Freeman's back as Hersey's coach

Molly Freeman always knew she wanted to coach.

"It was in my blood," she said. "My whole family was into sports."

Freeman, a two-time all-area softball player for Fremd High School, is now back into the Mid-Suburban League where she was a three-sport varsity athlete from 1995-1997.

She has accepted her first head coaching job and will direct the varsity softball team at Hersey.

"It's a dream come true," said Freeman, currently student teaching at Fremd in the physical education and health departments. "I really could not have asked for a better fit for a position."

Freeman starred for coach Rob Harris at Fremd and played on his Elite Eight team in 1997.

She then earned a softball scholarship to the University of Illinois-Chicago.

As a sophomore, Freeman's softball team set a school and NCAA record for wins by going 67-17. Freeman was a two-time all-conference outfielder, and the Flames were ranked in the top 25 all three years she played.

After college, Freeman served as an assistant in the University at Louisiana-Monroe and University of Illinois softball programs.

She loves returning to her roots where as a three-sport athlete at Fremd, she was also a two-time all-conference forward for coach Carol Plodzien's basketball team.

"Being from the area makes the transition so easy," she said. "I know a lot of local teams that we'll be competing against. And I know that the feeder teams are strong, too, in this area.

"The level of softball from the Northwest suburbs is fantastic. I think coaches from summer feeder teams are doing a great job developing the girls. They have done a great job preparing the kids to play at a high level."

Freeman, who majored in kinesiology at Illinois-Chicago, will get her teaching certificate this December from Louisiana-Monroe.

"College coaching was a way to still coach and finish my education," Freeman said.

Molly's father, Jack, was a high school football head coach in Massachusetts. He also served as an assistant football coach at Northeastern University in Boston and was the head coach for Lincoln University in Missouri.

A former assistant athletic director at Northwestern University, he currently is the Director of Facilities Services for the University of Connecticut's football field in Storrs.

His wife, Ellen, is a nursing instructor for Three Rivers Community College in nearby Norwich, Conn.

"They both made me, and my brothers and sisters, the best that we could be," Molly said. "Our dad was always a go-getter for us, and our mom, as a nurse, was the one cleaning up the bumps and bruises and coming out to watch every single game we played."

Molly's sister, Katie, was also a three-sport athlete at Fremd (volleyball, basketball and track). Her brother Timothy was a wrestler.

Her brother John, a 1995 Fremd graduate who played receiver there, is now the offensive coordinator for Elmwood Park High School's football team.

"I really had no other alternative but to go into sports and be an athlete myself," Molly said with a smile. "I love the game of softball and everything about being on field, the camaraderie of a team. I love everything about athletics.

"For me, there's no downside. I love the competition of being out there and doing your best every single moment. I love the motivation you get from working hard and using it for the rest of your life."

Freeman expects to meet with her new players this week.

"I would like to be able to put names with faces as soon as possible," she said. "And I want them to see my face and how excited I am.

"And I'm really excited to meet with my staff, too. They seem to have great knowledge and I'm thrilled to be on board with them."

Former Huskies pitcher Christie McEnerney will be Freeman's varsity assistant.

"It's great to have someone with Christie's knowledge as a former pitcher for Hersey," Freeman said. "And I know she will create a great atmosphere for the team because she played here.

"It'll be great to have her pride and enthusiasm as a Hersey grad and someone who bleeds the orange and brown."

Hersey girls athletic director Pat Kennedy made the announcement last week.

"She is a wonderful person and very supportive," Freeman added. "She has a lot of energy for the program which is very exciting.

"l know I'm coming into a school that wants to win, and I know Pat and her staff breeds that excitement within the program."

Freeman stresses offense as a key part of winning softball.

"I love offense," said Freeman, whose 5 home runs in 1997 are a Fremd school record. "I think it's exciting and really ignites a team. I know defensive plays win you games, too, so you have to be strong there."

Freeman believes you must pattern your team according to the strengths of its athletes.

"You have to see what you have and build around that," she said. "You really have to see what your strengths and weaknesses are and use your strengths to your advantage."