LEXINGTON, Ky. ? Kentucky head softball coach Rachel Lawson has completed her first coaching staff with the addition of Jodi Chmielewski. The outfield/pitching/hitting coach comes to the Wildcats after spending the past three seasons at Middle Tennessee.
Chmielewski brings an overabundance of knowledge to Kentucky from her extensive coaching and professional playing career in America and in overseas leagues.
?I am honored to have the opportunity to work for the University of Kentucky with Coach Lawson,? said Chmielewski. ?Coach Lawson is energetic, intelligent and one of the hardest working coaches in the business. I look forward to sharing my knowledge, integrity and passion for the sport in fostering a championship program that is rich in tradition.”
Chmielewski spent 2004 as the first American to play professional softball in South Africa. She was also the first female coach of the Men’s Western Province fastpitch team of Cape Town, South Africa. She led the men’s team to a bronze medal in the South African Province tournament in Durban, South Africa, as well as organized and implemented fundraising for the team. She also mentored the South African softball women’s national coaching staff and continues to work with youth programs internationally. Chmielewski travels all over the world organizing clinics and is a national clinician and speaker as well.
Prior to her stint in South Africa, Chmielewski spent a year in Haarlem, Netherlands as the head coach of the Terrasvogels Softball Club Second Team, while playing professionally for the First Team. As an athlete, she was the batting champion of the Netherlands and won the 2003 Europe Cup Championship in Valencia, Spain.
Chmielewski spent two seasons, 2001-02, as the head varsity coach at Coconino High School in Flagstaff, Ariz., where she led the team to its first winning season in seven years and first state tournament berth in 12 years. While in Flagstaff, Chmielewski was a radio morning show host on Kolt Country 107.5 and also served as a promotions director for Red Rock Communications.
Chmielewski was a four-year letterwinner for Oregon State from 1996-1999 where she pitched and saw time at first base and in the outfield. She was named Pac-10 All-Conference three times and All-Region once while earning PAC-10 player of the week honors twice. The Beavers were ranked 10th in the final NFCA/USA Today Top 25 poll and made their first appearance in the NCAA Regional Tournament Championship game when Chmielewski was a senior. She still holds OSU single-season records for doubles and hits, while she ranks second all-time in hits, singles and at-bats.
Before graduating at Oregon State, Chmielewski was drafted as a third round draft pick for the Tampa Bay Firestix in the Women’s Professional Softball League. Chmielewski played professional softball for two seasons with the Tampa Bay Firestix, earning a World Series Championship in 1999.
?Jodi brings a wealth of knowledge and an enormous amount of enthusiasm to UK?s softball program,? said Lawson. ?Because of these great assets, we are fortunate to have Jodi on the coaching staff.?
The San Pedro, Calif. native received her bachelor?s degree in environmental science from Oregon State in 2000. She will reside in Lexington.
