Steven Dardis joined the Pioneers prior to the start of the 2020 season and is set to enter his sixth season with Lewis & Clark in the spring of 2025.
During his four full seasons working with the Pioneers, Dardis has helped Lewis & Clark post three winning seasons, including a pair of trips to the Northwest Conference Tournament (2021 and 2024). He helped guide the Pioneers to their best season in program history in 2024. Lewis & Clark posted their best-ever finish in NWC play as they finished in second place with a 20-8 record. The Pioneers set the single-season record for overall wins (28) and conference wins (20) and advanced to the NWC Championship Series for the first time in school history.
Steven Dardis comes to Lewis & Clark after spending several years coaching travel ball and helping expand the reach of softball in the community of Tigard, Ore. and surrounding area. He has a wealth of experience and knowledge from coaching multiple sports and enjoys understanding the mechanics of and application of movement to be more effective and efficient.
Steven attended Pacific Lutheran and competed in track and field. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), and afterwards, moved back to Japan to work. While participating on a men's recreation fastpitch team in Japan, he got involved in and began coaching women’s high school fastpitch. Coaching women’s high school fastpitch in Japan helped develop his philosophy in regard to player development and approach to the game, and he utilized that work ethic to help players earn a spot on the Majors Division Little League Softball World Series team representing Oregon in 2011 and 2012. His role as a coach and player development coordinator has been instrumental in getting young women prepared for a more competitive softball environment in high school and beyond. He has also been actively involved with youth sports coaching soccer and basketball. Steven’s philosophy has always been "to learn, to do, to teach," and it is what continues him on his path to teach youth and adults. Steven is also an accomplished martial artist achieving his black belts in Aikido and Taekwondo and enjoys teaching, training and discussing the ideology of their respective forms.
Born and raised in Japan, Europe and the United States has fostered a love for history and learning about other cultures and tasting the spices of life -- food. He has four daughters, Emi, Elli, Ema and Ella, who are all very active and and enjoy softball almost as much as he does. Steven’s wife, Page, is an doctor who specializes in internal medicine. With Steven being a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, they have some very interesting conversations about health and well being.
As an OMD and Licensed Acupuncturist (LAc), he treats individuals with acupuncture, herbs and physiotherapy (massage, cupping, Gua Sha, Kinesio Tape). His emphasis is on sports health, women’s health and pain management. He has been in practice for over 22 years working in private practice as well as in a large institution, Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). Throughout his professional career, he has been a clinic supervisor and adjunct instructor to OHSU school of medicine, the National University of Naturopathic Medicine and the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine.
