SUSSEX, Wis. — The Sussex Hamilton Chargers softball team is off to a 6-0 start this spring after reaching the Division 1 state semifinals last year. Head coach Kaylee Gendrich is leading the powerhouse program, which boasts 12 state appearances, including four in the last five years.
While Gendrich credits her team for the sustained success, she is the common denominator. Her coaching style is intense, but her players respond to it.
"A lot of people think she's really intense, but it's coming from a place of love. She's loud, but it gets us fired up," senior second baseman Maddie Palicka said.
Watch: EmpowHERing the Game: Inside Sussex Hamilton Softball’s powerhouse program
"I coached like how I played. I'm unapologetically loud, and that's not going to change because my players feed off of that," Gendrich explained.
Gendrich originally planned to coach girls' basketball, but a torn ACL in high school changed her path.
"I tried to play basketball after it, but I just didn't trust my knee. Softball was just a sport that I really started to feel way more comfortable playing, and then I really realized how successful I was becoming, and that's where I invested the work," Gendrich said.
That work earned her a scholarship to Lake Forest College. However, another torn ACL prompted her transition from player to coach.
"I actually was sitting on a bucket at practice one day, and I was charting during hitting, and I really realized how I was giving feedback to my teammates. I actually really liked doing that, and they actually enjoyed my perspective," Gendrich recalled.
Beyond winning games, Gendrich focuses on building the next generation of female trailblazers.
"She wants them to become really strong leaders as women when they leave high school, not just softball in the real world, and she's a perfect example of that," Chargers assistant coach Dan Sykes said.
"They're going to go through ups and downs, but we have taught them the life skills to be extremely powerful, confident leaders," Gendrich said. "As a woman, you have every right to be a leader in the room."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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