When some Heritage Christian Academy students went to their teacher in 1997 and asked about having a softball team, little did they know that one of the school’s most successful sports programs would follow.
Linda Garris was that teacher and her early work helped pave the way for the HCA Lady Warrior program.
“They were starting a baseball program, and some of the girls asked if we could have softball. I went to the headmaster and the athletic director, and they said ‘no’. I went back a few weeks later, and the AD said if he could find other teams to play, then they could put it together,” Garris remembered.
Still unsure that HCA could sustain a softball program, the school outfitted the softball team with baseball uniforms.
“In case we didn’t make it, the baseball team would have extra unforms,” Garris said.
The first three years were bumpy. There were no wins.
Garris was able to enlist the help of Phil Faulkner, who helped impart his knowledge on the team. He also had daughters who could play softball.
HCA won back-to-back Kentucky Christian School Athletic Conference state championships in 2003-04.
Heritage Christian made the move the Kentucky Christian Athletic Association and crashed the party with state titles in 2005 and 2006.
Just as amazing as HCA’s team accomplishments, the softball program produced five KCAA Miss Softball winners over a six-year period from 2011-16.
HCA won two more KCAA state titles in 2014-15.
Garris also coached the Warriors to five state runner-up finishes, the last one coming in 2018 which was her last season as head coach. She stepped down after 21 seasons as head coach.
Garris ascended from teacher to headmaster of the school in 2004, guiding the school through three accreditations.
Last month, she announced she was retiring from the school. However, her thumbprint is not only on the softball program, but Heritage Christian Academy as well.
“The first award we ever won was for sportsmanship. I wanted them to represent the school and represent the school’s values. We all love softball, but I wanted them to also learn the life lessons.”
