The head coaching position for the Trinity High School varsity softball team has been a revolving door in recent years with six different coaches.
But new head coach Chardonnay Harris, a 2017 Oak Park and River Forest alum, hopes to finally stabilize the Blazers.
“I’m happy to be back in the community,” Harris said. “I’d hoped to work at OPRF as an assistant, but everything happens for a reason, and I’m glad to be the head coach at Trinity.”
Harris was approached last year by Trinity athletic director Ken Trendel to see if she’d be interested in being head coach. But she admitted she didn’t want to be a head coach at the time and declined.
However, when Ivette Cano, last year’s coach, stepped down, Trendel again reached out to Harris, and this time she accepted.
“It couldn’t have worked out at a better time,” Harris said. “I knew some of the girls, and they’re familiar with my work ethic and how I do things. I want to make things exciting and create a safe space for whoever is on the team.”
Harris added that her first week as head coach went well with the players being receptive to her.
“I want to give them an open platform if they don’t understand something,” she said. “We also want to make practice harder than a game so that way they’re prepared.”
Trinity has seven returnees – including six seniors – from last year’s team, which went 16-10 and lost an IHSA Class 3A regional final to St. Ignatius. Senior Kendall Hynes (.604, 18 RBI in 2023) enters her fourth year on the varsity. Junior Claire Rambasek batted .394 and had 19 RBI. Seniors Nora Riley, Sofia Samatas, and Bella Waters also saw significant time in the field.
In the circle, sophomore Grace Samatas (4.44 earned-run average) and senior Anais Fernandez (6.13 ERA) gained valuable experience that’s sure to be helpful this spring.
The Blazers, who will field only a varsity team this year, seek to get contributions from 11 newcomers: senior Arabella Carrion; juniors Elizabeth Miehlich, Flynn and Lilli Puttin (twins), and Mena Zito; sophomore Ginny Redmond; and freshmen Solelia Arroyo, Aly Lopez, Emily Miehlich, Maddie Trendel, and Abby Young.
“Something that has stood out to me during preseason is our communication as a whole,” Harris said. “The girls are friends outside softball so it makes it easier to get them to communicate on the field.”
Harris said she realizes that creating a new foundation at Trinity takes time, and that’s what she is focusing on. Once that’s established, she said she believes the results will take care of themselves.
“This season’s goals will be making it great in its own way while getting better both mentally and physically,” she said.
“As my staff and I are building a new culture for Trinity softball, it’s going to be important for the girls to buy in into what we have planned. Keeping our communication lines open to the girls about anything and everything that is important to them will help us get to where we need to be.”