Softball is her game and she’s been coaching it for about 10 years now. Karen Pelkey, Cabrini’s head softball coach, has been coaching at the college for five of those 10 years now. Pelkey began coaching and teaching children when she was 18. Pelkey said, “[During] high school, I played field hockey, basketball and softball; while in college I played softball at Rutgers University’s main campus.” Not only does she lead the way for the Lady Cavaliers, but Pelkey also works in the Dixon center athletics office as an administrative assistant, “I came to Cabrini five years ago as the athletic department secretary and assistant softball coach. Since then, I’ve become head coach, remained within athletics and also work as the morning supervisor for the Dixon Center.”
Pelkey was named the PAC Coach of the year after the Lady Cavaliers went to the Conference Championship and third straight NCAA tournament. She said that, “I haven’t really made a career choice yet. Right now I’m enjoying two of the options I like, coaching and athletics administration.” As the softball season heads towards a wrap upwrap-up Pelkey says that she is willing to go as far as the team is willing to work to go, “I don’t see it in distance as much as one inning at a time.”
As she’s been moving throughout her softball career, she says that the most positive thing about being a coach is watching her athletes develop and mature in all aspects of their life, not just on the field. Pelkey also says, “I’m grateful to have the opportunity to be a part of an athletic program and college with such great success as Cabrini College has had. Coaching reminds me everyday that it’s just a game.” She says that she always tells her players that it’s okay to make one mistake, not two-meaning that you can’t get angry if you miss the ball and then decide to throw it back, for example.
Pelkey wishes that more people would see and acknowledge that student-athletes put their heart and soul into their teams here at Cabrini College, “I feel that our new Director of Athletics Leslie Danehy and our new Assistant Director Jeff Falardeau are going to make some great moves for our athletes.”
Posted to the Web by Lauren Joseph
