“That 2021 softball season was one of the favorite times of my life. That could be hard to top,” Makayla admitted. “There were only 14 girls out for the team and we didn’t know what to expect. But it was very special. And it was even more special to experience it all with my dad.”

Makayla is one of four children – and the only daughter – born to Tim and Jeanniene Walsh. She was born in Fremont, Nebraska, and moved to Effingham in 1998. Her three brothers are Christian, Kennan and Conlan. They are a true sports family.

Makayla was a standout basketball and softball player at St. Anthony High School. But she started playing at a much younger age. She was in the park district T-ball League when she was five and was on a traveling softball team at the age of 10.

“She’s always been very active,” Tim explained. “Whether she was on the ballfield or the basketball court, she got after it. That was just her personality. She’s always been very social and always liked being around other kids.”

“I grew up with three brothers and four boy cousins,” Makayla added. “It didn’t matter if we were playing whiffle ball or kickball in the backyard, it was always competitive. Nobody liked losing.”

And dad was always her coach.

“He coached me hard,” Makayla pointed out. “When we’d ride together after games, sometimes I liked the car ride home; sometimes, not so much. But I learned a lot from him. That’s what started the bond we have.”

After graduating from SAHS in 2014, Makayla went on to play softball at Parkland College and then the University of Illinois-Springfield. But softball wasn’t her favorite sport.

“No, basketball was,” she noted. “I always thought I’d play basketball in college. But then I tore my ACL my senior year at St. Anthony and things changed. My knee still isn’t 100 percent.”

Makayla has a bachelor’s degree in communications with a minor in marketing. She works free lance today, helping businesses with their marketing plans.

In 2019, she was named softball coach for the St. Anthony Junior High team.

“I didn’t think I’d ever be a coach, but I knew I wanted to be involved with sports. I just didn’t know how,” Makayla said. “This gave me the opportunity to do that.”

And dad agreed to be the assistant.

“I like giving back,” Tim said. “It’s an opportunity for me to share the knowledge I’ve gained from all my coaches. Plus, I wanted to see the girls succeed. I thought it would be enjoyable coaching with Makayla and I was right.”

The following year, Makayla took over as the varsity coach, but that season was wiped out due to COVID. But when the 2021 season unfolded, Makayla and Tim were once again together as the coaching tandem. Tim has also continued to coach the junior high team.

“We had a lot of fun coaching junior high and it has carried over into high school,” Tim noted. “I enjoyed coaching Makayla when she was younger, but it’s been even more rewarding coaching with her. It’s just fun.”

Makayla describes her coaching style as “calm, cool and collected. If I’m that way, my team will be, too. At the same time, it’s important to have a passion for the game. I expect them to go all-out. The way you practice is the way you play.”

According to Tim, his daughter’s coaching personality is different than when she was playing.

“When she was in high school, she was always tough on herself,” he explained. “If she made a mistake or had a tough game, she was very hard on herself. You could see it.

“But now, to see how she’s adapted and how she is with her players is amazing,” Tim added. “Her style as a coach is much different than when she was playing. She is able to really connect with these girls.”

The Lady Bulldogs like to be aggressive, but also play “small ball.” They will bunt or steal bases; anything to move runners around the base paths. She said she learned that style from her summer coaches.

“Teams know we’re going to play like that, but they still have to make the plays,” Makayla said. “Can they field the bunt? Can they throw out a base stealer? I think it’s important to put pressure on the defense and play for every run you can.”

Tim works with the pitchers, Makayla does more with the offense and both preach defense.

“Defense will win you championships,” Tim quickly said. “We focus on defense 100 percent.”

Both coaches stress accountability, all while building a culture of having fun.

“The girls are going to make mistakes,” Tim added. “But that doesn’t mean they can’t have fun, enjoy the sport and still be successful.”

The Lady Bulldogs were certainly successful a year ago, finishing with a 21-9 record and adding that state runner-up trophy to the school’s trophy case. It was the first time a school softball team had ever won a sectional. They had played in one sectional championship before – and that was when Makayla was a senior.

“Some of the teams might have been looking past us last year,” she admitted. “We were young and nobody knew anything about us. It will be much different this year.”

St. Anthony is currently 21-4. The team has already won the Cross Creek Classic and the National Trail Conference Softball Tournament and is now preparing for the postseason. They are the No. 1 seed in the St. Joseph Regional, which opened Monday, May 16.

“We’ve been pretty consistent, although a lot of our wins haven’t been solid wins,” Makayla said. “We have high expectations for them, but I don’t want them to feel pressure. Our goal is to get 1 percent better every day. I still see the drive in them and their desire to get better. That’s what I want to see.”

But competing in Class 2A will be more challenging. They will see better pitching and more solid hitters in almost every lineup compared to 1A.

“But we’re on the right track,” Makayla explained. “The girls want to show the 2A teams what St. Anthony softball is all about. It will be more challenging, but I think we’re ready.”

As for Makayla and Tim, it’s still fun. And it’s become more and more of a family affair.

“Makayla and I went to a coaching seminar last year in Chicago,” Tim noted. “We heard several coaches talk about their relationship with their children and how coaching negatively affected that. In some cases, their kids quit softball.

“We’ve never had that,” Tim added.

“When we first started coaching together, we didn’t know where to cut it off,” Makayla added. “Now, we talk about it at home. My husband texts me strategy. My brothers are watching the games on Facebook and mom is even making suggestions. It’s neat how much softball has grown within our family.”

Makayla is taking everything one year at a time. She got married last summer. She and her husband, Cole, actually live in Evansville, Indiana. Cole, like Tim, works for Syngenta, an ag chemical and seed company.

“That’s a bit unique, I know,” she admitted. “Cole and I are still trying to figure out where the perfect spot is for us. But I feel like we’re making an impact and building a program. It would be hard to step away now. And I would miss not coaching with my dad.”