Softball
Sissonville Girls Coach Accustomed to Multi-tasking
February 3, 2006
By Emily Chapman
For the Charleston Daily Mail
Sissonville High School girls basketball Coach Annette Olenchick is wearing a lot of hats these days.
The veteran coach and athletic director has proven, however, that they all fit pretty well.
A University of Charleston graduate and Golden Eagles Hall of Famer, Olenchick is also a physical education and health teacher at Sissonville and is UC's women's softball coach.
From Central Cambria High School in Evansburg, Pa., Olenchick played softball and basketball at UC from 1980 to 1984 and lettered all four years in both sports.
"I've always had a passion for both sports," she said. "I've never been able to decide which one I love more."
Olenchick began her coaching career at DuPont High in 1987. She coached the girls basketball team for five years, finishing as state runner-up in 1988.
In 1992, Olenchick transferred to Sissonville, where she has remained. She coached the softball team to state championships in 1995, 1996 and 1997 and again in 2000, 2001 and 2002.
With her new coaching job at UC, Olenchick knows she will be busy, but is ready for the challenge.
"I like to keep busy. I enjoy it. They say coaching is a part time job, but it's really a full time job," she said.
Olenchick thoroughly enjoys what she does and says, "It's just what I was meant to do."
She already has adapted her schedule to best apply herself to all four jobs.
From 7 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., Olenchick teaches and works her job at Sissonville.
Then, from 2:45 to 5:30 she has basketball practice. Finally from 6 to 8:30 she has softball practice at UC.
She appreciates the fact that through coaching, she gets to be directly involved with the sports she loves and gets to pass on her knowledge to girls who want to learn. Olenchick feels the same about teaching.
Her passion in the classroom has been evident to her co-workers as they voted her State and District Teacher of the Year for physical education last year.
"There are eight states in the Midwest district, so that really meant a lot," Olenchick said.
She feels that if it had not been for her ability to balance her personal life with her hectic work schedule, she would not have been able to coach and teach for the past 19 years.
"I like to run and work out. It's my big stress reliever. And then I go out to dinner and a movie with my friends every now and then. I have to make time for myself," she said.
Olenchick will have the help of her former Sissonville softball player, Brandy Thaxton, in coaching at UC.
Thaxton played softball for four years at West Virginia State, graduating in 2003.
"She's a great athlete and she'll be an asset to the team," Olenchick said.
In the past 19 years of coaching, with six state championships under her belt and two teaching awards, Olenchick says she's very "fortunate and blessed" to be where she is today.