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I met Jeanette Olinger at pitching clinic at Hopkins High School and through some conversation we had
our daughters were the same age at 8U. We started subbing our 10u daughter in some games with
Jeanette and our family was welcomed with open arms. A dinner date with Ken and Jeanette and the
deal was sealed.
My coaching experience consists of- 2 years as Head Coach 10u Lake effect. I have been the assistant
coach at GR Flames 18u for 4 years under Matt Elkins, 1 year as assistant coach for Hopkins High JV, 2yrs
assistant coach for Hopkins 78ers.
I am a Christian, Husband, Father and friend. I have been married to my loving wife Jessica for 19 years
and we have 4 daughters, Hannah, Morgan, Julia and Lauren.
My inspiration for coaching comes from seeing the progression of each athlete getting better every
day.
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I am married and the mother of 3 beautiful children - 12, 4, and 1 year. We live in Grandville, but I grew up in Wyoming, Michigan where I went to Roger’s High School and was a 3 sport athlete including softball.
This is the sport I have so much love and passion for! I played my whole life and this is my 11th year coaching. I have coached my niece and my daughter growing up - my niece is a senior now and my daughter is on the 11U Lake Effect team.
I love being a part of the game and watching all my girls grow and have a blast. Just being a positive role model in their lives while I help them grow to make there dreams come true one day is what it’s all about!
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Jeanette Olinger, and her husband Ken, began Lake Effect Athletics in the spring of 2019 initially as a company providing private softball lessons to youth in the Holland, Michigan community and surrounding areas. It quickly evolved into the beginning of competitive youth teams by the end of that summer.
Jeanette has 20+ years of coaching experience at all levels of the game. A former pitcher/utility player at the University of Utah, she began her coaching career assisting at local clinics while in college and then began holding private pitching lessons. After college, she started Xtreme Fastpitch Softball in Layton, Utah which consisted of three teams in the organization. She coached the older of the three teams starting when they were 12U and remained with that core group of athletes through their graduation. She is currently mentoring two of those original athletes as they have returned to their former high schools to coach themselves. While in Utah, she also assisted at a local high school for three years prior to relocating to Michigan for her job as a Human Resources and Safety Manager with Ralcorp Holdings (food manufacturing).
After moving to Michigan, Jeanette was an assistant coach at Grandville High School for one year and then Kenowa Hills High School for one year. She also met her husband, Ken, before she relocated again for her job to the suburbs of Chicago. After three years in Illinois, she was offered the position as an assistant coach at Hope College for the 2012/2013 season and her family moved back to Holland, Michigan.
Jeanette was an assistant coach at Hope College for nine seasons. She currently provides private instruction for athletes in the community and is involved with the Hamilton Little League/Coach. Ken and she are the proud parents of two amazing daughters - Teagan and Rylie - who are beginning their own softball stories as well.
Alongside his wife of 15 years (Jeanette), Ken has helped build Lake Effect Athletics from the ground up. Ken takes pride in putting sportsmanship and the team-family dynamic first when it comes to athletics, and has tried to creatively build that culture into the Lake Effect brand.
Before graduating from Western Michigan University with a degree in Pre-Med/Biomedical Science, Ken played many sports growing up including basketball, baseball, golf, and football in his hometown of Grand Ledge, MI. He has coached and trained younger athletes in these sports throughout the years and enjoys seeing the younger generations appreciate sports and what it does to improve one’s character. In between Lake Effect activities, Ken worked for 15 years at Agilent Technologies where he led the Corporate Accounts sales team within the Genomics & Pathology division but has recently taken on a new adventure at Enzo Life Sciences as the Senior Sales Director - Americas.
Above all, Jeanette/Rylie/Teagan and family are most important when it comes to Ken’s focus!
Greetings! – from 13U Lake Effect
My coaching experience spans some 40+ years and includes baseball, basketball, football, and golf at various levels. My teaching experience includes middle-school science, graduate level biochemistry, and time as a flight instructor. I enjoy the challenge of finding innovative ways of helping students and athletes master difficult new subjects or skills.
I am in my fifth year with Lake Effect – currently an assistant coach with the 13U group. We try to ensure that being a part of the Lake Effect organization involves a great combination of athletic training, skills acquisition, and character development in a competitive, but fun environment. At the same time, we also believe in encouraging strong, positive relationships with one’s family, school, church, and community.
I am very proud of what this team has accomplished to date; thankful for the girls' ever-increasing effort and commitment; and thankful to the parents and families that support us so strongly throughout the year. We’re expecting great things from this group, on and off the field, this season and beyond!
Go Lake Effect!
Coach O.
2022 was my first-year coaching at Lake Effect. I have several years of coaching experience at various levels and have been playing baseball and softball most of my life. I have a true passion for teaching fundamentals and strive to create a softball experience that kids want to come back to. I put 110% into coaching and look forward to sharing my love of competition with new and seasoned athletes.
My day job, I work as a Technical Analyst at Spectrum Health. I live in the Hamilton area with my wife Jessica and daughters Bella, Paisley, Ava, and Penelope (3 of them play softball).
I am excited to be part of the Lafe Effect organization. GO LAKE EFFECT!!!
My name is Becky Joseph and I am a kindergarten teacher in Coopersville. Sports have always been a part of my life. I started at Lake Effect in 2021 when our daughter, Claire, wanted to play more softball and I was the team photographer. I love to capture the girls doing what they love. I have a passion working with student athletes. I have been a part of the coaching scene since college when I began coaching Special Olympics. I found so much joy in it.
When I graduated college, I coached varsity Volleyball for 5 years for Wyoming Park. While coaching volleyball, I got asked to help with freshman softball. I played softball all through high school, rec leagues in college and continued to play after college. I love the game. I was very excited when Adam asked me to step in this year. It is my goal to make the girls not only better softball players, but also help them to realize the skills we learn on the field can be applied in the world outside of the softball diamond. I am excited to see the team grow. Go Lake Effect!!
I’m Maddie Rudolph and I recently graduated with my master’s degree in Occupational Therapy from Grand Valley State University. I graduated from Hamilton High School in 2017 and Hope College in 2021 with a B.A in Exercise Science and Psychology.
I have played softball since I was 6 years old through high school. I have previously coached 7/8ers at Hamilton for one season before transitioning into travel ball. This is my 6th year with Lake Effect. I love being part of the Lake Effect organization and I can’t wait to continue pouring softball in these players.
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Ryan Kidd is in his fifth year with Lake Effect Athletics.
Kidd coached for the 8 years with Georgetown Little League and other travel softball organizations.
Kidd works as the Director of Business Development for the State of Michigan for Synchrony Health Services. Kidd is also the Georgetown Township – Clerk and serves on the Georgetown Little League Executive Board as Softball Player Agent. He lives in Jenison, MI with his wife Leslie, daughter Ella, and two sons Cohen and Brady.
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Laurie Stickler is in her 5th year of coaching with Lake Effect. She previously coached several years of Little League softball and youth basketball.
Laurie is a physical therapist and teaches in the Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training and Grand Valley State University. She lives in Hudsonville with her husband Tim and daughter Jessie.
My coaching career began in 2001, when I was a junior at WMU and the JV Baseball coach at Parchment High School. The following year I moved back to my hometown and took over the JV Baseball job (for 2 years) at Montague High school. From 2004-2008 I was the varsity baseball coach at Montague HS. By that point my oldest daughter had been born and it was time to change my focus to softball. Since then I have spent 8 years as the travel team head coach, 3 years as Allendale Middle School club team head coach and numerous years assisting.
During the day I keep busy as the owner of Gunter Accounting in Muskegon, MI.
If I'm not at the field coaching you can find me golfing or spending time with my family at our get-away "up north". My wife, Kayce, and two daughters, Lexie and Tessa (both of which play travel ball) have loved getting to know our softball family over the years.
My coaching career began in 1998 as a hitting and infield coach at Aquinas College. Thereafter, I coached travel baseball for 4 years, I was the assistant varsity coach at Wyoming Park High School for two years, I was an assistant coach for travel softball, and JV baseball coach at Lee High School for two years. I also was a hitting and fielding instructor for a number of training facilities. Before coaching, I played baseball throughout high school, Wyoming Park, where I was an all-state shortstop. I then proceeded to play at Grand Rapids Community College and then transferred to Aquinas College. In 1996 and 1997 I was honored Academic All-American while at Aquinas College.
My wife, Holly, and I have three children, Emma, Leo, and Ava.
Jeff is in his 4th year with Lake Effect Athletics. He has been coaching travel softball for 6 years in total and has many additional years of coaching experience for recreational league softball, baseball, and football teams.
Jeff works as a field-based Sales Engineer for MTS Systems Corporation located in Minnesota.
When not coaching, he is busy spending time with his wife Kris and two children, Lyla and Dylan.