Sonia (Ortiz) Ford returned to her assistant coach duties with Ventura College softball in 2023 after a successful six-season stint as the program's head coach. 2024 will be her 20th overall coaching with the Pirates.

A year ago Ventura posted a 31-10-1 mark on the year, just the sixth 30+ win season in program history, and advanced to the Super Regional Round of the 3C2A Southern California Playoffs for the second time in team history. VC also captured the Western State Conference North Division title with a 14-1 league record. 

Coach Sonia had an overall mark of 130-70 (.650 winning pct.) in her six years at the helm of the Pirates' ship, 65-17 (.792) in Western State Conference play. Ford led the Pirates to the post season every full season as head coach, with the exception of the Covid-shortened 2020 and 2021 campaigns, winning a play-in game in 2017 and matching the program's highest playoff seed and hosting the first round series in 2018.

Last season, the Pirates were 27-14 overall and 10-2 in the WSC North, good for a second place finish in the conference. They entered the 2022 SoCal Regional Playoffs as the No. 11-seed.

In 2021, Ventura went 12-6 in the abbreviated Spring II season, 11-5 in WSC play. The Pirates were 11-8 entering WSC play before Covid ended the 2020 season.

VC posted an overall mark of 22-17, 13-3 in the WSC North Division in 2019, finishing in second place in the conference, receiving the No. 18 seed in the Southern California Regional Playoffs.  

In 2018, the Pirates were 29-12 overall, and 12-2 in the WSC, good for a runner-up finish. VC matched its highest playoff seed in program history hosting a regional playoff series for just the second time. After a narrow 2-1 loss in the opener, the Pirates forced a deciding game three with a victory in game two, before bowingout of the playoffs. 

In 2017, the Pirates claimed a share of the Western State Conference North Division title, VC's first since 2012, with a 19-4 conference mark. Ventura moved through the play-in round of the CCCAA SoCal Regionals by defeating Grossmont before falling in the first round of the post-season.  The Pirates finished the season with an overall record of 29-14.

Coach Ford, a Camarillo native, was an All-WSC standout for the Pirates and an NAIA All-American at Oklahoma City University. She was inducted into the Ventura College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008.

After serving as assistant coach for 12 seasons, Coach Ford was named the head coach prior to the 2017 season. During her time on coach Susan Johnson's coaching staff, the Pirates posted a record of 283-222, a .560 winning percentage, and a 164-76 mark (.683) in Western State Conference play.  VC won four conference titles during that time and advanced to the CCCAA SoCal Regional Playoffs eight times.

Growing up in Camarillo, Coach Ford played club softball for the El Rio Bobby Sox team and at Rio Mesa High School. She also played basketball for the Spartans.

Coach Ford enrolled at VC, beginning her Pirate career. Her sophomore year, the Pirates finished the year at 22-19 It was during her sophomore year that she became an outstanding softball player. The team finished runner-up in the Western State Conference, qualifying for the SoCal Regional Playoffs. The No. 7-seed Pirates lost an early round game, working back through the loser's bracket, culminating in a match-up with the No. 2-seed. Coach Ford pitched 21 innings in two memorable games as VC lost in the final inning, just missing a trip to the state tournament.

Coach Ford transferred to Oklahoma City University, a powerhouse NAIA school coming off of four consecutive national titles two years earlier. In her junior year, the Stars won the Sooner Athletic Conference and marched through the NAIA national tournament, falling in the championship game. Coach Ford was named second team NAIA All-American that season. As a senior, Ford led OCU to another SAC title and to the national championship. She earned first team All-American honors, was named the NAIA Tournament MVP, and received the NAIA Pitcher of the Year Award. She led the nation with 32 victories that season.

In the summers of 2002 and 2003, Ford played for an international travel team, playing in Europe. Also in 2002, She played for the Ventura 5 in a fast pitch woman's open league. Her team won the American Softball Association (ASA) Class C Championship, and Ford earned ASA first team All-American honors.

Sonia and her husband Brian have been married for 15 years, and have three children, Johnathan, Sophia and Alexander.