After years of preparation and hard work, Chad Galloway has been called up to the plate to serve as head coach for the Portsmouth High School girls softball team.
Galloway always saw himself coaching baseball, and when he and his wife, Kerri, were blessed with three daughters (Karlee, Caitlyn, and Karaline) he found that he shared their passion for softball, as well. He first joined the district as the assistant coach of the junior high softball team, and he was the head coach of the junior high school team last year.
“I have learned a lot from previous head coach Kristen Bradshaw, and her mentoring me a bit to learn about the program she was running,” he said. “Softball is different from baseball, and I became a student of the game and tried to get as much knowledge as I could to make them better players and me better as their coach.”
On Oct. 12, Galloway was called into the office of Assistant Superintendent Josh Morris for a meeting. Not sure what to expect, Galloway said he was nervous to attend. When he arrived, he was escorted to the back meeting room and was surprised when he opened the door and saw his wife, Kerri, and daughters Karlee, Caitlyn, and Karaline standing there waiting for him, along with the Assistant Athletic Director Jason Van Duessen.
He was called into the office to offer him the job as head coach.
“There was no hesitation for me to say yes, This is a dream job for me. I’ve always wanted to be a high school coach growing up,” he said. “I’m extremely thankful to Josh Morris and the interview committee and school board for this tremendous opportunity. I also want to thank my wife and daughters for their support and understanding of the countless hours that are going to go into this.”
The school board approved his hire during their meeting in January.
“I couldn’t be more excited about the team returning on the field. I know a lot of these girls just from me being around the team last year. They are an exciting bunch of girls. They have a lot of passion for the game. They have fun on the field. I have to give thanks to Kristen Bradshaw too, not just for her being a great ambassador of the game but for the program that she’s built at Portsmouth. I look forward to taking these girls that she’s helped develop, and developing them even more,” Galloway said.
He invited everyone to come out to the games to support the Lady Trojans’ team.
For more information about Portsmouth City Schools, visit them online at www.portsmouthtrojans.net, or follow the school’s page on Facebook.