MONROE - The passion Monroe coach Dale Buvid has for softball is on display every game when he calls out numbers for the location of a pitch or how the Cheesemakers will cover a bunt. Softball, after all, is a thinking person's game.

Few in the history of Wisconsin softball have pushed as many right buttons as Buvid. And now Buvid, a Wisconsin Softball Coaches Hall of Famer, is knocking on the door for his 500th career win in his 33rd year coaching.

According to the Fastpitch Chronicle, Buvid is the fourth all-time winningest coach in the state with 499 wins and a win rate of nearly 70 percent of the games he has coached. Poynette coach Bob Tomlinson is No. 1 on the state's wins list with 597.

If Monroe beats Brodhead today, it will mark Buvid's 500th career win. He would become the fourth coach in the state to reach that milestone.

"I feel satisfied because I have done the work to get the program among the best in the state," Buvid said. "I consider it a longevity award and a program award. You can't do it by yourself. I have been blessed with some great players, assistant coaches and families that have made it a great program. If there is any one secret to our success, we work hard at it."

In his 33 years coaching, Buvid has guided the Cheesemakers to seven state tournament appearances, one state championship in 2003, four state runner-up finishes, 14 sectional appearances and 11 conference titles.

Before Buvid took over as coach in 1984, the Monroe softball team was trying to build a competitive program. Former Monroe High School Athletic Director Clarence Bruess hired Buvid as the softball coach.

"Clarence told me good luck because we had an excellent track program," Buvid said. "Softball was treading water."

In Buvid's first year, Monroe finished 6-10. During his second year, the Cheesemakers went 7-11, then hit a low point in 1986, finishing 3-13.

Over the last decade, Buvid has accumulated a mark of 193-76, a 71.7 winning percentage.

"There were games where we walked 20 batters and we had games like 22-18," he said. "I had to learn on the fly. You had to learn to get quality pitching. The game revolves around quality pitching. If you don't have quality pitching, you are fighting an uphill battle. It took a while to get enough good athletes in the program so we could compete against other schools."

There have been several changes to the game since Buvid started coaching. The pitching rubber was moved from 40 feet away to 43 feet, for safety and for fear that power pitchers were dominating the game.

Buvid said the level of play is more advanced now than when he first started coaching. He pointed to the advent of players using pitching coaches now and summer and fall traveling softball teams making the sport year-round. He developed the high school Sunday night softball league and still coaches the Monroe summer league team, but he has never coached a traveling team.

"We have had a lot of dads put in a lot of time in the summer with traveling teams and high level tournaments," he said. "They always make it back to play in the Sunday league."

Twenty-two years ago, Buvid, in conjunction with the Monroe Park and Recreation Department, started offering a Lassie softball league for kindergarten students through second-graders. The league focuses on teaching the fundamentals of hitting, throwing and fielding. New Glarus softball coach Hannah Grossen, a 2008 Monroe High School graduate, has taken over the instruction of the Lassie League along with several other Monroe softball players.

"To keep it (the program) on top you have to do all of the summer leagues," he said. "I have grown weary of all the summer things. There are sacrifices my wife and family have had to make. If we go on a trip, I have to be home by 2 or 3 p.m. on Sunday for the summer league."

For the first 18 years of Buvid's coaching career, Monroe was a Division 1 school in softball. A big turnaround for the Cheesemakers came in 2002 when the WIAA added a fourth division of softball and Monroe was bumped to Division 2. Monroe has been one of the state's premier programs in Division 2 the last 14 years with seven state tournament appearances.

"That was a huge change for us," Buvid said. "We play in a Division 1 conference."

The only Division 2 teams in the Badger South Conference are Monroe and Madison Edgewood.

"We try to play a tough schedule so when it gets to the tournament, we have a chance to go to state every year," he said.

Despite his success, Buvid said he never considered leaving Monroe for another coaching position. He taught science and computer science for 36 years including 33 years at Monroe High School before retiring after the 2012 school year. Buvid's daughter, Amy, a 2004 MHS graduate and son, Dan Buvid, a 2007 MHS graduate, both competed in sports in high school. Amy played softball and Dan ran track.

"I established enough roots here through my teaching job," he said. "I never had elusions of coaching at a higher level or leaving Monroe. There was never a thought of moving or doing something else."