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05/04/2017 12:00 AMWhen it comes to coaching softball, Meghan Wiese emphasizes the journey that players have to take to obtain their objectives. Meghan’s personal journey has now taken her to the softball program at Guilford High School, where she is reuniting with many of the same athletes that she’s formed relationships with at the middle school level through the past few years.
Meghan is a Madison resident who played softball at Haddam-Killingworth, where she was a two-time All-Shoreline Conference and All-State player for the 2003 Class S state champion Cougars. While she’s spent time coaching cross country, basketball, and softball at Adams Middle School in Guilford, Meghan additionally honed her coaching skills with the Shoreline Sting’s U-14 and U-16 softball squads. Now this spring, Meghan is back on the field with several of her former middle school players as the Indians’ softball team’s new varsity assistant coach.
“I started getting involved with Unified Sports and I ran into [Guilford’s varsity Head Coach Steve Zajac]. He asked me about coaching with the team. I thought about it and decided I wanted to do it. I applied for the position, was hired, and started counting the days until the season started,” says Meghan, who teaches physical education at Adams Middle School. “Knowing the girls on this team, along with the up-and-coming ones, it’s exciting for everyone involved. It was all perfect timing.”
During her time as a coach, Meghan has learned that nothing worth having comes easy and that athletes have to maintain an upbeat demeanor at all times. That attitude was put to the test quite successfully when Guilford rallied for a 7-5 victory versus Foran on April 19.
“I tell them to try and keep a positive mindset with anything in life. I mention to them that you have to work hard and be driven to reach goals. We also want the girls to be dedicated towards being scholar athletes, but they have to enjoy the game, as well,” Meghan says. “A good example of being positive was a win versus Foran. We were up in the seventh, but then they went ahead with a three-run home run in that inning, but the girls overcame it, kept positive, and won.”
Meghan constantly marvels at the strides that she’s her athletes make, whether it’s as excellent softball players or extraordinary people.
“Seeing the same girls at the middle school level and how they progressed to the high school level, where the competition is tougher, is great,” she says. “Watching them set and achieve goals, it’s very enjoyable to see that.”
In a very short time span, Coach Zajac has seen Meghan make a big impact on the Indians through her knowledge of softball, plus her passion for her new position with the Indians.
“After getting to know her, I felt she’d be a great fit for our team with both the coaches and the players. Meghan brings great energy to both practice and games. She can often be heard getting the girls fired up in games or even during drills in practice,” says Zajac. “She is enthusiastic and brings with her an excellent knowledge of the game. She has been a real asset for the team this year.”
While Guilford is on a fast track toward a postseason berth this spring, Meghan knows that the squad’s solid start is only the first step of the Indians’ ultimate quest, which is to contend for both SCC and state title gold.
“We definitely want to be above .500 and have the team be consistent with that for the next couple of years,” says Meghan. “Long term, we want to make the postseason consistently and be competitive within a tough SCC. We want to make deeper pushes in the SCC and State tournaments. Getting that first round win in states would be huge, and it’s achievable now and in the future.”