IRONDEQUOIT, N.Y. — For three decades, the Eastridge softball program struggled to find its footing, often finishing seasons with more losses than wins. In 2023, the varsity team managed just seven victories. But everything changed in 2024 when Shelly Collins took over as head coach.
Collins brought a fresh perspective and a winning pedigree to the Lacers. In her first season, the team nearly doubled its win total, finishing with 12 victories. The momentum carried into 2025, where Eastridge posted 11 wins and made an inspiring run to the Class A Sectional Finals before falling to Pittsford Sutherland. Now, in the current season, the Lacers are off to a perfect 10-0 start — a remarkable turnaround that has the entire program buzzing.
"Coach Collins just saw what everyone else didn't see in us," said senior Emma Johnson. "She elevated what our program already had."
The transformation, however, goes far beyond the scoreboard. Players credit Collins with instilling a new culture of accountability and self-respect.
"Coach brings a lot of new standards into the program," explained senior Harper Kuehne. "She taught us how to have respect for ourselves on and off the field, and how to always put in 100% effort."
Senior Marley Siembor echoed that sentiment, noting how daily conversations about character and mindset have shaped the team's identity. "Having these different morals that we talk about every single day at practice really gets us in the mindset to know that we are who we are, and that we're really good."
Collins' success is no accident. With over 30 seasons of varsity coaching experience, she has won seven Section V titles and one New York State championship. Her career win total of over 530 places her among the top two in Section V history. Yet, when asked about her personal accolades, Collins deflects the praise.
"Part of my why is to develop strong, independent, self-advocating females," Collins said. "We do that through the game of softball. Seeing all of their hard work have a payoff not just in wins and losses, but in being great people, is what keeps us coming back."
Collins has built a trusted coaching staff, including assistants Dave Prong and Denise Dillnen, who have worked alongside her for 12 seasons. Together, they've guided 12 different groups of players, but they all agree that this year's Eastridge team is special.
"The fact that teams have played together — that's hit or miss," said Prong. "It doesn't necessarily always translate to success down the road. This group's a little different. Once we got everybody on the same page, they just continued to climb the ladder and improve."