Erica Li enters her third season as head coach of the Sage Gators softball team in 2020-21. In addition to her role with softball, Li also serves as assistant athletic director and is involved with student-athlete academic monitoring, student workers and event management for the department, a role she earned in the summer of 2019.
The Gators were off to a 7-5 start in 2020 before the season was halted due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Li also serves as a member of the NCAA Regional Advisory Committee for softball.
Before arriving at Sage, Li served as softball coach and coordinator of academic success and diversity at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. Li enjoyed a decorated softball career at Williams College. While an Eph, Li was a four-year letterwinner for the program, serving as captain during her senior season. She was named an All-American in 2016, and was also tabbed as the New England Small College Athletics Conference (NESCAC) Player of the Year.
Erica Li - Today's Leaders
Coach/Administrator Name: Erica Li
School: Russell Sage College
Title: Head Softball Coach/Assistant Athletic Director
Year at Current Institution: Third season
College Attended/Class Year: Williams College '06
Playing Career (if any, collegiately or professionally): Williams College softball 2012-2016
Favorite Professional Team: St. Louis Cardinals
Favorite Movie: Avengers: Endgame
Favorite TV Show: Grey's Anatomy
Last TV Show You Binge Watched: Schitt's Creek
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: Cookie Dough
Recent Community Service Projects Your Teams or Departments Have Worked On:
Our team participated in our Annual Sage Engage Day, which allows for our entire campus to give back to our community. Our specific project was writing welcome cards for Joseph's House, which provides emergency shelter and services for members of our community.
How Does The Empire 8 Stand Out Among Other Conferences:
The commitment that the Empire 8 puts on the importance of being a well-rounded student-athlete is what makes this conference stand out. Not only do they want to see success on the playing surfaces, the conference puts an emphasis on success in the classroom and community service.
Favorite Athletic Memory from Your Time as a Player in College (if applicable):
Winning the NESCAC championship my senior year on our home field. This was the first time in 10 years we had won our conference championship.
Favorite Memory as a Coach/Administrator at Your Current Institution:
One of my favorite times every year is the softball spring break trip to Florida.
Who Was Your Biggest Mentor and Why: My parents are my biggest mentors. They have showed me the importance of hard work and pursuing your passion. I learned from them how important it is to work with young people and help mold them into outstanding citizens when they graduate college.
Most Rewarding Aspect of Being a Coach/Administrator: I love that I get to work with and interact with student-athletes from all of our teams here at Sage. Getting to know them first as a person and then watching them succeed both in the classroom and in their sport is very rewarding!
What Have You Learned About Yourself as a Leader and In Your Role: I have learned that you are never done learning. One of my mottos is to just be a little better than I was yesterday. This all comes down to being a life-long learner. Whether it is learning from my colleagues, from a book, or from our student-athletes, it is important to never close the door on learning.
What Type of Leader Are You: I believe that I am a leader that empowers those around me. By having a common language with clear expectations it is easy for me to hold myself accountable to my goals as well as those around me. As a coach and administrator I have to lead by example.
How Have You Had to Adjust as a Coach or Administrator to the COVID-19 Pandemic? With practices resuming it has pushed me to think outside of the box when it comes to practice planning since we are in pods. This adjustment has ensured that practices aren't all the same and leave the players excited for the next practice!
One Thing Most People Do Not Know About You: One of my life goals is to visit every national park!
Advice for First-Year Student-Athletes: My biggest advice is to embrace the process. The transition for each first-year is different so don't compare your journey to everyone else's. Lastly, asking for help and making the most of resources on campus is a sign of strength not weakness.
Advice for Graduating Student-Athletes: Say yes to every opportunity that comes your way. Whether it is you trying to still figure out your career path or your first week on the job, by saying yes to new situations it will allow you to evolve into a well-rounded individual. Challenge yourself to be a life-long learner.
