Respect mutual as former player now a rival coach

Updated: May 12, 2011 10:49PM

By no means is Metea Valley softball coach Kris Kalivas old, but the young-looking, petite 30-something admitted she felt that way coaching against one of her former players last week when the Mustangs played Waubonsie Valley, Kalivas’ former team, and rookie varsity coach Aly Kelley.

“Aly is a great colleague at this point,” Kalivas said. “It’s been fun to watch her from a player to a coaching role.”

For the record, veteran coach has the edge on rookie coach, as Metea Valley beat Waubonsie Valley, 10-4, on the Mustangs’ new field in the two teams’ first time playing each other.

Was it strange for the 25-year-old Kelley to coach against Kalivas, someone who has taught her so much?

“It’s a friendly rivalry,” Kelley said. “She’s an awesome coach.”

Kelley played volleyball, basketball and softball at Waubonsie Valley, and was coached by Kalivas in all three sports. Kelley graduated in 2004 and eventually came back to coach the freshmen softball team two years ago in Kalivas’ final year with the Warriors. Kalivas relocated down the road when Metea Valley opened its doors last year.

Jennifer Jennings coached varsity in 2010, but when she did not return for a second year, Kelley jumped at the chance and got the job.

“She’s still getting her feet wet and getting used to everything, but she’s doing a great job with her kids,” Kalivas said. “It reminds me where I got my start too.”

Waubonsie Valley and Metea Valley are both young teams this season. The Warriors only have three seniors and the Mustangs don’t have any yet. In the winter, Kalivas was also the varsity girls basketball coach.

“(Metea Valley) is in good hands with her,” Kelley said. “She really is doing a nice job.”

From North to Central

Another rivalry game that took place this week is Naperville North and Naperville Central. Earlier in the season, the Redhawks beat the Huskies, 2-1. It was the first time Jackelyn Diekemper was on the other side of the cross-town battle.

Diekemper spent the 2010 season as a volunteer assistant coach with Naperville North. When an assistant job alongside Andy Nussbaum opened up at Naperville Central, the 27-year-old went for it. The Nussbaum/Diekemper combination, however, was years in the making.

It all officially started in the summer of 1996, when the Diekemper family moved from New Jersey to Naperville. They met Nussbaum, took an immediate liking to him and had bought a home in the Naperville Central school zone so Jackelyn could go to school there.

“My parents called Naperville Central and was introduced to Andy,” Diekemper said. “They thought he was a wonderful host and thought Naperville Central would be a good place for me to go to high school and to have him as a teacher and a coach.”

The now-infamous Flood of 1996, however, changed everything. On July 18-19, a whopping 17 inches of rain fell in the area. The flood ended up rezoning the Diekempers, and Jackelyn ended up at Naperville North.

That turned out to be a good thing, as Diekemper ended up with nine varsity letters from 1999 to 2002 — four each for softball and basketball and one for golf. As a pitcher, she set a record for most strikeouts in a game (22) and entire career (726), lowest ERA for a season (0.72) and career (0.82), career wins (52) and fewest walks allowed in a season (19). She went on to play at the University of Illinois and was inducted into Naperville North’s Hall of Fame last year.

“I had a wonderful experience at North,” Diekemper said. “It helped me become the person I am today both on the field and off the field, and im very proud to be an alumni.”

“Sure, it would have been nice to have her as a player in the spring and in the winter but everything happens for a reason,” added Nussbaum, who also coaches girls varsity basketball. “I’m just glad to have her on the staff now.”

It may have taken over a decade, but Nussbaum and Diekemper are finally on the same team. Even though she is a Huskie at heart and knows all the current players and coaches at Naperville North, she’s happy to be wearing red and white instead of navy blue and orange. When she is not coaching, she is a Pre-K teacher at Henry Puffer School in Downers Grove.

“After being a coach at both schools, Naperville should be proud of all the girls on both teams,” Diekemper said. “They are fantastic ladies both on and off the field.”

The Redhawks think highly of Diekemper, too.

“She’s doing great and we all love her and love having her around,” shortstop Kelsey Gonzalez said. “She makes everything more fun.”

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