HARRISON -- The end of Lincoln's softball season with a 10-0 loss to Paris in the first round of the Regional 1 tournament held at Harrison Thursday signified a new beginning.
Lincoln freshman Amber Bryant took the loss against Paris, but Collins didn't want to dwell on that or any other negatives during his final game with the program.
"We talked about not wasting time, not wasting the opportunity for those girls that aren't leaving [the program]," Collins said. "We didn't really talk about the game much. We talked about the relationships we've built and keeping those as we go forward in life."
"They all know that this is my last year in Lincoln. We talked about wanting to know the big things that happen in their lives when they graduate college, get married and have babies; and that they should build relationships with each other and cherish those moments before they're over for the next groups that come through."
Collins endeavored to instill these and other principles during his coaching tenure at Lincoln.
"One thing we talked about a lot is the relationships, the trust, the friendships that are built through this game."
Senior Paige Umberson paid Collins the highest compliment an athlete can toast a coach -- saying Collins' influence empowered her into a posture for success beyond the high school softball field.
"He supports me on and off the field. He's a really awesome person to know on or off the field. He has done so much for me in school, on the field, and he's helped me really make my dreams, my goals, attainable," Umberson said.
Umberson plans to attend NSU at Tahlequah, Okla. and pursue a career in speech language pathology, eventually going on for her Masters. She has no plans to play college softball.
"I'm done, this is my last game," Umberson said. "It's really hard to say goodbye to a sport that you've played since t-ball and so it's really hard to put into words what this game and this team really did for me," Umberson said.
She wants to thank her mom, Tonya Umberson, and grandfather Connie Meyer, who has been her coach since she was playing t-ball up to high school and still has supported her along with Kenneth Gentry, another coach.
"He has been amazing and there's just been so many people," she said.
Meyer has served on the Lincoln school board for 30 years and was on hand to witness the end of Umberson's softball career, cheering her on until the final out. The board tries to enhance the education experience for Lincoln students.
"Whatever's best for the kids that's the main goal, whatever we can do for them. We're there to support them, and we've got a great administration and teachers," Meyer said.
"I've seen so much change in the last 30 years, it's unreal and we've come up, we've come along with it so that's a great positive," Meyer said.
Last season the board faced challenges in dealing with covid issues.
"It was crazy, Mrs. Spears, the superintendent kept a thumb on it and we didn't have that many covid cases," Meyer said. "That covid was hard to deal with. It's everybody, it's not just Lincoln and I think everybody did a great job. We're not through it yet."
He's proud of Umberson, and can't say enough about her.
"She's been an athlete the whole time. She loves playing softball and I love watching her. Her mom and dad and her little brother, they all support her, and it's just been fun," Meyer said. "I'm going to miss it very much."
Collins, a native of Prairie Grove, wasn't sure where his future in coaching may lead him.
"We'll see where I land," he said.
Highlights of his softball coaching career at Lincoln stand out in his mind.
"The three state tournaments, the first one beating Bauxite 1-0 is probably one of my best teams that played here, just two really great teams, had a really great game in the first-round of the state tournament six years ago," Collins said. "The battle after graduating seven girls for those girls to come back the next year and make Regionals was a huge thing after graduating seven starters. Then, of course last year, the covid year trying to stay connected to each other while we were all at home, and trying to persevere through that and encourage each other. Then this year will always be special, didn't have a whole lot of numbers, worked really hard and I'm proud of them."
Umberson wants her teammates to realize that whatever they do in life, they need to play 100 percent.
"Like this out here, it's going to end someday, so no regrets," Umberson said, urging each teammate to maximize the moment.
"I'm so proud, so happy and so thankful [to be a Lincoln Lady Wolf."