The Covenant College athletic department is taking another step forward in their growth plan, as the Scots will add the sport of softball next year, it was announced on Thursday afternoon.

"I am very pleased with the momentum in our intercollegiate athletic program, both in our existing sports and in new ones," said Dr. Niel Nielson, President of Covenant College. "Softball represents an important next step in our effort to create a broad array of co-curricular opportunities for our students in support of the college's mission. The increased participation in softball in secondary schools means that we have the opportunity to bring to Covenant more outstanding student-athletes in the fine tradition of our existing teams."

Covenant added men's golf to the athletic department two years ago, and this year took a large step by adding baseball, men's and women's tennis, and junior varsity teams in men's and women's soccer and men's and women's basketball. The baseball and tennis teams will compete this spring as junior varsity and club teams, as they move ahead with recruiting new incoming student-athletes and further develop the foundations of their programs.

Softball will follow the lead of baseball and tennis at Covenant. A national search will begin immediately for a head softball coach. The college has already had over a dozen potential student-athletes inquire about the potential of starting softball, and the college's admissions and athletic staff are following up with those potential Lady Scots. Once a softball coach is hired, the new coach will expand the recruiting efforts and work to build the program with the intent of beginning competition at the junior varsity level in the 2006-07 academic year.

"This is another exciting step in the future of athletics at Covenant College," said Covenant College Director of Athletics Roy Heintz. "A Covenant College education, in our fine Christian setting, has proven to attract some of the finest student-athletes in both our oldest and newest sports. With the proliferation of quality high school softball programs throughout north Georgia and eastern Tennessee, we shouldn't have to go far to find young woman that have a strong desire to help us build a quality program that will fit nicely into the college's mission."