With a 2019 regional trophy under their belts, Blue Valley Softball had conquered the feats of losing their head coach before the season and won Blue Valley High School more hardware. This year a new face enters the program, Jennifer Stock, the new head softball coach.

Starting at the age of 9, Stock continued traveling for softball throughout her childhood and into highschool where she attended Oak Park High School in Kansas City, Missouri. After her high school career, she attended Central Community College for two years before transferring to Northwest Missouri State.

The importance of softball made itself apparent to Stock as she hurt her shoulder one year in college and couldn’t practice or play, which was all she had done growing up.

“I knew what I wanted to do because I wanted it back so bad,” she said. “II would look at the kids who said, ‘Oh, I can’t wait to be done,’ and that was never me. I want to do this forever if I could.”

With that, Stock said she had seen the job for Blue Valley head softball coach and couldn’t not try it.

First impressions can be everything, and the first impression of Blue Valley students and staff really affected Stock, as she couldn’t think of a better fit to take an already great softball program to even better places.

Stock said one of the team’s goals for the 2020 season as the building of good people.

“I don’t care what your batting average is, I don’t care what your fielding percentage is — I care what kind of person you are and what kind of person represents my program,” she said.

The players have taken a liking to Stock, sophomore Logan Hays said.

“Coach Stock is an amazing person right off the bat when you meet her,” Hays said. “You can definitely tell she’s driven and she wants what’s best for the girls. She’s very organized and encouraging.”

Stock said she will take time this winter to prepare for the season.

“I’m gonna go to conferences in the winter, I’m going to every chance I can to become a better softball coach, I’m gonna do that for my kids.”