If you call him "Coach" or "Otto," the silver-haired coach of the Florence Lady Falcons' softball team will know you want to talk about his team or softball in general. However, if you call him by his given name, Mike Thill, sometimes he may not even know who you are talking to. While playing fast pitch softball, he wore the number 00 on his jersey. Teammates began calling him "Double Ott" and that was gradually shortened to "Otto." He didn't care for the name but soon that name was associated with softball and he became Otto.

"I knew if they asked for Mike Thill," said Otto. "It wasn't important. If they asked for 'Otto' it was important because it was softball related."

Otto has become a somewhat of a legend on the softball fields here in Western Montana. His Florence teams have consistently been the teams to beat at the state tournaments. In the 10 years since he took over as head coach in Florence, the teams have enjoyed many successes. In addition, almost all of the teams have had a lot in common even though the players have changed.

A strong believer in teaching the fundamentals of the game, Otto's teams are very strong in the mechanics of fast pitch softball. He is also a very strong believer in the team concept. There isn't a junior varsity at Florence even though there are 20 girls out for the sport. Instead, the older, more experienced players work with the younger players. As the spring progresses, the bonds between teammates get stronger and stronger.

Otto learned the basics of fast pitch softball in what he refers to as the capitol of fast pitch, Havre. He was born and raised in Glasgow, Montana. His father was a railroad man and when Otto was 16 years old, the family transferred to Havre.

"Forty-five years ago, Havre had eight women's fast pitch leagues and eight or 10 men's fast pitch leagues," according to Otto. "There wasn't another town in the east except for Plentywood that had teams so this was a very concentrated area for fast pitch."

The popularity of the teams and the sport was so great that the games were broadcast on the radio. Otto said his mother would listen at home while he played. These leagues were like today's summer American Softball Association. Many of the players had played American Legion baseball and once they were too old for that league, they graduated to fast pitch softball. The result was a large amount of very knowledgeable players.

"You don't have the 20 grandfathers, uncles [around now] that knew so much," said Otto. "These guys knew so much and were able to help the young players. To this day, I fear any coach that I see that was born and raised in Havre because I know he knows the game. I have great respect for those who comes out of those programs like that."

After graduation, Otto went to California to go to college and visit. He ended up staying 27 years. Although he went to college and received an associate degree in education, he deeply regrets not finishing and getting his bachelors degree.

"That's probably why I stress education so much at this point and grades," he concluded.

He continued his ball playing while in California, playing in the Armature Softball Association. Through the course of his playing career he played in five national ASA tournaments. Through it all, he was always a pitcher.

The older pitchers didn't want a younger player taking their jobs and according to Otto, they wouldn't show a younger player anything or help them. He says that is probably why he is so willing to help anybody and everybody that pitches.

"There's not a lot of people out there to do that and hopefully these players will learn and then they will take someone who is eight or nine and help them as they were helped," said Otto.

Assistant coach Joe McKay says Otto's knowledge of the game is immense and "he teaches it to everybody, opposing teams, 10 year olds or college teams, it doesn't matter to him. I think everybody's learned from him. I know I have."

Otto moved back to Montana and to the valley in 1990. He had a real estate license (as Mike Thill) for a while but his heart was always on the softball diamond. He put on some clinics in the valley and helped with the softball programs at Hamilton under coach Steve Weston and in Missoula. When the Florence position opened up, he took over at the helm and has built the program literally from the ground up.

First he set about teaching the basics to all ages. Then he helped establish a 'feeder' program. Today there are four or five teams playing summer ball in Florence. The teams are broken down by age into 10 and under, 12 and under, 14 and under, 16 and under and 18 and under. The 18 and under team is a travel team who goes throughout the Northwest playing in tournaments. This is a mixed team of many of the best players in the Bitterroot and Missoula. This year there are two 10 and under teams and Otto is hoping to send them to the state tournament in Missoula.

Once he had the teams going and the enthusiasm building, he then set about getting Florence its own softball field. Over the last four years he has, with the help of numerous volunteers, taken a plot of school land located between the football field and the highway that was uneven, rocky and certainly not grassy, and turned it into one of the nicest fields around. This year they were able to get the batting net out of storage after nine years so the Lady Falcons now have a batting cage.

But the field and cage is not just for the high school players. He encourages the younger players to come and use the cage and will stay until dark, feeding the pitching machine if someone wants to hit, whether that player is in the summer program or on his team. He also holds open gym throughout the year.

"They are a lot more willing to stay and hit," said Otto, "now that they don't have to chase the balls."

The coaching staff has been very consistent over the years. Joe McKay has been at Otto's side for nine years. Nancy Stock, who retired this year, was there at the beginning with Otto, coaching first base. Morris Craun has volunteered for eight years and takes his vacation at state tournament time so he can be in the dugout to help.

"I'm so fortunate to have had a coaching staff over the years that believe in what we're doing," said Otto. "I've seen a lot of programs where the assistants want to be the head coach. The coaches on our staff all seem to want to be part of the program and work towards making the program better."

When asked what some of the highlights of his coaching career at Florence are, he doesn't name the three state championships. Instead he tells of a player that graduated four or five years ago who was facing a job interview after graduating from college. A little intimidated by the interviewer, she thought to herself that he couldn't be any tougher than her softball coach. She said she went in with a lot more confidence and eventually, after two more interviews, got the job.

"She sent me a thank you note for some of the lessons I taught her through softball that she carried over to the interview. Things like that are probably as much reward as anything that money could buy."

Another accomplishment Otto is proud of is his team's successes in the academic field. "Liz Ashworth was the valedictorian last year with a 4.3 overall GPA. The education aspect just amazes me that they can juggle all those hours and still get those kind of results and turn out to be the individuals they are. She is going to become a teacher and a softball coach."

With all the successes he has had on the diamond, one would think the next step is to move up and coach at the collegiate level. Otto says he has never had that desire and would prefer to coach 10 and 12 year olds instead.

After this high school season, that is exactly what he is going to do. He turned in his resignation, effective in June, at March's school board meeting. By turning it in so early, Otto hopes to give the school a chance to find someone qualified to take over the program. And, he says, it will take the questions away and let his team focus on what they do best - playing softball and winning.

Although he will be stepping down at Florence High School, he will still be tending the softball field, tending the young teams and coaching junior high basketball. He is after all, still a coach.

"If anybody coaches for the money, they're probably coaching for all the wrong reasons," he concludes.

In late June, Otto will travel to Branson, Missouri for the National High School Coaches Association convention. He was nominated by the Montana High School Coaches Association for National Softball Coach of the Year. Seven coaches from across the nation have been nominated for this honor. Otto is representing Montana, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska and Wyoming.

"It's a real honor to be selected from Montana," said Otto. "I looked at the names of the selection committee from Montana and not one is a softball coach. I don't know any of them personally, either."

The winner will receive a 10-karat ruby ring. All seven finalists will receive a plaque. In addition, each finalist will be asked to put on a mini clinic for the other coaches that will be there from throughout the country.

"So, being the shy person that I am, I don't know if I can do a 'mini' clinic," said Otto.

Otto has been Softball Coach of the Year in Montana three times.

Aly Henderson, senior catcher on this year's Lady Falcon team, knows one thing for sure. Whatever the sport or event, Coach will be there.

"He comes to basketball, volleyball, concerts, everything. He comes to support you."

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