski. The only returning infielder was Michelle Carlson until she tore an ACL practicing in the Pit. Now Dr. Walker had to reconstruct the entire infield, and added two new outfielders. Players were moved everywhere on the field without any complaints. Everyone just wanted to win no matter what it took. Things were looking great as Dr. Walker won her 600th against Glassboro (Rowan). Then more injuries occurred as Barb Lubieski (SS) dislocated her elbow, Marie Curran (C) broke her ankle, and Becky Koenig (P) broke her thumb. Both Marie and Becky were back fairly quickly and Barb soon after, but Dr. Walker coached her butt off. When the defense struggled and offense was inconsistent, she kept her calm and reminded the team to take one game at a time. Regionals showed the rematch of softball powerhouses ECSU and TSC, and for the first time, one team will not make it to the Big Show. TSC beat ECSU and squeezed past Bridgewater State on a perfect execution thanks to Rachel Hudak. Although the team came in second at Nationals, it had to be one of the most rewarding seasons as a coach.

The 1994 team saw the graduation of just catcher Marie Curran and the returning seniors Heckethorn, Koenig, and Grove were hungrier than ever. The loss last year was still sour but everyone was ready to go. Unfortunately inclement weather slowed things down as snow and ice inhibited play. Practices were limited to the "Pit" under Jadwin Gym in Princeton. There Dr. Walker provided another memorable moment. The snow outside the "Pit" was about waist high on her, but she insisted she could make it to the vans. For once she was wrong. She tried to go forward, but the snow would not let her. She started to fall backwards and proceeded to bring assistant coaches Cheryl Travis and Jeanne Hengemuhle down with her. When she hit the snow, she was on her back with her legs in the air. It was hysterically funny, but she was "fine, just fine!"

The Florida trip of '94 was highlighted by a 24-hour bus ride because Dr. Walker wanted to play 10 games in Florida and then stop by Virginia on the way home for another tournament. A loss by an unknown, St. Norbert's hit the team hard, but the team went on to win 24 straight. In Regional action, the team beat the number one pitcher in the country, Laurie Machuga of Allegheny, 14-4. The team made another long bus ride, but this time it was to Salem, VA for Nationals. The team promised each other to jump in the Potomac River if they win. After beating Rowan, the team faced Central of Iowa. Dr. Walker would have some "head games" prepared. She gave each player a bright neon pencil with "We Speak Softly But Carry a Big Stick" engraved on it. The orders were to hand the pencil to the Central player during the pre-game introductions. Each player did just that, presenting the Central players with a message. Dr. Walker still had one trick up her sleeve. She already had their team unfocused, now it was time for Coach George Wares. The coaches were announced, they shook hands, she gave him a pencil, and then when he turned around, she patted him on the butt! It was not one of those little pats either. She really got under the cheek and lifted. Dr. Walker won the head games, and her players won the field game. The team then beat Bridgewater to earn their National Championships and their dip into the river. Even the bus driver jumped in for the celebration!

The 1995 season would be Dr. Walker's final year at the helm of the TSC softball program. The season had started and none of the players had any idea it would be her last. She had shown some signs of old age such as the extra-large rear view mirror in her car, forgetting where she parked, and having her share of falls more often. The players just assumed she was just getting older, but no one knew she was getting sick. She still expected perfection and nothing less of her players during practices, the infamous clinics, and 6 a.m. practices. The season started with a loss to Shippensburg, but the team rebounded quickly to win the rest of the Florida games. Soon enough, the team was 24-2 and the next win would be Dr. Walker's 700th, a seemingly modest number until compared to records of all the other coaches in all the divisions. Only two other coaches have only achieved the magical number. The defeat of Wilmington (DE) was followed by celebration of cake, balloons, and a commemorating plaque. Although very appreciative, Dr. Walker soon reminded the team that there was another game to play in typical fashion.

As the season progressed, Dr. Walker started doing less hands-on stuff at practice, appeared to be tired all the time, and became even harder for the players to understand that Southern drawl. Most of the players that past through the system can probably attest that they have more National Championship trophies than NJAC titles. However in 1995, the Lions uncharacteristically flew through NJACS beating Rowan 9-4. Now the team was ready to bring the 14th consecutive Regional title home. Before the team took the field, news hit of Dr. Walker retiring. The team made sure that Dr. Walker would make it to Nationals her final year. The added pressure caused a tense team at Regionals. In the first game, the Lions' offense exploded for 18 runs to give Kean a pounding. Dr. Walker claimed the win was "too easy" for the team. Once again, she was right. The team then lost to Montclair 5-4. The team was devastated. Fear of not delivering Dr. Walker her 14th Regional title or a trip to Nationals floated through the minds of the players. Dr. Walker settled the qualms by saying, "Tomorrow is another day. Come back ready to play". The team did just that. They gave Kean another pounding and won 10-1. Next would be Montclair, and this time the Lions were focused and ready. The battle cry around the dugout was "Not in our house!" Instead of being on the defensive and playing not to lose, the team was aggressive, remembering the mantra "we play to win." Typical TSC baserunning and perfectly executed bunts beat Montclair 5-3. Having lost earlier, the team had to face Montclair again the next day for the championships. The game was close and viciously fought out. The 6th inning saw the team down 1-0 until Leslie Miller broke through with a 2 run single. The defense held tough and the Lions went on to send MSU home 2-1.

At Nationals, Dr. Walker gave the team a speech about taking her for the ride once again and to win for themselves, not for her. Although the words sounded good, the theory was near impossible to follow. The team dropped the first game to Central, but the tough Regionals proved to be a blessing. The team felt confidence they could come out of the loser's bracket and win. They rebounded back hard on Rowan 9-0, Central 10-2, then Allegheny 7-1. The championships would mean beating the undefeated team, Chapman twice and beating All-American pitcher Christy Guidorizzi. The team fought hard in typical TSC fashion, but came up short losing 4-2. They did their best for Dr. Walker and she acknowledged her appreciation for the team. The loss was hard for the team to swallow, but watching a legend leave the field for the last time was even harder. Her final steps were with her head held high, full of dignity and pride.

To those outside the TSC softball family, Dr. Walker was a brilliant, hard-working, relentless coach. For those inside the circle, she was much more than that. She taught her players many lessons, lessons not isolated solely to the game of softball. She taught them about the game of life. Her method of delivering her points were sometimes uncanny from the nicknames to the classic quotes like, "You dummy", "For a Yankee liberal, you're OK", "Sack the balls", or "Get back in your room and I don't want to see your face again unless there is a fire drill!" If a player makes a dummy out of herself, she receives the rubber chicken until the next dummy earns her keep. The person with the most chickens carried at the end of the season was ultimately awarded with the Golden Chicken Award. When the chicken was too beat up, it was buried out on the warning track of the outfield. It was all about pride. Even the chicken received a proper, dignified burial. Those who played for Dr. Walker often recall their experiences of fear, excitement, and pride. A player enters the program for the ultimate goal of winning a National Championship, but leaves with much, much more. She leaves with a sense of accomplishment and greater knowledge of herself, an achievement no golden National Championship trophy can ever replace. To her players, Dr. Walker was the everlasting beacon of light and wisdom. Her players sent her balloons and cards on Mother's Day, visited her office with their many problems, and celebrated great victories time, and time again. For her players, she was a legend in all facets of life. One of Dr. Walker's favorite movies, "Sandlot" claimed "Heroes come and go, but legends live forever." The Legend of Dr. Walker will most definitely live forever.