Olympic Dreams Set to Become Reality for SMCC Softball Assistant Coach Chelsea Gonzales
PHOENIX ---
The network connecting current and former Arizona State University softball players is vast and resourceful. Lifelong bonds and friendships are forged in the heat of competition, and the Sun Devils have a storied history on the diamond that includes a pair of NCAA Division I Women's College World Series National Championships.
It was that network that connected South Mountain Community College head coach Brittney Matta with former Sun Devil Chelsea Gonzales when Matta had an opening on her staff prior to the 2020 season. A first-time head coach, Matta and Gonzales connected via the ASU universe and the rest is history.
The Cougars gave a strong showing in the Covid-shortened 2020 season and have excelled in 2021. SMCC has sewn up a spot in the NJCAA Region I Division II playoffs and several players are in line for postseason recognition from the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference.
However, there is another tournament that has Gonzales and SMCC's attention: the Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Gonzales is a member of Team Mexico, and the sport's return to the Olympic Games has the Cougars captivated by the chance to watch their assistant coach compete at the highest level.
An infielder from La Habra, Calif., Gonzales has been playing softball since she was three years old.
"My older sister Alyssa was already playing, so my parents put me into t-ball at the age of 3," Gonzales said. "My dad would practice with my sister and I in our backyard, and those times were always the best. I still think my dad is the best coach I have ever had."
After a successful prep career at Rosary High School in Southern California, Gonzales played at Arizona State University. With the Sun Devils, she faced the nation's best while competing in the Pac-12 Conference and had to adjust to three different head coaches in four years.
"I learned I had to grow up quick," Gonzales said. "That was the first time I had been away from my family, and I had to learn how to take care of myself and manage my time. But I got to compete with and learn from the best. I believe that experience helped me become the player I am today and prepared me for the Olympics."
With the Sun Devils, Gonzales earned All-Pac 12 First Team honors as a senior, Second Team honors as a junior and sophomore, and All-Defensive Team honors twice. Before the start of the 2021 season, she ranked sixth in school history in home runs (44), seventh in RBIs (183), tied for 10th in doubles (38) and 18th in hits (205) in the storied program. She also spent a season in the National Pro Fastpitch League, playing for the Cleveland Comets in the summer of 2019.
Gonzales's grandparents come from Guadalajara, and she is proud to be representing Team Mexico. She has been with the team for four years, and she cherishes the opportunities the game has provided her.
"It is a dream come true to represent Mexico because my family is so proud of our culture," she said. "I know my grandparents are proud of me, and I try and make them proud every single time I put that uniform on and step on the field. We are the first softball team to qualify for the Olympics, and we have heard so many positive words from the people in Mexico. It is just an awesome feeling to know that we are representing Mexico."
This summer will not be her first time in Japan. She and the team traveled to Hiroshima, and it was a memorable trip, but she has yet to experience a trip to Tokyo.
"I am most looking forward to the city of Tokyo because I have never been before, but I have heard nothing but amazing things," Gonzales said. " I am also excited to be in the environment of the Olympics and see how the vibe is."
The Mexican Softball National Team spent the 2021 spring playing exhibition contests against some of the nation's best NCAA Division I programs.
"We have played in Florida, Oklahoma, California, Texas and Arizona," Gonzales said. "We also played against Team USA in Florida. We competed well with them, and it was good to play against a team that we are going to see at the Olympics."
All that time together has allowed the team to develop strong team chemistry.
"I love the chemistry on our team," Gonzales said. "We all love to have fun and joke around, and dancing is one of our favorite things to do. We have heard from multiple teams that they see how much fun we have on the field. That's one of the best things you can hear about our team."
Mexico is one of six teams competing in the first Olympic softball games in 13 years. Japan defeated Team USA in the gold medal game of an eight-team tournament at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but the sport was absent from the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Games. Each country will face each other, and there will be Gold and Bronze Medal Games at the end of the competition.
"My individual goals are to be one of the best second basemen there, be a great teammate, honor the country of Mexico with all the pride I have in my body, and leave it all on the field," she said. "As a team, I think we are going to be amazing. We have been working towards it for a while now."
The COVID-19 pandemic forced the games to be pushed back from their initially scheduled 2020 summer. The time off fueled Gonzales's competitive spirit, and she has trained even harder in preparation.
"It was a hard year to take off, but we are fortunate that the Olympics are still on," she said. "We've put in more training and are more focused this year. I feel great, but I know I can always get better."
Another thing that has fueled Gonzales's lead-up to the games is her work with the Cougars. She is in her second year as an assistant coach and serves as a Student Learning Facilitator for the South Mountain Community College athletic department.
"Coaching at SMCC is one of the best jobs in the world," she said. "I love coming to the field and seeing the girls, especially if I have been gone for a while. They always put a smile on my face and make me laugh. They are also one of the hardest working groups I have ever met, and it makes my day when they succeed and are having fun on the field. The girls are supportive of my journey, and if I am gone for a weekend because of my commitment, it is nice to know I have them rooting for me."
Gonzales also points to her relationship with SMCC head coach Brittany Matta as a benefit to her time spent with the Cougars.
"Working with Coach Matta is one of the best things to happen to me," she said. "Seeing how much knowledge and passion she puts into her coaching inspires me. I can't thank her enough for this opportunity."
Matta never directly coached Gonzales when she was on staff at ASU, but she did remember her from some visits.
"I asked Chelsea to come on board in 2020 because I knew she had ties to ASU and wanted to come back to Arizona," Matta said. "I thought it would be a good opportunity for her to stay involved in the game as she prepared for the Olympics, and I thought it would be great to have her on staff. She relates to the student-athletes very well and holds them accountable for what they do in the field."
The time Gonzales spends with the Cougars extends onto the field, where she'll take groundballs and fill in at positions during defensive drills.
"It's a huge privilege to come out to practice and get that knowledge she has from playing the game for so long," said freshman Mia Stankiewicz. "She is very talented and gives it to us straight when it comes to fielding. "
"It is cool to see softball come back to the Olympic games, and I am excited to watch Chelsea compete," Matta said. "You can see a recruit's eyes light up when you tell them you have an Olympian on staff. The team is excited to see her play, and it is something a lot of programs cannot say, so it's special."
That work has paid off in 2021 as the Cougars strung together a nine-game winning streak in April and re-entered the NJCAA Division II national rankings for the first time in more than a decade. They swept a doubleheader at Pima CC, their first road wins in the series since 2013, and Stankiewicz received NJCAA Division II National Player of the Week honors in early March. SMCC has clinched a berth in the NJCAA Regional I Division II playoffs, the Cougars' first postseason appearance since 2017.
As the Olympic Games draw closer and her lifelong passion nears its crescendo, Gonzales is grateful for everyone who has helped her reach this point.
"I would not be where I am today without my family," Gonzales said. "My friends have helped as well, hitting ground balls and pitching batting practice without complaints or hesitation. Every coach I have ever had has been a huge influence on me, as well as the girls I coach I've coached."
Some images courtesy of Andy Silvas