Justin LaCertosa is an ASU Walter Cronkite School of Journalism student covering Gilbert High School for AzPreps365.com

Gilbert softball has recycled through various coaches over the years, in pursuit of a seamless fit that will help move the needle. After hiring head coach Michael Kaddatz, the importance of moving the needle both on and off the field is ever so crucial.

“It’s good for me to revitalize myself as a person, to go on and take over a program like Gilbert,” said Kaddatz. “I’m not just there to teach them how to hit, throw and catch. I’m there to teach them how to be good people, how to be good members of society. I’m trying to teach these young women to be strong women, to take over the world.”

Building a culture and strengthening the character of the team’s personnel is Kaddatz’s number one priority, and the overarching theme of culture is something that has resonated with the entire team.

“Coach Kaddatz has done a tremendous job shaping the culture and building us up in such little time,” said senior pitcher Brinli Fletcher. “He came in and helped us girls grow stronger and more confident in ourselves and in each other.”

Kaddatz has coached various youth sports in Arizona dating back to 1998, including football, baseball, basketball, and of course, softball. The coaching veteran is coming off ten years at Desert Vista, and now challenges himself to a fresh start at Gilbert.

‘“I had a great time there, it was just time for a change,” said Kaddatz. “I wanted to be a part of starting a new program and being able to implement the things that I have done over the years.”

Through his lengthy coaching career, Kaddatz has developed a certain set of standards that the team must adhere to on a daily basis. These standards further instill a culture within the team, while strengthening these young women to be the very best version of themselves. 

“He’s helped us become stronger women by putting us through hard practice,” said senior pitcher Mia Rodriguez. “In moments where we feel like we won’t be able to get through it, he pushes us to get through the hard times, just to push ourselves to our potential. He lets us know every practice that we are strong women, and we can achieve anything in this world.”

In specific, Kaddatz has implemented five specific rules throughout the course of his coaching career that his teams must learn by the first week of the season: do what's right, do your best, treat others how you would like to be treated, be totally committed to the program, and take pride in the performance of yourself and the team.

“We want them to do their best, that’s the whole point,” said Kaddatz. “I established that stability right away, I established that accountability right away. I was in the Army for five years, so I have that military background of: you will be held accountable for your actions.”

Accountability is one of the common concepts that Kaddatz specifically hones in on, but setting those five rules at the beginning of the season isn’t the only avenue towards getting that concept across. Kaddatz goes out of the box in an attempt to not only maintain accountability, but to expand the knowledge of his players.

“Every three days, I have them read a chapter of ‘Mind Gym: An Athlete’s Guide to Inner Excellence’,” said Kaddatz. “We learn about what it means to have inner excellence and to be strong minded, especially as a female. I also have them journal every game. Before we even make it to the field, I have them write down their goal for the day. And then I have them do a breakdown of how they’re going to rate themselves for the day, to keep that accountability up.”

Of course, the goal to produce at a high level on the field and gain quality wins throughout the season stands at the forefront of everyone’s minds. However, just right beside that desire to win comes the desire to grow, and coach Kaddatz has certainly set the example for the rest of the team to follow.