| Walker ready to
spark ’08 Pacers After failing to compete for a
conference crown for the first time in nine seasons, and finding itself without
a coach by the end of the spring, the Hayes softball squad needed something ...
someone, to inject a new sense of identity into the proud program.
Enter Cari Walker. She’s young, but has a plethora of experience, and brings a
fiery and passionate attitude to Hayes. Walker started playing softball in fifth
grade, for a boy’s team no less. By eighth grade she was playing varsity ball in
her hometown of Shenandoah, Iowa. Her coaching career started early, too.
At 14, as a rec-league player, she helped other rec coaches with their teams by
guiding younger girls after she was done playing in her games. Walker also
coached younger players as a freshman and sophomore in high school. With years
of mentoring already under her belt, after playing college ball for Minnesota
State for four years, she was hired to assist with her former collegiate team as
a fifth-year senior, joining up as a student assistant.
The next year, Walker’s coaching path took a turn in a direction she could only
describe as, “a dream come true.” She was hired by her high school to coach
alongside her prep-school coach.
“My role model was my high school coach,” Walker said.
“He was the one constant
in my life and was just an inspiration to me.”
After her short stint there,
Walker’s boyfriend, an assistant football coach at Olentangy and Ohio native,
told her about the
opening at DHHS, Walker said she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to continue
coaching and take the strain out of a long-distance relationship at the same
time by moving to Ohio.
The rest is history. She applied for the job, interviewed and was rewarded with
the position after impressing all the right people. Now, it’s back to business.
Walker said she’s a no-nonsense coach and doesn’t have a problem letting her new
players know it.
“I’m not kidding anyone,” she said. “Nobody’s going to trick me. People who love
the game and want to be great … they’ll come. I’m not going to scare anyone into
coming to practice and working their tails off.”
bstroup@delgazette.com |
