For a coach who's been at the center of more than 400 wins, it's hard to believe Lisa Dey could do anything without attracting much attention.
But that's exactly what she did when she decided to step down as Jefferson City's softball coach.
Dey announced her retirement from coaching Jan. 23 in an under-the-radar meeting with her players, bringing to a close a 21-year career.
"When you've done something for 20-plus years, you know when you're done," she said simply. "There wasn't anything that pinpointed it."
It's the end of a long softball journey for Dey.
"For 37 years, I've known no different," she said. "You go from playing myself to playing in college to right out of college, going into coaching, that's the only thing I've ever known.
"You just look at it as opening a new chapter."
And it's not like Dey will be too far from the field come this fall, as her daughter, Taylor, will then be playing her senior season for the Lady Jays. Lisa Dey she'll now have more time to watch Taylor and her other daughter, seventh-grader Bailey, pursue their athletic careers.
"It was one of those things where you miss a lot, being a coach, and they're only young once, so now I can be around more," she said.
"Now I get to sit on the other side of the fence and have all the right answers," she added with a laugh.
Dey had plenty of right answers in her career, as evidenced by seven Final Four appearances that included a state championship in 2009. One of those Final Four berths came last year, when the Lady Jays went 20-8 and placed third in Class 5.
"You look at 2009, where it took us 16 years to get that state championship, and that was very special," she said. "And this past year was really amazing."
Dey said she's seen the game change a ton since she took over the reins of the program in 1994.
"I think the game is faster-paced and I think the short game, what with all the slapping, has been big," she said. "And back then, it was rare to see anybody big on the mound. Now you look out there and it's like, "Holy cow.' Those girls just bring it."
One off-the-field change hasn't been so great.
"Sometimes we think more is better, and that's not always the case," she said. "For example, the summer. We've got kids playing at 8 (years old), 9 and 10 and they're playing every weekend. Kids are getting burned out."
All of that playing time has maybe devalued things once kids get to high school.
"By no means is it a reason for me getting out, but I can remember way back when, when you presented a kid with a varsity uniform, it was like you gave them a pot of gold. I have had kids that slept with that uniform," Dey said. "Sometimes I think these days kids walk in and it's like, "Where's my uniform?' I'm sure if you would ask a lot of other coaches, they would say that has been one of the big changes."
One other thing that's changed in those two-plus decades is Dey herself.
"From when I first started, it's amazing how you change so much," she said. "The older kids would say I've gotten soft. Every head coach can say when they were young and something didn't go right, they'd get up and scream or if a call went against them, they'd get worked up. But now you're like, "OK. What are you going to do?'"
Dey, who said she will continue her job as a physical education teacher at the Simonsen Ninth Grade Center, said she loves being around young people.
"I've coached some of the best kids in the world," she said. "One family, I had one of their girls play for me for 11 straight years."
Dey said it's those players who deserve a lot of the credit for her 424 wins, a fact she cited shortly after she got win No. 400.
"I said back then I don't look at it as my 400th win - you try to guide those kids, then they walk on the field and do what they need to do. It was under my direction, but it's their 400 wins," she said.
Dey is now firmly ensconced in a group of legendary Jefferson City coaches, a group that was a big intimidating when she first arrived.
"What a dream place to come to," she said. "At that point, if you're going to coach anywhere, it was Jeff City. And coach (Pete) Adkins, we became great friends, he still comes by and visits a lot. I have the most respect for that man. He's a legend and I wanted to make him proud, because if you weren't successful, he would chew your (behind)."
Dey added she hopes whoever takes over the program continues its success.
"I love this program, nobody could do it for that many years and not enjoy it," she said. "I want it to continue to be successful, and I will do anything I can to help."