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Coach Michelle Rochinski

by Ruth Fields

Original story ran in October 2022

When the Lake Creek High School softball team returned home after winning the state championship in June, all eyes on the bus were focused on Montgomery’s Chick-fil-A. For the second consecutive year, the marquee congratulated the team, but this time it proclaimed, “Congrats LCHS

Softball 2X State Champs 84-1.”

After the team’s 41-0 season in 2022, it was not a stated goal to go undefeated again, says Michelle Rochinski, head coach. Instead, the mission was to be back-to-back state champions. As Lake Creek’s winning streak got longer, however, people noticed. “It was adding a little bit of pressure to the kids and to the coaching staff,” Michelle admits. The team finished the season with a record of 43-1, setting a state record with its streak of 82 wins. It also joined an elite group: only 13 high school softball teams in Texas have won back-to-back state championships.

Michelle Rochinski says she coaches to help students, not for recognition, but she has been duly recognized. In 2022, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association named the Lake Creek softball coaches as best coaching staff, and Michelle was the Texas Girls Coaches Association coach of the year. In addition, Michelle was surprised to be selected as coach of the year (of all sports) by the National Federation of High Schools. So far this year, Michelle has been named coach of the year for the district, as well as for the greater Houston area. After the win at state, Michelle announced her decision to step down as head coach. “It was time,” she says. “As a coach and as a mentor, I had done things I never would have dreamed about.” Next year, she will continue in her role as assistant athletic coordinator and will be an assistant spring golf coach. Her son Cade will be a sophomore football player at Howard Payne University, and her daughter Kalee will be a freshman softball player at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Michelle is looking forward to watching their games. “It wouldn’t be fair to the kids at Lake Creek if my head wasn’t there all the time,” she says.

Michelle says it has been rewarding to watch team members blossom athletically, personally, and academically—and she cherishes “the lifelong relationships I have with the players I had the opportunity to coach.”